Lannis,
What was she driving? Glad to hear your problem was not as serious as it
(initially) sounded!
Chuck
----------
From: Lannis[SMTP:ottoflick@netzero.net]
Sent: Sunday June 25, 2000 1:54 AM
To: HOOGLY@aol.com; morgans@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Why I didn't make it to Mid-Ohio this year
John-
Thanks for sharing this all-Morgan experience with us!! Wonder what
the
loud "BANG" was? Grade-5 bolts and locknuts sound like a good
solution no
matter what the original trouble turns out to be!
I was Mogging down the highway one day and was passed by a person
who
persuaded me to gas it hard and catch up with her (for reasons which
will
remain obscure to the list). As I passed the 85 mph point, the
cockpit was
suddenly filled with loud banging, popping, horrifying engine
noises. I
just KNEW that when I got stopped and popped the hood I would be
greeted by
the raw end of a connecting rod leering at me out of the side of the
little
Ford block.
In fact, the first exhaust connection (clamp) below the header had
come
loose, and the tailpipe was trailing 6 feet out behind the car. The
combination of this thing scraping on the highway, combined with a
2-3/4"
open exhaust with no baffles (well, just the exhaust valves) 3 feet
from my
ear, had created this cacaphony, which was easily fixed, although I
never
caught up with my intended goal.
Hope you're back on the road soon! Just OWNING a Morgan is more
fun than
DRIVING any other kind of car.....repeat 20
times......ommmmmmmmm.......ommmmmmmmm.......
Lannis
-----Original Message-----
From: HOOGLY@aol.com <HOOGLY@aol.com>
To: <morgans@autox.team.net>
Date: Saturday, June 24, 2000 7:13 PM
Subject: Why I didn't make it to Mid-Ohio this year
>I had been looking forward to this thing since my first trip last
year.
What
>a great event. The organizers even put a picture of a Morgan +4 on
the
front
>page of the literature so I knew this would be a memorable day. I
got out
of
>bed at 5.30am. My wife was in South Carolina and the dog was at
the
>neighbors so this was going to be a great weekend. The trip is
about 160
>miles for me from Cincinnati. 10 rolls of film and my 300mm lens
would
make
>some great action shots not to mention being able to up close to
such
exotic
>machinery.
>Shrugging off any suggestion from the British car club about
caravanning
>(Real men drive Morgans) I set off alone.
> Anyway 48 miles out I was cruising up Interstste 71 with the sun
shining
and
>not a care in the world when I was jolted out of my euphoria by
the
loudest
>bang I've heard in a long time. Assuming that the truck I had just
passed
>had blown a tire, I just carried on. (At this point you will
realize that
I
>am a mechanically challenged novice when it comes to ancient
British
>machinery).
> At this point the ammeter started to gyrate wildly so I thought
perhaps
that
>the generator had fallen off or maybe even the battery (off that
shelf
>underneath the boot out of sight out of mind). This could well be
another
>separate incident to be reckoned with at some future time.
> I paid no attention and dismissed the whole incident from my mind
as being
>of no importance. I was going to have a good day. After about
another 20
>miles I knew it was time for coffee so pulled off. Coming off the
exit
ramp
>and putting my left foot down where the clutch used to be, I
realized
>something was wrong.
>A very friendly passing motorist helped me push the car to the
nearest
>refuge, a truck stop.
> My head is wider than the ground clearance on a Morgan so I
couldn't get
>underneath and didn't really know what was under there. The Walmart
jack I
>carry with me does not instill confidence to actually use it and
certainly
>not in an application like this. I always carry with me a Morgan
Spares
>catalogue with those splendid exploded diagrams and there right on
page 25
>was the clutch linkage. It didn't look too complicated but I
couldn't get
to
>it. Even thought of taking the floorboards up. After eliminating
all of
the
>immediate options (Yeah, I know a guy down the road who can fix
your car) I
>decided on the last resort.
> A cell phone and a paid up AAA membership.
>The guy showed up about an hour later with a flat bed. He knew that
knock
off
>wheels would wind off if towed backwards - "I towed a Morgan only
last
week"
>I also remembered that Fred Sisson told us never to tow a Morgan
from the
>front because it lifts half the Moss box internals above the oil
level ( or
>something like that) and preservation of Moss boxes is more
important than
>Stradivarius violins.
>Anyway to cut a long story short the Morgan was back in My driveway
five
>hours after I had originally started.
>Now, being able to get it up on stands (getting underneath still
makes me
>nervous) I realized that all that was needed was a grade 5 half
inch bolt
>which I got from the local hardware store together with a couple of
lock
>nuts. Whatever was there before has now gone so somebody tell me if
I have
>over simplified the remedy.
>Look forwad to making it next year.
>
>John Rogers (whose Morgan experiences are more perilous than day
trading
>internet stocks which I also enjoy)
>
>
>
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