Morris C8

[Richard Farrant]

The Morris is a side valve, they are low enough compression as it is unless a farmer had been using it with Vaporising oil or as you might call it Kero or Paraffin, but my bet is one of two possibilities, the head is warped, not unusual, or that the head has already been skimmed (too much) and now the valves are kissing the head so fitted 2 head gaskets! Only way to know if the head has been skimmed too far is to get another Morris owner with a C8 or C4 to measure the height of their head.
Pretty sure there were no domed pistons on these side valves, only ever seen flat tops.

regards, Richard

[pauldavies]

Thanks for your input every one, I have checked the head & block and all is flat and good. The pistons have flat heads and the cylinder head has plenty of clearance, the sparking is over the valves so no problem there either. Maybe the theory of using other fuel maybe the reason, pretty sure the guy who did the restoration didn't take the head off as the compression was good but I will ask him. Have only one port to clean up, bit of corrosion due to water getting past a loose plug on no 4.

[pauldavies]

Sorry Richard I never answered your valve clearance idea, I will measure the open valve height and the recess in the head tomorrow plus the width of gasket.

[pauldavies]

I have checked all the clearances and can find no logical reason why the use of two gaskets apart from another type of fuel, I will contact the restoration guy this weekend.
Thanks every one and feel free to try to give me an answer .
Paul

[pauldavies]

The mystery of the two gaskets, having finished cleaning up the head and no4 bore I am in the process of re-assembly, when the head was tightened down I looked to put the two bolts in the water pump at the front/top of the head. They don't line up due to the holes in the cylinder head where the thread is are lower than the clearance holes in the water pump and that's why they put two gaskets on to raise the head up. Silly me. I have taken the water pump off and will elongate the holes in the pump. Yes it is quite likely the head has been machined to cause this, no knocking when engine is turned over so ok..

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by pauldavies

The mystery of the two gaskets, having finished cleaning up the head and no4 bore I am in the process of re-assembly, when the head was tightened down I looked to put the two bolts in the water pump at the front/top of the head. They don't line up due to the holes in the cylinder head where the thread is are lower than the clearance holes in the water pump and that's why they put two gaskets on to raise the head up. Silly me. I have taken the water pump off and will elongate the holes in the pump. Yes it is quite likely the head has been machined to cause this, no knocking when engine is turned over so ok..

Hi Paul,
Well done on solving the mystery, they must have taken a lot off that head unless it had been skimmed several times in its life.

regards, Richard

[Mike K]

Would a compression test tell you how much the head has been shaved ?

I have a Indian made copy of the 1930 Lister CS single cyl. diesel , they recommend using a little piece of lead to check the piston to head clearance. The piston squashes the lead , you then measure the thickness of the lead . Don't know if that helps ?