My 1994 water pump and gasket looks different to yours which I am guessing is around the early 2000s?:
Well done Calypso! I was hoping someone would step in. You did! My compliments.
HEADS UP.
Parts for Morgans, especially for Plus 8s have so many variants depending on the year and where it was shipped to. They very often do not follow either the then current Rover or Land Rover or the UK
stock Morgans of the day. Sadly, most moggers and even dealers don't realize that, and that causes a lot of parts confusion and loss.
For example, you are correct that Tree Surveyor's pump, timing cover and oiling system come from a GEMS Morgan, a relative rarity in the UK during its reign (2000 to mid-2004) Most of these went
overseas starting January 1998. After two years of being unable to import a Morgan to the US (and Downunder) (1996-1998) most after went overseas, went there. However, even then there were
differences as the overseas Plus 8s until 2000 had a MMC bespoke chip fit when ALL the post-2000s production, wherever they went. have LR Discovery 2 program from years earlier. Wiht differen
programming there are different quirks.
To make our lives MORE difficult, LR began using GEMS in 1996 and switched to Bosch Motronic in 1999 (which the MMC never used). So both your engine (Hotwire) and TreeSurveyor's (GEMS) were
technicaly obsolete when they left the Works.
I use the word "dated" rather than "obsolete" as, like wine, some older vintages are better than later ones, either in the performance area or the
ease of parts-availablity. Original parts are not produced long past the lifetime of production. The best time to buy spares is when the first generation are coming off the road, usually 25 years after their
production ended. 10 years after that, the same part can cost 100 times more or force your ward off the road. You are at an excellent time to stock up now. In your case, the best time to buy your Hotwire
wiring loom (generic to LR) or the throttle pot was 10 years ago. Treesurveyor's weak point is the GEMS timing cover. Oil pumps wear, which is not a worry for you or me. However, Treesurveyor's, on the
other hand, is incorporated into his timing cover unlike every other variant (save Motronic) since Buick 215s began in 1962. (they are still producing new parts and casting for them in the USA.) The GEMS
timing cover also is made for a computer run ignition system which means no provision for our distributor, meaning he cannot retrofit available older parts in a MOT world
Here are the LR water pumps.
https://www.gomog.com/allmorgan/pumps.htmI have found all pre-GEMS water pumps, Buick 215, 3.5, 3.9, 4.2, with their timing covers are exchangeable with a couple of tweaks. The big cut-off point for most LR/Rover V8 parts is 1977, the birth of the Sd1.
In a nutshell, Morgan parts sourcing is risky. Trust no one. There are ever fewer people left that know enough. Most owners of the same year still assume that their Morgan +8 is the same as all of that type
that year and, these all follow LR/Rover. Best idea is to consult your block # (I have 4 lists up on gomog, or ask someone knowledgeable quick, before they pass away. (wryly) There are tons of parts available.
You simply have to know exactly what and where to source it.
gmg
P.S. There are also striking performance and handling differences between the same Morgan model made for different places on the same day.
