Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 Questions from a m3w buyer

Thanks guys. I've devoured the other thread and indeed it seems I got more work ahead of me. Surely the rectifier needs to be moved on the side if not replaced upfront. Rest of the input is great but I am left with a big challenge... Figuring out what these pieces are and where they are as I am doing all this in French and my mechanical skills are zero

So indeed yes Martin if you have the patience to point me in the right direction in a manner a 5 year old would understand, it would be great. Top priority is for items that tend to fail. The noisy stuff I can deal with separately I guess

Thanks again to all

Hello Monaco
The best choice for you is 2015
I do A lot of work on Mtw And if you are not very mecanic dont worry avoid the first Ones .
If you need to speak I.m french And leave near Toulon

Here A french forum for Mtw
http://clubmtw.forum-box.com/index.php

Welcome Monaco

"For instance I remember noticing cables in full view and even some exposed wires from the first one I saw."
Yes there are a lot of exposed wires but in driving in wet weather I never found a problem. There was a problem with the earth wire on the front facing rectifiers but its an easy fix.
I did manage to disable mine by being too over enthusiastic with the hose washing the engine. Water got into the connectors on the fuel injectors meaning it would not start. Not a problem in driving though.

Tim

Good to know!

I have family near Brignoles and I am thinking i may hold the car there at times to tour the surroundings. i noticed the guys at macburnieclassics at the castellet track are familiar with the morgans so that's a good reference point too i suppose.

Latest update is i'm supposed to go see this 2013 one with the centa drive and the chassis reinforcement and the Urban cooling kit this weekend.

pretty much i suppose i need to factor in replacing and/or moving the rectifier, but it seems quite a few fuel pumps issues are emerging too.

realistically how much should i budget for peace of mind, notwithstanding purely noise issues such as the rear sprocket which i can try to spread over time?

also, coming down from the alps to the french coast in one shot means a long highway run of 6+ hours in high temperatures. any particular things i should be wary of for this first run, if I take delivery?

thanks

The H-D rectifier is a drop in replacement and mine has been mounted facing the front just like the Cycle-Electric unit minus the rubber bobbins. The H-D unit doesn't care about vibration. These things are mounted all over the place on bikes!

The fuel pump is more problematic. Quick fix is avoid at all cost ALL ethanol fuels. Go high octane ethanol free. Many feel there is a direct link between the alcohol and the internal seals dying leading to fuel pump failure.

The rear sprocket is probably the most expensive fix. My Super Max overlay failed after 16,000 miles. I bought the Morgan steel sprocket as the dealer had one in stock. Budget $1,000 for that. Sprocket and labor. We did it in four hours, total for sprocket, mufflers and brake light switch.

Think of this purchase like you would a boat; The purchase price is the easy part. Then maintenance adds up. I think of it like a hole in the water that you pour money into periodically...

I have used the 3rd timing belt so far. (25.000 km) Maybe it makes sense to carry oune as a spare part on long journeys.
The steel sprocket was one of the best investments to reduce whining noises.

Have fun with the M3W! but be aware it‘s not free of charge to operate it.

Re a 6 hr run, this is quite feasible but allow for a break every 1.5 - 2 hours.

I'd recommend a crash helmet and earplugs and you should be able to easily cruise at 120 -140 kmh

The fuel gauge is "somewhat inaccurate"!! If you fill up it'll go down to zero in around 150km or so. You'll easily have another 100-150km and still have about 1/4 tank of fuel left.

When you fill up don't fill it right to the brim - you'll probably find it hard to start and rough running if you do.

Re the rectifier - don't worry about turning the mounting. The standard units regularly last 10,000 km or more so it's not essential to replace it immediately. There is a voltage display (in the rev counter accessed by tapping the button on the end of the indicator stalk which cycles between Trip distance, Odometer, voltage and time). Check occasionally that you have 14 volts or more and everything should be OK.

If the rear sprocket is still aluminium it will either be squealing now or about to. It's annoying but the car still drives OK.

In short, don't get too focused on what may go wrong but enjoy the experience.

Good luck!

Thanks about this Chris

the car has 12,000 km so on one side i'm thinking it had most issues "absorbed" or fixed, on the other end i'm thinking that for low 40K euros i may be just about to get into trouble