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Jun 14th, 2026
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Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 367 Likes: 12
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OP
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So, your keeping Ace #10? = YES!
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Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 450 Likes: 1
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It is a shame that you have been put off the M3W but I think I understand.
2013 M3W 1960 Velocette Venom and the Landrovardo!
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Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 367 Likes: 12
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Happy crappy anniversary to me!
My M3W was picked up with this oil leak a year ago today.
Yes, I could have fixed it faster if I...
...accepted Morgan engineers' stupidity with metal lathe choc marks on the Centa journal's oil sealing rotating surface and their "they all look like that and nobody complains" quality standards.
...didn't reject the first Centa journal, without the choc marks, but with a turned finish sealing surface.
...question Morgan's senior leadership when the second replacement was the same turned surface and then forced their admission that although Morgan talked about a ground finish, they never promised it.
...took their best Centa journal and had a machine shop finish it with a proper ground finish sealing surface.
...stop work to have a gap free and 'no daylight' fit confirmed between the crank splines and the Centa journal.
...agreed to reject the first and then another Morgan Centa bearing due to further quality issues and eventually go to a different vendor for this bearing.
It's now finally going back together and I should soon have a M3W that does not leave its oily mark at every stop.
Good things take time and fixing a M3W, better than Morgan makes new M3Ws, takes longer.
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 7,342 Likes: 49
Talk Morgan Guru
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Talk Morgan Guru
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 7,342 Likes: 49 |
I am finally posting about my oil leak experience after ‘upgrading’ to the Centa for my 2013 M3W. I’ve delayed relating this story in an effort for Morgan to do the right thing and make a Centa journal with a proper oil sealing surface in-line with crank seal manufactures specifications; a machine-ground finish. After ~180 miles on my new Centa a significant amount of oil began leaking from the lower bell-housing hole; more than the typical oil weeping many M3W owners tolerate. The rear main crank seal was determined to have failed with the surface of the Centa journal blamed. This is a pic of the Centa journal clearly showing jaw marks from the manufacturing metal lathe and a machine turned finish…  Morgan’s initial reaction was it’s my mechanic’s fault but then added that all their current Cetna parts look like this and their assembly crew just scotch-pads them before installation (a practice specifically discouraged by oil seal companies). Morgan continued to say that there is no other way of making these parts without the lathe jaw marks to which an instructional YouTube video of Soft Jaw Metal Lathe Technique was forwarded. This slowly progressed to Morgan saying they were going to meet with their Centa suppliers and admitting that the Centa journal surface was not previously specified as oil-sealing to its maker. During this time Morgan was reminded that the Centa journal surface should be a ‘ground finish’ for oil crank-shaft sealing success and longevity, not their machine turned finish. After a couple months an unannounced Centa part arrived in October; no lathe jaw marks but still the machine turned finish. After questioning this ‘better but still not proper surface’ I was informed that new Centa parts will come in December, no January, no February 2019. To my disappointment the last Centa journal received at the end of February 2019 still had a machine turned surface and my last attempt to communicate with Morgan’s leadership resulted in an email bluntly stating that while Morgan had talked about a ground finish they never formally promised a ground finish on the Centa part; because Morgan owners have not complained about leaking oil so this is not an issue (only for me). I am now having my Centa journal modified to a ground finish before final reassembly. This will hone ~2/1000” off the OD in the process about 20% of the material that could be removed and still be within the seal manufacturer’s OD specs. The first Centa part with lathe jaw marks was received in February 2018, the first replacement Centa part, with no jaw marks and a turned finish, was received October 2018. My expectation is that Morgan was using these questionable parts when making new M3Ws and in their Centa ‘upgrade’ kits during this timeframe. I’ll add that for my experience Morgan is crediting $800 US; compensation that will almost cover my transportation cost to and from the repair shop. Specifically, Morgan adds this credit to the dealer’s account who then has to front the money to the customer (me) until they owe Morgan something in the future. I guess the moral to this story is if your M3W leaks oil SAY SOMETHING and maybe, just maybe, Morgan will eventually do the right thing…
3Gs, that is some repair journey and an appalling read on product quality and customer support. Trusting all is fine now....
A Morgan Identified Fastidious Owner...
2011 4/4 Bespoke, 1981 Delorean, Auburn Boat Tail
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Here is a pic of the Centa journal that I had machined to the proper ground finish that is specified by crankshaft oil seal manufactures but deemed unnecessary by Morgan.  Of course this how they should all look and I'm very glad that at least one M3W shouldn't leak oil now. After more that a year of debating this topic with Morgan's leadership my M3W was making noise again as of yesterday; hopefully there will be punctuation of this repair and re-repair saga very soon.
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Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 450 Likes: 1
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well done, that's how they should look, extra marks for the tapered lead in to save the seal from damage on assembly. I hope your latest noise is not too expensive.
Last edited by Phil Bleazey; 28/06/19 10:37 PM.
2013 M3W 1960 Velocette Venom and the Landrovardo!
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 7,342 Likes: 49
Talk Morgan Guru
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Talk Morgan Guru
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 7,342 Likes: 49 |
Here is a pic of the Centa journal that I had machined to the proper ground finish that is specified by crankshaft oil seal manufactures but deemed unnecessary by Morgan. Of course this how they should all look and I'm very glad that at least one M3W shouldn't leak oil now. After more that a year of debating this topic with Morgan's leadership my M3W was making noise again as of yesterday; hopefully there will be punctuation of this repair and re-repair saga very soon. 3Gs, I trust this problem is resolved for you soon.
A Morgan Identified Fastidious Owner...
2011 4/4 Bespoke, 1981 Delorean, Auburn Boat Tail
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Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 367 Likes: 12
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I hope your latest noise is not too expensive. I should clarify that by saying "making noise" my M3W was making exhaust noise while being test driven; so making noise in a good way *knock wood* I was scheduled to drive my M3W home from the shop outside of Portland last week but some additional, hopefully final, adjustments were being done so this should be the week for it's return. After almost 15 months though, I'm not holding my breath, so we'll see...
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Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 3,857 Likes: 2
Talk Morgan Addict
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Talk Morgan Addict
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 3,857 Likes: 2 |
I hope your latest noise is not too expensive. I should clarify that by saying "making noise" my M3W was making exhaust noise while being test driven; so making noise in a good way *knock wood* I was scheduled to drive my M3W home from the shop outside of Portland last week but some additional, hopefully final, adjustments were being done so this should be the week for it's return. After almost 15 months though, I'm not holding my breath, so we'll see... 15 months to fix something? What is the shop outside Portland, I might need them?
2019 M3W Sold and is now in Las Vegas enjoying the showgirls :-)
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Joined: Feb 2018
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To AR Auto Service's http://www.arautoservice.com credit most of this time was spent debating part quality with Morgan, and in the end they never made the Centa journal part appropriately (according to manufacturer specs of main crack oil seals, and every other auto-maker). In the end of my communication Morgan, their leadership (Adrian Westwood), bluntly put it that they never promised a ground finish on this critical part, and that they only discussed this topic at length and seemed to agree this it should be done. In the end I gave up and had a machine shop re-work the better Morgan part (no more lathe marks) to that pictured above. Morgan continues to make M3W's with a turned surface on this part, since, because, in their words, "nobody complains about Morgans leaking oil." This means that every M3W will likely leak oil from the main crank seal and/or this seal will prematurely fail. The 'beauty' of the bell housing design is that a slow crank seal leak will not reveal itself for some time, since the leaked oil has to pool at the aft end of the bell housing before there is enough of it to start leaking out the hole on the bell housing bottom.
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