Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 Lost power on freeway, now multiple problems

2019 3 Wheeler with about 1225 miles on it, and just serviced.

It's not a good week for me and my 3W (but who am I kidding still love the car). First got stranded because I didn't know where the inertia switch is, now, this:

I was accellerating onto the freeway and got up to cruising speed successfully, only for RPMs to drop less than 10-15 seconds after reaching cruising speed, and then the car then lost the ability to move on it's own power (but still ran). There was a noise associated with this that didn't exactly sound good. The engine ran fine, but the clutch was irresponsive and putting the car in gear and letting off the clutch was totally useless. I coasted to the bottom of an off ramp (fortunately there was one just in front of me), pushed the car to safety, and shut it off.

At first I thought to check the belt but it's fine. Then, I tried starting the car again and only the starter itself was spinning - it would not turn over the engine at all. My first thought is Centa Compensator since that's the real link between the engine and driveline, and the flywheel is after the compensator per the parts book (could explain why the starter works but engine is not turning over).

I have the car safely stowed away and will get it to the local Morgan dealer Monday but I am very curious what everyone has to say. Here she is: https://imgur.com/h3Sa09d

You are lucky to have a dealer near you.

Good luck and since it is still under warranty you will get resolution someday.

Had you modified the engine in any way prior to failure?

Do you do burnouts?

Have you raced the car?

It does sound like something ahead of the clutch. Hard to imagine the Centa failing to provide any drive at all, and I would expect there would be lots of rubber chunks coming out of the Centa housing if that was the case. Might be something like a sheared engine output shaft or sheared Centa output shaft.

In the past some HARLEY (real Harley, no S&S) the crankshaft was pressed.

If such engines where "overtourqued" the crankshaft could colapse. It's twisting in itself.

Greets René

Not good at all for a new car Royal Lichter but good to hear you are safe and ready to make a phone call Monday.
Please keep us updated with your progress.

Hi RL, does sound that its an issue associated with the Centa coupling. Agree that it's unlikely all the rubber inserts have failed but there is a key on output coupling that may have sheared.

Yikes - keep us posted

Engine is totally original and no burnouts or racing. Whatever happened has to be some kind of a fluke.

“They all have a fluke, sir”

Welcome, again, to the family. Keith will get it sorted out!

That is good to know that it was just a fluke and not habitual behavior, something I would have been guilty of 50 years ago :-)

I hope the fix is relatively painless.