Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Spark plug removal

Definitely a bit of craftsmanship on show there...

That is a fabulous cover you have made. Shows great skill.

Back to the plugs......I was taught to remove plugs annually using Spannerjuggler’s guidelines. It is good practice as it prevents seizing which opens a can of worms when you need to get them out.

Another watch point is that as a car ages there are many other areas that need regular checks. An annual spanner check underneath is a prevention regime for keeping things good. Coupled with a clean up.
The wiring on a Morgan is very expised , especially at the front where spray from the wheels gets at connectors expised under the wheel arches. Again an annual check is beneficial. On my last car, a 1993 4/4 , I had issues and had to change the bullet connectors for waterproof ones.
Fuel systems on older cars can also deteriorate by ethanol in the fuel, hardening and cracking rubber pipes, dirt/rusting tanks.
If you are keeping a car for a ling time then it is worth checking and upgrading such systems to future proof them.
A couple of years ago I remember someone, possibly a dealer, running maintenance courses for Morgan owners covering the basics such as greasing, visual and spanner checks etc. Ideal for owners who have little or no hands on experience for cars.
I remember buying my 4/4 from Allon White and chatting with Phil Benning about what to look for anddo, how to grease, spanner checks, opening and closing the bonnets, tyre pressures etc.

BHM run workshops to educate new DIY mechanics, but not so far this year for obvious reasons.

That’s the one!

Fabricating this cover was more about patience than anything else. Elected to use the 2no M10 tapped holes in the offside of the cylinder head and the large holes at the top of the nearside intake manifolds to nos 1 and 4 cylinders for plate fixing purposes. The latter have holes about 15mm dia which were subsequently filled with washers to M8 bolts. All bolts, washers and dome nuts from Screwfix or ToolStation for pennies.

A stiff cardboard mock-up was cut to provide approx overall plate dimensions – finalised at 500mm long x 440mm wide. The 2mm thick aluminium plate cost £10 from a local bike show. A 50mm dia timber tree stake was used with the trusty Black ‘n’ Decker work mate to bend the plate a bit at a time to a shape that looked half decent. A slight curve was bent by hand in the middle to permit water to run off each side. Portions at front and rear were cut away from the plate to provide clearance for various hoses etc. and filed to a smooth line. The underside is sprayed with matt black heat resistant paint.

25mm x 4mm aluminium brackets were cut to approx. lengths and bent to suit the final profile of the plate. Both front ones were remade (more trial and error!) to permit the plate to slope towards the front and be parallel to the bonnet hinge – it was originally set level and just didn’t look right. The Dzus fasteners are fine but are critical to the correct amount of washers fitted – even more trial and error needed.

Measurements were taken to establish the centre of the dip stick and oil filler plug relative to the fixing brackets and to each other. 62 mm dia and 72mm dia holes were cut in the plate using an electric jig saw and filed to finish off. The blind rubber grommets (60mm and 70mm) were sourced via ebay ( less than £1each) and stiffened with 4mm rubber sheet cut to size and fixed using Power Bond 806 adhesive.

Abrasive paper in grades P120, P400 and P1000 was used on the plate prior to finishing with Autosol metal polish. I find cut up old bathroom towels are ideal for this purpose.

Looking to embellish both sides with some sort of plate reading “Morgan”. Possibly an aluminium stencil screwed to each side – but not home made this time! Jury is currently out on this.

Just coming back to this topic.
Reading the comments about copper grease again it triggered corrosion thoughts.
Mixing dis-similar metals is a root cause for corrosion. Copper and aluminium is a classic. However, the grease component will probably mitigate the effect. It has got me thinking that the non copper greases mentioned would help.
Anyway, an annual check and engine covers are good practice.
One thing that surprises me though is how water can stay in the plug recesses. Surely the heat in the engine will dry them out? Unless the car is left out in rain too long. Similar to brakes in some ways. Another reason to drive the car regularly before discs etc get a layer of rust.

This is what NGK have to say on the subject of greasing spark plugs but I don't know if it applies to all manufacturers.

NGK Greasing recomendations

Yes, confirms what I posted on this thread on 14/3/20.

Perhaps the water is sealed in there! Perhaps it is actually accumulated condensation and not rain water. Here’s a different perspective from an old thread.

I suspect a lot of plugs first fitted at OE stage are not plated to the standards used by NGK