Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 Pinking - another possible cause

This last few weeks, our 2012 5 speeder has been pinking more and more from the right hand cylinder. I've read many of the threads about engines running too hot, exhaust problems, low grade fuel etc. I'd tried to check everything that I could and changed to higher octane fuel.
Whilst touring the Yorkshire Moors last week the pinking was getting worse and hot starting was increasingly difficult. Power didn't seem to be up to the usual standard either. On the way home we blew the right hand cylinder head gasket and Uncle Eddie was admitted to A&E under the excellent care of Melvyn Rutter.
Strip down has revealed one blown head gasket and the other one close to it. The cam box had a lot of corrosion in it and the right hand cam drive had a badly mangled keyway which has been allowing plenty of slop in the valve timing. I am thinking that the damaged keyway was causing the timing and pinking issue. Has anybody else had this issue? I would suggest that it is well worth checking the keyways when you are replacing the timing belt. This engine has only done 11,000 miles and I would not have expected this amount of wear.
A few thoughts around this whole topic:-
1. Some of the engine components really to seem to be "made of cheese" as other people have commented. The first engine on my car only lasted 2000 miles.
2. I'm not sure that changing the fuel made any difference. Prior to this recent deterioration, supermarket fuel seemed to be okay.
3. I don't see why our engines should run any hotter than in a Harley simply because the cylinders are mounted across the car rather than in line. Framework, fairing, front mud guard and riders legs must all limit the airflow on a Harley much more than what our engines receive. And surely the trailing cylinder on a Harley is receiving a steady flow of already hot air.
4. Has anyone attempted to measure the gas flow through the standard exhaust? Whilst it may seem like a very crude comparison, my car seems to be louder than many Harleys and I don't know of them having exhaust flow problems.
I'm looking forward to getting things fixed. I'm planning to keep everything as standard and will let you know how I get on.

We’re you travelling east towards Pickering on the (A170?) On the Wednesday morning? My wife waved but I wasn’t concentrating

Yes, that was us. A glorious week and our first proper trip. despite the head gasket blowimg, we still managed to get home

Yes the weather was super, and lots to see and do.

One of friends was a Harley mechanic.

Thinking about a Morgan at first I think about a threewheeler. I speak with my friend. He looks at me: don‘t do it. At Harley we hab massive problems with the first bigger bored TwinCams... they where 1.6litres. Now we have 1.8 and much more torque. You must pay for it two times, when you buy and the live of them is shorter...

And further: the S&S engines are nice upgrades for a Harley. But a Harley is a „light“ bike. You ride it on a flow, low revs and enjoy sometimes the full power, torque and revs. That works. But a Morgan is a car. So you always use the revs, the torque and the full power.

In summary: the is always stressed.

Summary for me: no threewheeler.

René

Ours has lived on a diet of Shell V-Power (99 octane - not technically required based on the comp ratio but good fuel) for most of its life - we got very occasional pinking with the OEM exhaust when lower grade fuel was used esp in France and none at all since we moved from OEM to G56 exhaust system - conclusion from our perspective is that good fuel will help but the restrictive OEM exhaust is the key issue. Sorry to hear of Rik's troubles - sounds like his car might have missed out on the various cam box upgrades...

+1 JMD

You can do whatever but the restrictive standard exhaust is the key issue with pinking. If you haven't had the cam drive fully upgraded have a look at Andrew Warrens excellent guide to what you should have and how to identify what you do have. https://www.mtwc.co.uk/wp-content/u...Pulley-Replacement-Ver-1.compressed.pdf. If it is up to the most recent specification it should be reliable, other than some possible dodgy cam belts that seem to be about.

As mentioned in earlier posts by other members, the Morgan 3W engine is not a Harley but a S&S proprietary design, sharing no parts with Harley engines. Even the V angle, at 56 1/4 degrees, is different from the Harley traditional 45 degrees. It does have in common an uneven firing order for that characteristic 'Harley' sound (and vibration). Being 2liters, it is not too small for the 3W, there are many cars heavier with much smaller engines and with far less torque.

13year old article about the X-Wedge: [url=https://www.jpcycles.com/countersteer/moto-101/s-s-reveals-innovative-x-wedge-engine][/url]https://www.jpcycles.com/countersteer/moto-101/s-s-reveals-innovative-x-wedge-engine

Now if S&S with produce the X-Wedge with a master/slave connecting rod design, or an offset crank pin, for a 360 degree firing order (both piston reach TDC at the same time with alternating firing, like a parallel twin Triumph) with a gear driven balance shaft, then the Centra [likely] wouldn't be needed.

I think my air cooler twin cylinder Honda car, 600 sedan, moved together and fired opposite. Very smooth.

Olwyn,

Are your thoughts that the counterbalance shaft would be the biggest improvement to the Centa coupling or the more "normal" firing dual TDC at the same time with alternate firing?

I go back to the Victory ACE that Pete Larson developed and later purchased by MMC. All Pete used was the Harley "B" motors in 88", 96" and in at least one, #10, a Harley 120R "B" motor. I'm not sure what Pete used for the coupling from the motor to the T-5 5-speed, but it must have worked well using the "B" counterbalanced motors. They of course would still have the 45 degree single crank pin setup.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

Have a great weekend.