Difficulty in fitting brake lines to the master is due to the ends of the steel flares having been squashed by over tightening. Girling calls for a tightening torque of 15 inch lbs. The tube nuts should be able to be easily threaded all the way into the master cylinder ports by fingers alone.
N.B. I replaced my master cylinder with a dual line arrangement. I used 90 degree fittings with pipe threads into the M/C and have been told that it is a no-no because they cannot be trusted not to leak. Proof of the pudding is that one of them does leak. In looking at John Sheally's car at MOG 30 I noticed that he had banjo fittings on the M/C and he said I could get them at a truck supply house. Having tolerated the slight leak throughout a weekend of vintage racing I now plan to do something proper to correct it. The banjos worked for John.
The other care to take on fitting the lines to a tandem master is to make sure that the correct line goes to the correct port in the MC. They should never be swapped.
For the person who is concerned about what to put under the aluminium straps on the rear deck of that freshly rebuilt Moggie the suggestion is: marine bedding compound. It is a waterproof putty-like material that is meant to be applied under items to be screwed down to the deck of a boat. It is semi-solid, and oozes into nooks and crannies under the cleat, stanchion, etc to be affixed, and then hardens somewhat, but never becomes brittle. It keeps water, both salt and fresh, out, preventing rust and dry rot, and would probably work quite well on a Morgan.
Lubricate the lug nuts with "never seize" and torque them to 40 foot pounds. Because the end of the studs going into the wheel hub are smaller than the end that goes through the wheel, the torque that the stud can safely take is limited by the inner end. Forty lbs.. of torque is plenty to hold the wheel securely, 70 or 80 is almost surely guaranteed to either damage the threads of the nuts or studs or loosen the studs from the hubs. This information applies the all Morgans up to 1968, not necessarily to +8s and later other models. For further information, please check torque specifications for different wheel nuts HERE.
Leaf
Spring Choices
by Lorne Goldman
Morgan Leaf Springs have come in a number of variations
over the years. People get confused as to which one to use. To my mind,
the more compliant a suspension is, the more your wheels stay on the ground
rather than bounce off it, especially in a road car. However, this has
not always been the accepted lore for the Morgan company and the sad reputation
of Morgan suspensions reflects this.
7 leafs; Which in the past produced an almost unbearable ride for 4-seaters.
6 leafs: In the past often used on 4-seaters and installed as stock on Plus 8s and Roadsters, creating a stiff ride.
5 leafs: Also used on Plus 8s with good results until the 2000s, Used on Plus 4s and 4/4s
4 leafs: A recent (post 2009) high quality product supplied by a new very reputable spring expert. It has solved the crisis caused by the quality of the springs used before its arrival. By 2006, the previous suppliers springs were causing tramp issues and bottoming out in the Roadsters and Plus 4s. Addtionally, the springs would sag..to the point of collapse, in a only a few months. The Factory was forced to finally find a better supplier and pay more. This price increase (100%) has been passed onto owners but it is worth it!
I went through three sets of new MMC springs on my Plus 8 from 2006 to 2011. On the last round, I had three choices. (1) Replace them again with the same springs,(2) have the existing set retempered and arc'ed with an expert, (3) try the new 4 leafs. I took the third option and I am thrilled I did. Their better quality and design transforms the comfort and comportment of the cars.
Sadly, there are some watchpoints in retro-fitting them
to pre-1993 Morgans. In ordering them, Morgan decided to change the postioning
of the rear wheels in their wells. Traditionally, the rear wheels were
always a bit forward of center in the wells. These new leaf springs were
designed to cure that by drilling their holes for the axle bolts a bit
to the rear on the springs, thereby pushing the axle and the wheels a bit
rearward into the center of the well. However, with the dangerous hand
brake bracket welded to the axle rear (pre-1993), this can push that bracket
into the petrol tank. Of course, the tank can be "relieved" to create enough
space but you should be aware of the REAR
END COLLISION RISK inherent in pre-1993 cars. I am not sure why
the Factory decided not to offer the same springs with the old axle position.
| Note: There are also other variations on the theme. For example, one can remove the smallest leaf from a 6 leaf spring and the result will be a firmer 5 effect. |
Leaf Springs Treatment
by Lorne Goldman
And don't forget, "to paint the leaf springs with motor oil" to keep them lubricated. That may sound a little messy. Just jack up the car to relax the springs and then squirt in some 90 EP gear oil*. Lubricating the springs improves the ride of the car. It also increases the load on the shocks ( or as they are more accurately called dampers). Since the friction between the leaves has a damping effect on the motion or the springs, when you remove this friction you have lost some damping action. The shock's damping action is motion sensitive. This means that the greater the bump or movement the more resistance the shock should offer. This will occur if the shocks are set up and are operating properly. With the springs lubricated the result should be a smoother ride and better resistance to "bottoming" the suspension on big bumps.
*N.B. Webmaster: I do not use gear oil. Substitute Castrol chain oil spray instead. It goes on cleaner, and then penetrates for better effect.
I am at the stage of the replacing the fuel tank rear axle and suspension back to where it came on my 1980 4/4 4 Seater. At the shackles at each end of the spring there is a long bolt several large washers and two spacers one longer than the other. My problem is in which order do they go. Mike
No two Morgans are alike. The size of these spacers and their positioning varies from car to car. Therefore you have some fiddling to do to find out what goes where on YOUR car. The keys are to assure yourself that. The leaf springs are parallel to the frame.
1. Remove your weather equipment and sidescreens.
2. Remove the axle space carpet and the plywood cover underneath it.
3. Remove the seats.
4. Move the upholstery and remove the covers over the fronts of each leaf spring.
5. Jack the car at the rear and place it solidly on jack
stand. Leave the jack positioned under the axle.
6. Remove the rear tyres and place them under the chassis rails, one per side.
7. With a the right socket (5/8"?) remove the inboard nuts on the u-bolts (2 per side)
8. Jack the axle up carefully (MAKING VERY SURE YOU DO NOT MAKE IT LIFT THE WEIGHT OF THE CAR FROM THE STANDS)
9. When you have sufficient clearance to the outboard bolts, remove them. (slow going here).
10. Place the full weight of the car back on the jack stands by lowering the jack under the axle.
11. Remove the nut from the holding bolt at the front eyelet of the leaf springs. Now re-thread it on back on a couple of threads.
12. Have a friend stand on the leaf spring with feet near the front eyelet. They should adjust the pressure they are placing on the leaf, if necessary by pressing on the ceiling with their hands or even using s broom stick. This should be done until a pressure is found that allows the bolt to be removed a bit by hammering on the nut you left on (to protect its threads). When the bolt is removed, they can slowly remove the pressure of their weight.
13. Remove the leaf spring bolt at the rear.
14. Remove the old spring and re-install using these directions in reverse.
N.B. Please consider replacing your U-Bolts and their nuts at this point. as an altertive to nylocks, stoffer nuts can be considered.
Morgan Axle U-Bolts and
Saddle Plates
by Lorne Goldman
Morgan
has used pretty much the same axle U-Bolts and saddle plates for more than
a half century. Sadly, much of the community still does not understand
their peculiarities and that can cause great damage unwittingly. As can
be seen from the Factory's adjacent drawing, 
the
u-bolts and their saddle plates hold the axle to the leaf springs and therefore,
the car. The plates have five drilled holes. Four hold the u-bolts and
the last, in the centre of the plate is for the axle locating nut which
holds the plate in position on the leaf springs.
N.B. These locating nuts must be made of the strongest metal possible. If they shear, the axle becomes loose on that side and will move forward or rearward on the leaf springs severely skewing the axle and prejudicing driving control. In many countries, the strength of these nuts/pins are governed by law. However, Morgan has axle locating pin/nuts machined in Factory. These inevitably shear, especially with axle tramp with the bigger engines or when the plate or the u-bolts are used to anchor suspension systems and anti-tramp bars.
The Morgan U-bolts are special. THE MUST BE MADE SHORT, ESPECIALLY THE OUTBOARD ONE.
WATCHPOINT I: Though simple, the Morgan chassis
frame is not quite as simple as it looks. The frame railing is an "L".
The beefy section is the larger vertical piece. Very thick, very strong.
Then there is a thin horizontal flange at the bottom. This is dismissed
by those who don't understand it. In fact, that thin flange is what
prevents the larger vertical section from splitting! If
the flange is split, holed or damaged, and remains repaired with a similar
piece, a crack in the adjacent vertical frame has become highly likely.
A repaired frame is vulnerable to further cracking as it will most often
NOT flex in exactly 
the
same fashion as the surrounding original frame. The only sure repair for
a Morgan cracked frame is a new frame and the cost of that repair often
matches or exceeded the value of the car.
Sadly, damage to that flange is common from owners. They jack the car from the rear and in doing so they compress the suspension. In compressing the suspension, they bring the rail flange right up to axle u-bolt nuts, often to the point where the outboard nut touches the flange! As they can no longer easily access or turn the outboard u-bolt nuts, they come up with all sorts of weird cures, involving crowbars, wooden blocks and sometimes, sadly, drilling access holes below the outboard nuts through that all- important frame flange!
WATCHPOINT II: It is a RULE that u-bolts should be tightened and replaced from time to time. U-bolts should NEVER be re-used after they are removed. Morgan used the same u-bolts for decades, even while the bhp was going from 36 to 200+! They shear. Many owners notice the use of nyloc nuts, and with some logic, get distressed! (Nylocs cannot be fully torqued. Many owners try to cure this issue by replacing the u-bolts with new, longer ones (They do not want to drill the plate for u-bolts of a wider OD.) They use longer standard axle u-bolt nuts. Stoffer nuts is an excellent solution.
N.B. The use of longer u-bolts or u-bolt nuts forces the outboards into the frame flange each time the car is jacked for improper access to the u-bolts or every time the rear suspension compresses. Additionally, it shortens the suspension travel of the car and creates an impact point. In little time, the flange is damaged or split.
The nylocs and the short u-bolts are there for a reason. The MMC is/was trying to address an issue with the car's design. The weakness of the U-bolts used before those of very recent years CAN be addressed with stronger u-bolts of the same length but with thick bar stock and a better grade of metal. The MMC has been using thicker u-bolts on the newer cars. These bolts are also treated and the plates are anodized to slow rust. However, the plate is no thicker and the stronger u-bolts bow and weaken them in short time. You can purchase these new bolts and saddle plates from the Factory. For something bullet proof, buy the ultimates from Peter Mulberry at Mulfab. I recommend better u-bolts and plates for any owner with 200 lbft or more of torque or a suspension or anti-tramp system using the u-bolts or saddle plates as anchors.
N.B. All u-bolts stretch with tightening over time. As the metal stretches, it weakens without a visible sign.
N.B. If a bowed saddle plate is evident, it should be replaced.
The nylocs are another story. They are there because they require little space and can be sourced easily. On the other hand, they cannot hold a torque and must be tightened frequently AND replaced regularly. They are not normally appropriate for this type of task. A better idea is the use of stover nuts. They have a lower profile than nylocs, can take a high torque and never need re-tightening aside from compensating on rare occasion for u-bolt stretch. On the other hand, they are harder to find and a bit longer to fit. UK Source or US Source
ACCESSING THE OUTBOARD
U-BOLTS
by Lorne Goldman
Jack the car at the rear frame as you would normally. Place the rear solidly on jack stands (ALWAYS USE JACK STANDS ANYTIME YOU ARE UNDER THE CAR!!!) Remove the jack. Place it under the axle. Jack the axle upwards until the outboard nuts are easily accessible (easiest with the inboard u-bolts out) but never so much as will make the frame's weight completely leave the jack stands. Wedge in a block of wood a side between chassis and leaf springs and then lower the car off the axle jack.
REAR BEARINGS
by Norm Patterson at the eMog
Pub March 9, 2011
7HA Phase 2 Salisbury
Front Pinion:
M86610 front race
M86643 front bearing
Rear Pinion:
HM88610 rear race
HM88649 rear bearing
Axle bearings:
LM501311 race
LM501349 bearing
Leaf
Springs (