Workshop Manuals are worth their weight in gold to the average enthusiast-restorer, but every so often the problem at hand is not solved by following the standard troubleshooting routine. Sometimes solutions are found while investigating something else unrelated. Here are a few common problems I've encountered with simple but unanticipated causes/solutions.

Solution: I knew there was a leak in the exhaust system and managed to trace it to the engine bay by having a friend block the end of the exhaust pipe (with engine idling) while I checked for the source of the leak. It appeared to be at the back of the engine. I suspected that the joint between the pipe and the manifold was at fault, and removing the clamp revealed the end of the pipe to be partly worn away. I had an exhaust specialist weld it up for me and then I refitted it. The problem was reduced but not eliminated, so I removed the clamp and attempted to reseal the joint with no success. Now that considerable joint sealer had hardened around the pipe, clamp and manifold, I decided to clean the surfaces thoroughly and try sealing it one more time. To clean it thoroughly I removed the manifold. Only then did I discover that part of the gasket had worn away at the base of the centre exhaust outlet, hence the leak.

So a $7 gasket and the problem was fixed, engine revving freely again, making that characteristic A-series engine sound and no more holding up traffic on hills!

Symptom: Misfiring under load and at high revs.

Solution: Unfortunately there are many possible causes for this one and solving it can involve thorough and time consuming checks of the ignition and fuel systems. As the fault only occurred with the engine under load it was virtually impossible to induce the fault with the car stationary. So the carburettor was serviced, with no improvement. The fuel pump was checked and deemed healthy, leaving the ignition system. All spark plugs were equally covered in carbon giving no clues... Like the spark plugs, the distributor cap, rotor and leads had all been recently renewed - but just to eliminate them I substituted those from another car...quite unexpectedly that solved the problem. So to pinpoint the faulty bit I began to remove the leads from the original distributor cap in order to try them one by one. They were the type that are held in by screws and I discovered that one appeared to have been ripped out of the cap and simply pushed back in without undoing the screw and removing the torn off piece of lead. As the leads are a tight fit in the cap it was not obvious that this particular lead was not screwed in - but it proved to be the cause of the problem.

I later remembered that the problem first occurred shortly after I had someone else do some work on the car... they must have snagged the spark plug lead. So I guess the lesson here is that just because a part looks new doesn't necessarily mean it can't cause a fault.

Solution: The headlining of the Australian Morris 1100 consists of a single piece of vinyl material bonded to a 5mm thick sheet of open cell foam padding. This is glued directly to the underside of the metal roof. Quite a straight forward arrangement but one which sees the thin vinyl subjected to considerable heat if the car is parked in the sun. Over time the vinyl dries out, shrinks and cracks and it is highly unusual to find a car with original headlining in good condition. The original pattern vinyl is, of course, no longer available in Australia or the U.K. Even if a scrapped car has good headlining, removing it to install in another car is fraught with problems. First the vinyl will probably be a bit brittle and prone to tearing along the length of the car. Secondly, the foam is likely to have become crumbly and will leave a thin layer on the metal roof as well as on the back of the vinyl material, resulting in a very messy salvage job even if you do manage to remove it from the car in one piece.

If originality is important then you might like to consider this. The headlining of the Australian made Austin 1800 is the same material as the 1100, but unlike the 1100 it is glued to a piece of 5mm fibre board which is slid into place through the windscreen aperture. The fibre board is a much better insulator than the open cell foam which is why many 1800s still have good headlining. The good news is that removing headlining from a scrap 1800 is quite simple. The vinyl peels off the fibre board fairly easily and cleanly and because the 1800's roof area is larger (marginally) than the 1100, the grubby edges will not be a problem. Take the cleaned vinyl to an Automotive upholsterer and get them to glue it to some new foam and then into the car.

New vinyl headlining material of similar grain but different pattern to the original is available from the UK.