Bit of a warning

[danny_nelson]

Re: Bit of a warning

I would not expect the MOC to have this information. I would say more the Marina club. ( I am sure most Marina enthusiast would have this knowledge) However Paul Moorhouse (roadster build manual ) had it covered
3 . 4 rear suspension , and fig 12. No matter which donor axle was used it was made clear that the three degree was required. No reason given.

[stevejgreen]

Re: Bit of a warning

I would not expect the MOC to have this information. I would say more the Marina club. ( I am sure most Marina enthusiast would have this knowledge) However Paul Moorhouse (roadster build manual ) had it covered
3 . 4 rear suspension , and fig 12. No matter which donor axle was used it was made clear that the three degree was required. No reason given.

Part of the reason for my question is that the Marina enthusiasts actually don't have this information.

My guess is that it is not significant to them as they would tend to maintain a vehicle, rather than build from a collection of parts that could be sourced from several different vehicles, the chassis number, and hence vehicle versions of which, would be lost.

From the Marina Parts manuals, the wedge (not lowering block) is only listed for the 7cwt commercials that used the same basic axle as the saloons and estates, it does not appear in the final version of the parts book for an Ital.

If as dbazdavies (thanks for the info) tells us. late 1978 coincides with the introduction of the MK3 Marina. It may be that the Marinas and Itals manufactured after this date were the fitted with axles with the leaf pads welded at a 3 deg offset as shown in the Roadster build manual to which Danny refers, but it is impossible to tell from the BL parts manuals.

There is a Marina history of the rear propshaft UJ failure. The front UJ had a grease nipple as standard, the centre and rear UJ's did not, perhaps to allow for a greater range of movement without swiping the grease nipple off, but with the drawback of less frequent (impossible) lubrication making it a weak link. There is a heavy duty version of this UJ with the same dimensions, but still no grease nipple.

The three versions of the Roadster Build manuals all address this issue differently, the last version is the one that Danny quotes from the late 1980's. The only one that shows Marina/Ital axles with angled leaf pads.

It has been interesting to me to look at the documented possibilities available. But I can find no definitive dates and times for the apparent changes, or reasons, as Danny says. I think they are lost to history, unless someone can find a BL Recall document that provided apparently lucrative work for dbazdavies.

I suggest that it is no longer of great significance to the average Mk2 Marlin, Marina/Ital based Roadsters. The actual geometry of the Roadster propshaft is different from a Marina, and particular details are irrelevant unless you suffer from repeated UJ failures. You simply drive the car that you built or bought.
You would be hard pressed to find a pair of Marina wedges (part number FAM 1387). But in the unlikely event that you do change the complete rear axle then be aware that the leaf pads may be angled, and it would be well to check that the propshaft UJ's are free to move through the full vertical travel of the rear suspension from having the wheels off the ground to reaching the bump stops at full travel. As said earlier my propshaft spends most of its time horizontal when being driven, but then I may have more ballast than some. I cannot see that a 3 deg wedge would have any benefit when the prop moves over-centre regularly.

Roadster Manual wedge block 1.jpg

[dbazdavies]

Re: Bit of a warning

The BL re-call and mods book was as thick as the workshop manual !!! Covering all the Models from Mini to the big 1800/2200 models whether Austin Morris Riley Wolseley name !!

[stevejgreen]

Re: Bit of a warning

The BL re-call and mods book was as thick as the workshop manual !!! Covering all the Models from Mini to the big 1800/2200 models whether Austin Morris Riley Wolseley name !!

Not doubting the source, there are enough modern cars with recalls recently, to make BL look good!
Just looking for reasons, and whether current Marlin Marina Roadster owners would benefit from the discussion.