Racing Green 89 Mini

Started by MiniDave, August 19, 2016, 01:37:24 PM

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MiniDave

#450
Obligatory everything's in photo.

What you can't see is that I haven't got the axles in yet.

Had a strange thing happen, I changed out the thermostat housing and put the SPi one back in - and it leaked like a sieve! I took it back off and found a series of six nibs sticking out of the bottom part where the gasket goes....I had used one of the modern thick cardboard gaskets and clearly it was stiff enough that those nibs couldn't push thru. I also remember that it had a cork gasket when I took it off. Not taking any chances, I filed off the nibs and used a cork gasket anyway!

That sealed it up and it's good and dry now.

Oh, and I can't find the bracket that connects the top of the radiator to the thermostat housing, SPi's use a specific bracket, different from the others and I had one, just can't find it now.

I cranked it up and it fired up but died - and now I can't get the fuel pump to prime, so tomorrow I'll syringe some fuel into the float chamber so it can start and I can set the timing while it's running, then hopefully the extra RPM will get the pump working again.

In the meantime I need to install the axles and front suspension, then she's pretty much finished, ready to drive. This won't leave me much time for testing before I head out early Saturday morning.

Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

jeff10049

 77.gif  Nice. We left for reno with that 50 chevy pickup about 12 hours after finishing it. Makes a guy a little nervous but all went well.

Are you headed to the TX drive? We may see you there we are in tombstone AZ now and headed that way going to meet  Bruce at some point. We might get there during the drive it would be cool if we did but we might not make it in time were stopping in las cruces and at Carlsbad caverns on the way.

MPlayle

Quote from: jeff10049 on April 21, 2021, 09:45:39 PM
Are you headed to the TX drive? We may see you there we are in tombstone AZ now and headed that way going to meet  Bruce at some point. We might get there during the drive it would be cool if we did but we might not make it in time were stopping in las cruces and at Carlsbad caverns on the way.

Jeff10049: Yes, Dave is referring to attending the Texas drives.  They are next week in Kerrville, Texas.  If you are coming east via IH-10, you will pass through the edge of Kerrville.  The main drives are Tues, Weds, Thurs.  It would be great to meet you there.


MiniDave

Absolutely! I would love to say hello again....you still have my cell number? Give me a call when you're in the area and we'll arrange to meet up.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

OK, someone tell me what's wrong in this pic - not the axle nut/cotter pin   ;D
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MPlayle

Steering rack boot is cracking and upper ball joint looks separated?


MiniDave

#456
  ;D ;D ;D   You're missing the obvious.....look at the light.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

Willie_B

#457
 71.gif  4.gif At least you can take the light apart.

MiniDave

#458
  ;D ;D ;D  Well, the light is on a reel, so I popped the tie rod loose again....   ::) :-[
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

BruceK

So... an electrical problem with a Mini and Lucas is definitely not to blame?
1988 Austin Mini
2002 MINI Cooper S
1992 Toyota LiteAce (JDM)
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

MPlayle

I had seen the light cord running inside the suspension, but assumed it was a standard plug-in style and not on a reel.  Thus it was not a problem to me.  It actually being on a reel, does make it a problem.


MiniDave

#461
Quote from: BruceK on April 22, 2021, 04:04:00 PM
So... an electrical problem with a Mini and Lucas is definitely not to blame?

Ha! yes.....a 120V problem instead of 12V!

Speaking of, this is the last day I have to figure out why this car won't start now.....I know it's not the fuel pump - I hooked up the electric pump from the test stand and kicked it on, then while cranking I watched the clear fuel filter and the regular pump is working fine. Still didn't run, even with the electric, so.....

I used a brandy new dizzy, new plug wires, new plugs. I may put the old one back in as it obviously was working - I had used the new one when I was running it in the test stand and it worked fine. No idea why it might not work now, but I did crank it over with the new one and it made plenty of sparkyness.....and it started once and ran a few seconds the first time I tried to start it, hasn't made a peep since.

Tis a puzzle.....

I have everything else done, axles, suspension, tires rotated and aired up, fresh oil and filter - it should be good to go but I can't see hauling it 900 miles if it doesn't run.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

cstudep

#462
Actually getting fuel to the carb itself? I had a hell of a time with erratic running on mine one time with the dual carbs. Figured out that the float in one of the carbs would occasionally stick. Had I had a single carb I doubt it would have ran at all, which would have been a lot easier to diagnose I think.

MPlayle

Quote from: MiniDave on April 23, 2021, 07:28:19 AM
... but I can't see hauling it 900 miles if it doesn't run.

Well, I am going to try to convince you to still come on down even if it does not run.  We will have plenty of Minis with extra space for you to ride in.  I think we can even let you tag along in your "big" MINI as well.   ;D

94touring

Should have let you borrow my mini, but it's locked up at home and the keys are locked at the airport!

MiniDave

Not having any luck with the green Mini, and I'm running out of time as I'm planning to leave early tomorrow morning and I still have a lot to do to get ready to go - plus it's raining now. If it did start and I felt confident that it would start again once I get there - I'm not going to get any time behind the wheel before I go tomorrow. Not a good situation.....
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

94touring

Looks like Lufthansa wifi works... can't text you but anxiously waiting to hear what the solution is.   So odd it tries to fire then gives no signs of life.

MiniDave

Well, the green car won't be coming down with me.....just ran out of time to mess with it. I need to do a few things to the blue MINI before I start south tomorrow.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

BruceK

Sorry to hear that Dave. Really sucks.  Especially since you worked so hard. Glad you are still coming. 
1988 Austin Mini
2002 MINI Cooper S
1992 Toyota LiteAce (JDM)
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

MiniDave

Well, at least my MINI still runs perfectly - plus it seems to be getting even better fuel mileage - I averaged just over 34 mpg - and that was running in the mid 80's all the way down! Cannot complain about this car, it's been terrific.....clicked over 96K on the way down - I hadn't driven it even 1,000 miles in the last year or so - it needed a good highway blast.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

BruceK

Any news on The Green? 
1988 Austin Mini
2002 MINI Cooper S
1992 Toyota LiteAce (JDM)
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

MiniDave

I had a large Honey-do list yesterday after I got home Sat night, and today I had PT - after not going for a week they really put me thru the wringer today, so I took the day off from everything. I'll get back to it tomorrow again.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

I took a few days and finished up some other projects in the shop, then tonight I took another look at why the green Mini wouldn't start and stay running. Just to test a theory I hooked up my jump battery to the ignition to make sure it was getting a full 12V. The car always starts after a few days, and it did this time too - but this time I held the throttle down hard and kept the revs up - which it did for about 5-10 seconds, then it started chugging and smoking like crazy out the tailpipe.

So I think I've narrowed down the problem to the carb - and while I don't understand why both my HIFF44's would fail the same way at the same time I think I know what's wrong. There is an o-ring in the choke mechanism that when it breaks it cause this exact symptom. So I'll pull the carb apart that was on the car originally and see what I can find. If I don't find an issue with that o-ring I'll see if there's something going on with the float in the bottom of the carb. These carbs are so simple it pretty much has to be one or the other - or maybe both!

I consider it progress tho.  77.gif

One other interesting thing, the exhaust sounds way different with this header, much louder and "barkier", which is interesting cause other than the header, it's all the same stuff. Maybe this motor just has way more compression and the other one was so worn out it was down to 6:1 or something!  :-[ ::)
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

Can't find any issue with the choke o-rings in either carb, and I decided it can't be a stuck float as no fuel was coming out the overflow. Since the old engine ran with the old carb, and the new engine ran with the new carb in the engine stand just fine, I'm really scratching my head on this one.

In the engine stand I had a new dizzy, new intake and new carb - ran fine.

Old engine had old intake and carb and old dizzy - ran fine, just leaked oil and burned it too.

I started this install by using the old dizzy and carb/intake, thinking if it ran fine before it should be fine now.

I've since switched carbs, dizzys and coil to the same ones I used in the engine stand - same exact issue with either setup.

Starts, runs a few seconds then slowly dies, and won't hit a lick after that for several days (till the flooding evaporates?)

Last time it started I revved the snot out of it - which it did at first - then slowly started chugging till that's all it would do even with the throttle wide open - and made huge amounts of what looked and smelled like black fuel smoke.

So, sounds like flooding, right? Like a carb issue. But why would it happen with two completely different carbs, both of which worked perfectly fine before?

Scratching my head on this one....
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MPlayle

Electric or mechanical fuel pump?  Could the pump pressure now be enough to be keeping the float open enough for it to be flooding via the jet rather than going out the overflow port?