Rally Mini

Started by Mudhen, March 15, 2022, 05:32:33 AM

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Mudhen

Trying to start what...a 3rd rally mini thread?   11.gif

Not sure if you guys saw this car for sale on Mini Mania...but I picked it up about a month ago.  Of course, it's a lot rougher than I had imagined, but flying to Florida to check it out wasn't in the cards at the time.  And it really is what I've always wanted - a fully built rally car imported from the motherland.

This is the 'I'm going to hook you' picture (an old pic):



The specs:



And more recent pics:








The wiring is a disaster - but I think I've finally worked around the melting wires issue when trying to start it...now I need to figure out the over fueling.  Seller claimed he'd recently rebuilt the Webers - hoping it's just setting the floats.  Never worked on a Weber before but I have a book - any tips greatly appreciated!

Pat

Mudhen

Oh, and in other Mini related news, I won this car last week.   ;D

Turning out to be the most expensive $20 raffle ticket I ever bought!  LOL!




94touring

#2
Damn how many minis do you have now?

On the webers, set floats to spec, verify what size idle, main, and air jets you have.  Idle jets work low rpms (sub 3k on a mini?) Mains the mid range/high rpms, and air correction the upper rpms.  It all overlaps.  At least on my vw motor with webber 40 idf's anyways.  Idle and main jet sizes the bigger makes it richer, but air correction bigger makes it leaner.  3 sizes on an air correction is equivalent to 1 size on the main. You'll want a wideband.

Another thing that's probably too technical at this point is if your transition from idles to mains is too lean or rich, your air correction jet will alter how soon or late the mains kick in.  Richer air correction will make mains come in later.  Leaner will make them come in sooner.  So if you have a lean spot/hesitation on transition sometimes going leaner on air correction will solve it.  But if upper rpms are too lean to begin with going leaner on the air correction wouldn't work and you'd just want bigger mains. 

Mudhen

#3
Thanks Dan!  Ya...I guess I need to see what's in there for the jets - I don't know what the PO might have done...I might hit him up to see.  The car supposedly was running, but I can't for the life of me get it to start!  I think I flooded the daylights out of it troubleshooting the wiring issues - cranking and cranking it with the fuel pump running but no ignition on (the wiring is all custom but traditional race car - kill switch, separate ignition switch, and a push button starter - but what I didn't know was that somewhere along the way someone bypassed the ignition switch - I found all sorts of melted wires when I started opening up the loom).

Hoped a set of new plugs would do the trick but they still come out soaked in gas.  It's also running a Superflow fuel pump, which was unplugged when I got it, so guessing his running video he was just spraying fuel into the carb on his own.  Was wondering about float springs and if the pump is too strong, except others use Superflow...

We have 10 Minis now - oops.  4 classics and 6 R53s.  Told my wife if I bought the rally car I'd sell some of the others - and she bought it!   :D.  And then I won that Mini Thirty, lol.  I should sell it when it gets here, but noooo - pretty neat, plus it's supercharged!


MiniDave

Congrats on the new additions!

I'd look into a different intake manifold, those swan necks are supposed to be really restrictive for getting any real power out of a Weber.

I'd go with Dan's expertise on the fueling but I know Webers want very low fuel pressure (2-3lbs), so look into a pressure regulator.....if it doesn't have one now that could be causing your flooding. Don't buy one of those cheap ones at O'Reilly's, get a good one.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

Mudhen

Very well might be onto something with the pressure - where the metal line comes into the engine bay there's a fitting that goes to nothing - and then to what looks to be a recently added hose...missing regulator maybe?!?!??



This guy was highly suspect!   ::)

I ordered one from MiniMania that's adjustable.  The generic ones on Summit Racing had me all confused...

94touring

Yes and as Dave says low psi. I have a 3psi electric pump with no regulator and it does just fine.  Anything above 5psi and I'd suspect some problems.

MPlayle

It looks almost like it may have been plumbed at one time with a fuel return line?

If it has a higher pressure pump and feed line, it would have made sense to have a pressure regulator with a return line back to the tank for the excess fuel/pressure.

I would also be concerned about the frayed wires visible immediately behind the connection circled in your last picture.


Mudhen

There are wires all over the place like that, it's disgusting!

I'll be buying a new harness I suppose, too much wrong with this.  Probably just pick up this one:



Or not.   :-\

94touring

How about a regular harness that's not 2k?

Mudhen

Quote from: 94touring on March 15, 2022, 12:15:35 PM
How about a regular harness that's not 2k?

Booooring.... ;D

When I was doing my other one I thought I'd use some sort of generic loom - but then headlights, indicators, taillights, etc would need to be messed with.  Realistically other than the ignition/kill switch all the rest of the stock wiring loom is needed so would make the most sense to just get one of those.  And then add in all the lights, computer, fire system, etc, on top.

Now to work out which one, not sure what this thing is, Mk4/5...it's not a pre-engaged starter, and I was looking at handbrake cables this am and it's not the later 76+ style.  Maybe the Mk3 one would be right.

MiniDave

Does it have an altercator? Be sure to get the right one for that, or you will wind up doing a LOT of extra wiring - ask me how I know......no, don't.....
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad