DanClarke said:
As I say, I cannot find anything specifically wrong with the OLD SU pump diaphragm I just put on there, but have put a cheap brand-new pump on for now.
Click to expand...
Ah so it's an electric SU pump.. no connection to the engine/sump then. So petrol can't be in the oil.
Other than unburnt girl getting past the rings while it's on choke.
Get it nice and hot.. any petrol will burn off in no time
 
DanClarke said:
Indeed, I am going to siphon off a sample of the oil and see if it is easy to set fire to. :)
Click to expand...
I think you'd need a lot for that. I bet you don't need much at all to make it smell of petrol. Think about it, when you get petrol on your fingers, the smell lingers when you've washed them!
 
DanClarke said:
It is "stupid question" time again folks. :D
And probably an overly long post that can compete with one of @Stanleysteamer 's tomes.
TLDR/ Version...is there a simple test to detect the presence of petrol in oil?
Why?
Having fixed the "fallenoff" exhaust (special German make I believe ;) ) I took her for a spin and all seemed well except for a couple of misfires under heavy load up the hill at 50.
I got home and opened up the bonnet to see that the car was ticking over and the newly installed inline petrol filter was more or less empty of petrol and you could see the incoming squirts of fuel from the pump arriving into the filter.
That's ODD, I thought, its normally at least half full.
Anyway I pulled the dipstick out and dabbed it on a folded rag and had a sniff. It smelled like petrol to me. :(
The oil and filter was only changed <100-150 miles ago so the oil is more or less clear/yellow not Mini Slimy Black.
Now I have only just rebuilt that fuel pump but it is perfectly possible the 1975 NOS rebuild kit was no good.
But the level of fluid on the dipstick is pretty normal and wiping the dipstick and then taking another sample and placing it on clean paper towel doesn't show 2 distinct "rings" in the resultant oil-puddle (oil in the middle and petrol round the edge).
As a precaution I have hoiked the old rebuilt pump out and put a brand-new one in (losing loads of fuel in the process (oops!) ).
I took the old pump apart again and I cannot see any trace of fuel on the "dry/engine side" of the pump diaphragm (its as dry as a bone). So, have I just spooked myself into doing a lot of unnecessary work?

In the rework for the new pump I have removed the inline filter as it felt far too flimsy and the hose clamps had collapsed one of the 6mm plastic in/out pipes on it anyway(maybe why it was struggling to fill).
I don't want to chuck away 4.85L of perfectly good new oil and a filter if it isn't necessary, but that is cheaper than a new engine.
The trouble is that petrol and oil are miscible and once mixed you cannot unmix them. That's why my question.. is there a reliable test to determine if there is fuel in the oil. My BIL suggested getting a sample out of the sump and trying to ignite it as a puddle. Oil won't, petrol will?

Best answers and advice to this old duffer.....please. :)
Click to expand...
I think you may have been smelling petrol that was leaking out of the filter. It is also surprising how little petrol seems to flow through one at tick over or even higher revs, at standstill.
 
OK, I pulled some oil out of the sump and deposited it in a glass ashtray. I tried to set light to it with the lighter I use for my wood-burner. No "flame-flash" and it did not burn. I assume this means there is not a lot of petrol/no-petrol in the oil then. :D
Panic over. :)
 
As reported elsewhere the mini has been all tuned up on a rolling road. :)
Horrendously expensive (£562) but the results seem to be good. It really does go well now.
What did he find wrong?
1. Incorrect coil (he reports that it had a "points" style coil on there instead of one suitable for the electronic dizzy). I never knew there was a difference in "type" just in primary winding resistance and whether the coil needed a balance resistor or not so the one in there was correct AFAIK. So he changed the coil out.
2. Std "Stock" SU BDL needle mis-fueling very badly so he created a custom needle to suit the engine at all rev ranges and loads.
3. Rolling roaded to get the performance figures and tweak the needle to get the best performance and AFR figures.

Dyno reports says 62BHP @ 5129RPM and max torque of 72.6 lb/ft @ 3276 RPM
 
DanClarke said:
One other small update.
I undid the steering rack U-bolts and installed a "drop bracket" to lower the steering column, then did them up again (of course).
Now I can see all the gauges without leaning forwards in the seat. The auto-cancellation of the indicators is still temperamental. ;)
Click to expand...
One of the best things you can do. No idea why the original Minis all had the steering column set up so much more upright and uncomfortable.
 
DanClarke said:
As reported elsewhere the mini has been all tuned up on a rolling road. :)
Horrendously expensive (£562) but the results seem to be good. It really does go well now.
What did he find wrong?
1. Incorrect coil (he reports that it had a "points" style coil on there instead of one suitable for the electronic dizzy). I never knew there was a difference in "type" just in primary winding resistance and whether the coil needed a balance resistor or not so the one in there was correct AFAIK. So he changed the coil out.
2. Std "Stock" SU BDL needle mis-fueling very badly so he created a custom needle to suit the engine at all rev ranges and loads.
3. Rolling roaded to get the performance figures and tweak the needle to get the best performance and AFR figures.
And if you suddenly get tired of British high-speed ‘adventures’ - you can go somewhere far away, for example, to the USA by coachamerica.com . There, at least, you can safely get to Cleveland without the M4, the A40
Dyno reports says 62BHP @ 5129RPM and max torque of 72.6 lb/ft @ 3276 RPM
Click to expand...
Now it's clear where the power loss came from
 
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My first two Minis had them, you could buy extensions to them so I did, made it a bit less of a pain on your back, especially once you had moved the wheel nearer you.
You could also buy push-on extra long rubber switch extensions for the lights and the wipers, which came in hand when you wanted to flash your lights etc. In fact I think I still have a pair somewhere.

And of course the deathly wire door openers which if grabbed by accident..... We all replaced them with either the metal , or the more chic, metal tube with wooden handle, type of door handle.

And of course the bus sized wheel had to be changed.

Funny that there were so many obvious faults in the design that you could buy bits to improve them absolutely anywhere!!!

My next door neighbour, the pro mechanic, was once totally bamboozled by a Mini that just wouldn't start. It too had the wrong dizzy/coil combination. Took him ages to work it out.
 
DanClarke said:
As reported elsewhere the mini has been all tuned up on a rolling road. :)
Horrendously expensive (£562) but the results seem to be good. It really does go well now.
What did he find wrong?
1. Incorrect coil (he reports that it had a "points" style coil on there instead of one suitable for the electronic dizzy). I never knew there was a difference in "type" just in primary winding resistance and whether the coil needed a balance resistor or not so the one in there was correct AFAIK. So he changed the coil out.
2. Std "Stock" SU BDL needle mis-fueling very badly so he created a custom needle to suit the engine at all rev ranges and loads.
3. Rolling roaded to get the performance figures and tweak the needle to get the best performance and AFR figures.

Dyno reports says 62BHP @ 5129RPM and max torque of 72.6 lb/ft @ 3276 RPM
Click to expand...
This is a bit weird. Your post #56 implied you had bought a matching pair, dizzy and coil, or did I get the wrong end of the stick? Strange how it was running quite well with the "wrong" coil.
I also remember you saying that it ran better with the standard BDL needle and your plugs were not overly sooty or white, so "mis-fueling very badly" is absolutely nuts.

Hmmmm!
 
Stanleysteamer said:
This is a bit weird. Your post #56 implied you had bought a matching pair, dizzy and coil, or did I get the wrong end of the stick? Strange how it was running quite well with the "wrong" coil.
I also remember you saying that it ran better with the standard BDL needle and your plugs were not overly sooty or white, so "mis-fueling very badly" is absolutely nuts.

Hmmmm!
Click to expand...
Yes, I know. I am puzzled as well. But, I cannot deny that it is really running a great deal better. :confused:
Pulls well in all gears now, whereas before you really had to drop a cog to get acceleration. It is now very responsive.
I cannot critique the outcome, only the price paid. :)
 
Stanleysteamer said:
My first two Minis had them, you could buy extensions to them so I did, made it a bit less of a pain on your back, especially once you had moved the wheel nearer you.
You could also buy push-on extra long rubber switch extensions for the lights and the wipers, which came in hand when you wanted to flash your lights etc. In fact I think I still have a pair somewhere.
And of course the bus sized wheel had to be changed.
Click to expand...
I once changed a Mini steering wheel for an older lady who was struggling with parking, I replaced it with one from a Stag I think, bigger wheel made steering so much easier for her at low speeds.

The Mk2 Mini's had the switches set further back and an extension ring on the ignition switch so as they were easier to reach when wearing a seat belt, early seat belts weren't inertia reel so you were fixed in place when strapped in
 
landowner said:
I once changed a Mini steering wheel for an older lady who was struggling with parking, I replaced it with one from a Stag I think, bigger wheel made steering so much easier for her at low speeds.

The Mk2 Mini's had the switches set further back and an extension ring on the ignition switch so as they were easier to reach when wearing a seat belt, early seat belts weren't inertia reel so you were fixed in place when strapped in
Click to expand...
I found it hard almost to buy a Mini with its original "Bus" type wheel, which would have done your old lady OK.
It was almost the first thing many owner's changed. But my first Mini had one.
The switches I am talking about were the original flick type, (not the rockers that came late)r, like this
1744883823175.png

I had the devil's own job finding a picture of this, in fact I only managed to make this by taking an image of the whole of the front of the interior of an early Mini and cropping it down muchly! So the extensions you simply shoved down over the original toggles.

The starter button was on the floor and I am not sure that you didn't dip the lights by pushing a switch on the floor.
Finally found an image of exactly the model I had. Even the same colour scheme.
1744884915080.jpeg


So it shows all I mentioned and YES, I had to dip the lights via a foot button. (The starter is hidden cos it was right next to the central tunnel just in front of the driver's seat on the floor. It even has the dangerous pull cord to open the door with!
Note also the pump action windscreen washer, to the right of the switch panel. Pretty useless thing after a few years of use!

The only difference between this one and mine was that mine was a "de luxe" so the instrument binnacle had a separate oil pressure gauge and one other, apart frorm the central clock etc similar to the one in the image, temp maybe? It also had lights to light the dash shelf area on the side or sides of the central clock. (You can just see the right hand one, just above the left spoke of the wheel.) Those huge door pockets were SO useful. Really missed tham on my last Mini. The locks on the sliding windows were chrome steel the very early ones were black and whit plastic, my mother had one of those, so old it wasn't even called a Mini, it was still an Austin seven! The first Minis, introduced in 1959, were initially known as the Austin Seven and Morris Mini-Minor.

I kept that old bus wheel for years as a memento as my first Mini had so many fond memories.
I came home one day to find my Dad had cleared out his garage and thrown out a box containing not only some of my tools but also my old wheel. I was furious. Didn't speak to him for a week or two.
 
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