saxavordian
Well-Known Member
Guys and girls we must group together and give a big hug and protect @My Old Landy from the Evoquism trap.Don't worry, we'll still talk to you.
Unless you go and buy an Eeejoke of course!!!
Hi Stan,If it ran before there is no reason to think that the timing has slipped. Did you see/hear it running?
If you have electronic ignition it could be the electronic module thing that sits on the side of the dizzy whose name escapes me. That happened to me in my last Mini. First it ran like a sick dog then needed me to push it home.
Don't panic Capn Mainwaring! You'll sort it.
Do you have a decent strobe timing light?
To test a coil you need to test the primary winding with an ohmmeter i.e. the two small connections, should be somewhere between 0.4 and 2 ohms, then test the secondary winding, across one of the smaller connections and the one where the king lead goes, i.e. the big mother in the middle, that should show somewhere between 6k and 10k ohms.
You'll know how to test for a spark, so do that.
It could still be fuel related, i.e anything from a leaky hose, through a dodgy pump, to muck in the carb and or jet.
did you try to start/run it with the choke pulled right out?
Best of luck mate. You must be feeling sick as a dog and angry too! I would be!.
Well... The primary LT side is measuring as 0.8 Ohms, and the Secondary HT side is measuring 7.1KOhms.
When I put the ignition on I have 12.75v at the coil on the incoming lead from the ignition switch and when having removed the dizzy side of the LT circuit and replacing it with a manual jumper-wire I get a bigger spark on the LT side as I connect it than I can see on the HT side king lead from coil to the dizzy when held close to the engine block....when it bothers to spark at all that is.
This may be a significant find.
Later Minis came with a spray guard which you could remove fairly easily, made out of some sort of painted cardboard. Two or three big plastic screws you could undo with a thumb and finger. My first two, like yours, would suffer in damp weather. My Mum's Morris 1300 had exactly the same problem.Just a thought Dan on my S if the roads where really wet it would cut out and not start until the distributor had been completely dryed out ? I got over this with a marigold glove fingers cut of and stretched over it worked a treat
I just made my own splashguard.
I'm on the wrong pooter to be able to put up a pic of the guard I am talking about. I'd have to look back at Dan's pics to see if he has the mounting points or not, I have a feeling he hasn't got them.
Who the flip puts the dizzy on the front of the engine not sheltered from the wet by a rad?
Issigonis I suppose!!
If the ignition parts are clean, wires all good and insulated then the damp wont affect it, You could spray water on my old racer engine and it never missed a beat. The water gets in at the joins and spade connector covers if they are oldLater Minis came with a spray guard which you could remove fairly easily, made out of some sort of painted cardboard. Two or three big plastic screws you could undo with a thumb and finger. My first two, like yours, would suffer in damp weather. My Mum's Morris 1300 had exactly the same problem.
I just made my own splashguard.
I'm on the wrong pooter to be able to put up a pic of the guard I am talking about. I'd have to look back at Dan's pics to see if he has the mounting points or not, I have a feeling he hasn't got them.
Who the flip puts the dizzy on the front of the engine not sheltered from the wet by a rad?
As @landowner said no point in going over 25 thou until you know what you have got.
Your book has 2 whole chapters on ignition so you don't really need much help, but for me I'd take an ornery points ignition if you have it and replace the points with an electronic conversion kit, easy to do and once done it's fit and forget, well as far as dwell (which will no longer exist) and timing, which once set will not move. Timing only moves because when points burn down, or the placcy bit that rides on the cam wears down, it alters the timing. If you have a good dwell meter and conventional points you'll find you never need to alter timing.
It IS important to have totally compatible systems. i.e coil must match the other bits. My neighbour who ran the garage was stumped for ages with a Mini that wouldn't start until he worked this out. Each component on its own was fine, but they just didn't work together.
There is always the issue of "ballast wire or no ballast wire". When I installed my MG metro engine into the City E I had to make sure I changed it from one to the other. Cannot remember which way round it was!
If you take all the bits off, have a good look at them, take down makes, models, numbers etc then go to a Mini forum I'm sure you will get all the help you need.
There does need to be one male-female connection at least from the dizzy to the coil and if you do have electronic ignition I think that will be two. But you need them so you can remove the dizzy easily.
You may remember I built a distributor testing machine when I was trying to modify the curve for W's Speedster. It was a bit Heath-Robinson but it worked.
If you got an MG Metro dizzy and coil, you could just fit them and it'd run very well. Assuming the drive dogs are compatible which I would imagine they are.
Best of luck, I just wish I was nearer as I find all this intriguing fun!
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I think that is a good indicator of the problem. Fuel mixture is way too rich. May start ok from cold which requires a rich mix, but bogs when warmed up and becomes hard to start. Just like driving with an old skool manual choke left on too long. What choke arrangement is fitted?
Re the petrol stench, do check all hoses/pipes/pump and the tank itself carefully, (bit obvious this, I am sure you will). Even when running very rich you shouldn't get it smelling that bad. I strongly suspect a leak somewhere.
That makes little sense to me. Maybe the coil isn't earthing very well?Hi Stan,
Well... The primary LT side is measuring as 0.8 Ohms, and the Secondary HT side is measuring 7.1KOhms.
When I put the ignition on I have 12.75v at the coil on the incoming lead from the ignition switch and when having removed the dizzy side of the LT circuit and replacing it with a manual jumper-wire I get a bigger spark on the LT side as I connect it than I can see on the HT side king lead from coil to the dizzy when held close to the engine block....when it bothers to spark at all that is.
This may be a significant find.
Check the king lead is OK!
