Big ends gone, maybe.

[bmcecosse]

What's the bottom pulley? Is it a rubber mounted damper - or the Minor 'pressed steel' type? You say there at idling - is it there if you remove the fan belt? Could it be the alternator cooling fan?

[hanvyj]

What's the bottom pulley? Is it a rubber mounted damper - or the Minor 'pressed steel' type? You say there at idling - is it there if you remove the fan belt? Could it be the alternator cooling fan?

I'll remove the fan belt and check. Bottom pully is a "mini cooper S type" I think? Not pressed steel (photo from when I put it in):



Would the high compression cause constant pinking on normal octane fuel? (Stretching my knowledge of engines here!) I did notice there was a lot of carbon build up on the plugs, quite black.

[bmcecosse]

Ooohh - not seen one of these dampers for a very long time. Indeed - Cooper 997/very early 1100 - and I think the very early 1071 S engines used that damper. Are the 4 bolts tight? The compression does seem high - but I doubt it will pink at idle!!

[hanvyj]

Ooohh - not seen one of these dampers for a very long time. Indeed - Cooper 997/very early 1100 - and I think the very early 1071 S engines used that damper. Are the 4 bolts tight? The compression does seem high - but I doubt it will pink at idle!!

Glad it's an interesting one They were tight when I did them up a few months ago! I'll check when I try the belt off tomorrow.

[hanvyj]

Thought I'd do a quick oil change and found out I had the wrong spin on filter... Testing on hold until post arrives.

[kennatt]

are the engine steady bar bushes ok