Morris Minor Owners Club

Penny (ONCE AGAIN) has died, and yes, it was my fault (AGAIN) she was running too rich and hunting so much, i read up on how to adjust the mixture. I leaned her off but unbenown to me, you're only supposed to turn the knut about 1/4 of a turn (i turned it about 3 times), she sounded lovely and smooth so i presumed she was fine, and off i pootled to work. About a mile from my work i started to smell petrol. popping the bonnet once i was there, the fuel pump was continuously pumping (around every half second) and there was petrol spewing outve the top of the float bowl on the carb. The float appeared to have got stuck. My parents managed to get her going again whilst i was in work and she got the 7 miles home that evening. Starting her up this morning she was hunting BADLY but i drove her anyway. one mile from my house she did the same thing, petrol being chucked out the top of the float bowl. getting towards the end of my tether with the thing now, becuase its just NON STOP problems. mainly caused by my fidding, but i just wanted her to stop doing 28mpg and acheive more like 40 (as should be possible given the way i drive her) anyone got any ideas as to what could be causing the problem... and how to rectify it?

Thanks, Ashley (and the very poorly Penny)

Sounds like the float plunger has got stuck in the open position, nothing that adjusting the mixture could have caused. Remove the lid / float and plunger, clean out with petrol and spray plunger with wd40, probably a new lid gasket will be needed on reassembly.

just undoo the 3 screws on the float wiggle the float and replace just got stuck easy minute fix .

It's not a serious problem - as above - try giving it a wiggle, although a new float valve may be an idea. If it's been partly overflowing for a while - that could explain your poor fuel consumption. Have you now put the 'mixture nut' back where it was ?

would me making the mixture REALLY lean (i mustve turned the adjusting bolt 3 times all the way round) not have caused any damage? because we've jiggled the float around and it stops it for a while, then after about 2 miles, does it again

Lean mixture runs hot, really lean mixture won't run at all.
In such a short time you won't have done any damage to speak of.
Try to be a little less gung ho when making adjustments in the future

Turn the mixture nut right to the top then turn down 2 complete turns. This should get the setting almost correct. Mark one of the flats with tippex as a reference point the adjust 1 flat at a time, up or down until you have the fastest, smoothest tickover

Take the top off the float bowl and check/clean the float valve....May need a new one.

mike.perry wrote:Turn the mixture nut right to the top then turn down 2 complete turns. This should get the setting almost correct. Mark one of the flats with tippex as a reference point the adjust 1 flat at a time, up or down until you have the fastest, smoothest tickover

DO AS THIS MAN SAYS!!! That will get the mixture close to right.

BUT If fuel is flooding from the top of the float chamber at any time, then your mixture will be far too rich. Sort out the float needle first!!

Problem solved, thanks for all your help. The valve had worn down to pretty much having a groove in it. And therefore we getting stuck and not closing the gap completely. Fitted a new one and adjusted as youve said, shes running lovely now. Thanks

Great success...