Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi all,

Thanks for the advice in the past I'm currently building up parts to upgrade my recently bought 1098. It was running rough and making a rumbling since purchase around christmas. I took it to a local garage who were quite well known for working with Minors (not under aged apprentices, but you know what I mean;-)). I got it back they solved the rumbling (said there was something touching) and I asked them to check the engine, timing, valve clearances, fuel mixture etc. They noted that the choke was sticking and I always check its fully home. Anyway on returning from the garage the car struggles to get over 60 and doesn't feel happy at speed. It was misfiring with a puff of white smoke I checked the plugs they were white tipped with black soot on the ceramic. I've richened the mixture and now the plugs are starting to go that biscuit colour, I've got the idle pretty smooth now and can bring the idle down very low before the car stutters, but still seems to hit a wall at 60mph It seems to accelerate well to this speed then thats it. Hills also cause it to slow.

So the dizzy cap looks brand new, rotor arm looks equally good little blacking at the end which I cleaned up I've changed the leads and plugs. It has electronic ignition, looks like powerspark (I didn't fit it). Checked the fuel pump filter very clean couple of black specks, it was a little kinked and a bit flimsy, I was told the fuel pump was new and it certainly is clean and new looking. Checked the carb bowl and theres plenty of fuel in there. renewed a cracking fuel line mainly for safety. Seems good on oil and water I find it hard to check hasn't lost a significant amount if it has, never been topped up, in my mini I remember there was a little wire bar to check the level against I don't see one in this radiator.

I'm a bit scared to fiddle with the timing I don't know the sound of pinking and worry I won't be able to hear it over the other engine noises. I guess next is valve clearances and timing (though the garage was supposed to have done these) I worry about the white spark plugs/fuel mixture though me richening it could just be compensating for some other defect

I'm eventually going to fit a 940 head (on it's way, though could require sinking the valves) and a hif38 carb (very grubby second hand one awaiting a refurb kit, throttle spindle seems to have no play in it) but I wanted to get it running well first so I can tell if the parts I bolt on have been done correctly.

Any help/advice would be appreciated

Assume the 'garage' did nothing - what could have been 'touching' ??? So you really do need to check the valve gaps, and ideally get a compression test on the engine. Pinking is pretty obvious 'tinkling' noise - you'll know it when you have it - so do try advancing the ignition.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PETROL-ENGINE ... 46047f96df

Any reason why this ever so cheap compression tester won't be good enough? I guess I best grease the suspension then that I asked them to do while it was there as it was still cold and raining

Should be absolutely fine. And yes - I would at least check for any signs of fresh grease.......... I'm surprised they even had a grease gun - or did they..........

There was an older gent there who seemed very knowledgable and reassuring. I won't be too quick to judge for now, everyone makes mistakes. Was planning on asking them to sink the valves on my head and potentially fit it, but considering doing it myself for the cost of a torque wrench and bruised knuckles and I'll have learnt something (I hope).

Will order the compression tester and set the valves that I've never done before and have my fingers crossed that the compression is good.

Any recommendations of grease guns, I have two cheap ones that just annoy me; hard to get a good seal on the nipple and drive the grease in, also hard to refill.

Thanks for the advice, you do seem omni-present I think I remember you replying to some posts on a mini forum?

go to a agricultural supplier or halfords or better still your local motor factors and order one get a flexi hose to go on the end

Yes - I have been known to hang about some Mini forums - and TR7.... Often the problem is with the grease nipple rather than the gun . Maybe invest in some new ones... You should do the 940 head yourself - they are unlikely to be able to take on a non-standard job like that. Remember a 1275 gasket is used, the water pump may need filing down, and the rockers re-aligned on the shaft so they act directly on the valve tips. Torque down to 44 ft lbf, and 15 thou exhaust valve gaps. And re-torque and re-gap after the first heat cycle.

I'll try to dig out the one I've got already, I'll update with the compression ratings when the tool arrives, I'll probably be back with 'I fiddled with the dizzy now it won't start' in the next couple of days

Thanks for all the help

All greased up, I think the garage did do the grease,(grease was very soft and easy to pump out) replaced all the hoses, including the pesky by pass hose with the new one being worryingly short, I hope it stays on ok I'm a bit worried about it. Changed the distributor this evening between rain spells (couldn't get the vac to work when sucking and was a bit concerned about the electric ignition module). Car seems to start amazingly well, with choke i just have to touch the key and it starts, I can't hear any popping on overrun but it wasn't warmed up, so didn't rev it too much (bad light forced end of play). Just have to check for pinking and tweak the timing, hope I can make it to 70 now will report back.

Here's hoping..... but let's have the compression figures.

Yes I know I should, the cheap compression kit I Was going to order didn't have 14mm spark plug adapter. I'll have another hunt around

Yes sounds the compression test is in order, noticed a bit of blue smoke when really reving it by the side of the road. I've fiddled with the timing, advanced it a few degrees (on the dizzy) and the engine started sounding all mean and fiery, certainly revved up alot more lively with no load. However when driving it it seemed to promote a rumbling sound again (under load at higher revs), is this pinking? to me it sounds more deep than 'ball bearings in a can' Is it a really tinny sound this pinking I'm listening for? I can get to 65 now but the rumbles put me off to me it sounds like bearings but the garage try to convince me it's from the exhaust being so close to the body (It's practically touching where it leaves the engine bay and goes under the car). Paranoid of damaging the car further by unwittingly getting it to knock.

Pinking is a tinkling sound..... Install an oil pressure gauge if worried about bearings, and adjust the exhaust away from the body! Compression tester with no 14mm adapter?? What on earth was it going to be used for....I know cars these days tend to use 10mm spark plugs, but there are still plenty of 14mm cars out there.

Probably why it was £10 including postage. I took the oil pressure gauge off when I had a massive oil leak which turned out to be a crack in the copper pipe, I guess I should re plumb it in. the low pressure light turns off very quickly and never comes on again, but I know that only indicates, that they're not totally knackered.

OK after more tests: Initially I set the timing static just after the 5degree BTDC (I'd say about 4 degrees) If I advance the timing I get blue smoke when revving hard with no load. If I retard it this seems to go away
If I advance the timing I get a rumble under load which increases at the high revs and the more I bury my foot to the floor, again retarding the timing makes this go away.

On Idle I can move the distributor what seems to me like quite far (about 10mm around the clamp if that makes sense) without it becoming rough. The revs instantly pick up a little after moving it say 4mm (advance) and after that there is very little difference.

I'd say the best performance was when it was set 5mm advanced but rumbling under load and blue smoke at high revs, but those symptoms didn't seem 'healthy' so I've reverted back to my starting point, would rather live with poorer performance for now and know I'm not knackering the engine. I seem to get flat spots once the engine gets hot (few runs up the hill).

Blue smoke is nothing to do with timing..... Rumbling - well you really need to eliminate exhaust rubbing on the body...

I agree, I should sort the exhaust out first. (I think I'll add the Hif38 while I'm there). I take it a compression test will rule out (or point to) piston rings? Blue smoke really only did seem apparent after advancing the timing and has disappeared now I've retarded it again. I am using higher RON fuel would that stop the pinking sound? Perhaps all that raw A-Series power I unleashed is showing up the weaknesses in my engine.

Apparently 'How to Power Tune Mini on a Small Budget' says that it can be related.
' 'pinking' ('pinging') occurs, this indicates that the CR is too high, or the ignition is too far advanced. When this happens the engine will not accelerate well and will puff out blue smoke (oil smoke) from the exhaust pipe when the engine is 'pinking.'

I've never heard of blue smoke associated with pinking....and it will only pink when working hard - not when 'blipped up' standing still. Don't tell me you're reading the D** H@&$!! book.......... You should NOT be running premium grade fuel - although you may want to do so if you fit a 940 head - but I don't.

ha ha not really reading it, I just googled 'blue smoke timing' and arrived there. A mechanic I know (shame he's in france) always made me run premium on an 850 mini perhaps it was also the petrol over there? damn french petrol

Well removed the exhaust manifold in readiness for the hif38 and there is evidence of blowing on the join between the manifold and downpipe, also definately knocking on the body as it's removed paint, it seems to want to be in the position, I don't have tools to bend it. I'm a little stuck anyway as I have no nuts for the Hif38 does anyone know what thread size they are on the Hif38 (presume metro manifold) I stupidly started the job thinking I could just take the nuts from HS2 or whatever is standard but they are too big, just slide over the Hif38 thread.

It's not usually a matter of 'bending' it -more likely adjusting the hangers at the rear to move it over a bit. Nuts - could be anything - depends on the manifold - do you not have a 'nuts and bolts' tin??