Morris Minor Owners Club

Finally got the time to work on my 1959 minor, and After fiddling around with the distributer for a while, it started ... after a few pulls on the starter, It ran perfectly, but any pressure on the gas kills it. I have also been running it without the air filter on top,( I don't think that's a problem), but I know almost nothing about carburetors, or how to adjust them. The lever shown in the picture does not move when the throttle is increased, even though it looks like it should (to me at least).

I can't get the picture to load, but it is a lever on a metal dowel that turns when the gas is increased, but the lever sits still. There is a spring attached to the top of the lever, which makes it look like it should be turning, but I can't figure out what it does, or what it should be doing, or what cable should be attached to it.

starting it seems to be a matter of luck, as most of the time a cylinder or two will fire, and then the starter spins freely without doing anything, and the engine does nothing more.

On a side note, there is smoke/exhaust coming out of the carburetor where it looks like the air filter sits, and the fuel bowl/reservoir keeps overflowing, even though I have cleaned it thoroughly.

On the other side of the carb, is the throttle, and below that is what I suspect is the choke, but I am not sure how it works exactly, because pulling on it only increases the throttle.

I am so close to having this car running perfectly, I just can't wait. I only have to iron out these few wrinkles.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I love how much I'm learning from working on this car.

Well done on getting her started!

It would be a good idea to get a manual and read about how to set up the SU carb.

But as for cutting out, it sounds like you might have an air leak causing a weak mixture, did you connect the breather hose to hole in the carb, if your car has that arrangement?

As for overflowing float chamber, check the gasket in the float chamber lid is intact and not perished and check the little valve in the lid is sealing when the float closes it.

There should be a little clamp nut on the choke mechanism that the choke cable attaches to, so when the cable is pulled it pulls the jet down enriching the mixture. This will help your car to start more easily.

The gasket is only there to cope with surge on corners etc - if it's overflowing now then there is a problem with the float and/or the float valve. Maybe just dirt - but probably a new valve needed. Your lever etc you describe...is it part of the 'choke' arrangement? Try applying some light oil? Google for Morris Minor Workshop Manual - it's out there as a FREE download.

All the information (technical and other) that you need regarding SU carbs is on the Burlen web site
http://sucarb.co.uk/technical
Click on the info relating to H type carbs (left hand side of page) and it is all there and easy to follow.

bmcecosse wrote:The gasket is only there to cope with surge on corners etc - if it's overflowing now then there is a problem with the float and/or the float valve. Maybe just dirt - but probably a new valve needed. -snip-

not quite...

I have cured carb leaks with a new float chamber gasket where the float and valve were working perfectly well. As the fuel comes in the top of the float chamber, some must also flow down the sides of the chamber and over the lid/ bowl join and with a knackered gasket, capillary action can cause dampness on the top of the float chamber that can be mistaken for "overflowing". I just cured a leak on a Mini like this. Float and valve were both fine.

'Dampness' maybe - but overflowing is a different matter.....

have you got the right oil in the dashpot 3in1 is great

I had a friend who knows more about cars than I do look at it and he said it was the timing

So I taped my phone to the rearview mirror and shot a video of me trying to start it, so you guys can actually see it start and help me out.

the link to the video is:

http://youtu.be/emZnnmS5Bzg

I have the air filter off, just so it is easier to see, and so I can work the throttle and choke better.
also, maybe because this is the first car I have worked on that didn't have computer control, I have never heard the term dashpot, so I don't know what you're referring to. It seems that every time I work on this car I learn something new.

Is the 'choke' working? It's not really a 'choke' - it is a mixture enrichment device...it should pull the jet down when you pull the knob on trhe dash... The dashpot is on the top of the carb - the piston shank slides inside and has a little 'damper' piston on a rod inside - this needs a little oil to act as the damping medium. If in doubt about fuel flow for starting - tip an egg cup of petrol down the carb inlet and crank it! If it still doesn't start and run for at least a few seconds...then it is an ignition problem.