Morris Minor Owners Club

I'm just wondering, my advance/retard pipe from the dizzy to the carb has rusted through and broken off, would this cause it to not start. It wasn't starting before hand, but could this cause the problem as I've changed everything else.

Should make no difference

That's what I thought, but I thought I should ask you amazing people. you know more about these things than I do.

Do you have a spark at the plugs? Do you know how the Kettering system works?

What have you actually changed? Dizzy? Carburettor? Contact points, Condenser, Coil, Manifolds? Fuel pump?

Any or all could be the problem, or maybe just one might well be the original culprit.

To add that that list, compression, discharged battery, poor earth, old fuel, blocked jet, plug leads, plugs. Lots of possibilities.

As you will gather from the above posts, you will have to give us some clues to work with.

For example, what was the engine's behaviour just prior to developing the failure to start? Anything suggesting a developing problem? Did you change a engine part or setting prior to the problem?

What is happening now? Does the engine turn over well when you operate the starter? Does it seem to try to start?

We are eager to help, but we need some information to work with.

Don

As above. Start with some basic information. We deduce that the car is a 1957, but after 60 plus years, we can't assume that everything is as it was when it left the factory. Therefore:

• What engine is fitted?

• Is it +ve or -ve earth

• Is it points or electronic ignition?

• Has it ever run properly since you've had it?

• Describe exactly what happens when you try to start the engine

• Describe what troubleshooting you have conducted so far

• Describe exactly what you have done to the engine and its ancillaries

Armed with the above, we'll do our best to get it going for you.

It hasn't started since I've had it, I've changed the battery, the cap, rotor, condenser, leads coil, and Lt lead, and plugs as they had been in there for ages before I bought the car. There is a weak spark at the plugs. Ive changed the 2 glass fuses, and I have a replacement for the box as it looks like it needs replacing. Whilst rotating the engine by hand I noticed 2 valves we're sticking so Ive replaced them. Ive replaced the fuel pump as well.

Oh and Ive cleaned out the carb.

I've ordered a new vacuum pipe.

Whilst trying to start the car, it turns but doesn't fire up. I can hear fuel being pumped by the carb. Just running out of ideas.

Oh and it's positive earth, and I've replaced the 2 earth straps as I thought it could have been that. I've tested the voltage coming out the coil and I've tested the leads by checking if there is a spark from the plugs. Ive checked the voltage from the battery (just to double check). It's trying to start just frustrating it's not firing up. I've attached a separate Jerry can to the fuel pump ( with fresh fuel), just in case the line from the in car fuel tank was blocked.

Normal procedre isCIC
COMPRESSION
IGNITION
CARBURATION

You were also asked what engine it was.

How about a photo or three?

Sorry if this sounds like I'm being picky, but for all we know there's some alternative engine fitted that's not even an A Series....

Nemo57morris wrote: ↑Mon Feb 21, 2022 8:33 pm There is a weak spark at the plugs.

Well there's something to sort out then.....

When ever I hear that someone has changed all the old electrical parts for new ones my heart always sinks because the old ones are often of a better quality than the new ones and just need cleaning.

Nemo57morris wrote: ↑Mon Feb 21, 2022 8:33 pm It hasn't started since I've had it, I've changed the battery, the cap, rotor, condenser, leads coil, and Lt lead, and plugs as they had been in there for ages before I bought the car. There is a weak spark at the plugs. Ive changed the 2 glass fuses, and I have a replacement for the box as it looks like it needs replacing. Whilst rotating the engine by hand I noticed 2 valves we're sticking so Ive replaced them. Ive replaced the fuel pump as well.

Oh and Ive cleaned out the carb.

I've ordered a new vacuum pipe.

Whilst trying to start the car, it turns but doesn't fire up. I can hear fuel being pumped by the carb. Just running out of ideas.

Ahh, you not only could not start it but have also at least partly dismantled the engine (likely for the simple fix of a few drops of oil? Tell us what you found with the head off, why the valves were sticking, how you replaced the valves (like were they ground to seat the valves, were the seats re-cut, etc), inlet or exhaust? etc etc.

Did you fit a new head gasket (likely need to know the engine size/type for this).

What colour is the spark? Blue or yellowish. Was the battery a new one? Have you charged it fully?

The mini I recently took to Scotland had not been started in about eight years, possibly more. It was soon running on the original fuel in the tank - the only problem being an initial fuel shortage (and that the ‘jump’ battery was rather short of charge).

I don’t take any notice of acronyms/initialisms/abbreviations - things are usually quite evident, and suspects are checked out after first rudimentary checks. For these old engines, I find ignition faults (spark at the plugs) very easy to observe, fuel availability from pump operation/ ignition plug checks, and compression by turning over the engine with the starting handle. There is nothing fancy with regard to analysing faults with these engines.

I think you need someone with some experience of mechanics/electrics to sort this easily/quickly (or otherwise).

All bets are off, at the present time. Too many ‘might be’ alternatives.

You haven't mentioned the points. I suggest that you fit new ones and adjust them correctly.

I would also check the static ignition timing.

thank you all for your help, ill have a look next weekend, and ill post up what i find. Thank you

Nemo - a few months have passed!

How's the starting problem, and what diagnosing and repair efforts have you made?
Tom M.