3 replies to this topic

[monster_mini]

hi,

I was working on my friends mini at the weekend and found something I thought was very strange and completely crazy!!

the mini in question is a 1993 mini tahiti(1275cc)

sooo the crazyness.....

the engine as I know it has two breathers, the breather coming off the transfer case, and the breather coming off the timing cover, the two pipes off these breathers, then connect together, which is sent to the carb(so far I thought fair enough, could probs do with a bit more breathing but not too bad i guess) but then aswell as it going to the carb, it splits off again just before entering the carb into a pipe with a smaller diameter, which goes all the way over to the passenger side inner wing, through that and into what looks like a wiper motor sort of canister(never seen one in my life) and there's a tiny pipe coming off that just into the air!!

and that's it!!! so all the engine breathing goes either into the carb or into this canister type thing?!!!! surely it cant be enough!!?

if anyone could tell me what the canister type thing is, what it does, and if this engines breathing is sufficient I would be very grateful!

(i can get pictures tomorrow if needed)

thanks

Nick

[Robbie]

I believe it's the charcoal canister.

http://www.theminifo...howtopic=136473

Edited by RobbieH241_HEH, 10 February 2011 - 06:10 PM.

[L400RAS]

Taken from Haynes:

The evaporative emission control system is used to minimise the escape of unburned hydrocarbons into the atmosphere. The fuel tank filler cap is sealed, and a charcoal canister is mounted underneath the left-hand wheel arch to collect the petrol vapours generated in the tank, and on some models in the carburettor float chamber, when the car is parked. It stores them until they can be cleared from the canister into the inlet tract, to be burned by the engine during normal combustion. On early carburettor models, the vapours were drawn into the inlet tract whenever the engine was running. On later catalytic converter equipped carburettor models, a thermostatic vacuum valve screwed into the front of the thermostat housing controls the flow of vapour from the canister to the engine. To ensure that the engine runs correctly when it is cold, and to protect the catalytic converter from the effects of an over-rich mixture, the thermostatic vacuum valve does not open until the engine has warmed up to approximately 70ºC. The valve then allows inlet manifold vacuum to act upon the purge valve vacuum diaphragm fitted to the top of the charcoal canister, which in turn opens the canister and allows the stored vapour into the inlet tract. On fuel injection models, the engine management ECU controls the flow of vapour from the canister to the engine, via an electrically-operated purge control valve. The purge control valve is not opened by the ECU until the engine has warmed up to above 70ºC, the engine speed exceeds 1500 rpm and manifold absolute pressure is below 30 kPa; the control valve solenoid is then modulated on and off to allow the stored vapour to pass into the inlet tract.

Edited by L400RAS, 10 February 2011 - 06:45 PM.

[monster_mini]

jesus!!! sooo im guessing i shouldnt touch it then:P? it sounds horribly complicated:P