16 replies to this topic

[Heather&Henrietta]

Model: Austin Mini City E
Year: 1986
Description of problem (please be as in depth as possible):

Hey peeps,

Got yet another 'engine related problem' for you...

Over the past few weeks, I've had Henrietta running for about 4 weeks, she'd been sat in the garage for nearly 2 months with an ownknown problem, we sorted that and I got her back on the road...With the help of my partner Chris (Jackman) we fixed her blowing exhaust and she sounds much better for it...
Like most minis Henny doesn't like the wet! So have taken a tip from Jackman in keeping the dizzy dry...cut the fingers off a disposable or rubber glove and thread the leads through and fit the neck of the glove around the dizzy...I did that about 8 days ago now, and she's sounding awful!!

Last night myself and my dad took off the grille, took off the glove and checked it it wasn't damp underneath and to make sure the leads were all in place, which they were, and it was dry, checked the position of the dizzy and that was fine too...We also adjusted the tickover, which has helped this morning by a small amount.

This morning for example, she was misfiring and stuttering all over the place, I got outside work (pretty much half way point to college) and I pulled over, and she cut out...I popped the bonnet, then fired her up again, she ran for a further 10-15 seconds then cut out again without me touching anything! Grr! Pulled the choke out ever so slightly and started her again and she ran perfectly...soon as I put in the choke, she cut out again, I then got a cloth and wiped around the end of the coil and around the leads, and started her again, she cut out again, 15 secs or so again...

I put a light coating of WD on her and started her and she was fine...well not perfect, she stuttered a little bit down the road, but she ran better...it wasn't wet last night and she wasn't damp, doesn't make sense...

She is however in need of a new water pump, I top her up before I go anywhere, on adverage she's loosing about an inch/inch and a half from the neck of the rad cap per day...I will be getting a new water pump tomorrow with any luck...Providing I keep her topped up, this shouldn't effect the way she runs, should it?

Have picked my dad's brains and he's not sure what else to do!! Can anyone offer me some ideas on what else to check please?

Thanks in advance!!

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(here you can see the glove...if that helps!)

Edited by Heather&Henrietta, 19 March 2009 - 10:12 AM.

[finch661]

sounds like your timing is out! check with a timing light, and you can check your mixture while your at it. if you dont have electroninc ignition then check your points and condenser.

as for keeping the damp out, many people here are against using wd-40, because it attracks dirt. i take the dizzy cap off, smear a little grease on the cap lip and refit. buy some dampstart and coat the dizzy/coil/sparkies. you may want to buy a weather shield aswell!

[lrostoke]

You say it started to sound awefull after fitting the glove...Are you sure you replaced the HT leads in the correct order ??

Starting Top right on the dizzy, being No 1 plug (nearest rad)
Then working anticlockwise No 3 , No 4 , No 2

You also mention it ran perfectly with choke out, this suggests a weak mixture.

Losing water could also be head gasket, what makes you think its water pump, can you see it leaking ??

[Heather&Henrietta]

You say it started to sound awefull after fitting the glove...Are you sure you replaced the HT leads in the correct order ??

Starting Top right on the dizzy, being No 1 plug (nearest rad)
Then working anticlockwise No 3 , No 4 , No 2

You also mention it ran perfectly with choke out, this suggests a weak mixture.

Losing water could also be head gasket, what makes you think its water pump, can you see it leaking ??

Ok, we did check the leads, but will double check this afternoon when I get home...

She's not running perfectly with the choke out, but she runs better with it in use, although the WD helped very much and she was better running without the choke...

Head gasket is fine, was one of the first things we checked when we were looking for the leak in the first place! It is coming from the water pump, we can see it leaking

EDIT - I also intend on getting a water guard over the next few days!!

Edited by Heather&Henrietta, 19 March 2009 - 11:33 AM.

[maph2]

my money is on the head gasket going - misfire made better by choke, coupled with a known water leak issue. one minute they are ok, next its on 2 or 3 cylinders.

Edited by maph2, 19 March 2009 - 12:28 PM.

[Heather&Henrietta]

Right...

Been out today in Henny, had to give the old hands a mechanical workout before I could leave sixth form this afternoon...

Started her and she sounded awful, coughing and spluttering until she evetually cut out...I started her again and popped the bonnet to see what was happening, fan belt slows as it stutters as suspected...but nothing that sort of jumped out at me as a problem. Took the grille off and checked the leads on the dizzy...one wasn't clicked right it so I took off all the leads off of the dizzy, put a cloth over it to clear off the crap and then replaced the leads. Started it and it ran sweet as a nut! Got her home perfectly, no problems what so ever.

Went out to friends garage to collect a load of parts later on, stuttered a little until she warmed through but had a real nasty fit going up a slight slope at about 45-50mph! She sounded exactly as she did this morning. It passed and she was fine all the way to the garage. On the way back she was grand until I hit a 30pmh zone...where she had a real bad patch of stuttering and hiccupping for a good 5-6 miles! It passed again like last time and only misfired when I was going along our driveway from there. Parked up at home and double checked all the leads, fired her up again and she was fine.

Very puzzled by all this??? Head gasket was last replaced when I had the valves done about a fortnight before Christmas...Doesn't seem to be leaking, only from the waterpump, but as I said, I keep her well topped up because of it.

[MiniMonty]

Hearing what you say I'd bet fifty quid that your problem is electrical.
Sounds very much like a bad spark. I bet it's just the condenser.

Quick Fix - replace the condenser in the points (two quid and five minutes) - I'll give you good odds that's your problem.

Top Tip - get the grille off first otherwise it's next to impossible to do without losing bits, swearing very loudly and turning a
five minute job into an hour.

Best wishes
Monty

[Saxo-Fiesta-Mini]

sorry easy check for ya is the vac advance elbow broken on the carb as my friends car died from the elbow braking just take of the pipe and put ur thub over the hole and rev the engine if it runs ok then uve found ur problem

[maph2]

Went out to friends garage to collect a load of parts later on, stuttered a little until she warmed through but had a real nasty fit going up a slight slope at about 45-50mph! She sounded exactly as she did this morning. It passed and she was fine all the way to the garage. On the way back she was grand until I hit a 30pmh zone...where she had a real bad patch of stuttering and hiccupping for a good 5-6 miles! It passed again like last time and only misfired when I was going along our driveway from there. Parked up at home and double checked all the leads, fired her up again and she was fine.

OK, more clues - possibly not head gasket if the engine has intermitant stuttering.#

dizzy cap - how old is the dizzy cap. it might have a tiny hairline fracture which only opens up when driving/wrmed up. sometimes you cannot tell by looking. have you tried another cap.
fueling - could be a lmup of crap in the carb/ noticed the stuttering started as you entered the 30mph zone - did you brake? could have moved the crap. try cleaning the carb float chamber out with some carn cleaner.
ht and lt wires - have you separated the plug leads from the jumble of other electrical wuitring in that area 0 cables to the dizzy and the horn/headlamp wiring? make sure the ht are isolated somer them to stop arcing between the the ht and lt sides.
headgasket - just becuase your head gasket was done before xams, you have said there is a leak from the pump. also, was the head skimmed when the head gasket was done? i would not discount the HG going because the head has overheated - cracked or warped? i hope not but you never know

[Heather&Henrietta]

Went out to friends garage to collect a load of parts later on, stuttered a little until she warmed through but had a real nasty fit going up a slight slope at about 45-50mph! She sounded exactly as she did this morning. It passed and she was fine all the way to the garage. On the way back she was grand until I hit a 30pmh zone...where she had a real bad patch of stuttering and hiccupping for a good 5-6 miles! It passed again like last time and only misfired when I was going along our driveway from there. Parked up at home and double checked all the leads, fired her up again and she was fine.

OK, more clues - possibly not head gasket if the engine has intermitant stuttering.#

dizzy cap - how old is the dizzy cap. it might have a tiny hairline fracture which only opens up when driving/wrmed up. sometimes you cannot tell by looking. have you tried another cap.
fueling - could be a lmup of crap in the carb/ noticed the stuttering started as you entered the 30mph zone - did you brake? could have moved the crap. try cleaning the carb float chamber out with some carn cleaner.
ht and lt wires - have you separated the plug leads from the jumble of other electrical wuitring in that area 0 cables to the dizzy and the horn/headlamp wiring? make sure the ht are isolated somer them to stop arcing between the the ht and lt sides.
headgasket - just becuase your head gasket was done before xams, you have said there is a leak from the pump. also, was the head skimmed when the head gasket was done? i would not discount the HG going because the head has overheated - cracked or warped? i hope not but you never know

Dizzy cap was new from about October ish. Plan on getting a new one this afternoon to try, if it doesn't make a difference, then great - a spare!

Was just last night, however been driving along at 45-50 mph last night and it happened for a mile or so...

HT's are seperate from other wiring etc, so shouldn't be a problem...

The head doesn't look damaged to be honest, if it is I hope to have a new one from my other half in just under 2 weeks time, which could be a blessing!

This morning, she wouldn't start at all! Am going out later for new dizzy cap, new condensor, new water pump and a spare gasket just in case!

[tomswain17]

i had this problem the other week i found out that it was my condenser that was breaking down, so i fitted ne points and condenser and it worked fine, but also just check timing etc.

[andyapanel]

Points gap too small?

[maph2]

Points gap too small?

yes, check that that the dizzy is properly clamped down and the screw holding the points is tight

[Heather&Henrietta]

Hi guys...

Many thanks to those who responded to my cry of help!!

Looks like the Dizzy wasn't sat flush in place as of the clips was all covered in !! She was running fine earlier, however I've not ruled out anything to be solved atm as she was stuttering on and off when in drive!


Will be taking her to work with any luck tomorrow, so will post an update tomorrow evening

Edited by Heather&Henrietta, 21 March 2009 - 10:10 PM.

[gumball]

see if you can find someone locally to do a compression test and see if the cylinders are more or less all the same, this will give you a better indication if the head gasket is ok..

Good luck with test run tommorow.....

Edited by gumball, 21 March 2009 - 10:59 PM.