13 replies to this topic

[91neon]

before everyone shouts head gasket this is new and fine heres the issue. on my way home the mini started sounding beefy [good actualy] but then it died on tickover at the lights and when restarted i found that it required choke the car has previously been tuned to a very good level and i am on electronic ignition.

the odd thing is that the drumming sound is just like that of when my head gasket went. now my mate did the head using top notch gasket and bits cleaned it all and resetup carb and timing. its run fine for three hundred miles. after its hissyfit tonite i drove it half way home about five miles to find it got very hot and dumped its water out of overflow. when rac turned up the guy (who claims to know minis) said he was certain that its my big end gone. brother in law looked and said that if it was big end it wouldnt tickover as well as it does. he thinks carb(also new) is malfunctioning causing the drumming sound and due to ill running caused it to overheat.

finaly there was oil on floo under rear of engine at its final resting place. not a lot but enough o make me worry.

the noise is definitely radiating from the carb direction drumming popping sound. thanks

any ideas

[Retro_10s]

I would be taking the head off anyway with all those symptoms.

Was the head re-torqued after being run for a while as recommended?

[91neon]

due to be done my mate said after 300 or so miles n ive done 200. do you think simply re torquing it will help ? was rac over enthusiastic with his big end theory and is my bro inlaw miles off with carb?

[Retro_10s]

Very hard to tell without taking the components off to inspect them.

I'd be surprised if the Big end had gone - They tend to rumble, then start banging - the noise comes from lower down the engine.

My first instincts tell me that a valve has stuck open in the head.

[91neon]

ok to me that sounds serious. is it? and if head off will i need another gasket after such short time. thanks

[HARBER07]

Dizzy slipped? Caused Pinking?

[Ethel]

Big ends don't often suddenly "go" they get steadily worse. When they do fail it's very obviously the end of the road and easy to diagnose if they happen to be sticking out through a hole in the block. I think you'll be lucky if it turn out to be just the carb. A compression test sounds like a good start to diagnosis.

[91neon]

yeah i agree il do one tomorrow. pain up the bum tho mots due should be sorting out my suspension not piddling around with the engine!!! oh well joys of mini ownership!!

[91neon]

just off to do compression tests. sounds silly but i am certain the drumming sound is coming out of the carb as when i rev its making a hell of a racket. am i right that if the big end was gone it wouldnt run or tick over. the reason i ask is that with choke half out it runs great, just bloody noisy and reduced power.

[Turbo Nick]

sure you haven't blown the manifold gasket?

[91neon]

sure you haven't blown the manifold gasket?

just done compression cylinder one reads four two reads ten and three and four read twelve valves exactly wherw head gasket went last month

[91neon]

any ideas ? i suspect valve or piston. as the head gasket was quality and new and the head was spot on anyone got any ideas

[Turbo Nick]

take the head off and inspect...

if its blown in the same place then somethings wrong or it wasn't fitted properly.

[minidaves]

if you did not skim the head i would put my money on head gasket, dont matter what you fit, if the surfaces wernt flat

dave