25 replies to this topic

[dayzee]

might go on a bit.. so make a cuppa tea ...

went from Suffolk to Herts on Thursday in Baldrick - a whole bunch of stuff came up... so will try and take it in order. Would welcome your comments, thoughts, advice and so on.


Baldrick is 1985/86 Mini City 1000cc.

Oil Leak/Gear Changes
Okay, on the way to Stevenage I started having trouble changing from 4th to 3rd gear, just wouldnt go in, kinda stuck going into second as second choice, but then afetr another go it went it. This happened a few times. Half way to Stevenage we stopped and checked the engine oil which appeared to be low. So topped up. Noticed drips of oil from the engine onto the floor.. The only different thing I did for the second half of of the journey was not drive down twisty lanes changing gear - just straight and gentle down the main roads. Gears seem fine again for two days and all the way back taking it smooth along main roads only.. Not sure if it was just lazy changing, as from 2nd to 3rd you have to push across to the right, but from 4th to 3rd you just push upwards. Or if it was just low on oil..

Also as I now evidently have a small leak (albeit it did 80 miles today with no apparent drop in engine oil) how dangerous is it to drive, am I looking at new oil seals and I presume some expense as Im faaaar from mechanic .


Choke
Pinged.. Well thats not technically right. The bit on the dash was stuck and then came right out. My Dad (flippin HERO and one time mini owner moons ago) immediately spotted the problem. When you put the choke cable into the outer casing it sticks at a specific point, if you WD40 it and keep shoving little at a time it gets through and them moves freely. Suspiciously the outer cable is marked exactly at that point. Either the garage put it on knowingly, or someone has tried to see if the garage will spot this and change it. After being warned away from the garage via note on my mini, Im now sitting here ultra paranoid and not knowing what to think. Dad and I put the choke cable and stuff back in place and with a little bodging with tape and wire it works better than before. It even started from cold without the choke yesterday!
:saywhat:
The bodge was because when you pull the choke at the dashboard it just moves the whole cable and everything a fair bit before the inner cable actually starts pulling the choke mechanism on the carb. We tied it down and the outer cable stays more still .. I'll have to take a piccie tomorrow .


Air Duct
While he had his head under the bonnet Dad just said "shouldnt there be a hose from the air filter to the engine?" Now I cant remember because Im a novice if it had one when I got it, and at some point its come off and Ive discarded it accidently, or if it didnt have one and should. Or if it doesnty have one and thats okay. But it seems to my limited knowledge the air filter is not supplying the engine with clean air. !? The bloody great hole in the side of the engine I guess is taking in dirty air?
Reading the Manual, it states about the air filter.Remove the two wing nuts and remove the air filter, and remove the Hot Air Duct (where fitted). Which doesn't really explain bugger all to me. Should I have one, what the hell? etc etc etc



okay ... and lastly - should I take any of this up with the garage where I got it, if they are up to naughties I wont be able to believe a word they say, if they are honest gusy - how do I know.?? Im kinda on my own .. cant decide whether to try and keep baldrick and work through problems or cut my losses. my heart wants to keep him, but if theres dodgies going on Im not bright enough to spot them before they might kill me.

Cant believe how much Ive learnt about engines in the last few months tho!!

[Dan]

Sounds like you need to tighten up the nut which holds the choke cable to the dash panel, it's behind the panel.

The big hole in the side of the engine isn't where air goes into the engine, that's wha tthe carb is for. The hole is the hot air oven, it just pre-heats air using the heat of the exhaust so that in very cold weather the engine has access to a source of warmer air meaning it will be better fueled (it would run lean with very cold air being fed into it). You should have a short length of cardboard or metal duct hose from the oven to the air filter heat valve (the big tin box on the end of the air filter). The duct is only cheap and comes from Halfords or places like that, you'll only need about 5 inches of it.

[dayzee]

Sounds like you need to tighten up the nut which holds the choke cable to the dash panel, it's behind the panel.

The big hole in the side of the engine isn't where air goes into the engine, that's wha tthe carb is for. The hole is the hot air oven, it just pre-heats air using the heat of the exhaust so that in very cold weather the engine has access to a source of warmer air meaning it will be better fueled (it would run lean with very cold air being fed into it). You should have a short length of cardboard or metal duct hose from the oven to the air filter heat valve (the big tin box on the end of the air filter). The duct is only cheap and comes from Halfords or places like that, you'll only need about 5 inches of it.

pheerreewww - thats a small weight off my mind about the air hole thing.

since we messed with the choke, today I jumped in the car, it started no choke AND i could drive off almost instantly without it stalling when it stopped!!

[998dave]

hehe, having fun then?

Erm, am wondering about this 'huge' hole, could you throw a picture up to make sure?

Choke, is it tight behind the dash? and adjusted correctly under the bonnet?

Dave

[dayzee]

hehe, having fun then?

Erm, am wondering about this 'huge' hole, could you throw a picture up to make sure?

Choke, is it tight behind the dash? and adjusted correctly under the bonnet?

Dave

...not so funny at the service station wondering if you're gonna make it the other 40 miles.. panic setting in (out of ignorance mostly) and two nights of bugger all sleep because I worry too much. All the way home baldrick behaved like a gent ...

two faced little stinker. !

Hmm my explanations arent great. Cant get a piccie right now. but I WILL do and post it here because the bodge my dad made to the choke is a work of art.



I dont know if its tight behind the dash or exactly what thats about, I can see the choke knob is tight up to the dash, and then from the back of the dash is some silver cable, then the black outer cable, then it goes through the (bulkhead??? guessing) to the engine bay. Then theres LOADS of black cable and then it goes to the carb where the actually choke mechanism is - the silver cable is threaded through

Where it is actually connected to the choke mechanism may not be exactly precision, as we were working by torchlight, in the evening freezing our butts off. I had no idea what I was looking at and Dad was going by memory of his old mini MOOONS ago - he didnt even look in the manual - and to be fair he taught me more in those couple of hours than the manual could have done in a year.

Suspect it could do with some fine tuning in that area - but I dont have the tools back here - or the confidence on my own. Mr daisy is a non car man.

[Dan]

If you can see any of the inner cable under the dash then the cable is broken and needs replacing. Are you sure it's inner cable you can see and not just the silver end fitting?

[dayzee]

will double check... but I suspect the outer cable is not the right one/right size and has just been chucked on for some reason. It works but it aint perfick.

wont see daylight till Tuesday - might have a peek with the torch tomorrow night though.

[Dan]

You can't just fit an outer cable, it doesn't just slide over the inner. The outer needs to be secured to the dash panel or the cable won't operate properly. Bowden cables work by moving the inner relative to the outer cable so the outer part needs to be fixed at both ends.

[dayzee]

You can't just fit an outer cable, it doesn't just slide over the inner. The outer needs to be secured to the dash panel or the cable won't operate properly. Bowden cables work by moving the inner relative to the outer cable so the outer part needs to be fixed at both ends.

in which case I suspect it isnt fitted properly.....

bless me poor fatha, he did a fab job in getting the mini driveable again..

then the next day asked mum when I was out "did she get the pile of junk going then?"

[1984mini25]

Air Duc
While he had his head under the bonnet Dad just said "shouldnt there be a hose from the air filter to the engine?"  Now I cant remember because Im a novice if it had one when I got it, and at some point its come off and Ive discarded it accidently, or if it didnt have one and should. Or if it doesnty have one and thats okay. But it seems to my limited knowledge the air filter is not supplying the engine with clean air. !? The bloody great hole in the side of the engine I guess is taking in dirty air?
Reading the Manual, it states about the air filter.Remove the two wing nuts and remove the air filter, and remove the Hot Air Duct (where fitted). Which doesn't really explain bugger all to me. Should I have one, what the hell? etc etc etc
t

Like this

Helps get warm air from the hot exhaust meaning it should run better when the weather is cold

Although just a peace of hose jubilee clipped onto the air box and angled towards the exhaust works
And during the summer when not needed remove

[dayzee]

Air Duc
While he had his head under the bonnet Dad just said "shouldnt there be a hose from the air filter to the engine?"  Now I cant remember because Im a novice if it had one when I got it, and at some point its come off and Ive discarded it accidently, or if it didnt have one and should. Or if it doesnty have one and thats okay. But it seems to my limited knowledge the air filter is not supplying the engine with clean air. !? The bloody great hole in the side of the engine I guess is taking in dirty air?
Reading the Manual, it states about the air filter.Remove the two wing nuts and remove the air filter, and remove the Hot Air Duct (where fitted). Which doesn't really explain bugger all to me. Should I have one, what the hell? etc etc etc
t

Like this

Helps get warm air from the hot exhaust meaning it should run better when the weather is cold

Although just a peace of hose jubilee clipped onto the air box and angled towards the exhaust works
And during the summer when not needed remove

excellent, so shopping list entails a new air duct, new choke cable.. and a socket/spanner set with 5.5m tools.

[Dan]

Why do you want 5.5mm tools? Mini's are English cars, you need imperial tools. You are probably looking for a 3/16" size.

[dayzee]

Why do you want 5.5mm tools?  Mini's are English cars, you need imperial tools.  You are probably looking for a 3/16" size.

twas just the size tool that me dad had to hand when he was putting the choke cable back on the wotsit. Apparently its a set which belongs to mum for some girly thing.

dont shoot/blame the messenger

[Dan]

Not exactly a girlie girl then dayz?

[dayzee]

Not exactly a girlie girl then dayz?

me, or me mam???

as it happens neither of us are - cant remember when I last applied make up. Or wore a skirt.

always the mucky pup of the family..

hang on, no think it was Black Sheep. Yes thats it Black Sheep, not mucky pup!

:tongue: