11 replies to this topic

[spiguy]

Just wanted to pass on an interesting experience I have had with my '92 Cooper SPi. I bought the car nearly a year ago, and quickly did oil change, oil filter, air filter, plugs, leads, dizzy cap etc. Just the usual stuff. I had bought a fuel filter and planned to do it sometime, but hadn't got round to it until this weekend prior to a long run with the club. I had been feeling that the car was a little underpowered, probably leaning out a bit particularly as it was unhappy at the upper end of the speed range - it would do 70 - 75 mph OK, but flat out was about 80-85 and it didn't seem that happy about it.

 

I had been thinking about what I would need to do the car to increase power, looking at 1.5 rockers, thinking about a better head etc. Anyway, finally got round to changing the fuel filter on Saturday, then out on the run on Sunday. After changing the fuel filter, it was  like a new car. Better pulling from 40 in top gear, and much more willing to head up to 80 - 90mph. Just tickling the accelerator to get it going.

 

So just a cautionary tale then - if you have an injection car (or maybe any mini in fact) and you can't remember when or if the fuel filter was last changed, I heartily reccomend it! I think on the injection cars alot of people just leave the filter as it can be a pain to get the pipework off on these later cars, as the fittings tend to rust and I'm not even sure you can buy the replacement pipes - I know on my other injection car I ended up changing to a standard setup with jubilee clips and rubber hoses, using a similar sized filter with pipe stubs rather than threaded ends because of this very thing.

 

 

 

[JewSkii]

well funny you should say and quickly did oil change, oil filter, swapped over to a K&N carb filter, plugs and i could quite get the car running right one day it would be fine next we it would be lean and when i changed the fuel filer i got a white rag and turned the filer up side down and the colour of the fuel was like a dark orange almost brown sludge substance ever since then i tuned the carb and have had no issues what so ever. Strange stuff.

[Carlos W]

It's really important to do all service items before any tuning work or rolling road set ups

[JewSkii]

It's really important to do all service items before any tuning work or rolling road set ups

Agreed but i guess some times the fuel filter can be forgotten not many people check to see if its ok or how long ago it was changed. Also all down to what fuel you are putting in as well because different grade fuels can clog up a filter differently   

[spiguy]

Mine was the same - some brown / orange syrup type stuff came out!

[brivinci]

Now, I want to do mine again. My car sat for a few years while I was rebuilding it after an accident. Before it went back on the road I changed the fuel filter. The fuel was pretty old inside but drained it and changed the filter. I then connected the power to the car for the first time in a long time. Maybe to start the motor, I cant remember. What I do remember is that when I came back to the shop the next day, the floor was covered in fuel...old, gross bad fuel. It was terrible. The filter didnt seal right and I guess the fuel was trapped in the tank. When I turned the car on and the pump started to prime, it must have let the remainder of the fuel through. What a mess!!!

 

After reading your story, it might be a good idea for me to change it again, even though it doesnt have too many miles on it. Just to be sure. Could have crud from that bad tank still.

[xrocketengineer]

When I replaced mine, what came out was a rusty messy sludge. And that was on the outlet side. Luckily, the replacement was easy and cheap to obtain. It was the same filter used by my old 1991 Chevy S-10 with the 4.3 litre TBI engine.

[brivinci]

I cant remember the specifics, are there soft lines or hard lines connected to the filter? I am now thinking I will do this before I put the motor back in.

 

I want to do this but with as little fuel spill as humanly possible this time:-)

[xrocketengineer]

They are hardlines with an adapter on one end and tiny O rings on both.

[spiguy]

I was very lucky on this car, as due to it being a Jap mini all the pipe fittings are like new. Needless to say they now have a coating of Blithamber clear wax to try to keep them that way!

[minimat]

Anyone know which type can be used instead using  push fit connectors instead of threaded ones ie part numbers etc,would be a useful mod which will makie changing filters a lot easier,something im planning on doing if i decide to drop my frame later in the year.

[spiguy]

I'll have a look for an old post of mine (might be on minifinity) as I had listed the halfords part number in it...

 

Edit: found a pic in my photobucket:

 

 

Looks like HFF230 to me

 

Also found this post from someone else which suggests HFF204 :

 

http://www.theminifo...t-the-adapters/

 

I'll check on the off the road mini in the garage to confirm my HFF230 is what is fitted currently. I seem to remember running one of the rubber hose runs that you end up with when you 'convert', under the filter so it is held in the bracket basically, to keep it out the way of the exhaust.

 

Can't remember if maybe I swapped the filter round in terms of In and Out too, I just did whatever gave me the neatest routing for the rubber pipes. Other than that I just cut the pipes - didn't bother flaring them or anything, but I did use two jubilee clips on each pipe as an extra safety (as there is no flare on the cut pipes, so it avoids the risk of one of the clips failing - not likely that two will fail)

Edited by carlukemini, 26 May 2015 - 09:49 PM.