11 replies to this topic

[stef]

well hello everyone, i've got yet another question for someone to answer i will actually contribute to the forum at some point

well, after cleaning my air filter, i greased up all the joints on my car, and noticed that after a few days my filter had fallen off. i put it back on, but now i dont seem to have much engine braking at all. i have to really ram the pedal to stop before hitting the car in front, and it seems to be guzzling up my fuel =( also, in first and second if i let go off the throttle, the car will keep going very slowly (at bout 4 mph) unless i put the clutch in. which is wierd.

i tried to lean off the carb a bit, but that hasnt really helped. it feels like what happens when the vacum pipe gets disconnected, except it isnt. does anyone know what this could be? also, it feels as though the clutch bites sooner than it did before, resulting in my managing to stall the car. nice and embarrasing. its a verto so should adjust itself, but this could be just me thinking its gone wrong. are these linked?

if anyone has any help it would be very greatly appreciated, it will be rr'd in the next couple of months anyway, but i cant have it like this for the moment.

thanks,
Stef

[Retro_10s]

I'm sorry I can't help with everything but...

i tried to lean off the carb a bit, but that hasnt really helped

You have just cleaned the airfilter... so the mixture will be running lean, so leaning the carb off will not help at all, if anything you need to richen it up to compensate fo rthe the cleanliness of the filter letting in more air, However I'm not sure cleaning the filter would make such a difference unless it was covered in mud before hand!

sound like your mini isn't happy mate... maybe becuase you've regreased everything the car feels different.. but the guzzling fuel etc... i'm not sure. sorry.

[TOMMO0302]

Did you get grease on the discs/pads?

[blacktulip]

i would say u have got grease on your discs/pads too.

[Grayedout]

Have you got a servo and if so have you knocked off or split the pipe that goes from the inlet manifold to the servo ??

This would give you the symptoms that you highlighted !

[stef]

well my exhaust smoke was black, which ive been told means rich so thats why i leaned it..

i'll check bout the grease tomorrow, i dont think i did, and i dont see wh this would cause less engine braking, and the brakes feel the same when i put my foot on them, its defo engine and not brakes.

i do have a servo. and i dont know of such pipe, i've got one of those inlet manifolds you get when you buy a stage 1. where should it go on the servo?

just had a thought... when i say engine braking, i don't mean the brakes are less effective when my engines on. this has nothing to do with the brakes i don't think. i mean when you let off the throttle, the car slows down. But when i let off the throttle now, my car doesnt slow down anywhere near as fast as it used to. resulting in me having to use the brakes more. if that makes any sense.

cheers,
stef

Edited by stef, 10 August 2006 - 10:17 AM.

[monkey]

"also, in first and second if i let go off the throttle, the car will keep going very slowly (at bout 4 mph) unless i put the clutch in. which is wierd."
i might be mistaken, but this should happen?! If your sitting stationary, you should be able to put the car in gear and slowly pull the clutch up and it will idle along at round 4mph? If the car stops moving, whilst it is in gear with the clutch up, then the engine will stall, so it has to keep moving!

I expect the decrease in engine braking will be due to the grease you have put in all the joints, if all the bearing are nice and greased the car will roll quicker, so it will not slow down as much?

[monkey]

"also, in first and second if i let go off the throttle, the car will keep going very slowly (at bout 4 mph) unless i put the clutch in. which is wierd."
i might be mistaken, but this should happen?! If your sitting stationary, you should be able to put the car in gear and slowly pull the clutch up and it will idle along at round 4mph? If the car stops moving, whilst it is in gear with the clutch up, then the engine will stall, so it has to keep moving!

I expect the decrease in engine braking will be due to the grease you have put in all the joints, if all the bearing are nice and greased the car will roll quicker, so it will not slow down as much?

[Leonard]

is your choke jammed on? this would explain the higher idle and the fuel consumption

[stef]

as far as i understood when i passed my test, you can engage the clutch slightly with no throttle and the car will move, but not let the clutch out completely, otherwise the car will stall. whereas mine doesnt and i can let it out completely.

pretty sure the chokes not jammed on, i dont have a high idle, and ive not touched it since i got the car, dont use the choke ever to be honest.

i can understand how it would roll more now its all greased up i suppose, as it was not done in quite a while before i greased it. it just felt like it was a bit dangerous with the slowing down.

i looked under the bonnet at the servo pipe etc today, which is all coneected, and noticed the earth lead that goes on the stud the coil goes onto was resting on my engine block at the bottom! so i put this back on. have taken it out for a spin, and wierdly it seems better, still not brilliant but better.

i really will never understand my mini. it has a mind of its own. think i'll just set up the timing and valve clearances etc again then just take it to peter baldwin soon as i can.

cheers for all the replies guys, you've all been helpful.
Stef

[Leonard]

if you dont need the choke to start on a cold day then its probably set too rich

[stef]

depends what you call cold. i did need it last winter for a bit when it was well below zero. any other time and it starts first time every time.