67 replies to this topic

[timmy850]

So when you did the compression check, was the engine warm or cold? Was the throttle held open and the remaining spark plugs all removed?

[coopdog]

Even when my 998 had 64bhp it wouldn't really go that well in forth, I had to rev the nuts off it in 3rd to get it too keep going in 4th, that was with a 2.9 diff

[absx2]

Even when my 998 had 64bhp it wouldn't really go that well in forth, I had to rev the nuts off it in 3rd to get it too keep going in 4th, that was with a 2.9 diff

That diff would kill any 998 unless it was super charged or turbo.

I bet if you had a 3.44 diff it would have been great.

[Cooperman]

Why are owners these days so afraid of revving their Minis. The original 850, 997 Cooper, 998 Cooper, 1071 'S' and 970 'S' all had a 3.76:1 FDR as standard and the 1275 'S' had a 3.44:1.

 

Those ratios allow for all-day cruising at over 60 mph in the case of a 3.76 and 75 to 8 with a 3.44. These are old slow classic cars and need to be driven as they were when first new. I should think a 998 with a 2.9:1 FDR could well be faster in 3rd than in top. We used to say that an 850 would do 20, 40, 60 and 75 in the gears, whilst a 998 Cooper would do 30, 50, 70 and just under 90 in the gears using around 6000 rpm at change up point.

[CPC]

 

Id be very unhappy with those numbers... thats a high comp engine.

Check the gear shifter seal for leaks. Sometimes they can slip out of the seat. If its coming out from under the cam chain cover then its not so good.
Sounds like in general it needs some tlc from a time served mini mechanic...

What else can I find out from the engine number? Does it help identify what year the engine is from?
Ive got a new seal for the gear selectors so Sunday I might have a good poke about and find out where this leak is from.

Its been a long winter getting it back on the road after 19 years and I guess its reasonable for there to be problems develop now that its finally been driven again.
Any mini specialist in Norfolk?!

 

 

Hello, If you are still looking for help there is a very good mini guy just the other side of Downham Market.

 

PM me if you like

 

Chris

[TheFabMini]

So when you did the compression check, was the engine warm or cold? Was the throttle held open and the remaining spark plugs all removed?

Cold and yeah throttle open with all plugs out
Been reading up and gonna have a mess about Tuesday on my day off. Also got to work out where this oil leak is from as it is pretty awful.

[Quincy Sparks]

 

Id be very unhappy with those numbers... thats a high comp engine.

Check the gear shifter seal for leaks. Sometimes they can slip out of the seat. If its coming out from under the cam chain cover then its not so good.
Sounds like in general it needs some tlc from a time served mini mechanic...

What else can I find out from the engine number? Does it help identify what year the engine is from?
 

Plug the engine number into the Guessworks engine decoder for a bit more info : http://www.guess-wor...Tech/engine.htm

Edited by Quincy Sparks, 30 April 2018 - 08:42 PM.

[TheFabMini]

https://youtu.be/3Wa5jjPHYuw

Heres a video of my cars woeful performance, apart from 1st I was foot flat down for every gear... as you can see it gets to 50ish and thats about all we have!

Replaced condenser and points
Plugs are new
Rotor arm and distributor cap are new

Checked compression again with hot engine and still all around 125psi same as before...

Also my oil leak seems to be coming from the drive shaft near the gearbox on the drivers side....

Buy a mini they said, it would be fun they said!!
#shouldhavegotabeetle

[cal844]

https://youtu.be/3Wa5jjPHYuw

Heres a video of my cars woeful performance, apart from 1st I was foot flat down for every gear... as you can see it gets to 50ish and thats about all we have!

Replaced condenser and points
Plugs are new
Rotor arm and distributor cap are new

Checked compression again with hot engine and still all around 125psi same as before...

Also my oil leak seems to be coming from the drive shaft near the gearbox on the drivers side....

Buy a mini they said, it would be fun they said!!
#shouldhavegotabeetle

What colour are the plugs? Is there any vacuum or inlet/exhaust leaks?

Could the weights be sticking in the dizzy?

[TheFabMini]

And now it wont start.... just the occasional back fire..

[TheFabMini]

https://youtu.be/3Wa5jjPHYuw

Heres a video of my cars woeful performance, apart from 1st I was foot flat down for every gear... as you can see it gets to 50ish and thats about all we have!

Replaced condenser and points
Plugs are new
Rotor arm and distributor cap are new

Checked compression again with hot engine and still all around 125psi same as before...

Also my oil leak seems to be coming from the drive shaft near the gearbox on the drivers side....

Buy a mini they said, it would be fun they said!!
#shouldhavegotabeetle

What colour are the plugs? Is there any vacuum or inlet/exhaust leaks?

Could the weights be sticking in the dizzy?

Plugs are all this colour, I have spark as have pulled plugs and spun over engine... not sure whats wrong

 1F3205B4-88C2-4939-8DC0-8BEE35C48E3E.jpeg   39K   0 downloads

[Archived1]

You’re wastin your effort with standard service items with such low compression. You want to see around 170 to be healthy. You’re losing power through compression loss. Rings, valves etc.

I’d go for valves as before. I’d put money on the head is worn at the valve seats from using unleaded in a leaded engine.

Get the head off and have a look. It’s not a big job on a mini and gasket sets are cheap

[Cooperman]

As 'Elf' says, take the head off and inspect the valves and valve seats. At the same time check to see if there is a small step in the bores where the top ring comes up to. If there is, the bores are worn and a re-bore & new pistons will be needed.

 

I also suspect that the ignition timing is off. Have you checked this yet? If not, do so before doing anything else. In the days before electronic tuning aids, we just used to undo the distributor and 'swing' the distributor clockwise to advance it a bit, then try it on the road. If it 'pinked' we would retard it bit by bit until it ran at its best. That always worked well. It's all old technology and part of the fun of owning an old classic car.

[TheFabMini]

https://youtu.be/1IwVeLAZa18

Got it running again. Followed the Haynes manual for replacing the points and put it all back together and it fired up. (I think before I might have had the ht leads in the wrong order as well)

Based my timing on when cl 1 is TDC rotated the distributor clockwise so it just started to open (as per Haynes manual) and the video is where we are at...

Elf as I have no history of this car or engine who knows what it’s been through before! I did change the head gasket before Christmas. Wish I would have done more work to it then rather than having to take it all apart again!
Gonna find a local machine shops/mini person to take the head too and get new valve seats as reading other threads it seems like it’s not a silly expensive job

I’m not made of money and this is purely a hobby which if it becomes to much of a money pit and not fun I’ll have to give up on it so if it needs major work beyond what I can afford am I going to do any catastrophic damage driving the car with low compression ??

[Firephoenix]

I know there is a lot of experienced mini owners on here but it all sounds a bit desperate telling someone to tear the engine apart. The compression readings are not the best, but surely we should be advising to check everything else before stripping the head off, if the OP isnt that confident with the mechanics (that is no criticism by the way) it is easy to be blinded by the obvious and things to be missed. We cant see the engine so we are commenting on only what is being told. In the video(s) it appears to accelerate quite well just no real top end. So many factors that are involved and it is basically diagnosing blind.
Sorry if my comment offends anyone that has tried to help but it all seemed a bit drastic.
Ill crawl back under my shell now.