149 replies to this topic

[Ethel]

Shouldn't really be anything if it's a genuine '71 Mini. Anything's possible with old cars, especially a Min.

 

Photos could help

[Marc13]

Its definitely not a standard 71. Its been rebuilt 'along the lines' of a Cooper S. It has a 1380cc A+ engine. Not sure how long ago it was all done. I think around 2012

[Ethel]

Perhaps it does have electronic ignition if that extra +ve goes to the distributor.

 

All of what I've said so far still applies, but we could use some more info to get much further..

[Marc13]

Perhaps it does have electronic ignition if that extra +ve goes to the distributor.

 

All of what I've said so far still applies, but we could use some more info to get much further..

About to get stuck into some tinkering under the bonnet - 1st thing I've noticed is that there is no vacuum device attached to the copper nipple thing near the fuel supply / carb. How do you attach a photo? You can clearly see the nipple without the vacuum, but I cant attach a photo

This is how the car was when i picked it up, so it must have been like this for quite some time.....a problem? I have heard you can run them without one?

[Ethel]

It's whether there's anything at the distributor end to connect it to. If not, it's just a minor air leak.

 

I think most are now using Imgur to host photos they link to off the forum.

[Marc13]

Leads and connections to the distributor all look good. Taken them off, wiped down and put back on. Coil connections all look ok too.

Definitely two wires connected to the positive and 2 to the negative...which in addition to the distributor, I am sure are for the rev counter. They then go to a couple of connector blocks (one for the positive and one for the negative) and meet up with some wires coming from much lower down in the engine bay area. Now this is where it might get important... the negative wire from the coil goes into the connector block ok (and is now connected to another negative wire from down below), the singe wire that comes out, which heads off towards the dashboard area, must have been a LOOSE CONNECTION, because after messing about with the leads for the distributor, I must have moved or pulled on this wire slightly, as I now see one clean exposed wire end and an empty end of a connector.

 

Could this have caused the cutting out?

[Ethel]

Possibly, tough it's still not clear what the 2nd positive is for. How many wires are there on the distributor? What are the wire colours?

[Marc13]

Leads and connections to the distributor all look good. Taken them off, wiped down and put back on. Coil connections all look ok too.

Definitely two wires connected to the positive and 2 to the negative...which in addition to the distributor, I am sure are for the rev counter. They then go to a couple of connector blocks (one for the positive and one for the negative) and meet up with some wires coming from much lower down in the engine bay area. Now this is where it might get important... the negative wire from the coil goes into the connector block ok (and is now connected to another negative wire from down below), the singe wire that comes out, which heads off towards the dashboard area, must have been a LOOSE CONNECTION, because after messing about with the leads for the distributor, I must have moved or pulled on this wire slightly, as I now see one clean exposed wire end and an empty end of a connector.

 

Could this have caused the cutting out?

Here is a link to some photos of the:

a) offending wire

b) the nozzle on the carb with no vacuum

c) the distributor - could a vacuum on the carb be fitted to this distributor - I can't see where it would go?

[Marc13]

Possibly, tough it's still not clear what the 2nd positive is for. How many wires are there on the distributor? What are the wire colours?

I've put some photos on the link - does this help answer the questions.

The guy who has put the wiring and/or engine together has labelled most things up. The negative to the rev counter says - T (I assume tachometer) and the positive wire (that doesn't go to the distributor) says + T (so I assume this is tachometer again).

 

If you look at the wire photo. The positive upper most terminal of the coil - this wire goes into the black connector. There is nothing coming into the other end of the connector. This is a free end. You can see at the side of the positive wire, also going into this black connector is a wire that is the same colour as the wires coming from the negative (we'll call this 'negative wire 1'). So neither of these wires then go anywhere.

 

You will see that a couple of inches before 'negative wire 1' meets the positive coil wire in the connector block, a 2nd negative coloured wire (also coming from much lower in the engine bay) goes in to a taped connector and meets the NEGATIVE REV COUNTER WIRE. Coming out of this taped connector is where the loose connection is. 

[Marc13]

 

Possibly, tough it's still not clear what the 2nd positive is for. How many wires are there on the distributor? What are the wire colours?

I've put some photos on the link - does this help answer the questions.

The guy who has put the wiring and/or engine together has labelled most things up. The negative to the rev counter says - T (I assume tachometer) and the positive wire (that doesn't go to the distributor) says + T (so I assume this is tachometer again).

 

If you look at the wire photo. The positive upper most terminal of the coil - this wire goes into the black connector. There is nothing coming into the other end of the connector. This is a free end. You can see at the side of the positive wire, also going into this black connector is a wire that is the same colour as the wires coming from the negative (we'll call this 'negative wire 1'). So neither of these wires then go anywhere.

 

You will see that a couple of inches before 'negative wire 1' meets the positive coil wire in the connector block, a 2nd negative coloured wire (also coming from much lower in the engine bay) goes in to a taped connector and meets the NEGATIVE REV COUNTER WIRE. Coming out of this taped connector is where the loose connection is. 

 

Not sure that I pasted the link https://imgur.com/a/4sbIB2Y

[Ethel]

Right click the photo to copy the image address, then use the image button on our text editor panel to insert it in your post

[Ethel]

That look like a bit of a botch job I'm afraid 

 

The distributor is a factory fitted electronic type - Lucas 65DM4. So you have no points or condenser to worry about.

 

However the coil may not be the correct one and it's not entirely clear what's going on with the wiring.

 

My best guess is the loom (at the least) isn't from a '71 Mini, but 80's era for ballasted ignition.

 

The original wiring had the spade that the broken wire you're holding attached to the coil's -ve and the unconnected spade at the bottom of the photo on the  +ve.

 

I think we need to know where the bottom 2 red connectors on the coil are going - and if there's any axtra text on that coil to help identify what it is.

 

The yellow/white will have gone to the starter solenoid and what I'm assuming is a pink/white wire is the ignition ballast. You don't actually want either with that distributor.

 

 

 

...The unconnected carb pipe is the float chamber vent, come fuel overflow. It won't be contributing to your problem, but it would be better if it had a length of hose running downwards to somewhere out the way.

[Marc13]

The bottom 2 wires from the coil (1 neg and 1 pos) both go to the distributor. You can just about make it out on the photo. They come in to a connector surrounded by more tape and then the black surround comes back in a U and you can pick it up on the photo going into the distributor

Edited by Marc13, 27 September 2020 - 04:06 PM.

[Marc13]

Ive taken both the top wires (neg and pos) off the coil to see if it affects anything.....and  with them both off it wont start.
If I take only the neg wire off, it WILL start.
If I only take the pos wire of, it WON'T start

Edited by Marc13, 27 September 2020 - 07:19 PM.

[Marc13]

If you look at the bottom photo on my next post - the two wires in the middle of the photo are from the pos and neg bottom coil terminals. You can see they get black taped on them and then they loop back underneath in the proper black sleeve and this goes into the distributor (where the black cable tie is)

Edited by Marc13, 27 September 2020 - 07:13 PM.