9 replies to this topic

[OllieWally]

Hey, I think this is the correct section to ask this as it's not really a technical question or if anyone else has had a similar feed please let me know. After braking down just outside Brighton on the L2B run this weekend it turns out the culprit was the rotor arm which I couldn't test until I got home. The RAC guy who picked me up and spent way longer than he should trying to get me going suggested I carry a basic spares kit with items like rotor arm, HT leads and distributor cap as a simple fix can get you on your way. 

 

Im looking to get a few parts to carry with me and wondering if anyone has any suggestions on what would be sensible to get, eg spark plugs, bulbs etc...

[Designer]

Hi welcome to the forum and the we broke down club.

 

We broke down at the bottom of the ramp down to Madeira Drive. Got pushed to a great parking spot otherwise would have been up at the Marina.

Fortunately one of the Marshals discovered the reason for the engine failure was the connector on the low voltage wire from the distributor to the coil was faulty or dirty so no spark. Luckily a quick fix, made it back home in Surrey no problem.

My fault I had cleaned and checked all the other connectors in the engine bay but forgot that one.

 

Suggest a spare set of plugs and a spare set of points. We always carry five litres of water just in case of over heating problems.

[stuart bowes]

possibly stating the obvious but I have always carried jump leads in my car just in case.  you can always find someone to jump from but leads themselves are less common

 

plus I've used them to help out other people numerous times

[Spider]

I travel often-ish and in to remote areas, here's a basic list of what we carry in our group (though, this varies depending on where we are going);-

 

Fan Belt

Top Hose

Bottom hose

½” Heater hose

Spark Plugs

Distributor - complete

HT Leads

Coil

Engine mount

Radiator Pressure Cap

Radiator Blanking Cap

Trailing Arm Pins

Bearings  for Trailing Arm Pin

Front Wheel Bearings set

CV

Pot Joint

Radiator Cowling Screws

Rear Trumpet

Rear Wheel Bearing Set

Exhaust Mount – Rectangular Type

Cotton Reel Mounts

Puncture Repair Kit

Tyre Plugs

Rubber for sidewall repair

Inner Tubes

Steering Rack Boots

Throttle Cables

Water Pumps

Front Shocks

Rear Shocks

LH Drive Shaft

RH Drive Shaft

Clutch Thrust Bearing

Hose Clamps suit Radiator

Hose Clamps suit Fuel system

Hose Clamps suit heater hose

Engine Steady Rubbers

Araldite

Fibreglass Matting

Fuel Pump - Electric

Throttle Return Spring

Hilos

Front Wheel Studs

Rear Wheel Studs

Wheel Nuts

CV Nut

CV Tapered Collar

Steering Rack Rod Ends

Alternator (15ACR)

Thermostat - 82 deg

Clutch Slave Cyl

Comp Front Bump Stops

Wire (electrical)

Wire (steel / iron)

Split Pins

Nuts / Bolts / Washers

Fuel Cap

Steering Lock Key

CV Boot - Inner

CV Boot - Outer

Roll Pins

Fuel Filter

Ball Joints

Knuckle Joint

Rebound Stops

Lower Inner Arm Rubbers

Caster Bar Rubbers

Master Cylinder Clevis Pins

Rear Brake Hose

Clutch Hose

Bonnet Rubbers

Fuel Hose

Brake Pads

U Bolts

Silastic

Bleed Nipples

Microphone - CB

 

 

[Designer]

I travel often-ish and in to remote areas, here's a basic list of what we carry in our group (though, this varies depending on where we are going);-

 

Fan Belt

Top Hose

Bottom hose

½” Heater hose

Spark Plugs

Distributor - complete

HT Leads

Coil

Engine mount

Radiator Pressure Cap

Radiator Blanking Cap

Trailing Arm Pins

Bearings  for Trailing Arm Pin

Front Wheel Bearings set

CV

Pot Joint

Radiator Cowling Screws

Rear Trumpet

Rear Wheel Bearing Set

Exhaust Mount – Rectangular Type

Cotton Reel Mounts

Puncture Repair Kit

Tyre Plugs

Rubber for sidewall repair

Inner Tubes

Steering Rack Boots

Throttle Cables

Water Pumps

Front Shocks

Rear Shocks

LH Drive Shaft

RH Drive Shaft

Clutch Thrust Bearing

Hose Clamps suit Radiator

Hose Clamps suit Fuel system

Hose Clamps suit heater hose

Engine Steady Rubbers

Araldite

Fibreglass Matting

Fuel Pump - Electric

Throttle Return Spring

Hilos

Front Wheel Studs

Rear Wheel Studs

Wheel Nuts

CV Nut

CV Tapered Collar

Steering Rack Rod Ends

Alternator (15ACR)

Thermostat - 82 deg

Clutch Slave Cyl

Comp Front Bump Stops

Wire (electrical)

Wire (steel / iron)

Split Pins

Nuts / Bolts / Washers

Fuel Cap

Steering Lock Key

CV Boot - Inner

CV Boot - Outer

Roll Pins

Fuel Filter

Ball Joints

Knuckle Joint

Rebound Stops

Lower Inner Arm Rubbers

Caster Bar Rubbers

Master Cylinder Clevis Pins

Rear Brake Hose

Clutch Hose

Bonnet Rubbers

Fuel Hose

Brake Pads

U Bolts

Silastic

Bleed Nipples

Microphone - CB

 

In other words a complete Moke on a trailer    

 

 

Sorry couldn't resist it.

 

I am not surprised at that list considering the amazing trips you and your friends take. I don't think I would consider making them in a modern all swinging all dancing all terrain vehicle.

Edited by Designer, 26 May 2023 - 05:28 AM.

[Steam]

Notwithstanding Spiders shedload, which is understandable if going bush a more realistic kit would be spare wheel jack and wheel brace and pliers and screwdriver, for shorter trips.
For longer trips I add full tool kit and multimeter, plugs leads and distributor, fuses and a selection of connectors. Hoses and 3l of water.
There is not much else that will stop you getting to a place to fix. Anything bigger will probably not be fixable on the side of the road anyway.

[DeadSquare]

A well proportioned Girl Friend, in Hot Pants a skimpy Tank Top.

[stuart bowes]

a bar and socket for undoing wheel nuts.  as in a proper bar not some flimsy little thing like you get in the kit with newer cars these days, one attempt on a wheel nut and it bends.  I have a 2 foot bar in the boot and it just makes things very easy and quick

 

obviously be sensible when doing the nuts back up though enough is enough

Edited by stuart bowes, 25 May 2023 - 11:40 PM.

[Steam]

a bar and socket for undoing wheel nuts.  as in a proper bar not some flimsy little thing like you get in the kit with newer cars these days, one attempt on a wheel nut and it bends.  I have a 2 foot bar in the boot and it just makes things very easy and quick
 
obviously be sensible when doing the nuts back up though enough is enough

Largest bar to undo, smallest bar to tighten.

[68+86auto]

As much as I don't want to resort to being towed there is a limit of what can be carried. I only recently got my mini back on the road so what I am currently carrying is a bit different. Make sure any parts you take can be fitted with the tools you carry otherwise it is close to pointless.

 

This is not what I currently carry but what I intend on carrying for my drives to work. Currently I take heaps of tools which I could probably tear almost the entire mini down with. I intend on eventually reducing the tool count too. These items are based on what I think could fail and what I have experienced failing.

 

Points

feeler gauge for points

Condenser

Distributor cap

Rotor

5l oil

5l water/coolant

Thermostat housing gaskets

Gasket Sealant for thermostat housing

some type of wire to tie stuff up (mechanics/aviation wire)

Tape

wheel brace

jack

spare wheel

spark plug socket

spark plug brush

some kind of work light (need to save phone battery, I have had mine go flat waiting to be towed)

fuel pump

electrical wire/test leads

 

That is what I can think of right now.

 

 

For the trips which are multiple 100s of km I will take a list closer to what Spider says.

 

 

The items I have been towed for were:

Ignition issues - Worn out or Chinese distributors.

Ignition issues - water in distributor, just needed to be dried out but here they tow for free off toll roads for safety

Auto selector oil seal popped out - I didn't work out what the problem was, if I did I could have popped it back in and refilled with oil to get me home

Fuel pump - Rebuilt mechanical fuel pump decided to fail

head gasket/overheat - was towed (again for free) to the nearby mini business where I refilled with water and drove it home with the cap loose.

Edited by 68+86auto, 26 May 2023 - 04:59 AM.