35 replies to this topic

[Steam]

So the coil supply is ok. If you reconnect the coil wire it then measures 7ish volts. Disconnect the wires from the coil neg ad test again. 12 means the points may be closed or faulty or some other short or fault in the dist, maybe condenser. If you measure 7 then the coil is faulty.

[Smiley]

Ok. I jumped the gun a little bit and didnt do the tests you jave described. I bought a "intermotor" branded coil in a local motor factors.

I checked the wire to my positve terminal on the coil - it is white/pink. (Which I believe to mean it is a ballasted system).

I measured the resistance across the terminals on the new coil and it was around 1ohm. I believe this to be a ballasted coil.

So with a coloured wire that indicates a ballasted system and a coil that gives a reading of a ballasted coil I thought - this is all the right pieces of the puzzle!

I fitted the new coil. I top up the fuel tank and connected jumpleads from another vehicle.

The car started. It was reluctant and stuttered it's way up to firing. It ran and idled around 2k RPM, with around have choke. Then, there was noticable drop in engine tone and the RPM dropped...i gave it more choke, but it didnt stop it from spluttering to a halt.

Now I am in the same situation again. It is cranking cranking cranking and not firing!

Can anyone hazard a guess as to what is going on?

I measured the resistance across the terminals of the first coil and it was just below 3 ohms. (Which i believe it to mean it is a non-ballast coil!)

So I seem to have had both types of coil on the car and the same result......the car did run and drive a few weeks aho with the previous coil before dying off....

Any thoughts? Next steps??

Thanks!

[Smiley]

Also - when running the car revved really rough, with possible small backfires!

[68+86auto]

It seems you need a ballasted ignition coil which is around 1.5ohm.

Neither of the coils you purchased are that.

The 1ohm coil will be closer to 0.9ohm which is an electronic ignition coil. An electronic ignition coil will burn out the points quickly.

[Smiley]

New coil reads 1.4 ohms across terminals.

Old coil is reading 2.8 ohms across the terminals.

You're saying these are the same, but the readings say they're different.

New coil seems to be ballasted, which I'm told I need.

Yet the problem persists....

Dizzy is an Aldon electronic. So there are no points to burn out.

Edited by Smiley, 08 February 2025 - 11:32 AM.

[sonscar]

You have checked for fuel at the carb jet? Piston freely moving? Choke not stuck out? No disconnected pipes? Try not to fixate on one system.Fuel,air,spark,compression.pull a plug and crank looking for spark.spark ok? Pour some fuel into the carb and crank rules out one or the other.Dont become fixated on testers.Steve..

[Smiley]

You are dead right Sonscar.

So getting fed up with the ignition coils and not knowing what I should have or not have, I decided to refit the old ignition coil, purely because the car had been running and driving with that coil a few weeks ago...situation was the same though, loads of cranking and no starting.....so I turned my attention back to the fuel system...

Fuel pump is pumping fuel into the carb. Jet height was in a good position but couldnt tell if it was getting fuel. So i sprayed some carb cleaner down into the carb - she lit into life first touch of the key!! Still revving a bit rough, seems to be bogging down when I gave it accelerator pedal. When i pushed the choke in, the engine would slowly start to splutter and die off....id have to pull out the choke to keep her going....

Played around with choke and idle speed setting as the engine warmed up until i had the car idling at 800RPM with no choke......still bogging on acceleration though, but at least now it was running and idling and not dying off....

Shut it off. Let it sit for a minute or two them turned the key again - crank no start!! Tried a few times, would not start.....so i sprayed some more carb cleaner into the carb - away she went again, started no problemo!!

I'm going say there is a carb problem. I will order a rebuiod kit and pencil the rebuild in for the next time I am back at the car. (Flying out now on an hour or so!)

[bpirie1000]

Is there any wear in the needle? Or could it have been bent at any time? Also consider centering the needle,seat and tweak the mixture alittle.

Also could the needle have slipped out the dashpot?

[68+86auto]

New coil reads 1.4 ohms across terminals.

Old coil is reading 2.8 ohms across the terminals.

You're saying these are the same, but the readings say they're different.

New coil seems to be ballasted, which I'm told I need.

Yet the problem persists....

Dizzy is an Aldon electronic. So there are no points to burn out.

 

Now that you've given different readings for the coils, the 1.4ohm should be right for the car.

How is the distributor wired? The red wire should go to 12v which in your case can't be found at the coil. You need to run a wire from the fuse box.

[68+86auto]

An engine can be made to run with a poorly or not at all functioning carb but will never run with an ignition system which is defective. If playing with the choke doesn't work and spraying starting fluid doesn't work then you've most likely got an ignition fault.

That's why the ignition system testing is critical.

 

 

 

And no, I don't always default to electrical faults. I was just remotely diagnosing a fault which the owner was certain it was an ignition coil. I was confident it was a vacuum leak and once I had it in person I confirmed that to be the case. Even with multiple leaks it was still running.

Edited by 68+86auto, 09 February 2025 - 11:30 PM.

[Smiley]

Hello again!

I've been back at the Mini again and thought I would update this saga...

Following on from my previous attempts, I had ordered a carb rebuild kit and set about using it yesterday.

When I opened the float bowl of the HIF44 it was absolutely immaculately clean - cleaner than a brand new clean thing!! Not trace of grit, dirt, grime or gunk! I was impressed by the cleanliness but disappointed, because it didnt give me a reason for the poorly running of my car!!

I found a tutorial on youtube by AC Dodd about setting up a HIF44 for first start and used it to set up my carb. I set the jet height, the idle speed, fast idle and float height. I noticed that my idle speed adjustment was wayyyyy out compared to what was recommended. Also my float height was way different than what was recommended.....so I thought this might be my problem.

Set the float height to 1mm below the body of the carb when the carb is inverted, as recommended on youtube and in the Hayes Manual. Set the jet height to just below the chamfer, set the fast idle to line the arrow on the choke up with the fast idle screw while the was a 18thou feeler gauge holding the throttle linkage open....everything was set as suggested.

Refitted the carb. Checked the fuel line was supplying fuel (hose into a container with ignition on!) Fitted all the cables and pipework around the carb. Everything was/is as it should be.

Took the battery off the charger, fitted it to the car and flicked the key...

NO START!

Cranked and and cranked and cranked - there was some tiny little suggestions and flutters but absolute minimal action in the starting up and firing department!

I thought - ok I've been here before - some carb cleaner in the carb will get this to light up (as it has done in the past) but not this time! Not a bit of it, not even a fart.....just endless cranking and no starting!

So now I dont know where I am or where to go!

I am getting fuel, but is it not at enough pressure?

I have spark at the plugs, but is it strong enough?

On thing I have noticed is my fuel pump (Facet Gold-Flo) isnt as noisey as it used to be.....you know when you turn on the ignition you hear the whine of the fuel pump before you turn the key to start up...it's not making that whine any more, but it is still pumping fuel into a container when i take the outlet pipe off the carb and run it inyo a container...! Maybe my fuel pump and fuel regulator could do with being replaced, just to rule them out of being problematic?!

As always, thoughts, suggestions and devine interventions all very welcome....

Smiley.

[68+86auto]

Hello again!

I've been back at the Mini again and thought I would update this saga...

Following on from my previous attempts, I had ordered a carb rebuild kit and set about using it yesterday.

When I opened the float bowl of the HIF44 it was absolutely immaculately clean - cleaner than a brand new clean thing!! Not trace of grit, dirt, grime or gunk! I was impressed by the cleanliness but disappointed, because it didnt give me a reason for the poorly running of my car!!

I found a tutorial on youtube by AC Dodd about setting up a HIF44 for first start and used it to set up my carb. I set the jet height, the idle speed, fast idle and float height. I noticed that my idle speed adjustment was wayyyyy out compared to what was recommended. Also my float height was way different than what was recommended.....so I thought this might be my problem.

Set the float height to 1mm below the body of the carb when the carb is inverted, as recommended on youtube and in the Hayes Manual. Set the jet height to just below the chamfer, set the fast idle to line the arrow on the choke up with the fast idle screw while the was a 18thou feeler gauge holding the throttle linkage open....everything was set as suggested.

Refitted the carb. Checked the fuel line was supplying fuel (hose into a container with ignition on!) Fitted all the cables and pipework around the carb. Everything was/is as it should be.

Took the battery off the charger, fitted it to the car and flicked the key...

NO START!

Cranked and and cranked and cranked - there was some tiny little suggestions and flutters but absolute minimal action in the starting up and firing department!

I thought - ok I've been here before - some carb cleaner in the carb will get this to light up (as it has done in the past) but not this time! Not a bit of it, not even a fart.....just endless cranking and no starting!

So now I dont know where I am or where to go!

I am getting fuel, but is it not at enough pressure?

I have spark at the plugs, but is it strong enough?

On thing I have noticed is my fuel pump (Facet Gold-Flo) isnt as noisey as it used to be.....you know when you turn on the ignition you hear the whine of the fuel pump before you turn the key to start up...it's not making that whine any more, but it is still pumping fuel into a container when i take the outlet pipe off the carb and run it inyo a container...! Maybe my fuel pump and fuel regulator could do with being replaced, just to rule them out of being problematic?!

As always, thoughts, suggestions and devine interventions all very welcome....

Smiley.

 

Start by checking the voltage at the starter and coil while you are cranking. Below 9.6v is bad.

[Lplus]

Check that there is fuel visible down in the jet.  I fitted a new viton  needle and seat in an HIF44 the other day and it jammed in the seat.  Flow through the pump is no use if the pressure isn't enough to unjam a stuck needle valve

[Steam]

The pump only fills the float bowl so its pressure is somewhat irrelevant as long as its supplying fuel.

[Smiley]

Hello again!

I'm going to be at the Mini again next week (we live in different countries at the moment!) and I want to organise a checklist for myself.

When I last left the Mini it was cranking with no sign of starting. (Have a read over my last post on this thread) I had rebuilt the carb and adjusted the internals because the car would only start if I put carb cleaner in the chamber before cranking. After those adjustments it wouldnt do anything at all - it got worse!)

So, suggestions please?!

It feels like I am going around in circles with this.....

Thank you once again.