Hi all, having a couple of little issues as I do the last bits before installing the engine. I had a few issues with indicators but they eventually sorted themselves out and everything else seems to be working fine.

I’ve changed to negative earth but I thought the only thing that would impact is the dynamo and I’ll have to re-polarise that before hooking it up. I’m using a MiniSpares WL322 and this wiring diagram https://classicminidiy.s3.amazonaws.com ... O+1967.PDF
It was the closest loom design I could find to the Feb 1963 version Blue would have had with floor start, dynamo and coil on dynamo etc. I also wanted to run the 3 gauge pod out of a later delux as the original gauge in Blue needs a proper restore by a professional and I just like the look of the black gauges and pod.

Issue: fuel gauge keeps climbing to full when I turn the ignition on. It’s still running the original sender for non-voltage regulator gauge and I have the sender wired correctly. I’ve checked the ohms on the sender unit and it’s showing 10 for empty and 90 for full. The gauge and voltage regulator are wired correctly for that loom/cluster but every time I turn the ignition on the gauge needle slowly climbs to full. I’ve got the temp gauge linked to the regulator as well but the needle does the same thing with the temp gauge disconnected. I’ve switched the wires on the sender unit just in case i got the wiring wrong but same result.
*can you use a non voltage regulator sender unit with a voltage regulated fuel gauge?
*could this be a faulty voltage regulator?
*I’ve run out of ideas so any assistance appreciated


Second issue: Blue had an engine bay push button starter solenoid when I got him. Virtually no wiring left on the car so not sure how they did it so I just want to confirm the wiring should be as per the below pic?


Thanks

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1963 Morris Mini 850 - Blue
1963 Morris Mini 850 - bare shell
1975 MGB Roadster - undergoing 3.9ltr V8 conversion
1998 Ducati M900 Monster

You need to use a matching system as the gauges read in opposite directions
Non stabilised sender + non stabilised gauge (zero ohms empty, 96 ohms full*)
Stabilised sender + voltage stabiliser + stabilised gauge (260 ohms empty, 15 ohms full*)

If you have a functioning floor starter then I’d ditch the additional one in the engine bay. Otherwise you’d need to press down the floor starter at the same time as sending the trigger power to the extra solenoid (normally this is the starting position on the key, but 850 keys didn’t have a starting position)

* link
https://mk1-forum.net/viewtopic.php?p=2 ... 2A#p296016

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Font of knowledge as always Timmy.

I linked the wrong wiring diagram sorry: https://classicminidiy.s3.amazonaws.com ... O+1964.PDF

Fuel gauge: I’ll have a look at the wiring and see if the loom supports being able to use an early style gauge. I think it does and if so I’ll raid my gauge pile and see if I can find a working non-resistance fuel gauge that I can install in the later model speedo gauge. If not I’ll just have to get a later version of the sender and then drill it to be able to fit the early fuel tank.

Starter solenoid: i don’t know why they had it on there, never made sense to me as like you say you would never be able to use the engine bay starter button with the floor start. May have been put on there if they had some ignition or starter issues, not sure. I did some testing and it will work with the original floor starter and ignition, and it’s very useful while the motor is out of the car doing the testing and setting the carbs etc. interestingly MiniSpares has it listed as being used in early MK1’s but looking through all the wiring diagrams I can find it doesn’t feature until 1964ish. I think you’re right though, easiest to remove and just use the floor starter

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1963 Morris Mini 850 - Blue
1963 Morris Mini 850 - bare shell
1975 MGB Roadster - undergoing 3.9ltr V8 conversion
1998 Ducati M900 Monster

And of course the fuel gauge isn’t a simple unbolt one and bolt in the other…..

New sender will be the easier option by the sounds of it then.

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1963 Morris Mini 850 - Blue
1963 Morris Mini 850 - bare shell
1975 MGB Roadster - undergoing 3.9ltr V8 conversion
1998 Ducati M900 Monster

The problem is the stabilised senders are only available in the later "screw on" type. The early sender with 6 bolts is exclusively for non-stabilised gauges. If you want a stabilised sender you need a later fuel tank.

I think it'd be easiest to swap the gauge

Early 6 bolt non-stabilised sender
https://minisport.com.au/products/mini- ... ew-in-type

Later stabilised with locking screw
https://minisport.com.au/products/mini- ... land-sedan
https://minisport.com.au/products/mini- ... -unit-seal

The other option is an electronic unit like this that converts any sender to work with any gauge
https://spiyda.com/fuel-gauge-wizard-mk3.html

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I’ve found a cheap second hand stabilised sender I’m going to collect this week. I’ll have a faff around with it and see if I can turn it into a 6 hole sender as the plate seems to be a similar size, orientation will be a challenge.

If I can’t get that working I’ll give the spiyda a try and looks like a pretty good bit of kit.

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1963 Morris Mini 850 - Blue
1963 Morris Mini 850 - bare shell
1975 MGB Roadster - undergoing 3.9ltr V8 conversion
1998 Ducati M900 Monster