im going to try and start my engine for the moke this weekend, what do i need to do as i have never started one out of the body before, and keen to do it while no-one is around
cheers

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busier than a 0ne legged man in a butt kicking competion

Its quite an experience.

You need the electrics in place and the circuit completed. You also need a fuel supply - you will be suprised how quickly it gobbles fuel. Is it a fuel pump on the engine or electric. If it on the engine just stick the tube into a container and it will suck okay.

Try and get a length of exhaust with a muffler on it and attach that to the exhaust manifold - its very noisy up close.

Run up the engine without the plugs so you are sure you have oil pressure before you start it,

I built a little table out of an old keyboard stand that has a key start ignition (and cut off) as well as an oil guage and water temp guage. This is so I could monitor it.

If you give it a rev make sure somebody is holding the engine as the torque will make it want to topple.

I always start an engine this way befoee fitting into the body because its easier to trouble shoot and if its not going to start on the ground then its not going to start int he car. That is given everything is in place to start and it has power, spark and fuel - startyabastard is wonderful stuff.

Mike

I will add that they are amazingly stable when on the floor but I think this is due to having an exhaust connected to the engine.

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1969 Cooper "S"
1967 Mini Deluxe
1973 Clubman Van (the fleet spare)
1978 ex 1275 LS ("Wizard" Eaton Supercharged)
2015 HSV GenF GTS(occasional drive & tow car)
2019 MINI F55 Cooper S

This is my Cooper S motor idling away on my table on wheels...





The motor is being steadied by a sling from the roof truss, just for safety. You can also see a plastic tube coming down from above. It is hooked to a syringe full of petrol also hanging from the roof!
The full exhaust is hooked to it just to keep it quiet.

if it's a new motor, just don't go running it for a long time or revving it - idling or revving a new motor without any load on it is bad for the running in process

Superfast shutter speed Morris!

It's 40 years old and still has plenty of oil pressure...

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

I like the way that the fan is stopped but the fan belt is blurry.

I had just done an oil change but it always had good pressure.

I rebuilt the motor in 1981 when I was 18. The oil pressure is good but there is a lot of other things that worry me. I have learned a lot since I bolted that motor together, I am worried about what I will find that I didn't know about back then.

You or the motor

BTW, Picasso has nothing on you!
Maybe you should let Simon's girls loose on it.

Edit - comments actually meant for Morris - didn't take notice of who posted the comment.

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I have no idea what they were thinking when they painted the motor. It has the two different BMC greens topped with silver and topped again with red and it managed that in less than ten years! The car was built in 68 and it was parked off the road in 77, I got it in 81.
The highlight is the blue under the red on the generator.

Someone surely has to remember a burgundy Cooper S with a silver engine racing in series production races in 68/69.

thanks for the replies it sounds pretty well straight forward
cheers

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busier than a 0ne legged man in a butt kicking competion