The moke's been sitting in the driveway (5 days) while I was away on holiday and was running fine before I left.

Turned it over yesterday to go to work and it's only running on 3.

I've isolated it to number one seeing as it runs the same with the lead connected or not. I've changed the plug over with one from the clubbie (haven't tried a new one yet - i've bought two new sets in less then 3 weeks) and the lead is fine. I get a click click when I move the lead just so it's not quite touching the plug so a spark is getting in there.

I left it running for a few minutes and then removed the plug and noticed smoke whisping out of the cylinder hole. During the changing etc. it also seemed to run on all four for a brief ****** and then go back to three. Wasn't consistent though.

Any ideas?

My gut feeling is it's going to be an expensive trip to the mechanic to get my valves looked at. But as with the fuel filter I wouldn't be suprised if it's a stupid fix. Just seems strange five days of sitting in the driveway could make it go bung after it was running fine before.

Shard

Sounds like a stuck valve. Tack the rocker cover off and turn it over by hand and see if both valves on number 1 are going up and down all the way.
Pete

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Agree with above - happened to me except on bore 4. Broke the nose off the rocker on the inlet to 4(no lift = no fuel/air = no bang!!).

Easily fixed in an afternoon - save you hundreds

Rob Forsyth
Miniot!!

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Rob Forsyth
Miniot!!

Will give it a go tommorow morn. So I take the rocker off and see if the valves are going up and down. If they're not, where too from there?

Shard

Could just be a valve is set too tight, maybe...
When I was a kid on the farm I owned a Chev 4- it ran fine cold, but every time it got hot it stopped. Finally I woke up- the exhaust valves expanded when they got hot, and it had f/all valve clearance so they opened. No compression = no go. Until it cooled off again...

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Do a bushman's compression test, if there is no compression then start worrying...

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

Pressure was fine. Pulled out number one and replaced it with an old-old spark plug and then cyl2 stopped firing, replaced cyl 2 with an old-old one and had all 4 firing.

I wasn't aware new plugs could die after a weeks use and then a weeks non use sitting in the driveway :/.

Spose they just need a cleanup in some petrol, but still.

Shard

Is the car driven or does it just get started in the driveway?

The reason for the silly question is that plugs can foul up quickly on some fuels and especially if the car is idled for long periods. They need a run to clear them.

Are the plugs black when the come out?

How old are the plug leads? Suppression ones go high in resistance after a few years. Most are just carbonised string in the middle.
Bending them about doesn't help either.

If you have an ohmmeter, check the resistance of each one, including the coil to dizzy. Over 8K ohms, I'd bin them.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Car is a daily driver, just sat in the driveway last week cause I was on holidays. Plugs are always black when I pull them out, I run a bit rich due to a oversized exhaust (in hindsight smaller then 2 1/2" would have been better).

Yeah tested the leads when I was investigating the fuel pump problem 2 wks ago thx for suggestions.

Shard

i am also down a cylinder (#4). can you run the engine with the rocker cover off? how do i know if the valves are opening and closing and how do you make them un stuck?

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