Ha ha. Spot!

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

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

i removed the plug on that part of the float chamber as circled..........still won't start and I managed to not catch it as I pried it off and lost the plug down the back of the motor somewhere!!

back to square one......

Although maybe I didnt give it long enough to turn over to fill the float chamber?

That plug was blocking the float bowl vent. When the vent is blocked the float will not float and fuel will run straight into the motor and fuel up your sparkplugs.
Give it another go and it should start. (Hold the pedal flat to the floor while you turn it over to help dry the plugs.)

I understand what your saying, that line should run to the charcoal canister if it had one right?....

I'll have to give it another burl in the morning.......not sure my neighbours would appreciate me winding on the motor at this time of night and revving the little bugger up if it did start.

My only concern is why would this problem have occurred in the past with the old carby as well? it was a standard 1.25SU, maybe the tank breather contributed to that problem.

Early cars just had a vent there to let the air in and out. Regardless of whether it is just left open or goes into a canister, don't block it or she won't work.

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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.

so how does it run on the new carby you put on?
have you adjusted the mixture and does it have the right needle?

i am with the others, swap to an electric fuel pump under the boot floor.
if mounted properly you wont hear it.

I don't see how it could be a fuel pump problem if it only happens when it's idling...

when do you use more fuel, at idle, or at speed..

when you turn the engine over, does that fuel filter fill up with fuel? use a screwdriver to bridge the 2 electrodes on the starter solenoid and watch and see if the filter is filling up...

if the plugs have been fuelled up by running ridiculously rich and flooding, then they'll be rooted, if it doesn't start in the morning, go and get some new plugs for it.

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

The car seemed to rev fine while its in the garage, there's a more deeper sound to it compared to the old 1.25in SU.

I'm still not sure I have the mixture setting correct, my mechanic said he set it so I should be able to get it started and running, which it did after I fed it some fuel manually. It blew a hell of a lot of whitish smoke for a while though.

How do I set the mixture properly?....if it was a Holley carby on a holden 6 i wouldnt have any trouble......is there a setting that i can start with? A procedure perhaps?

As to what needle it has i have no idea.....if i could get it running normally i could at least get it somewhere so it could be tuned properly.

I still might fit the electric pump i have here, will i need to make a blanking plate and remove the mechanical pump and is there an electric wiring diagram somewhere i can follow?

The weird thing is if I dribble some fuel into the motor through the vacuum advance port then the motor will start no trouble at all, if i had buggered spark plugs then it wouldnt start.

Here's my 2c.

I think you're on the right track with the fuel pump.

At idle, it's not flowing much, if any fuel so the float chamber eventually runs dry and you stall. You can't restart the engine without introducing fuel via the vac-advance port because the pump won't fill the float chamber without revs.

When revving, the pump flows just enough fuel to keep the float chamber full.

The fact that you can start the engine at all pretty much eliminates electrics and carb. Sounds like it's gotta be the pump.

The first thing I'd be doing is fitting the electric pump on the rear subframe. Use a cotton-reel rubber mount and you won't know it's there, and you'll never think about it again.

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Simon

The adventures of an owner builder in the Tallarook Ranges

A hole in the seal would allow some of the pressure to be bled backwards, but can be overcome by the engine revs rising?

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

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

The problem with all these pumps is the valves eventually wear, don't seal properly- then they will still pump a little but when real flow is needed they can't cope.
I say get a low pressure Facet electric one, rubber mount it on the rear subby and you won't hear it. I don't use anything else now.
Here's how 1 of ours is mounted- on a Mini square exhaust mount.
Note that wiring wasn't finished when pic taken.

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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.

I have one of these low pressure Facet electric pumps so i might fit it, do i just leave the mechanical pump on there without the fuel hoses connected or do i need a blanking plate?.

Also where should i run an Ignition "on" wire feed from to run it?

I'd just bypass it but leave it attached, take the 2 hoses off then put a longer hose from the fuel pipe straight up to the filter.
Some people leave them there and push the fuel through them, but the risk is if the mech pump diaphragm is old and it cracks, you will get petrol into the oil = BAD news.

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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.