Hey guys & girls.
Need some advice.. again..
Sunday morning as we were getting ready to go to the morris carnival (p.s. great day, thanks heaps lloyd for a lot of fun and everyone else who made it so much fun) I was giving all 3 minis the final inspection before bringing them out of the garage, and when I started the 1100 clubby, it was running really rough. As in, only running on 3 cylinders. and it wouldn't rev over 1500ish rpm. Every time I lifted the throttle, she died and blew a heap of smoke that smelt like fuel. I figured spark, so swapped all the leads to a new set I had in the shed, and started pulling the plugs out. 3 were ok, one (no 1 sparkplug) was very oily and smelt like fuel. So i replace the sparkplugs, hit the key, still no change. Any ideas what I have done to it? The car ran fine the night before when i put it in the shed after detailing it, just started like a total b$%ch the next day. Any ideas would be really helpful. Thanks guys.
J

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88 Rover 1.3i "Reggie"
99 Rover 1.3i “Grover”
12 Mini Cooper S "The shitter"
17 Mini Clubman JCW “Noddy”

A similar thing happened to my car a while back - was running fine when I parked it but ran on 3 cylinders when I started it again. Mine revved over 1500rpm - if you gave it long enough to get there.

I'm pretty sure I replaced things along the lines of: rotor button, points, condensor (I think). I'd personally have a look around the distributor area myself. If you don't know what you are looking for take pics and post them. (Check the dizzy cap too)

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"In two years time your car will be like a lady's clothes, out of date, my car will still be in fashion when I am dead" - Sir Alec speaking to Pininfarina

Hmmm.
Check the compression, lift off the rocker cover and check that the valves on that cylinder are going up and down.

Usually in your case the problem is there somewhere. Bent pushrod, tappet came undone, valve seized in valve guide etc etc etc.

Mike

Odd things happen sometimes. I drove my Mini to school once in heavy rain. And the car missfired a bit on take off but I assumed that was jsut water making it's way into the dizzy.

I drove the car into the car park fine, revved it a few times, it was fine. At the end of the day I couldn't start my car. It needed a tow home, the electronic unti in the dizzy died, got another from a good mate and the car was fine again.

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1964 Morris 850, 1330 Supercharged - 81.8hp atws.
1975 Leyland Mini S 1100S powered - Nice and reliable.
1977 Leyland Mini LS - Project LS-T

Overnight - dizzy cap threw it in - one post? Only thing I can think of to affect one cyl like that. Only others - valve stem oil seal, but that should burn the oil away and run.

If it's new leads and plugs, and still the same cyl - bent valve, cracked piston, stuffed rings, or head gasket.

THanks for the suggestions, and so fast too. I rang my brother, and he reckoned it might have dropped a valve, but with the engine running its not making any strange 'metallic' noises. The dizzy is just a standard dizzy, i replaced the dizzy cap about 3 months ago when it left me stranded on the side of the freeway, but havn't touched the points, condensor or rotor button yet. might be all due for a replacement anyways. Then engine was replaced with a complete rebuilt unit from sydney mini spares about 4000kms ago. I know the A series weren't that durable, but figured 4k would be a bit low for something serious to go wrong.

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88 Rover 1.3i "Reggie"
99 Rover 1.3i “Grover”
12 Mini Cooper S "The shitter"
17 Mini Clubman JCW “Noddy”

If a valve sticks open, it won't make a sound - unless the piston hits it. Take your rocker cover off and push the motor around a full cycle in 2nd gear (engine not running) and make sure all the valves and rockers return and operate in symetry.

but why does one of ur spark plugs got oil on it? blow ring maybe?

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oil leak?..what oil leak..that puddle under the car is just sweat from all that horsepower

There is a clue in the post.
Did any water get on the dizzy?

Well thats what I can't work out. I washed it and steamcleaned the engine on friday arvo, at the servo 4 kms from home. I then drove it home, cut and polished and detailed it saturday, drove the 5ks to the shops and back, then parked it in the shed that night. It ran fine the whole time. Just wouldn't run properly the next morning (sunday).

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88 Rover 1.3i "Reggie"
99 Rover 1.3i “Grover”
12 Mini Cooper S "The shitter"
17 Mini Clubman JCW “Noddy”

Right, now we are getting somewhere. The steam cleaner will deposit water in the dizzy but while it is hot the car will still run. Once it cools down and condensates it will short out. Dry all the ignition componants and it should run.

Nicely done Morris

I'll throw in my standard answer when I read threads like this: Did you put any of that horrid E10, or Shell VPower-Racing in it shortly before it starting running like a pig?

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Gareth.

Yes I did fill up with V power.. why?

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88 Rover 1.3i "Reggie"
99 Rover 1.3i “Grover”
12 Mini Cooper S "The shitter"
17 Mini Clubman JCW “Noddy”

Was it the 100-octane V-Power Racing, or the 98-octane normal V-Power?

The 100 octane stuff is 5% ethanol, and that eats the o-ring which seals the jet hose in the float chamber.

It doesn't sound to me like you've got that problem, you're consistently running on 3 cylinders, yes?

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Simon

The adventures of an owner builder in the Tallarook Ranges

cos it's rubbish fuel

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?