Since I've had the car, while driving there is a smell of fumes (the misses always tell me I smell like the car). I first thought it was the oil that was spilt when the auto sparky buggered the oil pressure gauge so last weekend I took the front carpet out, and the underlay (which were soaked with oil) and aired the car out. Still smells while driving.

Flipped the front today to check for holes. Covered up 3 screw holes and noticed that I could see through the grommet where most of the wiring comes through the firewall into the car so I taped it up. I started the car and noticed a puff of smoke come up from down below (the bottom of the engine NOTmy arse!!! ) so I'm guessing the engine is smoking somewhere... possibly a hole in the exhaust?

Any ides?

Could be oil spilt on the zorst, if you say some was spilt.

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G'Day Marvin,
I've had oil dribbling onto the exhaust manifold from a leak at the back of the rocker cover.
Replaced rocker cover gasget to fix.

Dino.

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Over 1,000,000Km, but now my retirement restoration project

Think i may have a similar problem to you except maybe more. My clubman is a smelly bugger too, it aint too nice on a hot day with window down getting those fumes. I too have noticed a bit of smoke coming from back of engine/exhaust area so could be in for a new rocket cover gasket like said, but reckon i have an exhaust leak too. Checking for exhaust leaks if I just get someone to block the pipe with their shoe or whatever i should hear a leak yeah if any?
Also my exhaust is loose somewhere it must be cos it rattles even at idle how many spots should the exhaust be mounted, i think the mounting point is broken near gearbox, is this an easy fix?

If you have no way of getting the car up in the air a decent height so that you can get under the car. Take it to an exhaust place and tell them it has a leak. Thye will find it and fix it. Having said that if you can get under it. Check the pipe for cracks and check the joins, which will be in a different position dependent on what type on manifold you have. If the join is leaking, split it and put in some exhasut paste and refit. Easy to do. i have to do mine as i just put a different set of extractors on and didn't have anypaste at the time. total time to do this will be about 15 to 20 mins.

Cheers

aaron

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G'Day Miggy,
Exhaust is held in 3 places, one at the front (if you have extractors) where the pipe comes down and bends to follow the bottom of the car, here is a bracket which is screwed into the diff housing. This one keeps undoing and falling out on mine until I made up a bracket with a lock tab for the bolt. It has'nt fallen out but still got loose. The next is at the cross member just in front of the rear subframe and is a fairly large square rubber block. Two bolts into the body, one for the bracket to the exhaust pipe. If the pipe does not sit reasonably square to this block then any big twists in the rubber will very quickly result in the metal holding the bracket parting company with the rubber, and is usually the first mount to let go. The last is on the rear subframe just in from the end of the exhaust pipe. Here I prefer the cooper s type which consists of a punched metal bracket and two rubber "cotton reel" type mounts, and a separate exhaust pipe clamp to hold it all together.
This is the spot at which my muffler clonks against the rear subframe due to a not too careful "professional exhaust" place.
DIno

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Over 1,000,000Km, but now my retirement restoration project

Thanks guys.
I think that join at the manifold is a problem, is that exhaust paste you were talking about available everywhere aaron? Have you a preferred brand?
Sweet at least i know where the mount locations are or where they should be now then I'll have to go through one by one. I reckon like you the one at the diff housing is giving the headaches so will have have to figure something out there, lock tabs sound the go.
Cheers

any good auto shop or even kmart,big w etc etc. no particular brand springs to as better.

Cheers

Aaron

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right... where's the best place to go for rocker cover gaskets? rough price? It's just an unscrew, scrape off, replace, screw back on job isn't it?

Leigh.

Yep I Have had to chheck to make sure that the cover was not bent as One i had kept leaking and then I tried another and no problems

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I've Got One
You've Got One
We've All Got One
What Is It



A Bloody Mini

1970 Mini K, 1380cc, 1.75 HIF SU, 30 70 Cam, 2" Zorts
1969 Mini K, Stock Standard and Orginal. (Slow as Hell)

G'Day Marvin,
I don't know about prices or where you can get them in your area, I would think perhaps phone repco, should not be too expensive they are compounded cork.
When putting the gasgets on you need to take a bit of care as they are only about 8mm wide and nearly as tall. They tend to slip out or compress sideways... not a very good seal. The pressed metal covers have a slight lip the gasget fits into, the alloy ones are just a flat surface. What I do is clean everything up with a cloth dipped in turps, get rid of any oil film as this will be where the leak starts. Then on the rocker cover ONLY I spread a thin film of sellys (or equivalent) contact glue, when almost dry I attach the gasget. Let it dry thorougly, then put rocker cover back on engine and tighten up. Tricky bit now is to tighten sufficiently to stop leaks without crushing the gasget down to nothing. While you are at it, check the rubber seals on the two bolts holding the cover on to the engine and replace if "daggy".
Of course you will be careful not to let any old gasget bits drop down the pushrod holes....

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Over 1,000,000Km, but now my retirement restoration project

Is this what I want? http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=32072&item=4527724023&rd=1

G'Day Marvin,
Maybe I'm not meant to answer this question, 3rd time trying to post. Just got power back after 6 hour blackout, hit by lightning twice, first time AS I pressed "post" button. eyes wide open,......
Anyhow, that is the gasget you need, but make sure it is for a mini, and not for an Austin 1800, same gasget only bigger. It is still attached to the carrier (good), the gasget proper is merely a ring around the outside.

Dino

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Over 1,000,000Km, but now my retirement restoration project

I'm just about to put the new gasket on. Do I put gasket goo on both sides of the gasket or just the side that contacts the cover? The directions on the gasket goo (cement) says to put it on both sides. What do you guys do?

Where can I get the rubber seals on the two bolts holding the cover on to the engine?

Better idea is to use contact cement to glue the gasket to the cover. No gasket goo or contact cement the other side. This way you can remove the cover as you need to etc.
You will have to get those rubber seals from a mini place. Steve