If the car is on top dead centre on number one as we described then the timing just look quite right - it looks as though the dizzy drive spindle is a couple of teeth out.

The previous owners have fiddled until they got it running.

Now, when the motor is running the rotor button turns anticlockwise, What you need to do is semi fit the dizy cap and see which post the rotor button is about strike. That will be number one. The next anti clockwise post will be number three, then the one after that will be number four and finally the only one left will be number two. Its as simple as that.

However - the pistons 1 and 4 are top dead twice in the firing cycle. One is the compression stroke when the spark plug fires and the other is the exhaust stroke that pushes out the gases. You need to have it on the compression stroke. That is both number rockers have a gap between them (wiggle with your fingers) and the number four rockers are pushing down a valve.

Does that help ??

Mike

Ok yeah thanks mike. There does seem to be a bit of movement in the number 1 rockers and no movement in number 4.
It would appear i had it right.

Still no idea why it wont start but i will try new spark plugs.

Ryan - I just reread my post - I meant to write - it doesn't look just quite right. Hence my description of how to do it

Mike

Ok, well i pushed the car in 4th gear until i could feel air coming out of the number 1 spark plug hole - does this mean its on compression stroke?

Do the rockers look in the right place to you?

On page 1 Mike gave you the tip for working out TDC.

turn the engine over with the rocker cover off. #1 will be at TDC when :

- both its valves are closed
- BOTH the valves on #4 are moving (exhaust closing, intake opening)

It's very hard to tell from your latest photo if the valves are open or not.

Then once you are certain you have TDC, line the rotor up with the lead going to #1, and then re-cable as per normal.

cheers,

Jacob

_________________
'72 Clubman Van - 1022cc, 295 head, 731 cam - Daily Driver
'69 Morris 1100 S - Dinged by a bus, in shed under repair
'64 Morris 1100 - Early 1100, long term project

Stick a long thin rod/screw driver/welding rod down the plug hole and check if the piston is at top of the stroke

Rock the car back and forth in gear the the rod should come up stop and start to go down - the stop position is TDC

_________________
David L


My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell my Mini and tools for the price I told her I paid for them!

Ryan

I know you are struggling with this and probably getting very frustrated with it all. However, the car was running and nothing has been changed bar the leads and now the plugs.

Getting the leads on properly is important and you have to know the difference between top dead centre on the exhaust stroke and top dead centre on the firing stroke. You need the piston in number one to be at its highest point on the firing stroke with both valves closeed and the valves on number four opening and closing. Pistons two and three should be at bottom dead centre.

In the photo - I think I can just see a reflection of pistons 2 and 3 - which means nothing is in the right place if I am correct in what I can see.

Pushing the car backwards and forwards in gear with the plugs out is a good as anyway to find TDC. But make sure its the firing stroke and then replace the leads as several of us have already described.

Mike

thanks for all your help and patience guys, i really appreciate it...

i think i have it at tdc now

I used the welding rod technique and the piston is at the top of the stroke.
valves on number 4 are moving

Okay now fit the dizzy cap and the lead plug nearest to the rotor button in an ANTI CLOCKWISE position is plug lead number 1.

The next lead plug to that in an anticlockwise position is plug number three.

The the next one is number four and the last plug lead is number two. Make sure you have the coil lead plugged in as well and that both wires to the coil are in position. If everything else is right it should start. If it starts then turn it off after a couple seconds so the rockers dont plash oil everywhere and put the rocker cover back on. Leave it off until it starts though.

If its backfiring either through the carby or the exhaust then the lead configuration or the timing is wrong.

We will deal with that later

Mike

Might be stating the obvious but I hope you will be putting a hose on that water outlet on the top corner of the block and plumbing it into a heater or something and filling with water before you run it too much

_________________
David L


My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell my Mini and tools for the price I told her I paid for them!

It started!! You guys are legends. Yes dont worry i have coolant and the hose on

It started with the choke on, warmed up. I put the choke in and adjusted the idle with the screw.

Now that it's warmed up it doesnt want to start unless i wind the idle screw in. Then it starts, and i have to wind the screw out, and it idle's fine?

Im assuming i have to adjust the mixture nut at the base of the carb?

I have just rebuilt this carb with a kit from minicraft (first time as im sure you've guessed!) but if someone could explain to me the workings of it and how to tune it it would be much appreciated...

Ryan

Do you have a workshop manual ?? Just about all of them explain how to adjust the mixture and the idle. There is a relationship between the two.

However, the SU carby is a very simple but efficient carby. It has a piston that rises and falls according the vacuum a cylinder piston going down creates on it. Ynder the piston is a tapered needle - fatter at the top and skinnier at the bottom. It fits into a tube of a fixed size known as the jet. As the carby piston rises the skinnier end sucks in more fuel to the engine and the engine revs rise.

What you are describing is an carby that is far to lean as you need the choke on and the idle screwed in so that it gets enough fuel to run.

What you need to do is to get the engine running, warm and the set the idle so that the engine is running at the slowest speed it will run without showing signs its about to stop.

The wind the mixture adusting nut down so that the jet sits lower on the tapered needle and more fuel is being sucked in. Of course the engine revs will rise, so you back off the idle adjustment until the engine is idling smoothly at the lowest revs possible.

It will take a few tries to get this bit right so the engine is running smoothly at a good idling speed. When you adjust the mixture nut only turn it one flat of the nut at a time and do the idle adjustment to test the result.

When you think you have it about right - there is a little spring loaded buttony thing under the carby piston bowl - its lifts the piston in the carby a fraction. If the mixture is right the engine revs will rise slightly and first and then drop back to a normal idle speed. If the revs rise and stay high then the mixture is too rich and the nut needs to be wound down a but more - just a bit.

If the engine revs drop or the car stalls then you have made it too lean (not enough petrol getting into the engine) and the mixture nut needs to be wound up a bit.

Its a trial and error thing and all of it depends on having the right needle for the engine in the first place. It also needs the needle to be in the right spot in the piston and for the jet to be properly centred for the piston to rise and fall evenly and with grabbing.

Its all in any of the manuals and mostly with photos or drawings to show what is right and what is wrong

Its not hard but it does need you to understand what is happening and why. Also it needs a fine hand to do small adjustments at a time and observe the effect.

BTW - in case I havn't been clear - you need to get the engine running without the choke being on before you do any mixture adjustments

Mike

thanks mike. Im going to invest in a manual I really appreciate your help, if your even in perth you'd better pop around for a beer!

Can't wait to give this a go tomorrow

got it going with the choke on and let it warm up - then adjusted the idle screw and got it idling with the choke off.

I switched it off and now i can't get the bugger started again.

Also, lifting the piston with the lifter thingy doesnt appear to do anything... i took the pot cover off and checked, it is lifting the piston. But no change to engine revs...

Ryan

Its so hard to even guess why its not starting but since you had it running its in the carby somewhere. Its an adjustment thing assuming that everything else is right in the first place.

Can you get it to a mechanics on a tilt tray or similar. Mostly they have electronic engine diagnosis equipment that tells them the air fuel ratios, the ignition timing and a whole of other things.

You have spent four days of frustration and you are still not ahead. A mechanic will get it running very smoothly for in an hour or so and to the point where it starts first time everytime.

Then you concentrate on more rewarding parts of the mini.

I think its an option you should consider.

Just pick a mechanic that has been around for a while and understands older cars. Not a young gun wh just understands plugging an adapter into the cars computer and diagnoses by error codes.

Mike