Experts only ???
Discussion
Hi all,
I'm a newb starting a Mini project and need a bit of help and advice.
When I say newb I mean it. I've posted twice here now and had no responses - if this is a place
for experts only please tell me and I'll look elsewhere.
The patient in question is pictured here:
www.heagren.com/mini/mini.jpg
www.heagren.com/mini/mini2.jpg
www.heagren.com/mini/mini3.jpg
www.heagren.com/mini/mini4.jpg
www.heagren.com/mini/mini5.jpg
www.heagren.com/mini/mini6.jpg
It doesn't start - when it's turned over there is a loud "clanging" sound from the
distributor. Any ideas ?
The doors are clearly destined for the bin and I've ebayed a couple of new ones but can you give any advice
on the hole under the rear off side window ?
It's recently had new sills and the floor is completely sound.
Underneath it looks OK to my untrained eye. No rust, no rot, no nightmares.
I want to breathe life back into this little classic and I need a forum where I can get help and advice.
Is this it ? Or am I too newbie for here ?
Best wishes
Tony
I'm a newb starting a Mini project and need a bit of help and advice.
When I say newb I mean it. I've posted twice here now and had no responses - if this is a place
for experts only please tell me and I'll look elsewhere.
The patient in question is pictured here:
www.heagren.com/mini/mini.jpg
www.heagren.com/mini/mini2.jpg
www.heagren.com/mini/mini3.jpg
www.heagren.com/mini/mini4.jpg
www.heagren.com/mini/mini5.jpg
www.heagren.com/mini/mini6.jpg
It doesn't start - when it's turned over there is a loud "clanging" sound from the
distributor. Any ideas ?
The doors are clearly destined for the bin and I've ebayed a couple of new ones but can you give any advice
on the hole under the rear off side window ?
It's recently had new sills and the floor is completely sound.
Underneath it looks OK to my untrained eye. No rust, no rot, no nightmares.
I want to breathe life back into this little classic and I need a forum where I can get help and advice.
Is this it ? Or am I too newbie for here ?
Best wishes
Tony
tony
the bit under the side window is a chew to fix, its a case of either filling it with filler and forgetting it, or chopping it out and carefully welding a bit chopped out of another car into it. its do-able but you need to be a decent welder to get it in.
as for the dizzy, id pull the plugs out (saves the battery) and get someone else to crank it whilst you watch the dizzy minus its cap to see if the roter arm is turning. its very unusual for things to go amis inside the dizzy, though if it had bee stood for ages it might have siezed - unusual tho.
hope this helps
rich
the bit under the side window is a chew to fix, its a case of either filling it with filler and forgetting it, or chopping it out and carefully welding a bit chopped out of another car into it. its do-able but you need to be a decent welder to get it in.
as for the dizzy, id pull the plugs out (saves the battery) and get someone else to crank it whilst you watch the dizzy minus its cap to see if the roter arm is turning. its very unusual for things to go amis inside the dizzy, though if it had bee stood for ages it might have siezed - unusual tho.
hope this helps
rich
The car looks fixable from the pictures, but that obviously depends on your ability and experience.
My first question would be, what do you want the car for?
e.g. Show car, weekend car, runabout??
My first piece of advice would be join your local mini club and go along to a few of their meets. One of their experienced members may be willing to take a better look at the car than we can from photos over the net and give you a more informed response as to how much work is required to get it to the state you would like.
Likewise for the engine they can give a more informed opinion.
My first question would be, what do you want the car for?
e.g. Show car, weekend car, runabout??
My first piece of advice would be join your local mini club and go along to a few of their meets. One of their experienced members may be willing to take a better look at the car than we can from photos over the net and give you a more informed response as to how much work is required to get it to the state you would like.
Likewise for the engine they can give a more informed opinion.
Welcome BGH.
Mini looks well worth persevering with.The engine must be your priority as all the other work is cosmetic.It would help us diagnose the problem if we knew the why/when/where of the engine stopping/not starting.
Failing that info, then a 'loud clanging sound' is unlikely to come from the distributor but as the distributor is very close to the starter motor which engages with the flywheel (which can clang like a bell) I would suspect that area. Is the starter motor engaging and turning the engine over ok? Remove the spark plugs(to remove compression and ease the starter load) and get someone to operate the starter key. Watch that the water pump/alternator belt turns as the bottom crankshaft pulley turns. If it doesn't then the starter motor appears at fault. If it does then check ignition then fuel.
Connect a removed spark plug to it's lead, earth the plug thread out to the engine and get someone to attempt to start the engine. You should see a spark at the plug electrode. For fuel, remove the fuel pipe from the carb and get someone to again turn the engine over ,briefly, on the starter to see if fuel flows out of the pipe from the pump.
Keep us posted and best of luck.
Mini looks well worth persevering with.The engine must be your priority as all the other work is cosmetic.It would help us diagnose the problem if we knew the why/when/where of the engine stopping/not starting.
Failing that info, then a 'loud clanging sound' is unlikely to come from the distributor but as the distributor is very close to the starter motor which engages with the flywheel (which can clang like a bell) I would suspect that area. Is the starter motor engaging and turning the engine over ok? Remove the spark plugs(to remove compression and ease the starter load) and get someone to operate the starter key. Watch that the water pump/alternator belt turns as the bottom crankshaft pulley turns. If it doesn't then the starter motor appears at fault. If it does then check ignition then fuel.
Connect a removed spark plug to it's lead, earth the plug thread out to the engine and get someone to attempt to start the engine. You should see a spark at the plug electrode. For fuel, remove the fuel pipe from the carb and get someone to again turn the engine over ,briefly, on the starter to see if fuel flows out of the pipe from the pump.
Keep us posted and best of luck.
Cheers chaps.
I appreciate the replies.
As soon as it stops raining I'll get out and do those tests.
In the meantime I've found a local mini club and will bowl up to their next meeting
(on Tuesday) in hope of a friendly guru who can give "live" advice on the engine.
I agree this has to be the first thing to sort - a good looking non-runner is useless.
It's only been here a few days but I already have well developed fantasies of how it
will end up. : )
(Sparkling, growling, groovy...)
Tony
I appreciate the replies.
As soon as it stops raining I'll get out and do those tests.
In the meantime I've found a local mini club and will bowl up to their next meeting
(on Tuesday) in hope of a friendly guru who can give "live" advice on the engine.
I agree this has to be the first thing to sort - a good looking non-runner is useless.
It's only been here a few days but I already have well developed fantasies of how it
will end up. : )
(Sparkling, growling, groovy...)
Tony
Big Giant Head said:
Cheers chaps.
I appreciate the replies.
As soon as it stops raining I'll get out and do those tests.
In the meantime I've found a local mini club and will bowl up to their next meeting
(on Tuesday) in hope of a friendly guru who can give "live" advice on the engine.
I agree this has to be the first thing to sort - a good looking non-runner is useless.
It's only been here a few days but I already have well developed fantasies of how it
will end up. : )
(Sparkling, growling, groovy...)
Tony
hi mate, i am to a newb to the mini scene having bought my first project car in dec 07. since then i have dedicated myself to it and have learnt loads about the mini from friends and mainly everyone here on piston heads (god bless you all). when i bought the car i was on a driving bann so i had to get it dropped off to me, so i had no idea how it drove and was not prepared to find out due to getting my license bak in jan 08, so rather than just sitting there looking at it I threw a lo0ad of money into cosmetics, stage 1 kit, 6x13 minitours fitted with 175/50/13 yokohamas and a few more bits n bobs.I appreciate the replies.
As soon as it stops raining I'll get out and do those tests.
In the meantime I've found a local mini club and will bowl up to their next meeting
(on Tuesday) in hope of a friendly guru who can give "live" advice on the engine.
I agree this has to be the first thing to sort - a good looking non-runner is useless.
It's only been here a few days but I already have well developed fantasies of how it
will end up. : )
(Sparkling, growling, groovy...)
Tony
finally i got my license bak and at 00:00 on the 4th of jan 08 it took it for the first drive it felt great to drive round the corners but lacked in power some what so i booked it into a rolling road session and £100 and 20 mins later it was worse than ever (thanks to viking rover in kings norton birmingham). so i booked it in again at another garage called collins motoring services (.com) he was great £75 for 2hours, 6 runs on dyno, carb clean, needle change and most importantly more torque and bhp.
it was great for a few weeks, it was responsive, abit quicker (but still slow) handled better in and out of corners then i blew a head gasket in rush hour traffic....bummer.... Thanks to the guys her on PH i performed my first head gasket change with no problems and she started first time..what a fealing... then two weeks later it went again, I made a major newb mistake when fitting the cylinder head, i didnt check the mini haynes manual properly and in result i didnt tighten the head retaining nuts in the correct order or to the correct torque setting and the blown head gasket was the outcome.
Now the mini is in my garden and is half way through an overhaul and im loving every minute of it, its hard work and takes up a lot of your time but if you want it bad enough.....
you are in the same possition i was in by the looks off things and i would hate you to waste the kind of money i have wasted. You say you dream of it being shiney and new sparkling in the sun with a great engine to bak it up so my advice to you is make it your first project as i have done, take the engine out and strip it and give it a full inspection and if you desire upgrade it with a rebore for bigger pistons, a modified head, bigger valves etc etc all depending on what you want to get out of it. This is the route i took it not the cheapest way but the most rewarding so when the cash flow ran out i started on the bodywork as all panels are relativley cheap. ( i have no real experience in body work but you have to start somewhere dont you).
Im half way through now and tomorow im replacing the front skuttle, ( the panel between windscreen and bonnet) then reskin the doors, replace whole off side rear quarter panel boot hinge panel and A panels then flat and prime ready for paint and cant f
kin wait. When i send it off for paint i will concentrate on rebuild of engine with all my new parts. fingers crossed it all goes well for you in what ever you decide to do but i asure you there will be a lot of rust hidden away that you cant see, it needs to be sorted befor your mini turns into a siv, on the other hand you might be one of the lucky ones. Well thats my bit of input and i hope it is of some use to you, good look mate and welcome to the club... neale...Edited by dogfather on Friday 16th May 21:33
Edited by dogfather on Friday 16th May 21:35
Skyedriver said:
Oh no, don't do it, it'll take over your life, your garage, your wallet....
It'll be source of constant agrivation, insomnia, grazed knuckles, weld burns, bruises, ...........
Sorry still not the mini's biggest fan at the moment, haven't touched the orange shelf for a few weeks...
your right skyedriver, i have suffered all these symptoms allready (isnt it great), i sense your having mini problems? Me too, every time i fix a hole or clean a patch of rust more appears, well, not to much to do on the body side of things now thou thank godIt'll be source of constant agrivation, insomnia, grazed knuckles, weld burns, bruises, ...........
Sorry still not the mini's biggest fan at the moment, haven't touched the orange shelf for a few weeks...
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