8 replies to this topic

[mister bridger]

Hi all, just found this forum and thought someone ou there may be able to help. The '64 mini I am restoring is fitted with a later 1275 engine and belches out blue smoke on load. This gets a little better when the engine is good and hot but is as bad as ever when cold again. The car had stood unused for some considerable time before I bought it so I suspected stuck oil rings. I have tried redex down the bores but no help. Compression seems ok and it goes well with no nasty noises. Am I faced with a rebore and if so any ideas how much that would cost and where to take the engine in East Sussex/ Kent area?

[mister bridger]

Forgot to mention that I have done the valve stem oil seals - didn't help much.

[mister bridger]

Oil and filter are new. If it is the oil scraper it means engine out and dismantle I presume? Just new rings or is that a false economy?

[mister bridger]

Ok thanks for that. Basically confirmed what I dreaded! Was nearly ready to go for Mot too.

[Guess-Works.com]

in a '64 mini you'll probably get away with it... as long as it does not smoke much on idle...

But as above, smoke under load is piston rings

[mister bridger]

This is far too much smoke to get away with, and asking to get pulled over! Spent so much time and money on the rest of the car I want it to be right. Just read another thread re compressions and dodgy head gaskets so will check that again tomorrow just in case.

[mister bridger]

Just checked compressions and they are, counting from the drivers side first: 172, 150, 172, 200psi. Sounds like quite a lot of variation to me? If I have to go down the road of replacing/ rebuilding the engine, will a later engine take the magic wand gearchange I want to keep and the existing rubber "doughnut" driveshaft couplings or will I have to split the new engine and marry up to my existing gearbox?

[Guess-Works.com]

If you want to retain the magic wand, then you will have to split the box off your current engine and replace the donor...

Silly question but do you have disk brakes on the front.... I would not recommend running a 1275 with drums...

In an ideal world, you should really replace the drive shafts and couplings with stronger items from a later (pot joint) but this does mean rebuilding the differential with pot join output shafts and not the crucifix rubber coupling shafts.

[mister bridger]

Yes I do have discs - the car is a bit of a half arsed cooper replica but with magic wand and floor starter. Trying to examine my options so if I have to split engine from box anyway it will probably be cheaper to go down the rebore route rather than buying another engine. I have a spare new rubber coupling - maybe I should carry it with me!