22 replies to this topic

[PaulColeman]

So yestarday was our first attempt at the London to Brighton in my daughter's freshly restored 1976 Mini 1000 and it turned out to be an epic failure. Given that the car wouldn't start when we tried to get it out of the garage should have been an omen I guess. The new starter motor I bought from Mini Spares failed to engage so I took the grill off (for the millionth time) and cleaned the end of the starter motor. I put a little 3 in 1 oil on it as it wouldn't spin and return very well. This is the second one I've had - the first stopped working after a few months. has anybody else had a problem with these starter motors?

 

We were right at the back of the queue leaving Crystal Palace as we got there about 7:00 so we expected to get to Brighton around 10:30 however we got lost and ended up on some housing estate somewhere. Eventually we got back onto the A23 (we were on the M23 at one point) and then as we got near brighton we broke down by the side of the A23. We were in a blue car, so if you stopped to offer help thanks for that. It turned out to be the float valve in the float chamber being stuck and after I'd figured that out we were on our way again. As we got to Brighton, following the directions given, there was the most almighty traffic jam so we doubled back on the roundabout (if you were there you know which one I mean!) and took a side road which was less congested. We eventually hit more traffic about a mile from the destination and as we were stopped in the traffic waiting I could smell the over powering smell of fuel. I popped the lid and the float chamber was pouring fuel out all over the exhaust manifold - whoops!! There was nowehere to stop so we pulled into a side road and called the AA as I had no gasket sealer and it looked as though the gasket on the float chamber was now leaking after I'd disturbed it by opening it earler. The AA sent a local company to help who didn't have any gasket sealer or gasket paper (both of which I had at home but forgot to bring - isn't it always the way?) so he tried making one from cradboard, which didn't work, and then from the bottom of a Coast coffee cup, which also didn't work. By now it was 6:00pm and we still hadn't made it to the front!! To be towed home would take two different trucks and he reckoned it would be midnight before they could get us home. So I put the original gasket back in and decided to give it a go as it only seemed to be weeping a little. We eventually got to the front just as everybody else was going home hahaha

 

My daughter decided to soak up some rays whilst revising as we waited for the AA...

 

By now were were all knackered and decided to try and limp home. We got about 5 miles out of Brighton and again the smell of fuel was overpowering. I pulled over and the same story - it was pouring out of the float chamber but now I could see it was actually coming out of the top of the housing near the fuel inlet pipe. I think it has a pin hole or crack in it and when it heats up enough it expands and leaks like a sieve. I still had no way of sealing it and for every litre of fuel going in the engine I reckon another litre was going on the floor.

 

So I had a plan - I decided to floor it so that it would burn the fuel before it could leak out. I drove down the motorways all the way home (120 miles from Brighton) and only stopped once at the services to get something to eat. I popped the bonnet there and sure enough it was still pouring out. When we finished there... the bloody thing wouldn't start. The piece of s**t starter motor wouldn't engage again and I couldn't face pulling the grill off again so we bump started it in the carpark whilst holding all the traffic up and managed to limp the next 50 miles home.

 

All in all it was an adventure and I learnt a lot from the experience...
1) Don't choose to do a shakedown on your new restoration of a barn find which hasn't run for 10 years by doing the London to Brighton
2) Take some gasket paper and instant gasket sealer with yiou next time
3) Fit a fuel filter in the line
4) Get another wing mirror for the passenger side
5) Rip out that useless 'sound deadening' that Mini Spares sell, throw it away, and fit Dynamat Extreme and live with the fact that it'll add a bit of weight. At 60 miles an hour the noise in that thing was horrendous

 

My daughter was driving the car (as it's hers) and we were surprised at how few girls there were driving. We were in an island blue car with the plate NER503R if you spotted us.

 

We will return next year...

 

Cheers, Paul.

 

[Carlos W]

Paul, it really is a shame you didn't make it all the way, the parts you needed were probably on sale there!

There's always next year

Carlos

[stevearch0]

What a nightmare for you both. At least you've tested her out and are aware of its faults. Once fixed, you'll be able to start enjoying properly.hey, could have been worse, at least it wasn't raining!!!

[scrumpix]

all said and done great story !

[Devo]

That's a heck of a ride you and your daughter had Paul!! Sorry to hear you didn't make it there but as said above there's always next year 

[lewBlew]

I run without sound deadening on the bulkhead, bonnet, front floors (chipped it all off) and you can happily have a conversation or listen to Five Live at 70mph. You got a crazy engine in there or something?

 

Sorry to hear you've had fuel pee-ing out all over the place. I had that in an MGB and a Capri I owned and it's such a horrible experience!

[sonikk4]

You got hit by the mini gods there then Paul. Not good.

The traffic was horrendous to say the least but with your troubles as well that just made it worse. All I can say is put it down to experience and don't let it put you off.

[stevedx]

I had a nightmare time too fella

 

Got hit on the journey there, and got hit on the way home too

[PaulColeman]

I had a nightmare time too fella

 

Got hit on the journey there, and got hit on the way home too

Bummer - did it do a lot of damage? It's bad luck to get hit once... but twice... probably wouldn't bother buying a lottery ticket if I were you.

 

 

I run without sound deadening on the bulkhead, bonnet, front floors (chipped it all off) and you can happily have a conversation or listen to Five Live at 70mph. You got a crazy engine in there or something?

 

Sorry to hear you've had fuel pee-ing out all over the place. I had that in an MGB and a Capri I owned and it's such a horrible experience!

Nope it's got the original engine in it, unmodified. As far as noise goes you can't hear somebody in the back at 50mph and anything over about 40mph you can't hear the radio at all - in fact I'm not sure why we even fitted it hahaha

 

Dynamat Extreme is the way to go I think and I'm going to do the whole of the inside up to the lower edge of the windows.

 

As I said, it's my daughter's car and I was just along for the ride with my wife and son. My wife and son have vowed not to do it again but my daughter and I will be there again next year and then we'll finish it. I thought it might have put her off the car but it hasn't, she loves it, warts and all.

 

Cheers, paul.

[mab01uk]

If you are used to modern cars the Mini is always going to be noisy with a radio you can't hear above certain speeds. It was designed before motorways and only has 4 gears remember.

 

If the float chamber valve or seat is worn or sticking fuel will leak out eventually no matter how good the gasket because the float chamber should never be full above the level of the float, but if it is not shutting off.......later su carbs have an overflow pipe to direct fuel away from exhaust manifold.

 

If you have the old style inertia type starter then the pinion gear end should be totally clean and dry....oiling it attracts dirt and causes sticking.

 

Girls tend to not like breaking down and getting stranded at the side of the road......hence fewer drive classic Mini's these days!

Edited by mab01uk, 19 May 2014 - 11:59 AM.

[stevedx]

 

I had a nightmare time too fella

 

Got hit on the journey there, and got hit on the way home too

Bummer - did it do a lot of damage? It's bad luck to get hit once... but twice... probably wouldn't bother buying a lottery ticket if I were you.

 

 

Yea on the way down, my bro in law got too close at a roundabout and missed the brake, so piled straight into the back of me.

 

My towbar took the brunt, until I can get it on a ramp and look I cant really tell the extent of damage - I know the towbar front fixing as been pulled out, deffo the rear bumper needs replacing, I am hoping it hasnt been my subframe.

 

His pretty much needs almost a new front end.

 

then on the way home, a vw camper van big metal wheel time came off, and hit the front of mine, smashing the numberplate and denting the bumper.

 

 

 

[PaulColeman]

Jeez you've got a tow bar!!!! My daughter's Mini struggles to pull itself let alone anything else hahaha

 

Paul.

[stevedx]

mine is a 1275 cooper

[Ethel]

So near 'n yet so far.

 

The fuel was coming out of the air vent, some carbs have a pipe on it to direct any overflow away from the exhaust. The float chamber probably wouldn't leak from the gasket, other than when you slosh the fuel about in braking & corners. It's the needle valve and float height you need to look at, slim chance it could also be a holed float or worn float pivot shaft.

[hols_kitty]

" My daughter was driving the car (as it's hers) and we were surprised at how few girls there were driving. We were in an island blue car with the plate NER503R if you spotted us."

 

I agree not many of us girls driving the classic mini's... I thought the same thing when my sister and I went to Brooklands earlier this year. Yesterday I went with my husband and sister (it was his first proper mini run and he loved it!). I'm desperately trying to persuade my sister to get a mini too so we an increase the number of girls.

 

Sorry you had so many problems, but great that it's not going to put you or your daughter off - there's always next year and plenty of other events this year to attend.