585 replies to this topic

[colinf1]

Checking over car in preparation for the Kilbroney Vintage show next weekend...

Started to adjust the valve clearance, then noticed some of the rocker arms have worn a circular dip into the surface...Not going to be able to fix it before next weekend, so I've adjusted them as best I can. Seems to be running alright, but obviously can't leave it like that.

Probably need to replace them all, plus head gasket would need doing at the same time...

On a more positive note, I tidied up the split I put in the carpet next to the gearstick, been meaning to get to that since last year...

[colinf1]

Made the show...



Mid-week seen the top half engine off and new rockers on, head gasket renewed, swapped to 82c thermostat, oil and coolant change (10% coolant mix)

New issue now is hard to start when cold, almost like it's flooding itself, so planning on swapping sparkplugs. Bit of a misfire when holding it at steady revs, you can see the RPM needle fluctuations as it misses.

Timing set to 8 BTDC on crank pulley with timing light.

Engine temperature seems to be nice and steady at N.

Also fixed the indicator self cancelling, the stalks were too far down for it engage. But...there's always a but...now the stalk can't be pulled forward enough to allow the headlights to flash....ughh....

[timmy850]

If the tacho needle is waving then I suspect the issue is before the spark plugs. The low tension wire from the distributor to the coil can sometimes get loose and cause a misfire

[colinf1]

Ughh....

PXL_20240623_140222410 by Colin Doherty, on Flickr

[colinf1]

Head taken off today, not under as much pressure to get it off and on as quickly, so took my time.



Checked over head surface with a straight edge of my vernier calipers, no sign of warping across multiple points checked. The only thing that I did notice was none of the holes had any chamfered edges, and waterway hole edges had a slight bit of corrosion, so maybe that was the root cause?

I'll get it skimmed clean and rebuilt with the victor reinz type gasket...

[timmy850]

My experience is the only head gaskets I’ve had fail in the first few drives was when I used coolant right away

My preference now is:
Run it dry for 30 seconds to activate the manufacturer applied sealant coating
Let it cool
Fill with plain water
Start it up and run it properly to check for leaks and give it a heat cycle
Remove the radiator cap to ensure there’s no coolant pressure
Retorque the head
Once you’re happy it’s all sealed then drain the water and refill with coolant

Coolant is very “thin” and will take any chance to creep between the block/head and the gasket. Also if you find a drastic leak you don’t spill coolant across the floor, it’s only water

[colinf1]

My experience is the only head gaskets I’ve had fail in the first few drives was when I used coolant right away

My preference now is:
Run it dry for 30 seconds to activate the manufacturer applied sealant coating
Let it cool
Fill with plain water
Start it up and run it properly to check for leaks and give it a heat cycle
Remove the radiator cap to ensure there’s no coolant pressure
Retorque the head
Once you’re happy it’s all sealed then drain the water and refill with coolant

Coolant is very “thin” and will take any chance to creep between the block/head and the gasket. Also if you find a drastic leak you don’t spill coolant across the floor, it’s only water

 

 

Thanks Timmy.

 

Would you use the same process for the Victor Reinz type gasket?

 

Also do you oil the studs/nuts?

 

I've ordered new studs and nuts (C-AHT279A), as looking at some research by @Spider https://www.theminif...studs-and-nuts/ all my head studs are stamped Y but its an A-plus engine and has the flanged nuts.

 

Torque figures for "Y" are 40lbs/ft (54Nm) vs A-plus type 50lbs/ft (68Nm)

[imack]

I've always been under the impression that the Y stamped studs were the A+ ones, used along with the flanged nuts.

[timmy850]

 

My experience is the only head gaskets I’ve had fail in the first few drives was when I used coolant right away

My preference now is:
Run it dry for 30 seconds to activate the manufacturer applied sealant coating
Let it cool
Fill with plain water
Start it up and run it properly to check for leaks and give it a heat cycle
Remove the radiator cap to ensure there’s no coolant pressure
Retorque the head
Once you’re happy it’s all sealed then drain the water and refill with coolant

Coolant is very “thin” and will take any chance to creep between the block/head and the gasket. Also if you find a drastic leak you don’t spill coolant across the floor, it’s only water

 

 

Thanks Timmy.

 

Would you use the same process for the Victor Reinz type gasket?

 

Also do you oil the studs/nuts?

 

I've ordered new studs and nuts (C-AHT279A), as looking at some research by @Spider https://www.theminif...studs-and-nuts/ all my head studs are stamped Y but its an A-plus engine and has the flanged nuts.

 

Torque figures for "Y" are 40lbs/ft (54Nm) vs A-plus type 50lbs/ft (68Nm)

 

I am using the minispares C-AHT279 (pre A-plus) stud kit on my 1098 with the Victor Reinz gasket and it's been working well so far (it's been on 2 years). I installed it with the same process above. I think I used oil or ARP lubricant for the studs 

[colinf1]

Head back from getting skimmed..



I've got ARP ultra torque lube, some VHT copper gasket cement spray, new studs amd nuts and Victor reinz gasket, now to find time to do it...

[colinf1]

All reassembled as per Timmy's guidelines above, so hopefully that's it sorted now.

One thing I noticed when the carb was out, the jet didn't seem to want to come up fully and the choke/wax stat would stick fully down and not snap back. I've adjusted it all as best I can and seems to be running ok. Not sure why it would be sticking as it had the full rebuild kit...

Put the black grille on for a change, bit tight on the passenger side trim and bonnet could be adjusted upwards.
I then took it to a local tractor run. Seemed to drive fine, maybe needs fuel tweaking, but no sign of any overheating even though it was a very warm day.

[colinf1]

One of the studs from the new kit from minispares ....



Don't know how that passed quality control, once it was screwed in, it was about 5mm out of line from lining up with the stud hole on the head.

Also it only came with 5x of the same length front studs, so had to relocate the coil onto the flywheel housing..

[Designer]

One thing I noticed when the carb was out, the jet didn't seem to want to come up fully and the choke/wax stat would stick fully down and not snap back. I've adjusted it all as best I can and seems to be running ok. Not sure why it would be sticking as it had the full rebuild kit...

 

 

Hi I had the same problem. Did you get an aftermarket jet. A garage put an aftermarket jet in Moop and the length of the tube from the bottom of the bowl to the bottom of the jet was shorter than it should have been. This caused the jet to be pulled slightly to one side thus causing it to stick occasionally.

 

From a post started by HiYANKWITHAMINI

Initial Carb Adjust/max jet turns dated Feb 05 2023.

Hi YankWithAMini,

 

I have had the same problem with the jet assembly sticking when pushing the choke back in. Sometime in the past I had my HS4 Carb serviced by a local garage and it would appear they fitted an aftermarket jet which was not true speck. The length of tube from the bottom of the bowl to the end of the jet assembly is too short thus pulling the whole unit sideways.

 

Read the post headed Su Hs4 Carburettor post started by me on April 6th 2023.

 

The problem arose after I had changed the placing of the linkage back to its proper position.

As I am planning to have the carb fully serviced by SU Carbs at the end of the summer I have set it so it has passed it's MOT and is driveable. With the bad state of the roads in this country and the Mini's suspension if it sticks it soon gets knocked back in. If not I just stop and push it in once the engine reaches near normal running temperature.

 

Regards Paddy

 

The post started by me on April 06 2023 shows how I corrected the problem.

 

Paddy

Edited by Designer, 15 July 2024 - 06:16 AM.

[Midas Mk1]

One of the studs from the new kit from minispares ....



Don't know how that passed quality control, once it was screwed in, it was about 5mm out of line from lining up with the stud hole on the head.

Also it only came with 5x of the same length front studs, so had to relocate the coil onto the flywheel housing..

 

 

There's been loads of posts on here of Minispares head studs being poor, the worrying thing is I can remember this from 10+ years ago, so not changed.

For head studs, ARP all the way, worth it. 

[colinf1]

Second version of the 3d printed number plate digits,