well you've got 3 peeps now telling you to ignore the stuff you have found and to just get on and enjoy it.
So I hope you do!!!
So I hope you do!!!
As I said elsewhere I was told yesterday that the old gal is "smoking" a bit on hard acceleration or sudden foot off the gas.
I popped the plugs out just now and bar just the one they all look perfect. Yesterday's trip was 76 miles and I really gave it a good thrashing at 70MPH on the Dual carriageways.
1,2 & 4 are lovely and white and clean but #3 is a bit oily and dirty. I suspect we have some issue with Cyl #3.
I will do a compression test and go from there.
I tried revving up from a cold start to see if I got any smoke out the back, but there wasn't any.
Maybe when it gets hot the valve stem seals on #3 let by, who knows?
There is a burnt oil smell in the cab when you are really gunning it, but nothing is visible in the rear-view mirror.
I popped the plugs out just now and bar just the one they all look perfect. Yesterday's trip was 76 miles and I really gave it a good thrashing at 70MPH on the Dual carriageways.
1,2 & 4 are lovely and white and clean but #3 is a bit oily and dirty. I suspect we have some issue with Cyl #3.
I will do a compression test and go from there.
I tried revving up from a cold start to see if I got any smoke out the back, but there wasn't any.
Maybe when it gets hot the valve stem seals on #3 let by, who knows?
There is a burnt oil smell in the cab when you are really gunning it, but nothing is visible in the rear-view mirror.
Hicap phill
Well-Known Member
Ooo has it got that nice brown interior?
badfluffy
Well-Known Member
no a horrible light gray covered in years of dirt
badfluffy
Well-Known Member
more black splodgesSo it's brown then
Photos
Well, that's interesting. Allegedly a 1275 "Metro" engine.
I did the compression test (3-squirts of oil in the cylinder and spinning over) then move on and do the next one.
Cyl 1 = 210
Cyl 2 = 180
Cyl 3 = 165 (first go) 175 on extended cranking.
Cyl 4 = 180
As it is a 1275 "Bitsa" I am not sure what I should be getting anyway but Cyl 3 is the "dirty plug" child and it stands out from the others. Apart from the high value of Cyl #1 they are all within 10% of each other. But 3 is oily. Maybe its stem-seals on #3?
Not sure what to do next TBH. Is it running? - Yes.
I did the compression test (3-squirts of oil in the cylinder and spinning over) then move on and do the next one.
Cyl 1 = 210
Cyl 2 = 180
Cyl 3 = 165 (first go) 175 on extended cranking.
Cyl 4 = 180
As it is a 1275 "Bitsa" I am not sure what I should be getting anyway but Cyl 3 is the "dirty plug" child and it stands out from the others. Apart from the high value of Cyl #1 they are all within 10% of each other. But 3 is oily. Maybe its stem-seals on #3?
Not sure what to do next TBH. Is it running? - Yes.
Well, its already returning only 27MPG so I'm not sure she needs more motion-lotion.Just enjoy it, shouldn't look too deep into engine health otherwise it'll be out on the bench for a rebuild.
If it sounds right and doesn't use gallons of oil then keep on blasting it down the road
Give it a little more fuel and advance and sod the experts
Well if it were in standard form you would only get 35 and turning it up a sniff might actually save a bit, more responsive and a more settled cruiseWell, its already returning only 27MPG so I'm not sure she needs more motion-lotion.
Only talking a few mpg either way and more fuel means more fun
Have you checked the tappet gaps? Might be a bit off on #3.. or the rocker could be a bit worn.. it won't take muchWell, that's interesting. Allegedly a 1275 "Metro" engine.
I did the compression test (3-squirts of oil in the cylinder and spinning over) then move on and do the next one.
Cyl 1 = 210
Cyl 2 = 180
Cyl 3 = 165 (first go) 175 on extended cranking.
Cyl 4 = 180
As it is a 1275 "Bitsa" I am not sure what I should be getting anyway but Cyl 3 is the "dirty plug" child and it stands out from the others. Apart from the high value of Cyl #1 they are all within 10% of each other. But 3 is oily. Maybe its stem-seals on #3?
Not sure what to do next TBH. Is it running? - Yes.
Now that is interesting, in that I was always told to do the compression test first, on a warm/hot engine, but NOT putting any oil into the bores, then do the same again putting oil in the bores.Well, that's interesting. Allegedly a 1275 "Metro" engine.
I did the compression test (3-squirts of oil in the cylinder and spinning over) then move on and do the next one.
Cyl 1 = 210
Cyl 2 = 180
Cyl 3 = 165 (first go) 175 on extended cranking.
Cyl 4 = 180
As it is a 1275 "Bitsa" I am not sure what I should be getting anyway but Cyl 3 is the "dirty plug" child and it stands out from the others. Apart from the high value of Cyl #1 they are all within 10% of each other. But 3 is oily. Maybe its stem-seals on #3?
Not sure what to do next TBH. Is it running? - Yes.
You seem to have jumped the first bit.
If there is is a difference it means there is bore wear. The oil momentarily blocks up the leaky bores.
I use cylinder compression to indicate to me which tappets need further adjustment and once you get all 4 the same then the engine runs sooooo smoothly.
Cylinder one could be running the tappets too tight. or at least one of them!
Bit strange that one.
My MG Metro-ed one did 20 mpg till it got warm then climbed to 40 mpg and the engine then got much tighter evidenced by the starter struggling to turn it over!Well, its already returning only 27MPG so I'm not sure she needs more motion-lotion.
Which is yet another reason why I stopped driving it to work, as, at 8 miles, the commute didn't get it beyond 20 mpg.
Don't get that logic, if tappets are too tight or not properly gapped then the valves can never fully seat closed and I would expect a loss of compression, but number one is the highest of the lot.
Guess I misplained myself!Don't get that logic, if tappets are too tight or not properly gapped then the valves can never fully seat closed and I would expect a loss of compression, but number one is the highest of the lot.
I meant too loose so that the valve sat too tight, but that prolly doesn't make much sense either.
Ignore me today,
As you say, for a cylinder to achieve its highest compression, the inlet has to be open early enough, stay open long enough then close bang on time for maximum compression, Ditto the exhaust must not open too early but must close early enough.
Have you tried using a DTI to check tappets, as wear on the top of the push rod/valve can be misleading? At the end of the day the feeler gauge is often bridging a gap between a curved thing and another thing which ,might have worn curved. Not ideal
I expect if you did it again, dry, number 1 would drop back to "normal".
Mini is going quite well (famous last words eh?) but there is one little niggle.
When idling after a nice run and fully up to temperature it misses a beat now and then, you can hear/see it on the Rev counter.
Google/Youtube comes up with the suggestion that a spark plug is failing intermittently with an internal short losing the spark at the tip every now and then.
I know its minor and I am enjoying the car overall so I am not losing my mind over it.
But I wondered if this was something that is a common occurrence?
I got the NGK plugs on e-bay and there are counterfeits out there I am told.
As per my earlier posts #3 cylinder and plug are "mucky-ducks" so as I have some older "fouled" plugs I can clean one up and pop that in #3 and see if the problem goes away for a while.
In other news...... I bought an AFR gauge thingy (for static tuning purposes only) I don't want a "worry gauge" on the dash.
Just to be able to measure it when I want to.
When idling after a nice run and fully up to temperature it misses a beat now and then, you can hear/see it on the Rev counter.
Google/Youtube comes up with the suggestion that a spark plug is failing intermittently with an internal short losing the spark at the tip every now and then.
I know its minor and I am enjoying the car overall so I am not losing my mind over it.
But I wondered if this was something that is a common occurrence?
I got the NGK plugs on e-bay and there are counterfeits out there I am told.
As per my earlier posts #3 cylinder and plug are "mucky-ducks" so as I have some older "fouled" plugs I can clean one up and pop that in #3 and see if the problem goes away for a while.
In other news...... I bought an AFR gauge thingy (for static tuning purposes only) I don't want a "worry gauge" on the dash.
Just to be able to measure it when I want to.
They do say that every day is a learning day, and I think that is true.
Last night I watched the "Guru" for SU Carb tuning sort out another mini that was running very poorly.
The car in question was a 1275 GT Mini (a close cousin to my "Bitsa" Mini as far as engines go).
One of the takeaways from the clip was an item on plug colour varying across the 4 because of "insufficient coil power".
It was evidenced in the clip by the electrode porcelain of plugs 1 & 4 being "spotless" and plugs 2 & 3 being discoloured.
The actions he took were to reduce the plug gaps from 35 thou' (as he recommends with ultra high power coils and dizzys) down to 25 thou'. He then set the carburettor up to deliver correct fuelling and sent the owner out for a test drive.
Upon return he pulled one of the previously "dirty" plugs and it was now spotless just like plugs 1 & 4.
This really resonated with me, as I have 1 & 4 spotless and 2 & 3 being dirty.
So guess what? I reduced my plug gaps to 25 thou' and went out for the usual blast around here.
I came home and pulled #2 plug and it too is now spotless. Result!
Number 3 is also greatly improved but still a little bit dirty on one side of the porcelain, but this is for another reason (valve-stem seals) I think. I have the seals and I just need time to install them on all 8 valves.
But nevertheless I am quite pleased with this little improvement.
Last night I watched the "Guru" for SU Carb tuning sort out another mini that was running very poorly.
The car in question was a 1275 GT Mini (a close cousin to my "Bitsa" Mini as far as engines go).
One of the takeaways from the clip was an item on plug colour varying across the 4 because of "insufficient coil power".
It was evidenced in the clip by the electrode porcelain of plugs 1 & 4 being "spotless" and plugs 2 & 3 being discoloured.
The actions he took were to reduce the plug gaps from 35 thou' (as he recommends with ultra high power coils and dizzys) down to 25 thou'. He then set the carburettor up to deliver correct fuelling and sent the owner out for a test drive.
Upon return he pulled one of the previously "dirty" plugs and it was now spotless just like plugs 1 & 4.
This really resonated with me, as I have 1 & 4 spotless and 2 & 3 being dirty.
So guess what? I reduced my plug gaps to 25 thou' and went out for the usual blast around here.
I came home and pulled #2 plug and it too is now spotless. Result!
Number 3 is also greatly improved but still a little bit dirty on one side of the porcelain, but this is for another reason (valve-stem seals) I think. I have the seals and I just need time to install them on all 8 valves.
But nevertheless I am quite pleased with this little improvement.
