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 Posted: Nov 26, 2014 10:04AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by robster

how can i make the gap smaller?? help

As i posted before use the correct ones not used ones from another car. They usually come pre set to 25 thou.

If in doubt, flat out. Colin Mc Rae MBE 1968-2007.

Give a car more power and it goes faster on the straights,
make a car lighter and it's faster everywhere. Colin Chapman.

 Posted: Nov 26, 2014 09:33AM
 Edited:  Nov 26, 2014 09:49AM
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those plugs are the leftovers of my other car, i replaced them recently after 90k miles.  .. still works

//youtu.be/2Be41SUZrKk

 

 Posted: Nov 26, 2014 09:29AM
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how can i make the gap smaller?? help

 

 Posted: Nov 26, 2014 09:27AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by robster

thanks for the advices guys, ill make sure the gap will be taken care of, ill hammer that thing on top of the spark plug so that it will be closer to the needle like thing inside.. 

 

You would be ahead of the game to throw them plugs away and use the correct ones especially if you are taking a hammer to them to adjust the gap. Jeezzzz .....

If in doubt, flat out. Colin Mc Rae MBE 1968-2007.

Give a car more power and it goes faster on the straights,
make a car lighter and it's faster everywhere. Colin Chapman.

 Posted: Nov 26, 2014 09:21AM
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thanks for the advices guys, ill make sure the gap will be taken care of, ill hammer that thing on top of the spark plug so that it will be closer to the needle like thing inside.. 

 

 

 Posted: Nov 26, 2014 08:38AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by turbodave


What make and model of plug is that??? It doesn't look like one I'd normally use in an an old A-series...

Remember the coil in your mini is the old-school design, not the wasted spark / COP style coil used in modern vehicles. The classic mini doesn't need, and doesn't play nicely with big plug gaps. But haynes already told you the correct gap and plug heat range - right? Just because the knuckle-dragger at advance auto got the right ones from the computer, doesn't make the computer right.

Dave, on a previous thread he was told what to plugs to use but instead chose to go with NGK iridium plugs because someone told him they last forever.

If in doubt, flat out. Colin Mc Rae MBE 1968-2007.

Give a car more power and it goes faster on the straights,
make a car lighter and it's faster everywhere. Colin Chapman.

 Posted: Nov 26, 2014 08:17AM
 Edited:  Nov 26, 2014 08:21AM
Total posts: 3660
Last post: Feb 18, 2017
Member since:Jul 10, 2001
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What make and model of plug is that??? It doesn't look like one I'd normally use in an an old A-series...

Remember the coil in your mini is the old-school design, not the wasted spark / COP style coil used in modern vehicles. The classic mini doesn't need, and doesn't play nicely with big plug gaps. But haynes already told you the correct gap and plug heat range - right? Just because the knuckle-dragger at advance auto got the right ones from the computer, doesn't make the computer right.

It's been fun, but this place is done. I have no hatred, and appreciate the good times. But this place now belongs to Tony and his pink mini. 

 Posted: Nov 25, 2014 08:39PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by robster

this is how my plug look like now

Not the worse i have seen but how wide is that gap it looks massive but may just be the phone camera angle. As many of us have all stated before you need everything else set up correctly BEFORE you touch the carb, this includes points setting, plugs setting, valve clearance setting, timing setting (and not just at idle), make sure the vacuum advance works correctly, make sure the distributor cap plug wires and rotor button are in good shape, make sure the coil connections are good and the coil is working correctly within its tolerances, make sure the air filter is clean, make sure the engine grounds are clean and tight, make sure the intake is tight with no air leaks and then proceed to adjust and clean the carb along with making sure you have the correct oil in the damper. I may have missed something along the way.

If in doubt, flat out. Colin Mc Rae MBE 1968-2007.

Give a car more power and it goes faster on the straights,
make a car lighter and it's faster everywhere. Colin Chapman.

 Posted: Nov 25, 2014 07:50PM
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this is how my plug look like now

 

 Posted: Nov 25, 2014 06:50PM
 Edited:  Nov 25, 2014 06:51PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by robster

thanks for the enlightenment mal, i also just wants to know if i am the only one experiencing the thing that i needed to warm the engine before i drive because it judders if not.  are all experiencing the same? i dunno now if i tuned my carb properly thats why its doing it.

This reads much better if we re-arrange it:

Originally Posted by robster - but edited for clarity by TD

 i dunno now if i tuned my carb properly. i needed to warm the engine before i drive because it judders if not. i also just wants to know if i am the only one experiencing it or are all experiencing the same?

And the answer seems a little more obvious...

No, it shouldn't judder if the engine, ignition, fuel system, powertrain mountings and drivetrain are in good working condition and configured per the manual.

So many places to start... Hmmm, Given your experience with other cars, you must already have a timing light, and of course a Haynes manual. Start by verifying your ignition timing is close to the factory specification - and of course verifying your diapram is funtioning and you have no intake leaks. Verifying plug gaps and of course spark strength (I recall a hodge-podge of ignition wires) is also something you already know and have surely verified.

Finally, given your knowledge of all things automotive (and the fact you have "tuned" your carb - YIKES), you probably have wideband O2 sensor kicking around, so just drop the sensor into your tailpipe as a sniffer, and start looking at what your mixture is at idle, cruise, and of course - when it starts bucking... If you can't find your WBO2 sensor, I reccomend going ahead and purchasing one. The AEM (or similar function products - NOTE, NOT the SUN-Pro POS available at all Autozones or other such fine establishments) is without question, one of the finest purchases anyone who tinkers on their own cars should make and short of fitting it full-time to a car, there is NO reason it should not be available for immediate troubleshooting of fueling issues...

 

It's been fun, but this place is done. I have no hatred, and appreciate the good times. But this place now belongs to Tony and his pink mini. 

 Posted: Nov 25, 2014 06:35PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by robster

i also just wants to know if i am the only one experiencing the thing that i needed to warm the engine before i drive because it judders if not.  are all experiencing the same?

 

juddering is a term I have only heard being used for clutch engagement not being smooth when cold.  Mine does that,  but after a few minutes is gone.

perhaps you mean bucking. If so, low carb oil can do that (when cold or hot)

 Posted: Nov 25, 2014 04:46PM
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US

Yes. I'll be running a 1380 with an upgraded head, Kent 286 cam, and a few other treats. All of this will be fed by the Specialist Components EFI Engine Management Kit.

The kit probably isn't right for you. It would solve some of your problems, but you need to fix a lot of things before you install it otherwise your car would run worse. You need a healthy running engine before you would want to install this kit.

And it'll cost you about $1900 shipped to your house. Then you need to pay for dyno tuning and you need to be able to install it yourself. Just something to think about. You're better off getting your carb tuned properly, getting a reliable ignition system, and making sure the car is breathing well. And even after all of that, you will still want to let the car warm up. I usually let my car idle for about 2-5 minutes before driving anywhere.

 Posted: Nov 25, 2014 03:37PM
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thanks for the enlightenment mal, i also just wants to know if i am the only one experiencing the thing that i needed to warm the engine before i drive because it judders if not.  are all experiencing the same? i dunno now if i tuned my carb properly thats why its doing it.

 

 Posted: Nov 25, 2014 03:36PM
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US

I must have missed the post where your Mini is back on the road.
Wait until after you've driven it for a while before planning massive changes.

 Posted: Nov 25, 2014 03:28PM
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If you want FI my opinion is you would be way ahead of the game just buying an SPI Mini, there should be some late 91's that will be legal (25 years) in a couple of years, unless you want to buy one here already registered. There are so many other parts involved and needed for a swop it  would be cost prohibitive to convert yours to SPI and probably even more expensive to go to MPI.

Even with FI it is wise to let the Mini warm up slightly before taking off as the gearbox runs with the same oil and some are baulky when cold but shift ok when warmed up, remember this is 1950's technology not a 2005 Honda. Or you could just install a Honda engine in it with FI already on it, again not the cheapest option.

In the end you have to ask yourself if you are prepared to live with the quirks of a Mini to me that is what makes them what they are to others it is a royal PIA and they sell them on, to each his own i guess.

If in doubt, flat out. Colin Mc Rae MBE 1968-2007.

Give a car more power and it goes faster on the straights,
make a car lighter and it's faster everywhere. Colin Chapman.

 Posted: Nov 25, 2014 02:29PM
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GB

Specialist Components do a superb conversion kit, which I will be fitting at some point.

However it's far from cheap, and requires several hours on the rolling road to optimise.

 Posted: Nov 25, 2014 01:09PM
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 Posted: Nov 25, 2014 01:09PM
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i read in one of Mighty mouse post that he is converting his 1380 to fuel injection.. i wonder where got the F.I. unit.. hope he can chime in.

as to keeping my carb, yes i love carburetor, it just that everytime i start the car, i need to let it warm up before i drive it, otherwise its going to run crappy, that doesnt happen to my other fuel injected cars. i want to be able to start the car and drive right away..

 

 Posted: Nov 25, 2014 12:59PM
 Edited:  Nov 26, 2014 04:42AM
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US

Anything's possible, but you're unlikely to find a kit to fit a Mini engine. Edelbrock, Megasquirt, and others make retrofit kits for common (American) carbs, but if you're asking whether there is some bolt-on kit, nope. You'd probably be better off swapping an SPI or MPI Mini engine, but then you'd be creating more problems, since (mostly) nobody this side of the Atlantic knows anything about setting them up. You're better to stay with your carb and get it running right.

Edit: After later posts and further research, I find myself spanked. Foot in Mouth

 Posted: Nov 25, 2014 12:55PM
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CA

I suppose in theory any engine could be converted... the other question is why?  I'm interested to here from some of the experts on the forum about this, but I would think that any advantage that the fuel injection would get you is out weighed by the cost to do it.

A well tuned (carbed) 1098 should provide substantial results on the "fun-o-meter"!

Good question.

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