Glad to know your Mini smile is back!
Worn/tired rubber cones (springs) would tend to cause the front to be lower in the front on both sides, though not necessarily even. A significant difference side to side can also result when a knuckle joint fails. The knuckle joint is at the small end of the suspension trumpet and is composed of a steel ball in a plastic cup. The knuckle is pre-lubed and has a protective rubber boot, but if the boot fails or leaks, dirt can get in ans the plastic wears or cracks. New knuckle joints are fairly cheap, and you can/could even get just the replacement plastic cups. The pocket in the upper arm needs to be cleaned out very well, including the small air vent hole in the bottom, or the plastic cup won't go in properly.

Congratulations on getting the carb and timing set to where you can drive and enjoy the car.

The shock absorbers do not affect ride height.  More than likely you will find you have old rubber cones which have collapsed.  Repair is by replacement.  If you want to insure the final result looks even and balanced, consider fitting a set of Hi-Los when you replace the cones.

Which fuel pump do you have?  Since you can hear it I assume it is electric.  Is it a factory type SU or some other brand?

 

Well it was a good weekend.  Dan Moffett and Hunter2 called out some items to look over and adjust.

Saturday I removed the car and intake manifold, inspected everything, even adjusted the float level, replace my AAU needle with an ADP (less aggressive) and then put it all back together.  I referenced the SU Carb manual and the baseline tune instructions, and while i did two screws in from the jet all the way up in past - when i visually inspected it prior to install i saw the jet didnt drop much.  So i did 2 screw turns from when the jet was flush with the bridge when screwing it upward.  

Results were promising with the jet setup, i also followed the manual and the guidance of fast idle adjustment, and before i knew it the car ran for the first time with the HIF38 without choke!  It was a christmas miracle.

From there a Mini of the Rockies club member i got in touch with came by to check it out Sunday, and with his guidance we updated the timing since the powerband was terrible when i took it for a quick drive and sure enough i was way to far at near 20 degrees.  We backed it off to 8 degrees, messed with the fast idle and mixture, checked plugs and now shes running as should.

65 on the local roads, a little lean at times so riched it a bit, and now just making those fine tune adjustments.  Im wondering if i should try the AAU needle when i have some fun with the ride, so welcome any advice or thoughts on the swap.

Mechanically my checklist is done but noticed a few issues after the ride:

1) front passenger side spacing between the tire and fender is less than driver side  I just installed KYB Gas-A-Just so not sure if its a shock issue or the HiLo struts are in consistent.  Its about a 1/2 inch difference. 
2) Hear a louder ticking from the fuel pump that wasnt there prior to the recent driving.
3) Speedo backlight is now out...

Oh how it never ends...

The metallic clanking at idle could be pinging/pinking/knock due to excessive timing advance, or it could be engine internal or external noise from not being able to idle smoothly.

Please clarify: did you buy a REBUILD kit or a kit complete with a carb, gaskets, springs etc.?

At low idle with no oil in the dashpot, you can get a metallic clanking - we recently installed an HIF44 on a Harley, and the chatter of the piston was audible.  Have you got oil ?

To ask the reeeeally obvious question, have installed the carb exactly as it arrived in the box, or have you taken the time to check the base settings ?

Jet 2 turns down from the bridge, fast idle screw on the choke cam set up correctly, and the throttle cable installed with the idle screw only just touching the cam ?

Oh, and have you tried adjusting the idle speed using the idle screw instead of pulling the choke out ?

Added fuel from an HIF choke follows a path that is separate the float bowl fuel that is drawn up the jet tube. HIF richening is a clockwise adjustment. Make sure you're seeing the jet back off the bridge as you richen. At 7500' elevation, you may have to experiment to find a suitable setting that may differ from settings in literature. I live at 2500' elevation and my setting is likely not too far off sea level settings, as it still performs well at lower elevations. It also may be that your needle is a bit too large diameter in the idle range.

Idle difficulty (without choke) suggests jet height is too high...and all the other advice.  Not enough fuel at idle.

adding to what Norm has suggested, check also that the air filter base (or elbow if you have one) is properly installed - that all ports in the carb flange are not blocked.
You say that you fitted the dashpot spring that came in the rebuild kit. Try putting the old one back.
You say how you set the main jet, which seems OK, but did you set the needle properly in the bottom of the dashpot piston? Is it tight? Is it the correct needle? Try putting the old needle back in.

from your description my first thought would be a vacuum leak, especially since a new carb has just been fitted, that would likely be the source (loose fastener, torn gasket, incompletely sealed gasket, etc.)

second, a leak in the new carb:  is there a vacuum port for the distributor on it, or for some emissions device, which is not used, and not plugged?


before fitting the new carb, did you check the float level?  If it is low that could also cause this kind of lean symptom, not a bad idea to check it now



You've said it won't idle without choke, just making sure:  have you confirmed that after the engine is fully warmed up?  (running for at least 20 minutes)

Hello again all.

I recently bought and installed an HIF38 kit from MiniMania and having issues with maintaining an idle without the choke engaged.  Car is a '68 Austin Mini, LHD, 998 +60, fast cam, AAU needle, 45d dizzy with no vacuum advance, manual transmission, living at 7500ft.

Below is most of what i have top of mind to help me out, but i welcome all the dummy-proof ways to troubleshoot this.  Happy to take photos and video too.


Symptoms:
- choke needs to be engaged to start and maintain idle
- idle is erratic and needs to be above 1K to avoid stall.  It spikes a bit high and dips low as well.
- when disengage choke, car sputters and stalls
- when idling with the choke on, if press gas pedal to accelerate, there's a noticeable lag and then revs drop below idle
- hear a cycle of what sounds like metal on metal vibration.  Its not timed consistently.  I suspect its actually my exhaust against the frame at the mounting point by the can.

Potential Issues & efforts:
- bad gas (added new fuel to address)
- fuel/air mixture (i started with basic tune settings, jet at bridge, 1/2 turn richer and no impact.  Even went further and no impact)
- timing (retarded timing by twisting dizzy counter clock, sounded better but no impact)
- float setting (checked and looks to be within spec and functioning as it should)
- dashpot oil (topped off with SU oil)
- dashpot spring (kit came with spring - whether new or refurb don't know)
- vacuum leak (sprayed carb cleaner along manifold seams, bolts, and carb spacer - nothing significantly noticeable but i also could be missing it because the idle is erratic and not sure if the carb cleaner is really revving higher or that's the crappy idle symptom)

Other Possibilities:
- Carb is faulty (Could there be an issue with the float, jet, or idle setup within the chamber)
- bolts still not tight enough against gaskets and resulting in the vacuum leak
- exhaust manifold or exhaust having an impact?
- broken dizzy?