Irish Mini Owners Club

Hi need some help car won't start without choke and runs very rough.
I refreshed the engine 3 years ago when a synchro went in the gearbox, so new oil pump, water pump got some work done on the head by Paul Hickey. New clutch and changed the primary gear rear bush. I left the car at home when I went to Oz so its been sitting there a while. I'm back working on it now but just can't get it running right???
Car info:

91 1275 Cooper
HIF 44 carb. rebuilt with full kit, BFY needle, K&N cone filter
Stage 1 kit
Stage 3 head new valve springs and guides
Lucas gold coil
New battery
New Verto clutch
65D Dstributor with new cap, rotor and leads
New plugs gapped at 0.6mm
Valve clearences 0.12"

When I first tried to get it running it would start and idle but not great and trying to drive it was impossible no power at all. I have checked for vaccum leaks and adjusted the timing, tried a new carb needle (BBW) I have a colortune but wasn't getting great results with that either. So I bought a carb rebuild kit from SU carbs rebuilt the carb and tried it with both BFY & BBW needles still no change.

Its now at a stage where it won't even idle even when its warm the second I release the choke the engine dies.

I know the best place to sort this is a rolling road but I called Mcnamaras in dublin and he said he cannot do that kind of thing and I don't know anywhere else and not really keen on paying to have the car brought to a place that possibly know nothing about carbs.

Is there anything you guys can suggest? should I try borrow a working carb from somebodies car and see if the problem remains? or is there something more obvious to you guys. Sorry for the essay just trying to give as much info as I can Please help!!!

I'd be checking for air leaks, possibly between the carb and the manifold, I'd always grease the carb to manifold gasket before fitting to eliminate any chance of air leak.

Have you blocked off the crankcase ventilation pipe on the side of the carb ?

If you can drive as far as Greystones il have alook at for you,i have a 4 gas emissions tester so alot more accurate than a colour tune,Bert 0858445677

Hi thanks for the replies,

I tried disconnecting the crank case hose on the side of the carb and blocking it off but no change also tried with the vacuum advance hose on the front of the carb,

I made up a crude smoke tester a while back to check for leaks and the smoke was coming from each end of the throttle spindle seals so that's why I bought the service kit and new spindle couldn't see any leaks anywhere else.

Its overfueling for sure and when i try give it some throttle the fuel is igniting inside the carb?.

I tried setting the valves to 14thou inlet and 15thou exhaust still no change.

Bert I would have to get the car transported to you to have a look as it wont even run without the choke on.
Do you reckon you could find the problem if I got it to you?

Ye il get to the bottom of it,give me a bell and il go through it with you

The car has been lying up. Have you flushed through fresh petrol, unleaded does not hold its octane rating for more than a year.

Cheers Bert will call you soon,

Thanks woody, I've been trying to sort this for quite some time now and I've put lots of fresh fuel in everytime.

It's very difficult to pinpoint the problem because nearly everything has been replaced.

did it run well after the rebuild but before you went to oz? trying to eliminate issues due to standing still a while.- octane, perished rubber, nesting creatures...

I'm in Blackrock and i can pop round to you if only to get you as far as Bert's

Sounds like fuel starvation,blow out the fuel lines and check that the fuel line hasn't been crushed by a jack.

keith wrote:did it run well after the rebuild but before you went to oz? trying to eliminate issues due to standing still a while.- octane, perished rubber, nesting creatures...

I'm in Blackrock and i can pop round to you if only to get you as far as Bert's

Thanks for the offer Keith but the car was just taken up to Albert there 5 minutes ago.

The car had the same problem before I left for oz only now I've made it worse because of my lack of knowledge with carbs

Thanks Woody
The fuel line from the tank to the pump was renewed (3 years ago) pump was also new and anytime I disconnected the fuel feed on the carb plenty of fuel would leak out.

Thanks for all the suggestions lads hopefully Bert will cure this problem soon and I'll be able to meet up with you guys on runs for the first time since I joined this forum