My mini is Running!!!! 68 mini

My mini is running and on the road. Unfortunately, it needs some carb adjustment. I thought I was brilliant and ordered a Mikuni carb, the adjustment phase is much more difficult than with an SU.
So far, it runs but little power in first gear and no smooth acceleration.
I have an air/fuel meter on the car so I keep changing jets and watching the meter. I am so eager to get the go cart feel but not yet.

Jerry

You may want to post questions about the Mikuni carb in the Spridget forum on this board. I think a couple of the guys there have worked with those carbs and could probably offer guidance.

Regardless, congratulations on the startup! Keep us posted and up to date on your progress.

Doug,
You were a lot of help. Your write ups on electrical are great. Thanks very much. I still have a few small things to finish and one of the pot joints has decided to start leaking engine oil, so I have to take that apart and fix it. But mostly there. I have to say that if the mikuni does not stop the hesitation, it will be sold and I will go to dual H4s. I know how to work on those.

Jerry

Congrats!

Honestly, I've read that one of the best combos on a street car is the single HS4 with a manifold ~Like This~.

By the way, I'm racing my 1275 with stock HS2s and I have no complaints (I'm allowed to run twin HS4s but it doesn't seem to help that much unless you go very radical on the cam).

Jerry, I have not worked with the pot joint driveshafts. However, the general layout is the same as the yoke and Hard-Spicer joints. The differential side covers have a bronze bush and seal in them. Replacing the seal may help for a while but the leak will return quickly if the root problem is wear in the bush. The bush is replaceable, however, BMC/BL did not make the process easy. The bush collapses a bit when pressed in and must be bored to fit your particular output shaft for a good running fit. This is easily done if you have access to a mill with a boring head. If not, find a machine shop that can do this for you. Take them the side cover and the shaft so they can bore for just the right fit.

Since it is running out the inside of the pot joint, I am thinking that metal cap at the end of the pot joint is not sealed. Anyway, I am going to check that first.
Nial, I am running a 1380 and thought the 2 H2 might be too small because of the head porting and cam. So I went with a new carb (Mikuni) that is equivalent to a 1.75 Plus. The problem is the carb is VERY adjustable and I have to find the correct jets to get it right. I am thinking the acceleration issue is an inherent issue of the carb. But more tinkering till I know for sure.
jerry

It looks like you have gotten some help on the Mikuni topic over at MM. Hopefully their advice will sort out the mixture issues you are dealing with.

Pot joints fixed, carb is running well, (still a little rich), took it out for a drive and on the freeway. Good drive. Fuel gauge hits 3/4 when full, but I can live with that. I am taking it to the British car night at the Sacramento Zoo on Thursday. They always have a live band playing Beatles songs. I hope to get an alignment this week also. Pulls a little to the left.

Jerry
Austin Healey BJ8
Triumph TR3A
Austin Mini 68
Triumph TR4 in boxes

I now have about 150 miles on the car and it is fun. I think I will tone down the shocks one more setting to see if the response can be softened. Classic mini get a lot of stares and our club members keep asking how I fit into the car. I tell them to get in and they are amazed at the room inside. Everyone has fit except those mutants over 6'2''. The car drives well, but you have to get used to easy push on the accelerator vs stomp on it. The gate valve on the Mikuni lets a lot of air in and a quick push makes the car cough. A slow push makes it accelerate like a motorcycle. I let my friend drive it who had one in England. He said he would have to start a ticket bucket since the car had so much power. It does feel like you are going fast but I had trouble keeping up with my wife in our TR3A the other day leaving a car show. The TR3A seems to have about 20% more power from stock. Both are fun to drive but different. Then I fixed something on my rear axle of the Healey this week and took it for a drive. It will still out accelerate both of the other cars but cannot corner like a mini!
The mini goes where you point it. I can't wait to find an autocross!

Oh, I have one thing to fix. The speedometer works, about 10% off, but the odometer is dead. Boy, that is going to be a pain to get back out of the wood dash I made for the car.

Jerry

I'm glad you are enjoying the Mini and that the Mikunis are working out for you. I think most A-series powered cars feel like you are going faster than you are. Enjoy your cornering power and don't worry about drag races.

As for your friends asking "how do you get in that thing", have them get in and take a seat. Most people are amazed at how much room is in a Mini.

If you plan on doing the speedometer/odometer repair yourself, download, print out, and read through (multiple times) the 27 page PDF by Anthony Rhodes, "Repairing Jaeger & Smiths Speedometers". It is a must-read document before you delve into the repair. The chrome bezel on a Mini speedometer is staked in place using three "indents" on the back side. You will need to pry them up to release the bezel... it won't be your imagination.

Doug,
Hire someone else to work on my car part? That is sacrilegious! I may not know how when I start, but I read or watch youtube till I figure it out.
Jerry

You're my kind of guy Jerry. I do all my own work also but I understand that when it comes to transmissions or gauges, some people draw the line and go to a "pro".

When you are ready to clean and recondition that odometer, let me know. They are no scarier than other car repairs... just the parts are smaller and difficult to buy "new".

dklawson said:

...............I think most A-series powered cars feel like you are going faster than you are.......

Click to expand...

Ain't that the truth!


My brother borrowed my 948 Midget for a while last Summer.

He took his 12 year old son for a drive and the boy said: "Hey Dad! Slow down!"

They were only going 35 MPH. :highly_amused:

Also......Thanks so much for the lead on the speedo recalibration.

I am currently finishing up a new, aluminum dash for my Robin Hood Super 7. The car came with a gaudy fiberboard dash and (ugly) Ford Sierra gauges. I have fitted a Sprite speedo which reads pretty "close" but I have been wondering about how to calibrate it? That PDF looks very helpful.

In case anyone else needs to see it....... ~Click Here~

You might want to make sure your fuel gage is perpindicular. If it is not it may not measure full.

Stuff still to fix on the mini:
1. Carburetor still needs adjustment- Some dummy bought a Mikuni carb and it is a pain to adjust.
2. Starter/solinoid seems to have a mind of its own. Starts 50% of the time on first turn of the key. The other times the dash lights dim, but no starting of the car. This is a new (I have been using it for 4 months) starter. I think I will have to pull it and take it up to the starter shop. I have tested the voltage to the red/white "starter" spot on the solinoid and it had 12.4 volts when the key is turned to start.
3. I need to get more draw on the PCV valve connected to the air filter. Still getting oil out the valve cover cap.

It has been fun to drive and it does get a lot of attention! I took it to Auburn Cruise night last Friday. A couple hundred cars there, many hot rods, but people stopped to look and ask questions about the mini. Most don't believe I fit into the car.
Jerry