SPi to carb MINI conversion

Hi has anyone sucessfully converted an unleaded 1275 A series Mini back to carburettor and electronic dizzy. I have just done this and can't get power at high revs, it runs out of steam at about 70mph (80 downhill) and is rubbish at overtaking. Pulling away from lights and general accelerating it's great ..with loads of 'grunt'. I have a HIF44 with K&N filter + LCB and 2" exhaust pipe with single DTM twin tailpipe box. The emissions are good (MOT) the exhaust slate grey and the plugs light sand colour. Colourtune says the tickover is good with blue colour up the revs. I tried richening the mixture but all the happens is the plugs get dark and the problem persists. So does anyone know what the dizzy advance curves should be for this engine SPi but not Cooper? The Rover manual doesn't say as the engine is normally managed by the ECU and it's secret! What needle should be in the carb. I think one or the other must be wrong as the preformance is 'nearly there' but annoyingly not quite.

Please help....Thanks...Dave

Reply to
Dave Bullock
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Pretty much a complete waste of time asking a technical question on here, as most regulars know very little about anything other than fitting ridiculous "wagon wheels" and LED washer jets!

Anyway to answer your question, I would advise you contact one of the Mini specialists, who should be able to advise you on the correct needle for the carb you have, and whether or not you are likely have any problems with the distributor you have fitted.

If the motor is std, then there is really no need to put a Mini with an SU on a rolling road, as you will be able to tune the carb pretty accurately without this, but I would advise that you check what advance you are getting, which is pretty easily done by anyone who has a timing light with advance/retard function.............

Reply to
Ken

I don't know anyone who's fitted chocolate and marshmallow snack biscuits to their car.

Reply to
SteveH

You don't know me...

Reply to
Douglas Payne

Timing lights with advance functions are relatively new on the DIY market. Ones with retard facilities yet to come?

However, all you need to check the curve is to knock up a timing disc (or strip to glue onto the rim of a pulley) on your computer (or buy one) and use a normal timing light in conjunction with a rev counter.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

They aren't as big as they used to be. Infact, when I see them now, I think they are almost sensible in size.

Reply to
Elder

I never liked them you know, I liked the jam ones for a bit but soon got bored.

Reply to
DanTXD

Advance/retard timing lights have been around for years. As for fixing a timing disc on the crank pulley, one wonders if you have ever worked on a Mini?

k
Reply to
Ken

Interesting. My SD1 EFI runs much better on a cold day - and the existing air intake looks like it's positioned through just convenience, and must get pretty hot air at low speeds - maybe even moderate ones. Racing ones have it boxed in which I assume gives a better supply of cold air and I've wondered about doing something like this myself.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Of course it was...that's why they posted what they'd already done and=20 that it was running like toss...

--=20 Conor

I'm really a nice guy. If I had friends, they would tell you.

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Reply to
Conor

How do you check what the mixture and timing is at under WOT and with=20 the motor under load?

--=20 Conor

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Reply to
Conor

Likewise your dumbass suggestion about not using a rolling road makes=20 one wonder if you've ever worked on anything not factory standard. =20

--=20 Conor

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Reply to
Conor

Tell me how you get a timing light to work *before* the spark triggers it?

That's what the strip fixed to the edge is for - although it's easiest on a car with a crank damper.

BTW, I've owned IIRC 6 Minis. And repaired just about everything on them at one time or another. As you had to.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Likewise your dumbass suggestion about not using a rolling road makes one wonder if you've ever worked on anything not factory standard.

Reply to
Ken

You really dont have much of a clue do you? Why mess around trying to fix timing discs onto the engine, when all you need is an advance/retard timing light, and an accurate TDC mark on the front pulley, or better still the flywheel?

The thing that the clueless ones dont seem able to grasp is that accuracy is something that is needed when modifying engines, and to deny this becuase you dont seem to know what you are talking about, only goes to make you look stupid!

k
Reply to
Ken

Perhaps he has skills you lack?

Ever seen an FI engine? Have they got air intake filters? For some competition use with 'stock' engines many discard the air filter. Such engines will be rebuilt long before bore wear through dirt becomes a problem.

Like timing lights that can give a retarded ignition setting?

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

I notice you've not replied to how you get a timing light to give you a retarded setting. The question is beyond your ken? It's rather obvious you've never used such a device.

Well, if your worried about accessibility as on a Mini, just how accessible is the flywheel on most cars? Let alone the job of marking it up accurately if no marks exist.

You're making a pretty decent fist of that yourself. Is that why you went bankrupt?

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Here you go!

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fat 3.8 inch bore plastic pipe as fitted to my Ford Sierras V8 Rover.It goes to a 4 inch hole drilled in the fromt of the inner wing. The original 1.6 used a similar but smaller setup.The air boxes narrow intake (cut off) was worth 7bhp with the filter binned. You dont really need one in this damp country! The cold air worth probably nothing on cool days but it runs better and makes a difference on hot days because heat soak etc and hot air from radiator is not good! .

Reply to
Burgerman

And just what do *you* call the part the needle moves in? Fred?

BTW, not all SU carbs are single jet...

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Have you still got the cat fitted at any point? Is so, is it blocked? Is the back box loosing its wadding and blocked?

Carb needle is irrelevant without a proper rollers set up, although going by the plugs it sounds ish-ok. A wide band o2 sensor is a good start to see if the mixture is vaguely in the right area, but obviously no use for checking ignition timing.

Is it pinking? Can it be made to pink? What static timing figure have you set it at???

It sounds like you dont have ignition advance at high revs anyhow. What diz are you usuing?? Have you actually plumbed the vacuum pipe in correctly. I've seen many a boy-racer mod where the igntion retards under throttle, rather than advances cos the tit doesnt understand where the difference between ported vaccuum and standard vaccuum take off points....

Tim..

Reply to
Tim..

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