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 Posted: Apr 15, 2017 09:33AM
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Thanks, everyone.  It's a sunshiny day, and I need some stuff from the grocery store.  Good day for a quick drive.

Hubby is fine, by the way.  He was home just 24 hours after the surgery!

 Posted: Apr 7, 2017 05:38AM
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One more congratulations!

Doug L.
 Posted: Apr 7, 2017 05:00AM
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Glad you got it sorted. These are simple little cars that require a few adjustments now and then.

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: Apr 7, 2017 04:52AM
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Congrat's! good story from the road, glad it all worked out well.

 Posted: Apr 7, 2017 03:35AM
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CA
Good news! And a Mini adventure story to share over a beer (or your favorite beverage). Happy Mini-ing.
I hope your hubby's surgery goes well and with his bionic joint he soon joins you in the garage.

.

"Hang on a minute lads....I've got a great idea."

 Posted: Apr 6, 2017 06:27PM
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Great news, sometimes is is a combination of simple things.

 Posted: Apr 6, 2017 06:23PM
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She's fixed!!!     

So glad I took her to my mechanic today.  It's a pretty good distance, about 60 miles, so I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to get that far.  In fact, I'm almost certain I wouldn't have been able to do it had I not replaced the vacuum line earlier in the week.  That helped, but things were still definitely not right.  Today, I was able to keep running at a pretty good clip on the highway, and didn't start to run into problems until I got into a little traffic.  Traffic is relative here, but there were enough lights that I had to keep running in the "rough" range, below 2600 rpm.  After about 5 miles of this, it was on to the interstate, just long enough to get over the Arkansas River.  This river's wider than the Mississippi at this point, plus the downhill slope to cross (easy), and a little uphill to exit (worrisome).  I truly breathed a sigh of relief that the 3 1/2 miles on the freeway was over, but I should have kept that to myself.

About 1/2 mile after the river, when I was on the last 6 mile stretch to the shop, she stumbled.  I had a pretty good idea I'd used up my good luck, and I had.  I made it to the side of the road before she quit for good.  Hmmm.  I have 6 miles of free flatbed service with Hagerty.  On the other hand, having the mechanic come to me might be better for diagnostics.  I called him.  I figured he'd come out in a pickup with a tow chain, anyway, right?  Nope.  About 15 minutes later, a TR-6 showed up, laden with tools, parts, and two guys--my mechanic and one of his employees.  

So, they set to work trying to figure this out.  They figured out fairly early on this was more fuel than electric, and when they couldn't get even a drop of gas to the carb, decided to bypass the fuel pump (mechanical, not electric) with one of their own.  And no go.  So, check the tank.  No gas.  I'd literally run through a whole tank of gas in 159 miles!  I keep a notebook with the exact mileage because the gauge isn't worth a flip, and that's exactly how many miles since my last fill.  Fortunately, we were within sight of a station, so we got enough to get going.  Between the approximately 1.5 gallons poured in roadside, and the 6.15 gallons purchased a few minutes later, I was getting barely 20 miles to the gallon.  Yikes!  And that was with lowered power and a decidedly unhappy roughness.  BTW, they pulled a couple of the plugs, and they were already sooty, after less than 100 miles since brand new last week.

So, definitely needed carb adjustments.  They also cleaned the plugs, new rotor, new distributor cap, and minor adjustments, and she runs like a new lady!  I supposed I would have eventually been able to get Hubby to find the problem, but he's scheduled for a hip replacement next week, and it was sort of a do-it-now-or-wait-2-months kind of thing.  Parts, labor, plus a spare fan belt and oil filter ran me $235.  A bargain, especially considering all the time these guys spent on the side of the road trying to troubleshoot, after I...ran out of gas (in 159 miles).

It sure was a nice drive home! Thanks, everyone for your input.  Looking forward to having some good times in the next few months.

 Posted: Apr 5, 2017 08:13AM
 Edited:  Apr 5, 2017 08:28AM
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Not to make you worry, but I would bring as large a fire extinguisher as you have, or two. Or if you have AAA or other towing, have it flat bedded to the shop. Safety first, last, always. I'm not sure how safe a mini really is, but a flaming mini is for sure less safe.

 Posted: Apr 5, 2017 08:09AM
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I know you are planning to take the car to a shop for sorting.  However, I left one thing off my last post as a possible cause of fuel leaking from the overflow.

You can also overpower the float valve by using an aftermarket electric fuel pump with too high a discharge pressure.  SUs like something from maybe 1.5 to 3 PSI.  I've seen them run OK with 4 PSI pumps.  If you get much more pressure than that the float valve may not close.  That will cause the fuel to overflow and rich running.

Did you ever determine what fuel pump is on your car?  It could all come down to having an incorrect pressure aftermarket pump installed.  

Doug L.
 Posted: Apr 5, 2017 07:14AM
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Okay, I don't feel comfortable troubleshooting this further, so I'm going to take it up to my trusty mechanic in the morning.  I feel pretty confident it will now make it up there, and he knows the car, so hopefully we can get things adjusted or fixed.

Decades ago, my parents had a carb-related break-down in the '53 Buick they owned at the time.  Roadside repairs in the night got us off the Pennsylvania turnpike and home, but two days later the car burned up at a busy intersection in Chicago.  I'd rather not repeat that experience!  (Plus, Angela's stablemate in the garage is our '64 Porsche.)

I'll let you know what I find...

 Posted: Apr 5, 2017 06:14AM
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I agree with Onetim, Malcolm, and Dan.  If you have fuel coming out of the carb overflow, the fuel level in the float bowl is too high and the engine is going to run rich.  The problem can be a sinking float, dirt in the float valve, or an improperly adjusted float valve.  

You should not see any fuel coming out of the overflow.  That needs to be sorted now as it will contribute to running problems as well as being a safety issue.

Doug L.
 Posted: Apr 5, 2017 05:01AM
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CA
Deb:
All SU carbs have an overflow/vent port. Since the carb is situated over the hot exhaust, the port should be connected to a hose or metal tube leading down below the vehicle. If original, it may be a 1/4" steel tube arching over the clutch housing toward the front, away from the exhaust. If there is fuel coming out of the tube or port, it drips into the air stream while the car is moving, or onto the ground when it is not moving. Strong fuel smell in a garage is a possible sign.
If the overflow is 'active' then there will also be too much fuel available at the top of the main jet (the level being too high in the jet), resulting in a rich mixture.

Oh, with fuel vapours, never assume "no ignition source". All it takes is a combination of polyester and other clothing material. Many people have set fire to their cars at gas pumps, when they got back into the car for something (wool pants on poly seat covers etc.) then got out and released a static spark when they touched the hose nozzle.

.

"Hang on a minute lads....I've got a great idea."

 Posted: Apr 4, 2017 11:53AM
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Okay, answers from bottom up--yes, Doug, I have a Haynes manual.

Onetim--there is a strong fuel smell in that garage (no combustion sources in that one), and we have observed a bit of gasoline dripping from some sort of overflow tube.  The mechanic observed it, and wasn't concerned, but I will ask him tonight when we go to the British car club.  Interesting thought!

Malsal--I'll ask about that, too.

 Posted: Apr 4, 2017 10:50AM
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 Bad O rings on the choke tube will also cause it to run rich. Start with the simple stuff first.
Usually if the float sinks it will flood fuel out of the overflow.

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: Apr 4, 2017 08:06AM
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Hi Deb, I have been watching this post for some time, I hope your mini is sorted out soon. A fresh thought is the perhaps your carb float has recently started taking on a little fuel, which in the end will make it a sunk, and dump fuel all over the ground. But at this point is just effecting the fuel level in the carb, causing the rich condition. This would be easy for your brit mechanic to check for. Good luck.

 Posted: Apr 4, 2017 07:15AM
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If you don't already have a Mini service manual or an SU tuning book visit the Burlen website using the link below and read over the pages on the HIF carb.  There are several pages devoted to disassembly, reassembly, and adjustments.

//sucarb.co.uk/technical-hif-type-carburetter-dismantling

Doug L.
 Posted: Apr 3, 2017 07:49PM
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Thanks, Malsal--hope to get to it in the next day or two.  

 Posted: Apr 3, 2017 07:10PM
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On the HIF carb you richen it by screwing the adjuster in (clockwise) and weaken it by screwing it out (counter clockwise) which is the opposite of most vehicles. The adjuster is located on the left side of the carb just behind the fuel line at about 10 o'clock looking from the front of the car. You will need a short small screwdriver to adjust it.

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: Apr 3, 2017 06:01PM
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Well, I put in a new vacuum line today, and things are definitely better!  I drove the car long enough to get it warmed up, and while things aren't entirely smooth, I didn't have the feeling that it was running as rough below 3000.  Actually, 2600 rpm was still pretty good, as long as it was level pavement (not easy to find around here).   Still need to clean the air filter, and check gas, but there's a definite improvement.  There's a classics-only British repair shop about 60 miles from here.  Before, I figured I'd have to flat-bed the Mini up there if I couldn't get it running better myself, because I didn't think it would make the trip. Now, I think I could get it there if necessary, so that's definite progress.  Going to work on a couple more things, mainly gas line, air filter, and maybe have hubby show me how to lean the carb a bit, since the plugs were so dirty.  Also increase the idle speed a bit, although that's no big deal.

This was more of an improvement than the spark plugs, so I'm encouraged.

 Posted: Mar 31, 2017 03:38PM
 Edited:  Mar 31, 2017 03:39PM
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Yes, I know, Cheleker, which is why I'd planned to order it from this site.  I'd already figured out what to order to replace mine.  My question is, what else should I order, since the shipping is more than the part?  After all, I might as well buy everything now, rather than pay 2 shipping charges.

Local auto parts store isn't helpful.  

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