Please help, sorry it's a Turbo Marina!
Turbo Mini Forums

I have built a turbo marina using van pistons, etc etc etc and I am currently using an xr3i brand new fuel pump and a brand new malpassi fuel regulator, I have connected all up and the carb is flooding the engine straight away, so I snapped the tyre valve out of an A35 wheel, stripped the rubber off the brass middle, carrot style, chucked it in my tyre pump, put a jubilee and a pipe on the end, t pieced it into the pipe from regulator to the carb and jesuuuss, 25psi, no wonder my sparkplugless engine is jetwashing the bonnet with petrol!!!

Am I doing something wrong? I have wound the screw all the way in and out and it makes little difference, it sort of does nothing and then for about 180 degrees of turning it fine tunes the pressure between like 20 and 25psi, I ran the pump directly into the tyre pump and it still says about 25psi. Have I got a dodgy fuel pressure regulator??

Many many thanks in advance.

Can you explain how the fuel pipes are connected to the reg and carb, and hat size flow/return you have?

Yes certainly, I have a standard 6.7mm external diameter metal pipe as the return, (the original feed) to the tank coming off the bottom of the regulator.

A pipe from the top of the regulator to the accuator pipe.

The pipe all on its own is the pump in which is 8mm internal diameter rubber pipe all the way from the pump.

The pipe just below the boost sense is the pipe straight to the carb.

I did try running the return straight into a fuel can so as to rule out any restriction in the return causing the pressure of the pump to go to the carb.

Pictures, pictures! I've dreamt of building a high powered turboed Marina...

MGF Alloys, MK3 Disc brakes up front, Ital A+ Block, low compression van pistons, metro turbo head and valves and HIF44 carb and t2 Turbo.

ok, you need to find the how-to guide on plumbing in your regulator on here, as what you are saying is not overly clear - but it does sound like you have it plumbed up wrong. Also, describe where the return is actually going to in the tank...

The return ALWAYS needs to be at least the "next size up" from the supply - ie if the line from pump to regulator is 1/4" then you need 5/16" return. If you have a larger feed than return, you will always have sky-high fuel pressure.
FYI - If both are the same size, then you need to put a restrictor in the inlet feed to the regulator, such that the "return" has a greater overall flow potential.



And I hope you got rid of the lever-arm dampers LOL.
I couldn't believe how much better the Ital was than the Marina. I remember my dads marina failed the MOT on the front dampers, so he put brand-new Unipart lever arm units on the front, and it still failed LOL. So he took them back and the unipart guy then told him to buy ital parts and use those - and they were cheaper - and it passed naturally! This was 1985 though,,,

Edited by turbodave16v on 5th Jul, 2013.

Here you go...

Carb connections:
http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=106


General not-running correctly issues:
http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=6298


And this might be of help if you run into boost issues:
http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=2103

Edited by turbodave16v on 5th Jul, 2013.

OK so I should use the original feed for the supply and my thicker pipe for the return. I was temporarily using a petrol can in the engine bay as the return so there was no restriction on the return but I will swap them over and use the thinner pipe as the feed.

The thing is, when I measure the pressure with my fairly accurate home made pressure tester, I was getting 25psi, when I used the malpassi pressure regulator, I was still getting 25psi.

I will do some playing.

is it a known good regulator?

Done now needs redoing lol

I will try the original fuel pressure regulator this morning and see what happens.

i think that the standerd metro turbo pump was 3bar and the 3i one if its the same as my 3i is 6 bar if the regulator is worn this maybe your problem

Edited by wng691s clubby on 5th Jul, 2013.

Done now needs redoing lol

Thinks to check

1) Sanity
2) Connections (as above)
3) Recheck sanity
4) Fuel pressure
5) Check FPR is ok and set correctly
6) Is needle vale in float bowl working?
7) Final sanity check

Fastest 998 mini in the world? 13.05 1/4 mile 106mph

I can't add anything to the points already highlighted i'm afraid; however, I know a couple of people who have wanted to build a turbo'd marina/ital. for a while. lets see a build thread!

take regulator apart,check for splits in diaphragm , or stuck piston .or both.

Medusa + injection = too much torque for the dyno ..https://youtu.be/qg5o0_tJxYM

As I said, I love the idea, but seriously. Get rid of those hideous wheels!

Minilites here we go!

Some force splits maybe?

In the UK the itals had lever arm dampers up till the last 18 months or so, but ital was only 80-84 so still around half the cars, production moved to longbridge who apart from the top arm assembly/tele dampers at the front there were other minor changes, like a sticker instead of a boot badge. As Dave says it makes a big difference but they still understeer like a pig, you got the mk3 escort brake conversion that Steve the parts guy started making about 10 or so years ago? I had the first set he ever had made,mg montego alloys, plus spax rear shocks, van springs, 2 inch lowering blocks, heavy duty front trunions, front torsion bars spun round to drop 2 inch or so and Volvo Tele dampers on the ital front set up, net result understeered off into a kerb about 40 ish and bent the whole nearside of the car LOL.

On 5th Oct, 2014 Shauna said:
What that's crazy, you go commando hahaha! How heavy is your helmet ?

fond memories Oli?

I know its terribly terribly sad but I don't care, it was a fooking pile but it was my first car so yes a lot of fond memories one owner 40k blah blah blah in russet,but next to fuck all rust and it was cheap cos I had no money, I painted it yellow with a black bonnet, there has been a pic if it on here before, what's worse pretty sure I have a trophy from the owners club somewhere.

On 5th Oct, 2014 Shauna said:
What that's crazy, you go commando hahaha! How heavy is your helmet ?

LOL My first was a Mk5 cortina, 2.0 GL in white, complete with LH wing in black primer. It probably looked worse than your Ital.

You've gone up in my estimation, I had a mk5 ghia in metalic brown it was awsome in its own way. My cousin bought me the top gear crap cars book and hammonds what not to drive as a present, on the front it said I bet you have owned most of these chief-happy days

On 5th Oct, 2014 Shauna said:
What that's crazy, you go commando hahaha! How heavy is your helmet ?

oooh, a ghia....
Nice.
I also had a Mk4, or perhaps it was a Mk5 2.3 GLS with the recaro seats. Sadly, this only lived another few months before saying goodbye at Buxton raceway.
For all the old fords I owned, I never manaed to ever own a ghia funnily enough.