Its a non starter!
Turbo Mini Forums

Hi All, firstly let me introduce myself, im Mark in Telford, Shropshire, with a 1978 clubman turbo, i have been using all the helpful advice on this site for the past year while i set about rebuilding my mini. And have so far not had too many set backs.

The good news is that the engine is now in the car and plumbed in.. however it wont start. I firstly had a few probs with the fuel but this now looks to be running as it should following some carb adjustments, and im getting a good spark from all the plugs etc (all basics checked). The problem is that it wont fire up, i get a sort of soft back-fire / puff?!? sound but thats all.

The only thing that i haven’t checked is the timing (mainly because i haven’t attempted it before), could this be the problem? would have thought that it would still fire even if the timing was out just not run well.. but as im new to this could obviously be wrong.

any help or things to check next would be great.

Cheers.

You are right about the timing, it could easily be so far out that it won't start. Assuming that you are using a dizzy. read the Haynes manual on how to set it up. I mean the whole how to install bit and everything.

Wil

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

Don't overlook the obvious, firing order 1 3 4 2.

My fave trick is to squirt a small amount of fuel down the mouth of the carb, i always start it up without the intercooler/turbo connected.

If it fires/backfires and stops assume it is timing. Then watch the rockers with the cover off, wath them do their cylcle...suck squeeze bang blow and all that. When it is at full compression on 1(near rad) look at your dizzy/rotor arm position and that should be at HT lead for no 1.

Get it inline and then make small adjustments until it fires...

I ofthen have it around 180 degrees out.

Hope that makes sense and helps..

JF.

Edited by giallofly on 4th Aug, 2006.

Yep make sure you have 2 and 3 the right way round :$

Oh and you have a proper 12 volt supply for dizzy and coil not the ballasted supply the mini was prob fitted with

Edited by Dangerous on 4th Aug, 2006.

Metro turbo weekend driver,Mini turbo in the making again!

Thanks for the info, will have another read of the Haynes see if i have missed anything on the set up. See if i can get the timing sorted.

If i haven’t set the HT leads up correctly it would be an easy fix..

will let you know if i get any further tomorrow.

Yeah when I used a dizzy and the first time I tried to fire it up I had the dizzy drive shaft in 180 Degrees out and I got the same result you did. Check the drive is in the correct way.

ha, "when i used a dizzy"!!

flash git! LOL

"Turbo's make torque, and torque makes fun"

"did you know you can toast potato waffles?"

It makes one hell of a difference with mapped ignition and it aint that expensive.

I'd say its definately your ign timing buddy.

Before you go mad with checking things, try manually swinging the distributor whilst someone is cranking over the engine. You can usually tell by the sound of the wheezes and pops from the engine trying to fire when you are in the right ballpark!
I am sure doing this you will get it running providing the firing order and plug lead position is basically right.
Once you have it running you can then time it up accurately using a timing light.

have you got the leads 1 3 4 2 anticlockwise

i think thats the way theyre supposed to be, but once upon a time i put them clockwise

Thanks for all the help but it still wont start,

The leads are in anticlockwise 1 3 4 2, the distributor rotor arm is pointing to the number 1 lead with the distributor driveshaft at the 2 o'clock position, i set this by removing the No 1 plug, and feeling for pressure of the No 1 cylinder setting the timing and adjusting the distributor driveshaft etc..

tried turning the engine over and moving the distributor slightly left and right, still no go... the only noise i get is from the alternator spinning etc.

The plugs are sparking and you can smell fuel on them, starting to run out of ideas.

any further ideas??? cheers.

Edited by MarkGTT on 5th Aug, 2006.

swap plugs 1 and 4, and 2 and 3.. jsut incas3e your 180 degrees out, i know you checked but you never know. aklso "dry" the plugs wiht a blow lamp or over a gas cooker.

turbo 16v k-series 11.9@118.9 :)

Denis O'Brien.

Just tried swapping the HT leads and drying the plugs off as above but still no joy.

When Giallofly mentioned "squirt a small amount of fuel down the mouth of the carb" do you mean down the piston damper in to the chamber or directly into the main body of the carb? (sorry not done this before)

as mentioned before I did attempt to check the timing, maybe I should give that another go..

Anyone else have any ideas? Short of getting it towed to the nearest mini specialists!

Thanks again.

Mark.

Yep, lift the dash pot with your finger a squirt a SMALL amount down the carb mouth, obviously with the plenun off.

i have a few seringes around the garage, a couple of cc's will do it....

Get if it works...

Is the choke on to?

JF.

Edited by giallofly on 5th Aug, 2006.

I use a inkjet refill shringe and squirt approx 10-15 ml down the hole where the vacuum pipe goes just infront of the carb

Metro turbo weekend driver,Mini turbo in the making again!

Great tip Dangerman!

JF.

Ok thanks will give it a try, choke cable isn’t on but been moving it open manually when turning it over..

Due to me trying to start the car for the past few days the battery has now gone flat.. however I think I have cracked it, the timing was still 180 out, think I must have been timing it on the wrong stroke.

Just like to say thanks for all your help.

Once its running, I will post the spec and some pics of the car, and hope to become a more active member. Get some events / shows under my belt.

Cheers, Mark.