Fuel going off?
Turbo Mini Forums

Just got the mini running after 18 months laid up in the garage and its seems to be running really rough at tickover, bringing up the revs and it seems fine, a short drive up the road and it feels fine even on boost, but its difficult to tickover with a steady rpm. It has about half a tank of fuel in which is a year and half old, could this be causing the erratic idle as, if i recall,it was fine before it was stored. Have checked compression and sparks at all cylinders which are fine.
Any thoughts?

133.5 bhp 123 lb torque 116mph @6640rpm 9.5psi
Shakespear RWYB 14.995 91.83mph

Fuel 18 months old should now be in your lawnmower !

133.5 bhp 123 lb torque 116mph @6640rpm 9.5psi
Shakespear RWYB 14.995 91.83mph

Put fresh fuel in it.

ok...what would be the best way to dispose of the old fuel?.

133.5 bhp 123 lb torque 116mph @6640rpm 9.5psi
Shakespear RWYB 14.995 91.83mph

yeah deff get some new fuel, the good stuff can go off in a matter of days, its not always noticeable especially in a modern car but on a mini it is night and day, especially if the ignition is mapped to within a couple degree of det

i use old fuel for cleaning down tools or general degreasing

Yes i moved to the darkside

Instagram @jdm_brett

Yes i moved to the darkside

Instagram @jdm_brett

I do it tomorrow and see what happens, i dont suppose it would bother it if i add the old fuel to the new fuel in the tank a little at a time until its gone. Better than trying to dispose of it by other means.

133.5 bhp 123 lb torque 116mph @6640rpm 9.5psi
Shakespear RWYB 14.995 91.83mph

Just put the old fuel in a modern car or give it a friend

I'd shove it in my daily drive.

In the 13's at last!.. Just

i have an 87 hilux that has an aftermarket electronic dissy and 32/36 DGV carby i had it tuned and curved with fresh fuel i found it sufferd det under load as the fuel got more than half a week old ive since restarted it a few degree and seems fine now regardless

depending on how much you drive the mini id just fill it with fresh fuel and run it empty then use it normally if not drain it into your daily as suggested

Others may disagree, but I really doubt fuel age is the problem.
My mini has barely moved for 13 years or so, well not at all for about 5 years.

But from 97 until about 2004 I had to start it and move it a few times. Never once did it fail to start or run badly when started.
That would have been with fuel easily 5 years old.

I wouldnt for one second suggest running a boosted engine at load with such old fuel. But in my case, it certainly had no issues starting and driving normally.

But refilling with fresh fuel does remove one element of potential doubt

Edited by stevieturbo on 17th Feb, 2013.

9.85 @ 145mph
202mph standing mile
speed didn't kill me, but taxation probably will

Fuel in the 90's was likely much better quality that it is these days. They take all the good things out these days in the name of saving the planet.

well, filled tank up with fresh fuel, still got the lumpy idle like its misfiring, getting me stumped this one.
revs drop to about 200rpm just before it stalls it picks up to around 1500, then a few seconds later drops to a near stall again before picking up again, from a near stall, blipping the throttle to bring it back makes it pop and bang until its got some rpm.
A short run up the road it feels ok on acceleration.
Any other ideas?, I have notices it has a slight exhaust blow.

133.5 bhp 123 lb torque 116mph @6640rpm 9.5psi
Shakespear RWYB 14.995 91.83mph

My car is much harder to start if petrol has been in the tank for more then about 3 or 4 weeks.

That is impossible to be a fault of the fuel.

9.85 @ 145mph
202mph standing mile
speed didn't kill me, but taxation probably will

as above looks like the fuel was not the issue any chance you have a carby that's not an su something with an idle jet?
have you got points or electronic dissy? might be worth checking that side of things for corrosion?

Sounds more like an air leak

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

Im with wil, sounds like an air leak to me, spray wd40 onto the joints and gaskets around the carb and if the revs climb and levels off for a few seconds youve got an air leak...

Edited by MikeRace on 18th Feb, 2013.

1/4 Mile 14.3secs 96Mph Terminal 10psi of boost.


Fibreglass Parts? - http://www.tdkracing.co.uk/
Split Rims? - http://www.force-racing.co.uk/

yeh, it all does seem to point to an air leak. I will have a go with the wd40.
btw its standard metro turbo su with electronic turbo distrubuter, soon to be megajolt hopefully.

Edited by chinlesswonder on 18th Feb, 2013.

133.5 bhp 123 lb torque 116mph @6640rpm 9.5psi
Shakespear RWYB 14.995 91.83mph

wow...did the wd40 trick thing, although i used carb cleaner. Revs really increased when sprayed near the intake manifold so must have an air leak there.
Seems strange though as the nuts on the manifold are really tight, has anyone had any issues with the large bore turbo manifold gaskets before as i seem to recall this happened a few years back on another mini i own, ended up swapping for a standard manifold gasket that came with a head kit i bought, never had an issue with that?.

this is what i used http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Classic-Mini-Lar...=item2c6bf67991

Edited by chinlesswonder on 18th Feb, 2013.

133.5 bhp 123 lb torque 116mph @6640rpm 9.5psi
Shakespear RWYB 14.995 91.83mph

That gasket look crap to me. I once in an emergency used that type of gasket. It lasted all of 20 miles.

this one http://www.minispares.com/product/Classic/...k%20to%20search

Or this one http://www.minispares.com/product/Classic/...k%20to%20search

The top one being my favorite.

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

cheers for that, i will order one and see how it goes after fitting.

133.5 bhp 123 lb torque 116mph @6640rpm 9.5psi
Shakespear RWYB 14.995 91.83mph