We actually got back to attack the car in November.

We took the head off and found that for sme strange reason there was 2
head gaskets on there, so we cleaned all this up and replaced the head.

Also we found that the inlet manifold was leaking air where the gasket had
failed, so a new gasket here and a tune up and the car is running properly
again.

Next the funny bit, now we had the car going but couldn't stop it. As it had
been sitting for so long the brakes had failed, we had to re-build the master
cylendar and bleed the brakes.

Cool, it is now good so the next night we drive it off the the ACT Mini Car
Club meeting and as we arrive there, a 20 minute drive, the car starts to cough,
splutter
and engine cuts out for short bursts.

Well, can we win I ask. It turned out to be the wiring to the electric fuel pump
intermittantly going open. Joseph Lucas strikes again.

All fixed now and car is good again.

The joys of old cars, I sometimes wonder why we bother, but then Mini's are
cool.

Charlie

--- In barspeed@yahoogroups.com, "Charlie" <csyms@p...> wrote:
> Thanks for the help guys, I now have to admit that I haven't had a
> chance to get back to looking at it, one thing and another including
> the weather.
>
> When I changed the dizzy I took off the rocker cover, turned the
> engine to compression on Cylender 1, lined up the timing mark and
> then said "right the rotor should now be pointing to number 1" and
> sorted the leads out from there.
>
> I have run a stroboscope on it for the timing and have noticed that
> the strobe light does falter occasionally, but not regulary enough to
> make the same 2 cylenders not fire.
>
> We did have a go at re-setting all the valve clearences, but Phil
> managed to strip a nut on one of the rockers for cyl 2, he hadn't put
> much force on the spanner either. We are left at the moment with one
> nut with the smoothest inside I have ever seen and this thread firmly
> stuck on the bolt on the rocker. we are trying to figure out how to
> cleanly remove said thread so we can continue with a new nut.
>
> If the head gasket was blown between cyl 2 & 3 would you still get a
> good compression reading? The head has been off the car about 6
> months ago and not being a daily driver car has not done a huge
> distance since then.
>
> If it doesn't rain or freeze at the weekend we hope to attack it
> again.
>
> Charlie
>
>
> --- In barspeed@yahoogroups.com, "Jon" <jon_at_barspeed_minis@t...>
> wrote:
> > I would have thought that a blown gasket or damaged valves would
> have
> > showed up perhaps in the running of the engine more and the
> checking
> > f the cylinder compression?
> >
> > Jono
> >
> > --- In barspeed@yahoogroups.com, "mrspambraker2000"
<dirtyair@r...>
> > wrote:
> > > Head Gasket.
> > > --- In barspeed@yahoogroups.com, "Charlie" <csyms@p...> wrote:
> > > > Hi All,
> > > >
> > > > My son has a 1967 Mini Deluxe with a 998 engine.
> > > >
> > > > Currently it will start OK and seem fine till we drive it and
> it
> > > > comes up with practically no power. Investigation at this stage
> > by
> > > > pulling plug leads shows that cylenders 2 & 3 are not firing.
> > > >
> > > > We have changed the plugs, we have swapped plugs and leads over
> > > and
> > > > it still is 2 & 3 that don't fire.
> > > >
> > > > Today we changed the whole distributer and coil and checked the
> > > valve
> > > > clearences. We have checked the cylendar compression.
> > > >
> > > > It is getting plenty of fuel and still 2 & 3 don't want to work.
> > > >
> > > > It's driving us nuts.
> > > >
> > > > Charlie