× 1-800-946-2642 Home My Account Social / Forum Articles Contact My Cart
Shop Now
Select Your Car Type Sale Items Clearance Items New Items
 

 Warm Idle Problem

 Created by: miniboy
   Forum Width:     Forum Type: 

 Posted: May 25, 2017 09:47PM
 Edited:  May 25, 2017 09:51PM
Total posts: 31
Last post: Jun 7, 2022
Member since:May 8, 2010
Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 0
WorkBench Posts: 0
Hey all,

Thanks for the input on the fan orientation. I think for now I'll leave it as is; the aluminum radiator seems to keep the engine temperature under control. If overheating starts to become an issue that'll be the first change I'll make.

As for the idling issue I discovered one of the choke return springs had come loose and was not releasing the choke on the right carb. I returned it to its original position and the car drives great now.

Thank you for all of your ideas, it's much appreciated!

 Posted: May 23, 2017 07:28AM
Total posts: 9241
Last post: Aug 17, 2023
Member since:Jun 5, 2000
Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 0
WorkBench Posts: 0
US
As above... the fan will blow air the same direction regardless of how it is installed.  It will blow MORE air when installed correctly.  Look for the curvature in the fan blades.  For a Mini, when looking at the fan from the front of the car...
Engine >>> ( >>> Radiator

Doug L.
 Posted: May 23, 2017 03:26AM
Total posts: 9528
Last post: Mar 27, 2024
Member since:Aug 14, 2002
Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 0
WorkBench Posts: 0
CA
Ignore "Specialist" - he is WRONG AGAIN. (we've been through this with him before...)

A fan on a Mini engine will blow air out through the rad whether it is on frontwards or backwards. The engine always runs in the same direction and the fins are angled in the same direction whether frontwards or backwards.

On the plastic fans, the fins are wing-shaped and are 2 to 3 times more efficient when functioning in the right direction.

.

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

 Posted: May 22, 2017 11:03AM
 Edited:  May 22, 2017 11:07AM
Total posts: 1188
Last post: Aug 13, 2020
Member since:Aug 9, 2016
Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 0
WorkBench Posts: 0
miniboy,
first off, i wanna say that i like your username "miniboy" ..you beat me to it, those are the kinds of usernames i like,fits my personality,, aaanyway,,, secondly, the only way to test IF your radiator fan was installed backwards is to feel where the wind is going, if the wind is going towards the tire THEN the fan is not backwards, but if the wind goes to the engine, then it's backwards.

but i dunno how people  define the word "backwards", different people define this word differently.  but to me,i'd say "backward" means "opposite".
i was told before that my fan was installed backward, but then when i feel the air, the wind goes towards the tire and actually passes the radiator to cool it, that's all that matters right?   THEN there came an issue that the "blades" were backwards, so there you go(two different things considered as one) probably the best thing to say is  "hey your fan BLADES were installed backwards".  I guess the scoop supposed to be facing towards the radiator side.
BUT it still blows air hey! .. "backward" to me is WHEN the air is being blown toward the engine side....,period!

 Posted: May 21, 2017 02:52PM
mur
Total posts: 5840
Last post: Nov 1, 2019
Member since:Nov 12, 1999
Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 0
WorkBench Posts: 0
Awesome. I did that too when I was your age, and the car ran hot...

 Posted: May 21, 2017 02:21PM
Total posts: 31
Last post: Jun 7, 2022
Member since:May 8, 2010
Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 0
WorkBench Posts: 0
Thanks for pointing out the fan, that was not installed by the said mechanic but rather by 17 year old me.

 Posted: May 21, 2017 02:08PM
mur
Total posts: 5840
Last post: Nov 1, 2019
Member since:Nov 12, 1999
Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 0
WorkBench Posts: 0
In addition to the float bowls attracting detritus, the dashpots can sometimes stick in place either by evaporated hydrocarbons on the pistons or in the jet.

Does your trusted mechanic not know which way to install the fan? It is backwards.

 Posted: May 21, 2017 01:07PM
Total posts: 1276
Last post: Nov 26, 2018
Member since:Feb 17, 2005
Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 0
WorkBench Posts: 0
CA
Second what Alex said.

 Posted: May 21, 2017 12:50PM
Total posts: 10232
Last post: Mar 26, 2024
Member since:Mar 24, 1999
Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 0
WorkBench Posts: 0
GB
I'd be checking the fuel filter and float bowls for crap deposition.

 Posted: May 21, 2017 12:17PM
 Edited:  May 21, 2017 12:24PM
Total posts: 31
Last post: Jun 7, 2022
Member since:May 8, 2010
Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 0
WorkBench Posts: 0
Hello all,

I pulled my 1976 Leyland Mini out of 8 months storage a couple of days ago and went for a drive with no issues other than running out of fuel (completely my fault!). I tried to take it out the next day and it seemed rough at idle but fine under load. I figured this was just due to the engine being cold and thought that when it warmed up the idle would return to normal (as it would prior to putting the car away 8 months ago). That was not the case and the car actually died while I was idling at a stop sign. I nursed it back home where it has been since. Today I fired it up twice off a cold start with no initial problems, but as the engine warmed up and I let off the choke it died and refused to start back up.

I've linked the URL of a video I took of the second cold start attempt. At 1:35 I let off the choke and the car almost immediately dies and will not start up after.

Any thoughts on what might be causing this? The car is fresh off a restoration and everything mechanical/electrical has either been rebuilt or replaced. While I did not tune the carbs in their current form, my trusted mechanic did them right before the car was put away last September.

Any help is appreciated!

Edit: Car is running dual H4 carbs from an MGA

>

URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZiVpiwrTGA&feature=youtu.be