Engine Breathing 1969 1098cc

[svenedin]

I looked at the Ebay one but it isn't much cheaper especially if the diaphragm has perished. At least I can send it back to Mini Spares if it's faulty

[philthehill]

Good point as it is old stock.

[svenedin]

Thanks for all your help. I'm still climbing mountains in Switzerland. 8,000 foot peak tomorrow if the weather is good enough. I'll see what I can do with the car next week as I've got the week off. 20 years sleeping in the garage has been a bit hard on old "Xavier" (I know it's a boy's name but my fist Minor which had a registration starting H was called "Helen". I couldn't think of a girl's name that worked for a reg starting with X).

So far Xavier has had a new battery, loads of corrosion off every electrical connection cleaned off, a seized carburettor piston freed, a new radiator and hoses (to replace one full of holes), a new distributor cap (the carbon brush was totally worn away), a new SU (points) fuel pump (it was far more than dirt points) and fuel hose (leaking petrol everywhere), and a new solenoid. After all that he did successfully start but I only ran him for a few minutes because I had to chop off the fan belt as the dynamo pulley was seized. I found a reconditioned dynamo in the boot (must mean the dynamo is faulty and I do remember the chap who reconditioned it a long time ago). So when I get back lots to do. New points in distributor, new battery leads, engine breathing, dynamo, fan belt, oil change, filters, float chamber needle valve (cleaning did not stop it sticking), seized carburettor jet, choke and throttle cables, heater valve and hoses, thermostat, water pump, fan belt and whatever else I thought of.

All good fun and I hope Xavier will be far better than he ever was 20 years ago. He's not getting any nasty modern bits though....

[svenedin]

About this throttle linkage. I'm still on holiday but I've resized the photo. It's obvious that the choke cable isn't routed properly but how will the throttle cable work if it goes through that trunion? Surely it will be pulling the wrong way?[frame][/frame]

[bmcecosse]

It must - to react against the pocket.

[svenedin]

I got back from holiday last night and started work on the car today. I'll post what I've done in the restoration thread I started.

Anyway, just a quick question on the subject of engine breathing. I had the carb off today so whilst I had good access I removed the tappet chest breather. As I am going to connect it up properly (to the PCV that was missing) I thought I had better check it was clear. It wasn't clear. It was completely blocked with oily, rusty crud. It looked like it had contained wire wool of some kind. Is that correct and does it matter that I haven't replaced whatever "filter" material was in the condenser pipe? Pipe shown in picture.

[frame][/frame]

Also I think I have solved the throttle cable trunion mystery. I'm sorry if I appeared totally daft. It looks like it was installed upside down and back to front which is why I couldn't understand how it could work. Is it in the right position in my second photo?

This photo in position as found......[frame][/frame]


Is this the right position?[frame][/frame]

[bmcecosse]

Yes! One way to clear that breather is to set it on fire.... I would restuff it with copper pan cleaners -they used to be available in the Poundshop... failing that - some ordinary wire wool.

[svenedin]

Just as well I asked! I have some copper wool -I've used it in furniture restoration. I have some stainless steel wool somewhere if that would be better. So the wire wool is a flame arrestor?

[philthehill]

Wire wool is highly inflammable though if you get a flame anywhere near that oil mist trap you are in trouble big time.

[svenedin]

True which begs the question why is it there and is it really needed (it will block again and impede the flow of gases)? Is it to help the oil vapour condense? A flame would have to come through the inlet manifold (so only if an inlet valve stuck open but there would be no compression if that happened), through the PCV valve and the down the hose to the oil trap. That isn't very likely surely?

[philthehill]

It is very very unlikely that flames will get anywhere near the oil mist trap for that is what it is, it catches the oil particulates which then run back into the sump.
The wire inside the mist trap is quite coarse and of an open mesh and not compacted like wire wool. Wire wool compacted into the oil mist trap will not allow the engine to breath sufficiently.
I would suggest that the wire mesh remaining inside the oil mist trap will be sufficient to catch the oil mist and allow pressure and fumes past to be consumed by the engine.
If you can blow through the oil mist trap all will be OK.

[svenedin]

There isn't any wire mesh in there at all. It was just rusted, oily lumps and I cleaned it all out. I have some coarse copper wool so I will put some of that in. Going back out to the garage now.....

[svenedin]

In the end I found a stainless steel pot scourer that was nice and coarse so I used that. The PCV bracket aligned perfectly. Looked up the engine code: 10ME-U-H **** which according to the BMC engine data site is a closed breathing engine so all back to how it should be.

Here's how it looks now:[frame][/frame]

[bmcecosse]

Yes - I meant 'pot scourer' (which is what I have used in the past) although I don't see loosely filled 'wire wool' as a problem. What you have will be fine ! But I would add a breather rocker cover - with pipe to the valve via Y piece.

[svenedin]

OK. I have a "Y" piece but I am on the look out for a rocker cover with breather. Rocker covers seem rather scarce but I have seen a couple on eBay. That Y piece has different diameter spigots for the two "legs" as compared to the common outlet. I hope the standard hose will squash onto it with clips. Even the set up I have now must be a great improvement. The breather was blocked completely and connected to the wrong place.

PS: I posted to my thread in the restoration section. Had fun and games today with that dreadful "varnish" petrol residue.

PPS: (off topic) Do you know if you can get the original type solenoid with the button that can be used to conveniently start the car from under the bonnet? I replaced the solenoid and was disappointed that it doesn't have the button even though it looks like it does.

[bmcecosse]

The 'square' solenoids are to be avoided - especially 'new' ones- which have recently cropped up on here failing. The old push button is far better - usually some on ebay - there are also 'new' ones of that type - but quality of these is unknown..

[svenedin]

OK, I'll hunt around for one. I had to replace the solenoid when the car was still in daily use over 20 years ago. The one that failed was a square, Lucas, push button type with a red button. I still have it. The replacement square one has always annoyed me because it doesn't have the push button. A silly thing maybe but it was useful (and "cool") to be able to start the car from under the bonnet when working on it. Are the earlier design round ones better then?

I'm going to swap out the dynamo this morning. I have a reconditioned unit that I found in the boot of the car which means the installed dynamo is rubbish. I bought a new pulley and fan because I anticipated a horrible job trying to get the pulley off the old dynamo. I now find the new fan doesn't fit. It isn't deep enough and falls off the bottom of the key so I'm going to have to get the pulley off the old dynamo after all. Soaked the pulley nut in penetrating oil overnight but I bet it will be really difficult. I'm going to get my friend to try to stop the pulley rotating with the old (broken) fan belt whilst I try to undo the nut with a socket on the end of a long handle.

[bmcecosse]

Yes - you can wrap an old belt round and 'trap' it in a vice while you undo...

[svenedin]

I don't have a vice but managed to get the nut undone using a "chain" type pipe wrench round the pulley and a long handled spanner. It was a two-man job though. That was easy compared to getting the thermostat housing off. Utter nightmare but it's done.

[panky]

The view under your bonnet was very familiar as Ted the Traveller's PCV is missing too with a piece of hose blanking the manifold stub off and the breather is piped to the carb. So I'm on the look out for a PCV too.