74 Mini 1000

Yea, that is what I meant . I might as well flush some fresh fuel through as well while I am at it.

I don't care what fixes it, I just want it fixed.

That is good advice though, I tend to get ahead of myself and overlook the simple things.

Love this thread. I've got family in England and I'm hoping one day to bring a Mini Cooper over. I was at our motor sport club meeting on Wednesday and saw a mint Mini but it was much newer, probably a late 80's. It was right hand drive and still had the british plates underneath the Ontario ones. Don't worry about rust, it's just a natural lightening tool. Good luck.

The intake valves on #1 and #2 are stuck open...that can't be helping.

Valves are now unstuck, it runs...kinda. It was very rough and kept dying but it is getting there. Tomorrow I am going to flush the system with fresh gas and see if that helps.

Y'all are not helping my automotive ADD, dammit.

Sticky valves will eventually work their way free. It helps to pop the valve cover and use PB or etc on the valve stems, then rap on the valves with a brass hammer or drift, remarked the voice of experience.

that is how I got them free, although with a slightly smaller drift.

I dunno if I'd admit to having a small drift in public.

It's not the size of the drift its how you hit it....er..... wait, nevermind.

Now the spark is gone...

I'd start with grounds then. It is British after all.

According to the wiring diagram and the white wire from the ignition switch goes to the (+) side of the coil and the white/black wire goes to the (-) side. The wires on my coil are reversed...but I didn't touch them and it had spark before.

Pictures are uploading.

Last time I had it running after I got the valves unstuck it would run and die and I would have to start it again. It got progressively better until it wouldn't start, it would just crank and not fire. It was late so I left it until the next day and that is when I discovered it had no spark. The plugs are wet and dark but they should still spark a little right?

I also took the wire from the coil off the distributor cap and held it next to the head to see if there was a spark from it and there was nothing.

I installed the pertronix ignition and still nothing.

Do you hook the battery to a trickle charger in the meantime?

crankwalk wrote: Do you hook the battery to a trickle charger in the meantime?

Nope, I did jump it with another car while I was cranking it the other day but it hasn't run down yet. I probably should though.

You can see in the picture of the coil that the white/black wire is going to the (+) coil terminal and the solid white wire is on the (-).

That is reversed according to this wiring diagram.

http://www.minimania.com/images/wiring/PDFs/wiring12.pdf

Coils will "work" backwards, just poorly.

I switched the wires on the coil to what the wire diagram reads and it fired right up.

No idea how they were put on backwards or how long they were like that but it runs perfectly now.

Sweet!

Took it for a little drive around the block. There are a few things that don't work like the turn signals and speedo but it runs great and is fun to drive.

I like the mechanical fan and radiator placement...definitely had no idea they were configured like that.

Now that it drives, browse the "Good God Almighty" thread, because all of those girls will want a ride in it.

Knurled wrote: Coils will "work" backwards, just poorly.

Winner!