I saw on Acme's blog that a customer had come up with a "vertical position" storage solution (http://cartowdolly.com/eze-towtow-dol... ) but it only offered pictures. I thought some might like to see that type of solution in ACTION! My EZE-Tow Dolly is an older generation and the hitch is different from their current offering. Still, the principals will apply to the current version.
Over the past two years I've worked on Paddy's (1973 Mini 1000 with a 1380cc A+ engine) mechanical and cosmetic issues including replacing a head gasket, a bent push rod, and other non-engine related upgrades. But one problem has persisted from the begining until now. He's had a nagging "miss" when cruising at normal highway speeds.
He ran OK. But not great . . . and always seemed to lack power on the top end. Now is the time to get to the bottom of the problem! Looking at on-line classic Mini forums and in talkng with other owners, I would come away with the notion that there are literally dozens of possible problems that could cause Paddy's symptoms.
THEN I came across this GREAT article that helps explain and diagnose a couple of issues that could cause misfiring at speed. http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/care/cf106.htm
EXCERPT:
"but upon acceleration at high rpm it misfires."
This would be mixture leaning out, or the spark becoming intermittent.
Adjust both carbs two full turns toward rich, expecting it to run rich at idle, then take another acceleration run. If it then runs better at high speed, you may have the wrong needles in the carbs. Pull the needles and check the numbers on the shank. If the needles are the wrong number, install the correct needles. Reset the correct idle mixture.
"Also a lot of misfire is noticed at cruising speed on the highway while running at 60- 65 mph. Nothing bad but you can feel the missing while cruising."
If it still misfires under acceleration or at higher speed with richer mixture, then it has to be a spark problem. This is not what causes it to run bad when cold, but a separate problem. If the spark plugs are old you might try new ones. If all of the electrical tune up parts appear to be in good condition, you might look for a broken ground wire between the contact breaker plate and the body of the dizzy. Also check for proper function of the vacuum advance unit on the carburetor (assuming it still had the original type distributor). These items are covered under Ignition Troubleshooting.
Thankfully the suggestion to richen the fuel mixture WORKED! The high-speed miss was gone. NOW became the task of selecting a needle that would work in my 1380cc engine. My research found an article online by Keith Calver titled SU Carbs - Quick Reference Needle Selection.
In MY case, I was starting off with an AAK Swinging Needle (mounted in photo to right). I messaged Jack Holdaway at Seven Enterprises for his suggestion. He suggested that his first choice would be the AAA needle but that they were out of those and could ship an AAU instead. The photo at the right shows the AAK, AAU and AAA needle profiles.
You can see hard it is to visually discern the profile differences in needles, Right? That's where the SU Needle Charting software is invaluable.
You simply select the carburettor configuration that you have and then enter the needle profiles that you're considering. In MY case I entered the starting needle (AAK) and then the other needles suggested by Keith Calver and Jack Holdaway - AAU, AAM, and AAA.
Here's the resulting chart:
My starting AAK and alternative AAU needles were similar but at the lower end of the lean > rich scale. The suggested AAA needle has a moderately richer profile up to Step 7 and then takes a steep climb before leveling off around Step 8 and eventually converging with the AAU needle's profile at Step 13.
BOTTOM LINE: The AAA needle was the perfect match for my 1380cc Series A+ engine fitted with twin 1.5" SU HS carbs fitted with K&N cone air filters. Paddy now easily climbs to cruising speeds of 70+ without the nagging feeling that the engine is misfiring or starving for fuel.
Everyone has their opinion of where the BEST place is to store or mount a fire extinguisher in a Classic Mini. Some will mount them under the front seats, to a roll cage (if fitted) or simply place one in the rear storage bins. The latter is where I stored mine until this morning!
My Mini (Paddy) is not a daily-driver . . . nor is it a race car. It's primarily used on weekends, club events, and for running errands on perfect days. My British cars have always been known to leak fluids and maybe even overflow fuel from time to time, so having a fire extinguisher gives me a level of comfort.
For my purposes, I only need a light duty extinguisher that is designed for use in automobiles and marine applications. The Kidde Auto/Marine extinguisher is under $20 and fills the bill. According to the Walmart page:
The Kidde Auto Fire Extinguisher offers a durable, reliable and secure option for preventing and eliminating a variety of fires. This sodium bicarbonate fire extinguisher features a regular dry chemical formula, making it suitable for use on both liquid and energized electrical fires for added versatility and security. Additionally, the Kidde fire extinguisher is U.S.C.G. DOT approved, and features a six-year limited warranty.The Kidde Auto Fire Extinguisher offers a durable, reliable and secure option for preventing and eliminating a variety of fires. This sodium bicarbonate fire extinguisher features a regular dry chemical formula, making it suitable for use on both liquid and energized electrical fires for added versatility and security. Additionally, the Kidde fire extinguisher is U.S.C.G. DOT approved, and features a six-year limited warranty.
MOST of the electronics (sparks) and fluids are in the front of the care under the bonnet or by the dash. For that reason, I opted to place the fire extinguisher at the other end of the car . . . in the boot!
Conveniently, in Paddy, there was an unused bracket near the bottom of the right inner wheel well (inside the boot). All I needed to do was buy a 6-8" length of pre-drilled metal and a few bolts and I was ready to mount the extinguisher.
Here are some photos of the process. To begin with, I mounted a classic BMC decal to my new fire extinguisher
Next I assembled my "mounting bracket" and attached it to the existing bracket on the RH inner wheel well of Paddy's boot. It's simply a pre-drilled metal bar, that I purchased from the hardware store, and the plastic mounting bracket that came with the fire extinguisher.
Here's what the final product looks like . . . .
Paddy has had his WIPAC driving lights installed, but not wired, for about a year now. It was about time to do something about that! In the References section at the bottom of this post you'll find links to the UK The Mini Forum and a couple of people specifically for their help in educating me in the basics of automotive wiring.
Based on their help, I started out by modifying the WIPAC instruction sheet (below) with some specifics to my Classic Mini.
Before starting the project I purchased all of the necessary pieces and parts . . . here's a list of most of those items:
PARTS:
You should always use this kit when fitting auxiliary spot or fog lamps. Kit contains wiring and safety relay. Plugs match those on Rover Mini spot or fog lamps.
Wipac driving lamps. Chrome, all metal body, attractive chrome finish will compliment the chrome brightwork on your Mini. Sold as a pair; includes covers.
For mounting, order two (2) stainless brackets (XBU10046).
Miscellaneous Electrical Fittings:
This project is VERY simple . . . once you've done it! Know what I mean? The first time is where all the mistakes are made and the education is gained. In the references section of this post the reader can find some pretty detailed information. My intention here it to simply provide a photographic journal of the project:
The first thing that I did was to plan out the installation using the wiring kit mentioned above. I basically created a wiring loom using heat shrink tubing while all of the wiring was loose and off the car.
Remember to always use a fuse and disconnect the battery when working on automotive electrics. I chose to START by installing the relay (provided in the kit) on the inner wing and then worked my way towards the front of the car and lights. I used zip ties to anchor the wires as I went.
Based on the wiring diagram, I needed to located the Blue/White High (Main) Beam wire that was conveniently located just behing the front grill.
Power was picked up at the solenoid junction. Note the inline 15Amp fuse.
Then, connecting the lights with bullet connectors, which will allow the wires to be easily disconnected when it's necessary to remove the front grill.
The end result . . . . The low beams will come on without the driving lights.
But when the High (Main) Beam is activated by the foot switch all four lights will fire.
References:
Thanks to Nev_Payne from the UK "The Mini Forum" for his brief but enlightening explanation and diagram for installing driving lights - click here
Thanks to Cooper Man from the US "The Mini Forum ALSO for his MANY explanations and diagrams on lighting (and many other topics) - click here.
Wiring Spots And Lamps - Problems, Questions and Technical - The Mini Forum
Paddy is being treated to a week at Bob Zook's Auto Body for some minor rust and paint repair to the driver side door. From the time that I brought Paddy home, there had been a line of paint "bubble" at the very top edge of the door where the stainless window trim meets the painted surface.
I originally thought that it might just be a buildup of paint, but after returning from Mini 54 I notice that the bubbles were cracked and there was some rust underneath. Yikes! I didn't want THAT to continue.
One body shop thought it might be from improper paint preparation from a prior re-spray and thought I might be opening a can-o-worms if I tried to paint just the affected area. I didn't agree and decided to take it to Zook's.
Paddy was welcomed into the "Zook Family" of car restorers and they agreed with me that the issue was not paint prep, but rust starting from where the window meets the trim. We thought we could just pop off the trim, sand, and paint . . . but as the pictures show, all the hardware needed to come off along with the entire door.
I stopped out to check on the progress and the door is sanded and primed. Looks like I'll probably get him back nest week in time to tuck him in for the Winter.
Angie bought me an "EZE-TOW" Hydraulic “Disc” Brake Car Tow Dolly -The only car tow dolly in the world with fully vented double vane “disc” brakes - for my BIRTHDAY!!
Paddy has been running poorly so it's time to pop the bonnet and see what REALLY going on. I'm starting with a compression check on the engine, but before that, let take a video!
* What Did You Do To Your Mini Today
We're getting a pretty good snow today so, since I'm house bound, I thought I'd take the opportunity to install the Wipac Fog Lamps I reversed the mounting bolt so that it points UP rather than down through the mounting brackets. By doing that, the lamp hides the nut and bolt and gives a much cleaner look.
Here's what they look like installed . . . .
* What Did You Do To Your Mini Today?
Seven Enterprises says this about the Paddy Hopkirk accelerator pedal:
"Get that rally look and improve your heel-and-toe technique with a Paddy Hopkirk footprint-shaped metal pad on the gas pedal. This is the official Hopkirk model, for Mk1 and Mk2 Minis. Comes with brackets and screws for mounting over existing pedal surface."
Here are the before and after photos of Paddy's accelerator pedal -