It’s a busy Mini today in the workshops as we prepare for our Cooper S to be delivered to Geoff later in the week. We’ve carried out the pre delivery inspection and noticed a fuel leak from carb float bowl.
We’ve taken the car outside to warm her up.
Checked for previous fuel leak and no signs of leak anymore.
Next up, we’ve carried out a long road test, under different driving conditions using P1 fuel. We’ve cruised at 30, 50, 60 and 70mph and all seems to be ok. The car accelerates well at all speeds. The idle speed is a little erratic but doesn’t stall or cut out at all and drives lovely. We’ve rechecked for fuel leak and it appears to have stopped now. We suspected the needle valve was stuck in offside carb.
Now, it’s time to make history here at Bridge Classic Cars as we fill her up with our new P1 fuel, right to the brim.
Rob then took the car away for some final bits of filming but annoyingly the fuel leak has reappeared. Jon has remove the float bowl lid, freed off the needle valve and checked over and now all seems ok.
Now on to Mini number 2, our 1961 Austin Mini 850. Molly has been out to shoot the car today and has reported that it struggles to stay running. Jon has now attended to the stalling issue by removing the air filter and carburettor suction chamber and piston.
We have thoroughly cleaned both and checked for piston free fall in suction chamber. It was a bit sticky so we have lubed up, refitted and refilled the damper oil. The air filter has been refitted.
Road test and adjust idle speed.
The brakes pull to the right slightly under hard braking which we will need to address but otherwise the car now drives fine.
We have adjusted the front brakes and retest and now it is much better.
