'63 Almond Green 8 Port

[Richspec]

If i was buying another I'd consider the Emerald, heard some good stuff about that, DTA, as i know it and can swap maps around the various engines and cars we have running dta, and the SC software. We used Omex for the ignition only on a 1380 weber'd 5 port and that was good too.

[Richspec]

Head gasket looks to have gone between 3 and 4.
I've borrowed an adapted compression tester and cylinders 1 and 2 are showing 95psi upwards, 3 and 4 are stuck at around 65, the seals not that great with the tester but the results are consistently poor.

[guru_1071]

I was referring to guru1071's post.


You shouldnt blow three MAP sensors though.

giff

the first one was (i think) my fault, it backfired like godzilla burping and i think the pressure damaged the membrane inside it, either way it was kaput (and it was a proper marreli one )

the second one was more a mystery, id used the little gasper can from an spi to try and allow for any untoward problems, but if failed after two days use, my problem is that i cannot easily use a tps with twin carbs, so have to (for an easy life) use map. (which is harder to test to see if its working as it should compared to a tps)

its currently running a tps though, on a nifty little bracket that sc gave me which allows a hif38( ) to easily run a webcon type tps.

im currently creating a hybrid set of twins that will allow a tps to be used - but its running pretty well (all be it not as well) on the hif38, which has some pretty crap faults, which is why it was junked in favour of twins in the first place


the improvement over a dizzy is amazing though, far smoother, much more pull from low down and the economy does seem to be better (though i have no way to quantify this, the fuel gauge doesnt work so well, but ive only run out once since going on to the ecu! - so im taking that as a plus!)

its a learning curve, and im right at the bottom!

[Giff]

Sorry to Richspec for spamming your thread!

These guys are UK based and stock useful parts, I've used them a lot in the past and they are spot on, the 3 bar sensor will give the same voltages as the Webber jobbie:

http://www.efi-parts.co.uk/index.php?categoryID=82

Tuning throttle bodies with MAP and TPS is the ideal setup. Do the Minispares throttle bodies have a port on each so that they can be connected to a common vacuum block? Also a 3 bar sensor is usually calibrated for a bar of vacuum and two bar of pressure, must have been one hell of a backfire!!

[guru_1071]

a 3 bar sensor is usually calibrated for a bar of vacuum and two bar of pressure, must have been one hell of a backfire!!

it was like a peal of thunder - it was as a result of the crank sensor falling off and it was like the final two fingers from a dying sensor - 'you've killed me with your hamfistedness - i'll show you!' as it wrapped its self round the trigger wheel.....

it actually hurt my ears it was so sharp and loud


mind you, buying a new cosworth crank sensor and map sensor certainly concentrated the mind when it came to checking how tight the litle fiddly allen screws where....

[Giff]

EFI is amazing, never mind an extra map sensor for barometric correction, just wait till you get in to intake air temp sensors combined with MAP to calculate volumetric efficiency tables..

I've been messing with Japanese cars for the last few years (don't hate me for it) and probably the most fun is to be had fiddling about with pulses and voltages. Just sold my last import to concentrate on getting my long sufferring Mini sorted (owned for 20yrs)as I'm getting to that age that if you plan to leave the country then it has to be done sooner rather than later and a bare shell is hard to push on to a boat. Saying that I hope to have time to build a Megasquirt MS3 with the fantastic new MS3X board and add a couple of injectors to a five port head..

[Richspec]

Sorry to Richspec for spamming your thread!

These guys are UK based and stock useful parts, I've used them a lot in the past and they are spot on, the 3 bar sensor will give the same voltages as the Webber jobbie:

http://www.efi-parts.co.uk/index.php?categoryID=82

Tuning throttle bodies with MAP and TPS is the ideal setup. Do the Minispares throttle bodies have a port on each so that they can be connected to a common vacuum block? Also a 3 bar sensor is usually calibrated for a bar of vacuum and two bar of pressure, must have been one hell of a backfire!!

not a problem!
I've bought some bits from Efi-Parts in the past, good service and decently priced.
I think they do have the port on them like all the bodies made by the same people. It just gets messy in the cramped confines of a mini engine bay the more bits you add!

[Richspec]

The second one is up and running

https://www.facebook.com/video/video.ph ... 4383612267

[Chalkie]

This car is amazing!!! what arches are they?

[Frogeye61]

- it was as a result of the crank sensor falling off and it was like the final two fingers from a dying sensor - 'you've killed me with your hamfistedness - i'll show you!' as it wrapped its self round the trigger wheel.....
mind you, buying a new cosworth crank sensor and map sensor certainly concentrated the mind when it came to checking how tight the litle fiddly allen screws where....

For what it's worth, I thought I might just share my crank sensor solution:

Welded on works fine.
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x288 ... _8557s.jpg

Smaller mounting brackets are better - higher eigenfrequency
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x288 ... _8558s.jpg

With the 140mm toothed wheel, it becomes very compact
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x288 ... _8561s.jpg
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x288 ... _8560s.jpg

You'r car is incredible.

[guru_1071]

For what it's worth, I thought I might just share my crank sensor solution:


You'r car is incredible.

my car isnt the original posters, im afraid!

in the year since this was posted, my car has run without problem, bar the plug to the crank sensor getting water in it after some very heavy rain - a furious missfire amused most people until it was fixed!

[Richspec]

I've not been on here much of late but thanks for the compliments.
Its still evolving, slowly. I've added a map sensor, but not got round to getting it working yet, there was a bit of a runaround plumbing it in as the MS throttle bodies have a drilling arse about face as opposed to the rest of jenveys products but soon resolved that
Had a slight misfire which turned out to be poor crimping on one injectors wiring, (I mentioned earlier the looms a bit 'tight' in places).
Swapped out an underperforming alternator recently.
Wired the lambda into the ecu so i can run closed loop.
Err what else.......
Its burning a bit of oil, i think the bores got a bit washed when initial running in and the block /rings /pistons are quite old.
Its leaking a bit too, but thats from the guessworks gearbox (bro's MS 5 speeder remains oil tight )
It continues to rust at a good rate, and it looks like the rebuild may happen this winter, and it severely needs another mapping session.

Other than the above alls well, its been to all the local shows we have attended, often full of all the club regalia, gazebo, fencing, loads of stuff - its not pampered in that respect.

This weekend we're off to Mitp again, just a five hour trip down the road...

last yr

brothers 8 port.


he's got an induction note to die for...git

Rich

[999 ORX]

Is that red one on bike carbs or throttle bodies? You tend to loose that lovely induction noise with trottle bodies! I've thought about putting mine on throttle bodies but I think I'd tend to go for jenveys and a megasquirt system.. Seems like you had a bit to much of a faff with an off the shelf product!?

[Richspec]

Throttle bodies, we used an old 8port inlet we had, as the bought one didnt alllow enough room for the tb's to connect up in the middle. On this we cut off the mounting flange and had it brazed back on the other way up, allowing the ultra short Jenvey throttle bodies to go upside down. Its got short ram pipes and the filters are k+n for racing bikes, so not restrictive.
The head is an ex Steve Harris Hillclimber and its got a 296 cam. Fueling is via mpi tank like mine and the ecu is dta but an older e48 version. I've wired it in so it can run closed loop as well but its still not been mapped yet.

A faff yes at times, but i prefer to look at as pioneering!

[Richspec]

another 6 monthly (almost) update.
The 8 port continues to run well, racking up the miles to the shows and on the classic tours, it was absolutely faultless on the mitp trip, cruising nicely and being the best of the three tuned minis we took down on fuel.
There was an email fom a mag about a feature but i'd rather give it a blow over on the bad bits before that happened.
and unlike another green A reg 8 port at least i did the work myself, maybe i can claim to be the guinea pig for minispares as well, after all mine was done first and actually uses the MS fuel injection kit...
Its also passed another mot with only the rear drums suspected as being egg shaped as an advisory.

Adding the closed loop lambda control has worked well and fiddling with the DTA idle control via advance has transformed the cold idle.
Today was the first start and warm up this year, just to get the oil thrown round its innards a bit
We were so impressed with its idling i took a rather crappy mobile vid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0Uypcmc ... e=youtu.be


Rich

[Tupers]

That's a very tidy little 8 port you've got there. I must admit I have a bit of a soft spot for these engines as I used to watch my uncle hill climb with one when I was younger.

[arnaud-offroy]

a beautiful car.
i will translat this, is very interesting.

[Chalkie]

More and more I read this thread more I want a 7 or an 8 port!!

I was gonna Bini twini my mini but might have to go down this route!!


looks amazing! and love how you use it and don't garage it

[Richspec]

out again on the weekend for the Roof of England Tour over the Cumbria / N.Yorks border and finally got round to getting some video footage using the GoPro. Just need to edit the footage for the trip over Buttertubs and Tailbridge Hill next.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afln1B7VHhg

[Richspec]

Oh dear, oil in the water not a lot but thought i'd better do something with it so its ready for the season.
But in my haste i forgot about the compression check till i was taking the head off and putting it on the floor Idiot
The head gasket doesnt show any obvious signs of failure so just a 'light' failure i think?, I've ordered one of the really expensive cometic gaskets from minispares thats supposed to be the bees knees, sadly out of stock despite what the website said , if it doesnt come soon I'll have to just put a bk450 back as on as i need the car for next weekend
While its all apart I'll be fitting my new stupidly expensive maniflow exhaust, its a much better fit than the old many times cut and rewelded version, but not without its issues - theres a bit of alloy sticks out the rear side of the gearbox which is too close to the downpipes so that'll meet mr angle grinder - its not used anyway, and most annoying the supplied Y-piece is a piece of shit, lovely welds etc but points towards the floor not down the tunnel, I had to chop and reweld the one for my brothers 8 port as well but dont have the time right now so hope i can re-use the old one.
The head had the valves all lapped in, i did have one exhaust valve that didnt come out of the guide so rather than risk further damage i left it for now, it seems the very top of the valve stem must have mushroomed ever so slightly??
As most things are now in bits I'll replace the pot joint oil seals and the gaskets there on the mr leakyworks gearbox. there seems to be a lot more 'wobble' with the pot joint in the diff than I've ever seen before on a mini, something worn perhaps
New minispares pot joint and driveshafts are going in. We'll see what its like after that.
The oil temp take off is being repositioned to the sump plug using one of the adaptors from minisport.
and thats it i think, I dont think i'll have time before the weekend to fit the minispares handling kit of arms, brackets, tie-rods etc etc.

And Oh yes I'm changing the red 8 port over to Emerald engine managment from DTA E48 at the same time..

I'll try and get some pics while its in bits