This doesn't look right.....engine

[mellowyellow]

Took the minibeast to work today. It was not idling well and stalled a few times on the way home. When I got home, I had a look in the engine bay and saw this.





I don't think this port should be open. The engine was making an infernal racket, a lot more than noisy tappetts. I'll close this up, but not sure if I have done any damage.

It's due to go back to the mechanic next week to get a plate at the rear of the engine replaced and do something with the steering rack,  but I have to drive it there, only a few K's.

Any thoughts???

[.]

and where is the spring for the clutch ?

it shouldnt make any differance..If I say it correct it's just a thing to look into the clutch housing.
I think there maybe something else



mavro

[spider]

LOL, nothing to worry about as far as having that open, but don't stick your fingers in there when it running!

That's just an inspection port for the timing marks when setting the distributor timing.

[aussieclown]

also missing the dust boot from the slave cylinder

AC

[Nickomokeo]

MY,

It's just the inspection opening for the timing marks.
Can't possibly do any damage having it open, unless you drop a spanner in there
I don't think you would notice any additional noise with it open.  I have seen a lot of engines that lost the plate years ago.
Nicko

Oh - 3 people beat me to it

[Newie]

The cover is just a peephole to the flywheel for checking the timing. Certainly wouldn't be good if anything fell in there, but pretty unlikely to be your problem.

and where is the spring for the clutch ?

Also missing the dust cover on the clutch slave clyinder, but neither of those are your immediate problem either.


OK......way too slow 

But on a more constructive note, what sort of noise? Presumably like noisy tappets only much louder? How is your engine oil level? Engine tappet noise will get much louder once oil level gets too low (don't ask me how I know this?  )


Newie

[Biggles]

G'day Mell,
                 Do you think thats roughly where your noise is coming from?
Is that why you were looking down there? If you were then its probably
the thrust bearing. Does the noise change when you put your foot on
the clutch?

                    Biggles

[mellowyellow]

OK, just put the cover back on and the noise lessened back to normal. The oil level is fine., it's even still clear as I had an oil change only a few weeks ago when the head was retorqued. Sounds better now.

I'm assuming the clutch return spring belongs to the left of the first photo. I didn't notice any problems driving home.

 It wouldn't be the first time I've driven a mini with no clutch spring though. Got towed off the harbour bridge in afternoon peak hour in my 64 mini 850 after the accelerator spring went. NRMA just swapped the clutch spring to accelorator return. Drove back to Northern Beaches with a stiff accelerator and soft clutch pedal. Fun!!!

I'm assuming the clutch slave cylinder is the black cylinder on the right of the first pic and the dust cover goes on the port at the bottom of it. I guess I'm lucky my dad was an engineer and taught me how to fix our old 2nd hand cars under his watchful eye.

So, next on shopping list..decent set of imperial spanners. Hope the repair manual arrives soon so I know what I am looking at.

[dacjac]

Mellow yellow 

Your little issue take me back to my youth

Not sure what your noise is or what is causing it but over the years i have had most of them and if they are serious the engine will stop . if they are loud you will find out what they are and fix them and if you ignore them for long enough they may fall off I had an EJ Holden with an anoying noise / easy fix, dust cover to the bell housing, then all of a sudden the noise was gone, the cover fell off on the freeway one day . The car still ran with no issues for the next year or so untill someone nicked it  I got it back but it was trashed , didn't realise it could do awsome burnouts until i saw the marks when i picked it up after being nicked gave it to a mate for parts for his EH. DO NOT GIVE YOUR MOKE AWAY

[mellowyellow]

Dacjac, it was about 1975 when i got towed off the bridge. I also had things drop of the mini, the worst being the exhaust dropped off at the manifold end while driving. Very loud!!!!! Left it where it was, as I was not far from home. Next day, go back with dad, wire it up to get it home. Can't remember how it came off or how we fixed it.  That car used to leap out of first gear also. The joys of an older car.  Mind you the mini was only 11 at the time.

I have a suspicion that I am driving the Moke more than the previous owner and finding a few bugs. Thanks goodness for the helpfull forum members. 

[mellowyellow]

Well I had the minibeast back to the mechanic today to finish off a few things. I now have proper retaining clips on the CV boots, and a new thicker fuel pump blanking plate at the rear of the engine. The problem with the steering rack has been improved with a new 2nd hand one. The old one had rust where some bushes went, and you could see where there was some evidence of some other filing along the lenghth of the shaft.

You will be pleased to know that the port at the manifold has been sealed up and the engine runs and idles better now wth some adjustment to the carby. Oh, and I now have a clutch return spring!   

Now the job for the weekend is find out why the battery loses charge after only 8 days, and sort out how it is retained in the box. When I took the cover off to charge it up, I couldn't see any retaining devices, there were some bits of wood, and the battery just seems to sit there.  Definately not how it should be according to the repair manual!.

[aussieclown]

Hi Mellow,

Eletrical gremilins are traditionally very hard to solve quickly,

Put an isolator switch in it, it will also keep the thieves honest and then you can work the eletrical problem out later

AC

[mellowyellow]

Thanks AC. The minibeast has an immobiliser so won't start without the remote. But I think there is a short somewhere. After I reconnected the battery leads, I created some sparks when I was tightening up the nuts. So I need to find out whats going on.