Just put my ported mg metro head on my car and its now not running right, was expecting it.
My spec is
1275 cooper spi, with injection removed
ported mg metro head
stage 1 kit
hif44 carb
so basicly a stage 1 1275, cooper cam, ported mg metro head, hif44
any ideas on a needle? my stage 1 needle is just not cutting it.
bump
To start with, what is your ‘stage 1 needle’.
Without knowing this we can’t suggest much.
As far as I can remember the MG Metro runs on a BDL needle, (at least my two engine’s do), and an MG Metro has what amounts to a stage 1 kit as standard, so that may be a good place to start, only thing is I can’t guess at the ‘porting’ work you’ve had done.
As porting isn’t an exact science, your best bet would be to take the whole lot to a rolling road, and have it all tweeked by a professional!
Dave
> To start with, what is your ‘stage 1 needle’.
Without knowing this we can’t suggest much.
As far as I can remember the MG Metro runs on a BDL needle, (at least my two engine’s do), and an MG Metro has what amounts to a stage 1 kit as standard, so that may be a good place to start, only thing is I can’t guess at the ‘porting’ work you’ve had done.
As porting isn’t an exact science, your best bet would be to take the whole lot to a rolling road, and have it all tweeked by a professional!
Dave
Yes, thats what I was thinking, I have been told that the spi cooper cam is similar to the mg metro cam, although how true that is im not sure. I don’t want to spend the money on a rolling road session as this engine is only temporary until I can finaly get my 1380 running.
Im unsure on the porting work as I got it with porting done, I took it out a bit more, but not sure by how much. Although I’d say it was not alot.
Currently running a BBW needle
You say it’s not running right, can you describe this a little more…
> You say it’s not running right, can you describe this a little more…
Will not idle, just stops as soon as you take your foot off the accelerator, and makes a loud bark at higher revs, around 5k rpm. (sign of being lean?)
What do people think? mg metro needle?
Sounds like a air leak, have you tried the WD40 test ? Squirt WD around the manifold area and listen for a change engine speed. The BBW isn’t that far away form the BDL just richer at the top end.
If you’re not going to rolling road it, how about sticking an exhaust gas analyser in it, and adjusting the idle mixture and speed using that and a timing light.
Then if it’s still lean at the top end get a slightly richer needle.
However, as it sounds more like an airleak, you may do better to look into this first.
D
I don’t think I have an air leak, only messed around with the inlet manifold when doing the head didn’t touch the carb and its done up very tight on a new gasket, i’ll give the wd40 a go just to check, i enriched the mixture and tweaked the idler screw a bit and it seems to run ok, lumpy idle and still the loud bark at higher revs.
My 1990 Mainstream Mini Cooper has the hif44 carburettor and the engine is basically the same as the MG Metro, only with a 3.1 final drive instead.
Anyway, my standard original needle was a ‘BFY’. But after fitting a K&N Cone Filter back in late 1998, we were advised to fit a slightly richer needle and so a ‘BDP’ needle was fitted instead.
My Mini also then received a Maniflow LCB and a 1"3/4 twin-box exhaust system and it ran beautifully even though I’d never been near a rolling road to get it all set-up properly.
That was until last month when it finally got put on the rollers at Willfield Motors of Abercynon on a rolling road shoot-out day with my local Mini Club (South Wales Minis).
I paid just 25 quid for the power run and apart from being relieved that my Mini didn’t explode whilst reaching speeds in excess of 100mph on those rollers, I was also very pleased to hear that it was running like a dream and didn’t require any further tuning at all. But if I did want more power, I’d need to fit a different head, cam and get the engine bored out.
I’m not though as I’m quite happy with the performance as it is, plus I couldn’t afford to get it further modified anyway and here’s all the facts, figures, images and video’s of that wonderful day: -
Rolling Road Day @ Willfield Motors link
So for around 60 quid, you could have your Mini tuned by Tommy of Willfield Motors (if it needs tuning) and Abercynon isn’t far from you?
I now have an engine covered in wd40, but no air leak, didn’t make a change.
So what do people think? mg metro needle?
> I now have an engine covered in wd40, but no air leak, didn’t make a change.
So what do people think? mg metro needle?
Yes, or take it to Tommy to tune?
This engine is temporary, going to be in my car for around 2-3 months, doesn’t realy warrent the expense of a rolling road setup, just want it close, rang tommy at wilfeild today to see if he had a mg needle but he didn’t. Our engines seem pretty similar spec taffy, i have a ram air air filter, and lcb exhaust system with maniflow back boxes.
May try the needle you have
4 replies, 3 removed as they were all the same!
Okay, the one post would have been enough and not four times over! LOL
Anyway, yes give it a go and I forgot to say that my Mini also lost it’s cat well over a decade ago too.
Even though I only gained about 1.5bhp more than Phil of South Wales Minis who took his wife’s Mainstream Cooper along and that is bog standard and still retains it’s cat!
The BBW richer top end than the BDL but not as rich as the BDP, so is in between the BDL and the BDP you should be able to get it something like right with what you’ve got.
Your running the electric SPI dizzy ? They did keep the dizzy didn’t they, If so what’s it timed in at ?
> The BBW richer top end than the BDL but not as rich as the BDP, so is in between the BDL and the BDP you should be able to get it something like right with what you’ve got.
Your running the electric SPI dizzy ? They did keep the dizzy didn’t they, If so what’s it timed in at ?
No didn’t retain the spi dizzy as it was damaged, don’t know what its timed at, should I re time it for the new head?
> don’t know what its timed at, should I re time it for the new head?
You need to check the timing then and tell us what it is. Is it a electronic dizzy or points ? What dizzy is it and/or which model it came from ?
Ok im running a points dizzy, don’t know the model, I tried re timing it today, I can get it idling better by advancing it alot, but this causes it knock and pink very badly when driving, so re-timed it back so now it drives ok but the idle is still waaaay, off, it’s pretty much right driving, still makes the weird bark noise at high revs but that is quite high revs so im not too bothered about that at the moment. I just want a better idle?
I set it as the manual sais 10 deg btdc. This seems about right for driving, although my strobe is rubbish and it’s about right.
You sure your vac advance is working properly?
Dave
