Sorry guys but I seem to be asking a lot of questions these days ...... Anyway, I have a couple re my HIF44

- Is the choke spindle meant to have 3mm or so sideways movement into the carb body ie it can be moved into or away from the carb?

- There are 2 pieces of brass coloured pipe coming out of the side above the fuel inlet. I have attached the breathers to the front one but what is the other one for (the one that is right underneath the piston chamber)? Is it supposed to go to the air filter originally?

I just can't get this carb to meter fuel Usually there is none or not enough getting through but on the odd occasion when I can persuade the engine to start it runs far too rich. I've stripped it 3 times, it's spotlessly clean inside and the float level is spot on. I don't know what to do next short of getting another carb.

1, If you are using an electric pump, they sometimes deliver too much pressure.

2. Plug both the spare ports or join them together and try again.

I presume that the anti-tamper plug has been removed so that you can adjust the mixture screw?
The needle valve is notorious for getting wear ridges and can lead to too high a fuel level.
An easy fix as you can screw in a new seat and needle.

Plug all not used openings first.

Check the carb daspot from behind. Moving free? is it realy at the bottom of its move? Needle fixed firm? What kind of needle is it (3 digit code stamped into the neck)?

Right then! After posting my questions I went back into the garage and removed the dashpot to (yet again!) check the needle and for want of something better to do I gave the tube in question a little puff with my air line to see where it came out. I got the shock of my life when a stream of petrol shot out of the jet 2 metres into the air just missing my face So it's a float chamber vent of some sort, then, is it?

Thanks for your replies and in no particular order

- The needle is a BYF (from memory) and tallies with Haynes. The dashpot moves smoothly.

- There is a significant wear ridge on the needle but I didn't think much about it because it still seals fine. I see what you mean though and I'm hoping that the overhaul kit that I have coming from Mini Spares has new ones included (the last kit didn't). The mixture screw is accessible and the jet moves up and down as it's supposed to.

- I'm still using the mechanical pump and it still gives a good strong squirt. I've had the pipe I'm asking about blocked off, thinking that it was something to do with the breather system and now that it's open I don't fancy it venting petrol over the exhaust so joining it up with the breathers is a good solution as long as it doesn't then suck petrol up.

I got everything reassembled tonight ready for another attempt at starting in the morning. By that time my long suffering battery should be fully charged again.

Does anybody know if the sideways play on my choke spindle mentioned above is ok? There is a sort of convoluted seal underneath the cup washer behind the quadrant and it seems to maintain a seal whether the spindle is out or in, if you see what I mean

I had once got an HIF38 with a strange "fillter" on its side. I have found somewhere that this was an "economic" carb. Maybe the same with the larger carb? To recall from memory, I had problems with that carb - not sure what sort though.

Blank the extra holes.

BFY is a 100 needle, soo it must be good to start the engine.

Look for air leaks in the induction system.

It wasn't the dashpot needle and jet I was referring to - it was the inlet needle valve attached to the float.
Take that apart and have a look for wear / dirt.

[quote="minitici"]It wasn't the dashpot needle and jet I was referring to - it was the inlet needle valve attached to the float.
Take that apart and have a look for wear / dirt.

Yes, sorry, that was the one I meant. There is a groove worn all the way round where it meets the seat and I'll replace it now.

I've actually managed to get the car started but only with more problems surfacing The only thing I did differently this time was to unblock the float chamber vent tube just leaving it open to atmosphere meantime. I think I'll move back up to the Projects forum now. Thanks for all help - it's much appreciated.

From memory the HIF44 has three pipes on the side.

The larger one which is just a straight pipe goes to the breathers. It's purely used to provide a bit of negative pressure in the crankcase and draw any fumes into the combustion chamber - my preference is to bung this at the carb end and run the breathers to a catch tank/seperator. Saves any fluctiations in crankcase pressure and fumes messing with your mixture.

The remaining two should have swaged ends - one is obviously the petrol supply (think it's slightly larger from memory). The other is an overflow for the float chamber (probably the one you blew petrol out of). It can be left open as, if everything is right, there should never be any petrol from it but..... On the Mini it has a short length of rubber tube and then a length of metal pipe which runs wit P-clips around the clutch cover bolts and ends towards the bottom of the engine - any fuel which does overflow would ust end up on the floor. If you've had it connected with the breather hose you will have been running negative pressure in the float chamber and quite possibly drawing fuel through it and into the carb direct.

Iain

Good info here:

http://www.theminiforum.co.uk/forums/in ... pic=141233

But I have seen HIF's with a couple of extra small pipes from Maestros/Montegos, these were linked in to each other IIRC.

Thanks for the info guys. I liked your comment, Iain, about petrol should never come out of the vent pipe if all is well......during my shennanigans today trying to start the car it belched out a large amount of petrol over a hot exhaust I thought that if nothing else I could claim some isurance but it didn't go up in flames I very quickly added a length of fuel hose to it.... I have posted in the Projects forum about other major problems with the engine - no wonder the poor old carb is struggling