Hi all,

After 3 months inactivity, flat battery. Jumped started it ok but running rough, especially down low.

Upon investigating, I found to my horror, the foam ramflow airfilter has all but disappeared. There are some charcoaled remnants in the filter housing but 99% of it has gone through the carby (45mm side draught weber) and on into the engine. I can recall no events in the past that give any clue at to what has happened. There is no fire damage behind the carby, I assume a backfire has set the filter alight and the rest is history.
My questions are what should do I do from here. A strip down of the carby seems mandatory, but what about the engine. What horrors/ damage has potentially occurred inside the engine. would it have damaged the valve seats for example?The engine is running ok at 1000 rpm albeit hunting slightly (Possibly some of the molten crap might have coagulated on the chokes?). Do I run the car to charge the battery to get it to my mates garage or is that madness? I'm assuming whatever damage if any, has already been done? Oil pressure is fine though I'm thinking surely some sort of crap would have contaminated the engine oil even though it looks clean and bright? The car ran fine last time I drove it, in this condition..

Any and all advice would be much appreciated.

Cheers

Michael

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67 Deluxe
Dry suspension
1293cc, 11:1 comp, RE 282 camshaft, 45 Weber, extractors etc
4 synchro close ratio gbox
Cooper S brakes, no booster
Stealth box, as Doc says "goes harder and idles!"
RH tank cos I needed it crossing the Nullarbor etc..

The engine would have just chewed it up and spat it out with no damage, strip and clean the carb and try again...........

Most likely nil effect. It would just melt and pass through into the exhaust. Nothing you can do about that, but it is not metal all he same.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

I have put a lot worse down the throat of en engine with nil effect. It may smoke for a bit until its all cleared out.

Thanks for your thoughts guys.
Do you think I should strip the carby and have a look? I'm worried some of the molten foam may have gummed it up a bit explaining the slight hunting and slight erratic idling? (Didn't do it before) and what would have caused the filter to catch fire? Presumably a backfire, but I don't recall that ever happening...

_________________
67 Deluxe
Dry suspension
1293cc, 11:1 comp, RE 282 camshaft, 45 Weber, extractors etc
4 synchro close ratio gbox
Cooper S brakes, no booster
Stealth box, as Doc says "goes harder and idles!"
RH tank cos I needed it crossing the Nullarbor etc..

One time my dad and I lost the end of a plastic screwdriver handle down into a cylinder. After numerous attempts at retrieving it we decided to start up the motor. Melted and pulverized bits of plastic exited via the exhaust pipe.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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68 Morris Cooper S Mk1 (*ex 78 1275 LS 4th last built, 70 Morris 1500 OHC & 70 MiniMatic)

I left a little aluminium rod in #1 spark plug hole of my 1.8 Focus, then turned the engine over a bit and it fell in, then I forgot about it, then I put the spark plug in, then I tried to start it.... completely f*cked it

the old ramflo filter disintegrated because they're crap and fall apart - they should be oiled, but a better quality filter insert would be a better move

I'd pull the carby apart

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

Thanks Simon,

I will dismantle the carby. The ramflo was oiled and it didn't fall apart, it combusted, leaving charcoaled gunk remnants glued to the wire filter cage and some of that crap is potentially gumming up the venturi's...
Something odd happened.

_________________
67 Deluxe
Dry suspension
1293cc, 11:1 comp, RE 282 camshaft, 45 Weber, extractors etc
4 synchro close ratio gbox
Cooper S brakes, no booster
Stealth box, as Doc says "goes harder and idles!"
RH tank cos I needed it crossing the Nullarbor etc..

Ask Chong about the flammability of his Ramflo..
viewtopic.php?p=1010533#p1010533

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Use a Unifilter foam instead of the Lynx.
LNX300 for su or LNX400 for Weber/Dellorto.
These come pre oiled.

Chong's caught fire because ignition timing was being adjusted and was way out when it happened.
Mine has run a Ramflo on the Dellorto for 30 years.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Oh dear, I feel for Chong. That would have been heartrending.. I have zero fire damage, nothing even singed, obviously my conflagration happened when I was on the move so the fire just got sucked straight thru the carby. The plastic frame supporting the foam has vanished. Would have thought I'd have noticed something odd was going on with all that happening though?!

I do carry an extinguisher in one of the rear side pockets, they are very cheap insurance to have...

Doc, any particular reason why the uni filter is better than the ramflow one?

_________________
67 Deluxe
Dry suspension
1293cc, 11:1 comp, RE 282 camshaft, 45 Weber, extractors etc
4 synchro close ratio gbox
Cooper S brakes, no booster
Stealth box, as Doc says "goes harder and idles!"
RH tank cos I needed it crossing the Nullarbor etc..

The Unifilter foam has less restriction. You can re-oil them after cleaning, but they are under $10 so it's easier to just replace them. I just did this after 5 years... the old foam was OK but I binned it. It's a club car now so doesn't do heaps of miles.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Where deya get em Doc?

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"Show me the Mini!"

It might not have been fire. Those ramflows just crumble and fall apart after exposure to petrol vapour. They look nice and chromy but are pretty useless filters.

Tim

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1951 Morris Commercial J Type Van
1955 BSA C11G
1961 Morris Mini Traveller
1969 Triumph TR6R
1977 Leyland Moke Californian

I can't find anybody in Melbourne that stocks them. Repco, Autobarn, Burson's etc don't carry stock. They all have to order from Uni filter in NSW and they charge $15 postage for a $14 item. I'll stick with Ramflow.
Update on my issue. Removed the carby and the the venturi's were coated in crap. The chokes are stuck fast, I'll just let them be and clean them up with petrol. Float chamber grubby, will strip the whole thing down and clean the lot. The plugs were clagged with crap. No wonder it ran a bit rough. I'm a bit amazed it ran at all..
Also found the windscreen washer plastic lines had disappeared and paint damage to underneath bonnet. Black outer insulation wrapping on wires at the back of the speedo damaged in places but no big deal. I think I was very lucky....

_________________
67 Deluxe
Dry suspension
1293cc, 11:1 comp, RE 282 camshaft, 45 Weber, extractors etc
4 synchro close ratio gbox
Cooper S brakes, no booster
Stealth box, as Doc says "goes harder and idles!"
RH tank cos I needed it crossing the Nullarbor etc..