Some years ago I drove my Midget from California to Washington DC, via Idaho
(visit wife's relatives). The car ran great until we got to about 8,000ft,
then it started dying on the side of the road. First time was in the
desert, in July, middle of nowhere, wife 6 months pregnant (insisted on
coming) was not impressed. After much looking, I figured it was
vapor-locking in the carbs, so out came the grill, and then the air
cleaners, then the hood got propped up with a rock, and we limped over the
mountains at 13,000, at night, in the rain. When it ran, it ran great, it
just would die from time to time. Once we got below 10,000 feet, put it all
back together and it ran like a champ all the way to DC. The pleasures of
those frequent military transfers.
Bob
'74 MG Midget
'90 944S2
-----Original Message-----
From Mike Maclean [mailto:macleans at earthlink.net]
Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2002 9:25 PM
To: spridgets@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Pressed Steel Rockers
O.K., but did 2000 ft of additional altitude warrant an adjustment or
was my motor
wheezing because of it's diminutive size?
Mike MacLean-60 Sprite
Geoff Branch wrote:
> Mike: You would lean the carbs as you increased in altitude. Less
air needs
> less gas. Carbs in airplanes have a leaning device controlled from
the cockpit
> for just this case.
>
> Geoff Branch
> '74 Meejit "Yellow Peril"
> '72 Innocenti 1300 Mini
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mike Maclean" <macleans@earthlink.net>
> To: <spridgets@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2002 8:19 PM
> Subject: Pressed Steel Rockers
>
> > I went on a fun run on New Years day and had to climb from an
> > altitude of 1452 asl to over 3500 ft asl on a steep grade. Two
problems
> > arose. One may be caused by the size of my engine in the Bugeye and
the
> > other by a shortcut during the engine rebuild. First, I had a He**
of a
> > time keeping up with the other cars on the grade up, even the
Minis. I
> > had to pull over to let most of the pack pass me. I am sure that
948
> > CCs was the major cause of this, but should I have adjusted the
carbs
> > and if I did, should I have leaned them out or richened them?
> > Second, oil was all over the top of the engine around the valve
> > cover and I have determined this to be due to the fact that I
installed
> > used pressed steel rockers on a new hardened shaft. Of course the
> > bushings in the rockers were out of round from prior use, but David
> > Anton did a casual inspection of the rocker assembly and said it
should
> > be O.K., so I installed them. Someone behind me also said I was
blowing
> > blue smoke between shifts which is probably another by-product of
this.
> > I think the oil, when sufficiently warmed up, comes out the rocker
> > bushes at a faster rate than it should causing these problems.
There is
> > no question I need a better rocker to shaft fit, but my question is,
> > does anyone replace the bushings in the pressed steel rockers?
> > Mike MacLean-Smoky, Oily 60 Sprite
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