Finally! After over a year (when we visited MiniSport, who told me the engine is down on BHP and compression, and the first thing to check was valve timing), the camshaft timing was checked. It looks like there was indeed a big problem in this area, namely a missing tensioner for the timing chain, which already caused a lot of wear on the chain. A new chain went in, along with the tensioner. The engine seems livelier, now, which is good news.
Ever since the White Cooper was finished after the restorarion I have been unhappy with the way the chrome trim was fitted along the bottom of the car (wheel arches and sill); it was fitted as two parts, one trailing the front arch and the sill, and the second only trailing the rear arch. To make matters worse, these parts were pop-riveted into place. This didn't look too great to begin with, but it is a known fact that this kind of trim is hard to get right, so it was accepted as a possibly acceptable compromise.
Much has happened again, to the white Cooper. First, the sensor for the electric cooling fan had to be replaced. And, it turned out the LCB wasn't quite doing its job any more...
As I have reported before, there were continueing problems on the white Cooper with the throttle that would get stuck. After having tried really simple stuff like giving the throttle spindle some extra lubrication, the next step was having a look at the throttle cable. I bought a new throttle cable some time ago at a Mini centre and we planned to put it in today. Since today was also the day for the MSCN beginners technical course at Broek Brittcar in Waalwijk, we went there to have a look how everything was going, and did the job there.
Every time I wash the Mini (and that's about once every two weeks, lately), it gets me depressed. The last few times I have found a new little peck of rust (just a really small brown dot in the white) every time when being so close to the car. In fact, I have now decided to try and not run the car for another winter next year and keep it stored dry and warm somewhere (and sorting out the few little bits that have gone wrong before it really is too late).
Of course, that means two things:
Well, I made a promise to keep you up to date about the findings in Amersfoort with regard to the valve clearance and what not. Turns out, there is not much to update on. The valves needed a little adjusting, but nothing too concerning.
Stupid, stupid, stupid. If I had just taken the trouble to spray some WD40 or some such on the throttle disc pivot of the carburettor (as had shot through my head on a few occasions), it would probably have saved us a trip to Amersfoort. Peter, our mechanic, concluded that was the reason for the fast idling the white Cooper sometimes did lately. On the way back it did it once, but not as often as it used to do. Just a bit more grease?
What started as a quicky over to Peter Seegers in Amersfoort (thanks dad!) to get a torn CV joint cover replaced (see previous entry) and the oil renewed (wowza, finally, practically no oil has been required to top up in the meantime) became a bit more of a bank-breaker.
This weekend we took some time to give the white Cooper a well-earned wash, and a grease-up after that (something that can never be done too often on Mini's). Apart from a rattle I destroyed while trying to undo the wheel nuts (while the nuts of the other wheel still needed tighting up), we also found the cover of the left HV joint was torn badly. We'll get it to the garage this week, since this is not a job we want to take on ourselves (not enough skills and not enough time). To be continued.
As I wrote in yesterday's entry, the windscreen whiper cable had broken on the white Cooper. My dad went to Mini Centre Huissen today to get a new one. This evening we fitted everything back together. We had to cut the cable in half, or thereabouts (universal model that was waaaay to long for the Mini), but everything is fitted now, and all greased up. So, let the rain come down on us.
