Low oil pressure might be a sign that the crankshaft bearings are worn out and the noise is a connecting rod knock. You need to take your Mini to somebody who can diagnose the problem in person. Where do you live? There might be a Mini enthisiast in your area who would take a listen. Fill in your user profile.

I just ordered an oil pressure gauge and will be getting it checked out ASAP. What would a normal reading on a 998cc be ?

..... And what does your oil pressure read when it sort of runs?  Just humor me and have a look!  It does sound like a detonation ping, but also like a rod knock or a wrist pin.  It is very unlikely that your timing could have moved that much, so unless you got your firing order mixed up, you have other problems!

I'd agree with Malsal's suspicion that the timing is way off. Firing order may be correct but timing may be so advanced that it is knocking/pinging is happening. The hunting of rpms (fast/slow but not a steady idle) may be the vacuum adance pulling the timing forward to the point the combustion is so advanced it is trying to push the crank backwards, making the engine slow down, vacuum drops, spark advance eases then the rpms pick up and it does it all over again.

Try losening the disrbutor clamp and retarding the timing to see if it smoothes out any.

Valve timing doesn't change or get out of sync. If you timing chain is loose or worn, you't get poor running but not this bad. The odds of it skipping a tooth are even more remote.

Concentrate on the timing - even a really worn out but not broken motor will run if it has fuel, air and OK timing.

 

The valves definitely need re setting at 12 thou. There is another issue which sounds like a combination of timing too far advanced "pinging" and a massive air leak. Are you sure you have the firing order correct 1 3 4 2 counter clockwise number one is around the one o'clock position. Have someone work the accelerator to keep it running and spray carb cleaner or similar around the intake gaskets manifold and carb preferably with the air cleaner removed, if the revs rise up you found the leak.

//youtu.be/3qLzcjezKg0 

Here is a quick video where you can hear that ticking coming from the engine bay. I checked fuel pump and It is good. Has new spark plug and wires . New vacuum line and a new gasket on the rocker cover. I also took a picture of the rockers.. Maybe they are out of sync?? thank you.

Post a video with sound.

I checked my fuel pump and it is working. The ticking noise seems to have gotten worse. Now the car won't stay running. 

1983mini:  what's happening? did you sort it out?

Very true Jemal. I had an electric Facet pump mounted in the boot mouned on the wall, and on a test drive with just a bit of fuel in the tank, it sucked air going around a corner. Heart in throat time! I couldn't decide whether I'd thrown a rod, snapped a valve, bent the crank or all three! When I straightened out it picked up fuel and the world returned to normal. It ticked and clacked constantly and was replaced by an electric SU in the rear subrame where it belongs. 

Yes you can certainly here some of those thump-thump electric pumps when they try to move air! However, the 'ticking' was happening 'when accelerating at 2000-3000 RPM.  In my view too noisy to here under those conditions.... I'm still thinking detonation and rod-knock!  I hope we find out!

Loud ticking from an electric fuel pump (ticking instead of thumping) means it's not pumping fuel. Is there gas in the tank? could be the pump just fills the float bowl from a bit in the tank and that's why it dies, without enough in the tank to keep running. If you have an inline fuel filter, see if it has fuel in it. Or, remove or loosen the clamp and pull the fuel intake line off the carb and point it into an empty bottle or can and have someone turn the key "on" but not start. See if it's pumping gas.

You don't say if the ticking is coming from the front or the rear, but if you have an electric fuel pump, it will be in the rear, and loud enough to hear.

Y'all have no idea how much this info it's helping. Even if the problem isn't fixed I at least learned a few bits Of very useful information. Thanks for the help. Btw I'll check the fuel pump and update the thread later on.

Jemal - not targeted at you or anyone on this thread, but many other posts in general . Harvey

i verify that as positive! i drove my SPi a couple of miles with the oil warning light On before the engine finally stoled and wouldnt fire up again!

On the other hand, novices have no idea if a rod-knock could be described as a 'ticking'!   The oil pressure question is valid!  If the 'ticking' got worse and now it won't stay running, the oil pressure is easy to verify and definitely something I would check!  Oh yes, you can have an oil pressure loss well before 'seizing'!  That happens if you ignore it, or don't know what it is!

Part of the fun of this format is the speculation of a problem from an often woefully inadequate description!   There is no reason to put down anyone chiming in with a suggestion.  I noticed the initial post was up for several hours before I commented on it....

Dan it is nice to see a methodical, logical analysis rather than just throwing out the first thing that comes to mind.

"It is not always what it seems, milk masquerades as cream" 

Start at the beginning:

He says it won't stay running and stalls out like it isn't getting enough gas. Bad oil pressure, won't stop an engine until it seizes and then it wouldn't start. A bent rod wouldn't stop an engine unless it jams against the block, which would probably poke a big hole in it. ( Even so, the engine might keep running!) Poorly adjusted rocker arms wouldn't stall an engine - even a loose one would only affect one cylinder and it would run like crap.

Where is the ticking noise coming from? Engine or somewhere else?

Electric fuel pumps "tick". If you have one and it is failing, then there may not be enough fuel being pumped to the carb.

After the car has sat quietly for awhile, get in and turn on the ignition without starting the engine. Do you hear a tick or a series of ticks? That's what an electric fuel pump sounds like pressurizing the fuel line and filling the carb.

The pump could be failing (broken or stuck valve etc.) or just sucking air.

If you have a mechanical pump, it is on the back of the engine, If its spring has broken then it will not pump properly and make clacking sounds because it is operated by a cam in the engine. If a fuel hose has collapsed or has an air leak, the mechanocal pump will suck air, not fuel and not feed the carb. or maybe its valves have worn out and it just doesn't work well.

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe valve train ticking and the stalling is due to poorly adjusted rocker arms. Maybe do a cylinder pressure test.