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I need to get my Dad's Moke going and moved. It's at least five years since it ran. It is in a garage so away from the worst of the elements. The garage has no mains power.
I'll take a new battery with me, but as it's over three hours away so I want to have everything I need with me to get it going, and ideally an idiot's guide to getting it running. There's not much to it I know, but things like the carb are completely new to me (all my experience is Solex/Weber) , so I'm after those Top Tips!
Any advice?
Clean petrol.
Sandpaper for spark plug gaps.
As much electricity as you can carry.
Spanners, screwdrivers, hammer, first aid kit and a rope to tow it home if you fail
Had to do the same to my fil's clubby gt. New battery and fuel (siphoned out the tank and flushed out the rest) and it fired up. Rear drums had siezed, so jacked up, took wheel off and used a pry bar on the studs to get them free again. It'd been stored for about 3 years, but in a damp garage.
Did all the normal checks before hand, plugs, points etc. The joys of them being basic!
Clean petrol had crossed my mind.
I'm not towing it - it's a long way away. If it comes to that I'll throw money at it!
Spanners - will they be in old money, I've only got metric?
When you do get it going, bask in the lifestyle of the rich & famous! https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-reviews/moke-international/moke-electric-convertible/
Where abouts are you, smiffy? I've got a haynes manual somewhere if you're near Hastings. If not they're cheap on ebay.
I’m not towing it – it’s a long way away. If it comes to that I’ll throw money at it!
Old car that's not started/moved in 5 years - brakes may be seized, carb full of crap and rancid fuel.
Also consider the state of the fan belt, hoses and the engine oil.
I wish you well but you may want to make plans to get it on a trailer if it needs to be moved the day you go.
Cool little project though!
Having cleaned a couple of bike carbs recently, something clean and stable to work on, small containers for the bits, maybe some gasket paste. Taking a carb apart, standing up over grass is a really good way to get to spend ages looking for bits - guess how I know that!!!
Rubber mallet, jubilee clips, some fuel line, foot pump. Possible portable heat such as a blow torch - depends how far you’re going to get into it. My bsa is in a shed with no electricity - portable lights and ones with magnetic bases are a godsend as is something to sit on.
can of sure start or something similar to pump into the air intake to get it going.
I'd probably also take a socket set and turn the engine over a couple of times by hand just to free it up and make sure it still turns over.
The carb will be empty of petrol when you go there, you can add petrol directly to the float (?)
watch a couple of videos like this on things that have been stopped much much longer..
...phone Mathewsons and get on TV! 🙂
You may well need imperial spanners / sockets
Before turning it a little fogging oil sprayed into the cylinders though the plug holes would be nice.
It depends on the garage, but the first problem is likely to be access.
The tyres might be perished and are probably flat. Take a decent footpump, they're only small tyres, hopefully they'll hold air. Electric pumps need power.
Lots of rubber gloves and a vac for nesting things would be good too
How far are you moving it? You'll probably need a winch to get it out so that you can tackle seized brakes, etc. A hand-powered Tirfor winch will do the job, but whatever you use will need an anchor, substantial tree, 4WD with electric winch, etc.
I wish you well but you may want to make plans to get it on a trailer if it needs to be moved the day you go.
With a 3-hour journey this would be my chosen route as well. It's going to be a looooooong day if you want to make it driveable. Lots of good advice^^ if you're determined 🙂 Hire a car trailer with a winch (and ramps), or sort a local recovery/transport company.
It's been 40 years, but I can help with with practical Mini-type stuff and kit car stuff too (not a Moke), so please ask.
If it's your project it'll be fascinating and they're suitable for kids to get involved with too. Asbestos brake linings and clutch hopefully won't still be fitted if it's been in recent use
Petrol- don't forget to use E5 rather than E10, and does it have unleaded valve seats?
Are you just starting it or moving it as well?
Had my mini up and running at the weekend in order to sell- hadn't run in a while but fresh fuel and a plug clean was all it needed. It sits in a dry garage connected to a battery conditioner though.
Thanks for all the advice and offers, Let's see how I get on. I'm not even sure when I'll make the trip as I'm having a complicated life at the moment. There's no rush if I don't have to sell the property it's on, or well, you know. It's beginning to sound like getting it going and moving it might work over a couple of weekends to allow for faffage. I probably need to find paperwork too before it goes near the road.
Contact Jonny Smith and get him to do a Barn Find episode
If doing it yourself, jumper leads / booster battery, clean fuel, new spark plugs, condenser and points, all the tools you can carry, big hammer.
Seriously, watch one of Jonny's barn find episodes on YouTube, lots of good tips. Assume the fuel is rubbish. Spark plugs out, oil down the bores and crank it over before trying to start it. Check for sparks before putting the plugs back in, if in doubt about fuel put a little directly in the mouth of the carb.
If you are selling anyway I'd just list as it is and not faff about.
Be clear about it's condition and let them come and trailer it away.
make a call to Johnny Smith and get him to do it as part of his barn fird series - a Moke will be pretty interesting and current as they've just launched a new electric version. Watch a few of the series for ideas of what could be needed. Fortunately it's a clockwork car so shouldn't have too many issues. Might want to check the distributor and give the points a clean
Take a foot pump - the tyres will be flat.
Oh and you'll need imperial sockets/spanners for most stuff. These were built in the dark ages.
I think its about 1990? should it be OK on Asbestos?
1999 is the cut-off for your Moke.
HSE advice is simple and common-sense https://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/mechanical-repair/asbestos.htm
Chances are that replacement parts have been fitted anyway, but be aware 🙂
These were built in the dark ages.
I was in my late-twenties when that was built, I prefer the phrase "simpler times" 🙂
My list would be.
1. New battery, jump leads
2. bucket to take out old fuel, may be oil as well, check, and put new fuel in
3. once over for the engine, leads, belts, hoses, filters, check the dizzy lid for cracks and the points for gap - make sure they're all at least usable/serviceable
4. pull the spark plugs, check gap and replace if they need it. Lube the pistons - fogging oil, while they're out.
5. Turn the engine over, listen to it, the two biggest things are going to be power to the fuel pump and dizzy, make sure those are OK, and you should be good to go if it ran before.
A hand-powered Tirfor winch will do the job, but whatever you use will need an anchor, substantial tree, 4WD with electric winch, etc.
TBF, if needed, he could just pull it out with his car...... it's only a Moke!
@Speeder has it. Any of the Late Brake Shows on YouTube (there’re all pretty much the same) should give you a good idea.
Be prepared for the brake drums being seized. Big hammer to give them a thump to loosen any rust.
jump leads plus couple of cans of easy start, job done 🙂
Oh and please some pics or a 'will it start' video
If I was you and would get transported to a place closer to home.
I have used Shiply to move an old car a couple of times.
Surprisingly competitive.
Bloody Hell! Just had a look on Autotrader, those things go for £20k - £30k.
Be prepared for the brake drums being seized. Big hammer to give them a thump to loosen any rust.
Pro tip... Don't do that on a slope. Ask me how i know.
Unless you plan to drive it home, just drag/
Going by this thread. I doubt it's going anywhere near a road any time soon.
Be prepared for the brake drums being seized. Big hammer to give them a thump to loosen any rust.
Pro tip… Don’t do that on a slope. Ask me how i know.
I had a Mazda Ranger with seized drums on a slope in Connecticut once, I was cunning enough to free them without running over my head. I spun it on ice in Vermont two days later and it's not been the same since.
Where is it located? May be able to give you a hand.
Where is it located? May be able to give you a hand.
yep, I’m a lapsed mini fiddler also, and plenty of tools knocking about. Let us all know (vaguely) where it is, many of us would enjoy helping out I’m sure if it’s nearby.
edit: I think I might be on a list somewhere now for the phrase “mini fiddler”
WD40 and a wire brush. Sorted.
This thread has brought back memories. I bought a Beetle from a friend of a friend in London, in 1989. The bloke (Andreas iirc?) was from Berlin and would come over here to buy Minis, or preferably Mokes to take back to Germany to sell. He'd bring Beetles over here to cover the transport, which is why I found myself owning an apple green LHD 1302 for a couple of years and have now been trying to work out whether an electric Moke would fit a rainy Welsh lifestyle! 😀
A series engine? First make sure it's not seized, if you can turn it by hand all good, then it's basically air, spark, fuel. If it ran when it was put away then no need to mess with carbs or timing just get any corrosion off the points, clean plugs if needed and some reasonable fuel. You might need a separate fuel supply if the tank is full of varnish
Again mini dude here. Shout. Happy to have a telephone chat too if you're stuck
100% likely the carb jets will be blocked with what we currently call petrol. I’d dump it all from the tank, the lines and the float bowl. Decent motorbike shop will sell carb cleaner, petrol magic and a carb cleaning wire tool.
I’d also suspect the dash pot will have mysteriously lost some or all of its oil. SU carbs are simple to take apart but the access back there is miserable. Bonnet comes off a moke in seconds though.
Mokes have some unique bits. I seem to remember the tank straps we’re like rocking horse poo.
If the handbrake has been left off, seized drums just need forcefully whacking with a soft hammer until they give in.
If you’re turning the engine over to see if it’s seized, take the plugs out as it’ll be easier without compression.
check the clutch isn’t seized as well as brakes as previously stated.
if it has been reversed into the garage, try to get it out rather than have exhaust fumes filling up the back of the garage
It's in Southampton.
Shipley sounds good, thanks for that one.
It'll need to be running for Shiply, or just rolling?
came on to say get Jonny smith to do it but beaten to it - but really, if its getting sold anyway, just sell it from where it is, or if its getting decommissioned, get it towed to where that's going to happen. balls to trying to get an old car roadworthy whilst miles away from home.
Spanners – will they be in old money, I’ve only got metric?
A mixture of Imperial and AF, possibly Whitworth, I had two ‘54 split-screen Minors, one had a 1300 A-Series, that one had a new rear axle, new front king pins, Riley 1500 front drums and a new brake master cylinder fitted in a lockup at the bottom of my road with no power available, just me and a mate working on it with a trolley jack, axle stands, several sets of spanners of a variety of flavours, screwdrivers, wrenches, hammers, and a long pry-bar for levering the torsion bar out of the way to change the bolts around for the brake master cylinder; as the Moke is FWD, this at least means one issue that won’t be an issue.
Oh, and a Haynes manual, an essential item for anything Mini-based.
I've found his Moke Club membership records and got in touch with them to join.
Do we think its fair to say that the moke was Sir Alex's worst design ever?
Imagine dropping into a war zone with that. It wouldn't have got out the field it fell in.
Any pictures yet...;)
and a video of getting moke out of garage, at least tease us with the challenge!
edit: I think I might be on a list somewhere now for the phrase “mini fiddler”
Thats not a list, it's a register
It’ll need to be running for Shiply, or just rolling?
I used Shipley to move a rolling shell from Bolton to Reading.
The prices are competitive but the driver will likely be on his own, so you might need to help and obviously needs someone at each end.
You may have a few days, I certainly did because to make it worthwhile for the driver, he planned it to take a car back the other way.
Was going to suggest getting in touch with the LSMOC (London and Surrey Mini Owners Club) as the car is in Southampton, they're a great bunch and pretty much guaranteed someone will help you out.
Do we think its fair to say that the moke was Sir Alex’s worst design ever?
No, it met the brief for what was asked for but the military quickly realized they needed something with greater ground clearance and fewer bespoke parts in the running gear compared to their other equipment. The biggest issue was that BMC went to the military with the idea rather than the military ask for a proposal, BMC were trying to piggyback on the sales of the Land Rover. The Moke worked as a parachute-droppable vehicle at the time but the advancement in plane carrying capacities meant that the Land Rover was a viable option rendering the Moke pointless.
Don’t overthink it. I wouldn’t change the oil or anything.
Couple of batteries, spin it over to get oil pressure. Easy start.
What’s the plan to move it?
Thanks for all the offers of help, I'm sensing a community around these things. It's getting flat-bedded to Wales tomorrow. Pictures will follow.
It turns out my regular mechanic was a mini man in the day and is champing at the bit to got onto it. Seems like it was meant to be.
Any update needs pictures!
Need any help shoving it onto the flat-bed ? I could likely get there if it's Southampton