Mini Ecoboost Project

[cstudep]

Cool! I assume this is just a junkyard pull and not really touched other than that? Don't remember all the specifics of year, version, etc.. but at least some of the ecoboost engines seemed to suffer more from carbon build up on the intake valves than some of the other DI engines. Probably depends on how it was driven, mileage, and who knows what else as well I am sure.

Might not be a bad idea to pull the intake and take a look to see if they need cleaning prior to getting it all polished up real nice.

[MiniDave]

Yes, I'm planning to do just that, as well as clean everything, replace all the gaskets and seals that are easy to reach, pull the trans and replace the clutch etc. All I know about it for sure is that it runs and has less than 100K on it. Looks like it might have a torn axle boot on one axle but I was planning to replace those anyway.

When it gets here all I need to do to hear it run is stick a hose in some gas, hook up a battery and crank it up. Looking forward to that!!! 

So far, clutches seem to only come in two flavors - under $200 and over $600! I would think a stock one would work just fine since it will be pulling so much less weight (1200lbs less, guestimated)

[94touring]

What are the odds you do a rebuild/freshen up? 

[cstudep]

He will pull the intake off to take a look, and the next thing we will see is the bare block sitting there all nice and shiny with a pile of parts next to it 

[MiniDave]

Not planning to pull the head off, tho I will take off the cam covers to maybe paint them. I don't anticipate pulling the head.....modern engines should go 200-250K miles without needing an overhaul.

There will be a pile o parts, no doubt! I'm looking at all those hoses and wondering if I can eliminate any of them....

[MiniDave]

The eagle has landed - pic with wife for scale!

They sent everything including the kitchen sink, hubs, uprights, brakes, pedal assembly, shifter and cables and on and on. Way more stuff that I can use - probably - we'll see. 2 Liter turbo 4cyl, 252 hp 275 torques 

[94touring]

That box is bigger than the mini!

[MiniDave]

A tiny teaser.....I don't have fuel hooked up to it so it's just running on what's in the fuel rail.

[MiniDave]

Fed it some fuel and got it warmed up....

[94touring]

Sounds pretty good hooked up to that muffler too. 

[MiniDave]

Now that I know the engine runs (and sounds bad to the bone too!) I'll start stripping it down so I can begin figuring out how to build the new subframe and rear suspension - I have a LOT to learn about that so I'll be doing a lot of reading first....not to mention getting the axles sorted.

The radiator they sent with the engine is just too big to fit in the front of the Mini so I'll be looking for a different one.....this appears to be a single core, single pass radiator, I'm thinking a dual core, dual pass will do as well in a smaller overall size.

I found a fuel tank and will be ordering it soon, I've made contact with a guy who welds aluminum (or aluminium) and I will sub the modification of that and the weld up of the SS exhaust to him, once I figure out exactly how I want to build them.

Then I've got to figure out all the piping that needs to go from the engine to the front, my plan is to run everything thru the tunnel and have an almost completely flat floor under the car. Clancy has offered to do all the pipes for me - he has the tools and knows the best places to get SS braided hose and AN fittings. There will be a LOT of pipes - fuel, coolant, brakes, A/C lines.

This engine has a vacuum pump (since it's turbocharged) and I'm wondering about using the brake booster, since it will have 4 wheel discs now and the bias will be different with the engine in the back. If so, that's yet another pipe thru the tunnel. Plus I'll need to figure out coolant to the heater.....

Wiring is yet another challenge, I'll be using a lot of the original harness, adding what's needed for the engine and building an entire new dash harness as I don't plan to use the Mini instruments as they're not compatible with a modern engines electrical system Plus too and also I'm going to add A/C.

Dan and I are working out the logistics of getting the shell up to me, but before that comes I need to finish up some more gearboxes and diffs that got dropped on me (surprise!) and do some more cleaning and re-arranging of the shop and basement - there will be a lot of stuff that needs to be warehoused while I build this. Once I have it completed and running I'll blow it all back apart and send it back down to Dan for paint.

Still don't know what color to paint it, but that decision is WAY down the road.