One Last Engine to Build

Started by MiniDave, August 20, 2022, 01:10:39 PM

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MiniDave

SOLD -

I'm clearing out my shop in preparation for my hot rod Mini build and I have a 1275 GT block, crank and a good rod change gearbox that have been in the way, so I guess I'm going to build it up and sell it on.

The plan is to build a ready to run package, with everything run in and ready to simply drop in the car.

If someone wants something specific I can easily change it at this point. I have all the parts in my cart at Spares just waiting to pull the trigger. Build time will be roughly 2 months depending on machine shop time.

Specs as follows:

1275 GT block that's never been bored
Rod change gearbox, new synchros, bearings and pot joints, 3:44 on a cross pin diff. Other ratios available
Stock 1300 crank turned 10 under and micro polished. New rod, main, cam and thrust bearings
12G940 head, ported, hardened seats, skimmed, 3 angle valve job
10.3 compression pistons, +40
Evo1 camshaft and lifters, 200lb dual springs, new 35.6 intakes and 29.7 exhausts, forged 1.3 rockers on HD shaft
New electronic dizzy, coil, starter and alternator
New timing chain, water pump
Lightened Verto flywheel and clutch assy
Almost new HIF44 carb on MiniSpares intake- carb has only been used on my engine test stand
LCB header, ceramic coated on request at extra cost ($200) otherwise painted with VHT
New aluminum radiator and hoses. Used aluminum valve cover or powder coated tin rocker cover

Engine painted in your choice of color, cam run in on my engine stand, ready to drop into your car and go.
Depending on final spec, cost will be right around $6K parts and labor, no core - Plus crating and shipping if not picked up from my shop in Kansas City.

SOLD
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

BruceK

Wow.  I'm not in the market for one but that's a great deal.
1988 Austin Mini
2002 MINI Cooper S
1992 Toyota LiteAce (JDM)
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

cstudep

#2
is the 1275gt an A+ block? Not super familiar with anything GT. May be interested, I just cannot get mine to run reliably and I think I may just need to pull it and refresh it. A drop in running engine might be a solution I could get behind instead.

MiniDave

No, this is a pre-A+

1275 GT was just before the A+ came out.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

cstudep

Well everything else I have is all pre A+ as well so that is probably better I suppose LOL

MiniDave

I did a light cleanup of the various parts so I could get casting numbers off of them and give a description.

Block is a Pre-A+ 1275/1275GT thick flange block.

Three cylinder heads to choose from, 2 - 12G940's, one normal, one SPi with no heater tap or water pump bypass, and one 12G1316 - which used on Sprites and other smog pump engines, air ports plugged, this is generally considered to be one of the better flowing heads.

Pic of the gearbox pre-disassembly which shows how clean it is inside.....always a good sign.

Pic of the crank showing the casting number 12G1505A which is simply the std 1275 crank with the 2" mains and 1-3/4" rod journals

Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

#6
Sold
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

So, I got the check in the mail and pushed the go button on a big order of parts for this engine build.

DHL says they'll be here on Friday and the future owner is coming to visit my shop this weekend and check things out.....if he can add it to his busy schedule. He lives in Fla but is visiting his father in Tulsa, and will come up if he can.

Monday the head will go downtown to the headshop for hardened seats, new guides and a valve job.

The block and crank will go to another shop on the opposite end of town to be bored and have the rotating assembly balanced.

No idea how long to get the parts back from the machine shops, the head usually takes 2 weeks but can take up to 4. The block guy says he's backed up 2 months but somehow manages to squeeze me in and sometimes gets it done in only a couple of weeks to a month.

We'll see...........
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

Parts came in from MiniSpares, so I spent some time cleaning the block, tapping all the 50 or so holes in it, and gathering all the rotating assembly parts. I also put the clutch and new flywheel together so I can send the rotating assembly to the crank shop to be balanced and have the crank micro-polished

I had gone to the local machine shop last week to see how busy they were and they weren't too backed up, today when I went to deliver the block and crank he said he wished I would have called first as he was now out about 2 months!

So I guess I'll get to spend some time working on other projects......



Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

Well, the machine shop finally called about the engine block - just over a month since I dropped it off - and said it would be done early next week. Crank is back, polished, balanced etc. Block will be bored 40 over, surfaced, baked and tumbled, and pistons assembled on the rods.

I picked up the head a week or so ago, all new seats, valve job, resurfaced etc, just need to get the paint off cleaned up and then I can reassemble it.

Total machine shop bills will be close to $1300!!!!   :-\

I need to get cracking on some of my other work too, the Moke is here for an alternator and a speedometer/fuel gauge repair along with new axle seals, an oil change and a few other bits and bobs. The quality of rubber parts from Mini sources has just gone to shit....they don't last long enough to get a car out of the shop before they split. I've had to go to the auto parts store and buy generic American ones to get some that last. The shifter boot I put on the Moke only lasted a few months so I have a new one from another source to try now.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

#10
Picked up the block, crank assembly and head from the machine shop - yes the valve job was already done, but I let the block guy put it in his "tumbler" to clean all the old paint off of it, came out terrific - as did the block. The tumbler is just what it sounds like, some kind of vibratory bath that uses heat and stainless bits to clean the block inside and out. They charged $60 to do this but it comes out looking like a fresh casting, I think it was worth it!

Before I can go any further tho, I need to finish putting the green car back together (I pulled the motor to fix some damn oil leaks) and once it's off the rack I need to move Clancy's Moke in for some work. Lots of little projects including changing over from the generator to an alternator, changing the oil and filter, replacing the axle seals and a few other odds and ends.

I still have a little work to do on the Inno, including finding and fixing oil leaks on IT too and a little electrical finish up. Then I'd like to put some miles on it.

So, this one will go on the back burner for a couple of weeks. I sure hope the weather holds so I can get it painted.....

Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

Willie_B

That does leave a nice finish. Shame to cover it in paint but paint beats rust anyday.

MiniDave

Agreed, but the best part is that the internals of the block all look the same, including inside the water jackets - clean as a pin!
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

TDA

I think you mentioned that you use Noland's for your head machining but what machine ship do you have clean and bore the block and turn/balance the crank?

MiniDave

#14
I had been using Precision Machine in Independence, but this time I went back to QCKC in Lenexa to do the block (they could do the head also but don't have a small enough mandrel to fit the guides, so I used Nolands for cyl head work) QCKC sent the rotating assembly to Manhattan to be balanced, but they micc'd everything first to see if it needed to be turned (it didn't) and they micro-polished the crank.

Everything is back now, if you and Jim want to come by and check out their work, you're welcome. Jim has my contact info or you can PM me here for it.

Since the weather has changed for the worse (high tomorrow of 35, low of 17!, low 40's all next week) I can't get any paint work done till it warms up a bit. I do have everything cleaned up and ready tho.....I still have a few transmischigan parts coming, they will be here next week, so I'll go ahead and strip it down and get it cleaned and ready too - then it's just a matter of putting it all back together and into the test stand to run.

I got a chance to see their cleanup operation too - first they put it in an oven and bake it to turn paint and oil into dust, then it goes into the tumbler where the tiny ss balls beat everything clean as a pin - using SS means nothing gets magnetized and trapped. Then it gets blown out with air and put into the jet washer. Once that's done they start all the machine work, and when that's finished it goes back into the jet wash for one final clean up.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

It's been really cold the last week or so, much too cold to get much work done in the shop, but I have managed to get the head assembled and the block cleaned and ready to paint. I still have a few sheet metal parts to clean up, and I'll be disassembling the transmichigan tomorrow so I can paint the case too.

We're headed for a warming trend the next few days so I have to be ready as it may be the last time this year it gets warm enough to paint.

Once the paint is cured out I'll be into assembly and test run. Still a box full of parts to put in it....

IMG_20221118_152521R.jpg

IMG_20221118_162052R.jpg
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

No idea why it posted those pics twice, I only attached 'em once!

The block and head are taped up and ready to paint, I'll be taking the wire brush on an angle grinder to the rest of the sheet metal tomorrow, Mondy and Tuesday are the warmest days, so that's when I'll paint/

I'll try this pic thing again.....

Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

#17
Well, today will be paint day, if my luck holds we should be in the mid 50's this afternoon - it really needs to be at least 50 to paint according to the side of the can.

I got some primer on most of the small bits yesterday, today I'll do the block and head and get color on everything. I'm hopeful that I can get all the color on before about 3 pm, so it can sit outside and vent the fumes; when I bring freshly painted stuff into the shop it tends to stink up the place, and makes the bride wrinkle her nose in a cute but pointed way.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

94touring

Dave, I just discovered if you upload an attachment and also hit insert that it will post twice.  All that's needed is upload and wait for it to turn green before you post.

MiniDave

Yep, I figured that out after the first one did it.....thanks.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

It's really cold in the garage these days - tho we do get the odd day where it jumps up into the 50's, it's mostly low 30's and low 20's at night, so the shop gets cold and stays that way, limiting how long I can work out there before my feet get too cold.

I'm mostly done with the Moke, just waiting on a shift boot (Thanks to Willie B!) and Clancy plans to come get it Sat. It's going to be in the 50's again on Fri so I'll do the test drive then and check out how far off the speedo is (thanks for that, MPlayle!). I do know the ign light now works!

So, with the block all painted and cleaned, today I'll get the cam bearings installed, then later it will be pistons, lifters, cam and then the crank. I think I have everything I need to finish the engine part of the build, then later I'll tear down the transmichigan and rebuild it.





Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

Got some more work on this engine build done....

First after more cleaning, I got the cam bearings installed. It's pretty tricky to get these in just the right place as on two of them you have to align holes in the bearing shell with holes in the block to insure adequate pressure and flow to the bearings. 1st pic shows the front bearing installed and the holes lined up perfectly.

Next the pistons went in, then the crankshaft. I made sure there was the spec clearance on the thrust washers then bolted up the mains. Pulled the pistons up to meet the crank and put all the caps on, then torqued everything up while spinning the crank occasionally to make sure nothing bound up.

Next the lifters went in and then the cam. It all went together perfectly so I put the front plate on and cam retaining plate and snugged it up. That was enough for tonight, it's only 40* in the shop right now and my feet got cold.

Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

#22
Some more progress.....

I have a simplex timing chain in stock, but I don't have a single row crank gear, I do have double row crank and cam gears so I ordered a duplex chain today.

In the meantime I went ahead and cleaned the top of the block, put the studs in place and slid the gasket down. Then, ON with it's head!

I had already built up the rocker arm assembly, installed the new push rods dropped the head on and tightened it down.

It's really cold in the shop today so I decided to torque it tomorrow. With that done I'll be moving onto the gearbox rebuild, starting with the teardown tomorrow as it's supposed to maybe get into the 40's.

Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

Well, I found my double row timing chain - it's one of the good Iwis chains too!

Of course I ordered one from Moss yesterday - I hope they can cancel the order since I placed it on Sat.

So today I torqued the head, adjusted the valve clearance and set up to check the cam timing.

Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

94touring

You want me to move this thread into your garage section?