Winter work

[Mudhen]

Two of this winters problem children here...need to refresh the suspension on the rallycar and put a heater back into it - and probably won't get to it but it grinds going into second gear - not sure what way forward on that...would like to buy a competition ready gearbox to make it a quick changeover but what spec and how much is it going to cost me.

The other one needs the suspension raised up a little so it stops bottoming out on bumps...and it needs the throwout bearing done.  Think it also needs and engine mount or two so will do that as well.

So - replacing cones?  I've had a Mini for 37 years but it had proper liquid suspension, lol...I bought the tool a long time ago - anything we should be aware of?  I watched a video on it, seems like an 8 out of 10 swear job.  But what isn't.   

Thanks!

[94touring]

Replacing cones with hi los isn't the worst.  Especially if you have the compression tool.

[94touring]

What type of speeds and rpms are you driving in the car that needs a competition gearbox?

[MiniDave]

You can buy a straight cut gears box for the Mini.....are you able to pull the motors and swap a gearbox? If you haven't done it before you'll need to buy a flywheel puller - you can't rent one from your local auto parts store, it won't work.

I recommend the one from Guessworks, it's a little spendy but it WILL do the job, others don't always work.

http://www.guess-works.com/Shop/Parts/display.htm?id=501

They can also sell you a straight cut gears box complete with cross pin diff for about $2500, plus core charge.

http://www.guess-works.com/Shop/Gearbox/

You can change a throwout bearing in the car, but it's not fun. A whole lot less work than pulling the motor tho.

[Mudhen]

Nice, will checkout the Guessworks stuff - thx!!

I wish I knew the gearing that it has now...it's definitely sc/cr - has a Salisbury limited slip in as well according to the seller (which I believe, because man...that car is an absolute bear to drive on the street).  We're probably flat out in 4th at about 70mph - screaming.  Blowing the top off the 1440cc.  I would want to duplicate it - so I suppose I'll have to have it torn down first.

New parts for the suspension (I already did the tie rods last year).  I really don't expect these shocks to last at all - unfortunately, Bilsteins were NLA when I was looking.

[94touring]

Is it doing something like 4400 at 70 or 4800?

[MiniDave]

I like those lower control arms, those are the ones I use too....they are strong!

4400 at 70 is likely a 3.44 ratio..... unless you're running really tall tires, then it could have a 3.65 out of an Austin America, but they don't look that tall in the pics, what size are they on the rally car?

MiniSport offers beefed up upper shock mounts too   https://www.minisport.com/c-ajj3360-right-hand-mini-front-shock-absorber-competition-top-mounting-bracket.html

[Mudhen]

Good thinking on the upper mounts - not sure what this one has on it, will look when I get in there.  I have a set of those beefed up mounts for the other rallycar I will never finish so will look to use them on this instead!

I suppose now is a good time to admit neither the tach nor the speedometer work on this car.     - I'm just going by seat of the pants.  Might try to rectify that now it has its place in the garage for a bit.  Wiring is a shit show on it - but did recently get the fuel gauge working along with the dual tanks plumbed in - inside indicator indicators and wipers are on the to-do list as well.

The Yokohama Advan rally tires on it are 165/65-13 - guessing the biggest you can go by how much I had to grind away the rear trailing arm brackets.  Getting gravel rally tires in 12" is problematic here in the states - Black Rocket and Maxsport each have them but they also each have US importers that aren't importing so places like Demon Tweeks won't sell to us.  Need to get creative and have someone over there get them and then ship to me.

I did get some fresh snows for it from Wild Child, though - will get them mounted up for when this work is completed.  There's a rallyx in January I'd like to get to!

[Mudhen]

I guess they are pretty big!  LOL



Gross in here, probably should refresh the brakes, too.



Edit:  and now I'm hacking away at the balljoints and heating the daylights out of them I suppose those are in order, too.  Ooo...in case you guys haven't gotten me anything yet - great gift idea!



(I suppose since you're all so cheap I'll just get the no-shim set - unless you've heard bad things about them.  You know they are 220 pounds at Minispares and 131 pounds at Minisport?!?!  Both without VAT of course - glad I looked!)

Edit #2:  Found some more stuff...top pins, a bushing kit, top arms that we apparently had rebuilt a few years back.  It's already like Christmas here!

[MiniDave]

Wow, you've got all sorts of great stuff there!

65 series tires are def taller than standard, as evidenced by the rub marks and having to grind away for clearance on the rear brackets (you running camber brackets back there?) but without a tachometer it'll be hard to know what RPMs you're turning. I'm thinking since rally cars don't go 100 mph you don't need top speed ratios, but you do need gears to get you thru the mud, snow and grass......a 3.65 might be in order.

I bought a set of MiniSport's no shim ball joints, we'll see how they hold up but my car is a ways from being on the road.

[Willie_B]

On the new cones you will want to paint the bare metal. They will start rusting the first time they get wet.

[Mudhen]

On the new cones you will want to paint the bare metal. They will start rusting the first time they get wet.

Whew - thanks!  One of those things that bugs me so bad yet I'm either too rushed or thinking, 'looks good that way, I'm sure it won't rust'. 

Well...pulled the radiator because it was tough getting to the bolts down there on the bottom and I have no idea the last time the cooling system was flushed - yuck.



Probably get a new radiator at this point and all the hoses are hardened up like rocks so add it to the list.  Then I was thinking...really wanted to get the head checked out - not much more left to pull it.  And hey, when you're redoing your suspension it's probably what most people add to the 'while you're in there list', right? 



What kills the fun is the exhaust - can't get the head out without getting that out of the way.  A couple summers ago doing the head on the maroon car a buddy said, 'just take the top engine steady off...rotate the motor forward so the header can drop off the studs'.  WOW!  Awesome - but not working for this one!  Engine is solid still...removing the stupid 'Y' pipe KILLS me...ARGH!!!!!

[MiniDave]

I just take the studs out, then the header will come straight up - easy button is to double nut them.

I use these with great success, haven't had one fail yet, and they def keep the motor cool, even on 95* Kansas summer days!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/255136031546?_skw=classic+Mini+radiator&itmmeta=01JF8XD8ZGCEV8G9MHW0NZ41VN&hash=item3b674ae33a:g:g2UAAOSw3bFmb5sQ&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA0HoV3kP08IDx%2BKZ9MfhVJKnCl%2FoFZZ%2BimawflEjuX8sh1atMlBcZ2TOfZSL9DdIWB6FXJm2%2Bi3zlz5rJ0cW1XvXHiDr3PphUJoZeKqGCCobDwZ4CFmNcXtJ8%2FxHwY1FMCcNjCeX8oqnnxTvknBYYDszB7lbJ%2FhsyPXTte51yzo%2FLuHGQtWKHHdrN77dSDThDYEPhoH9zRAYm0NiQdss8pLkliW%2Bg8xBgGRMYv2fxnurCJvef6qqYMrIjIbDQxY%2F1sTGJMGecfgbUNsFWp5XgXIg%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR_CPtZ36ZA

[Willie_B]

I have read several times that Keith Calver switched to using bolts for the manifolds to make things easier to remove. Even on his race cars.

[94touring]

I double nut them too, but bolts sound like a good idea too

[ADRay]

And hey, when you're redoing your suspension it's probably what most people add to the 'while you're in there list', right? 

It's that mentality that has kept my car off the road since 2019 😬. At least you have a couple back-ups.

[Mudhen]

And hey, when you're redoing your suspension it's probably what most people add to the 'while you're in there list', right? 

It's that mentality that has kept my car off the road since 2019 😬. At least you have a couple back-ups.

This is your year, I feel it!    

I was wondering about the bolt thing since that's what the r53s use - this one had bolts at the ends, studs in the middle.  The bolts came straight out, two of the studs came out...but one of the others is stuck, double nuts spinning...and the last is a short stud so not sure I can get the two nuts on it.  I *think* this car has a lower engine brace as well which might be preventing it from rocking forward...once I get the skidplate off I'll have a look see.

And you read my mind, Dave!  So many options of radiators I was going to ask for recommendations - will pick up one of those for the rebuild, thx!   

[MiniDave]

For $88 delivered, that's cheaper than having yours cleaned and re-cored, and I've found the aluminum rads to works way better.

This is turning into quite the winter project!

I've only had one or two studs that required the acetylene torch to get them out, but those were stuck damn tight!

The other thing you can do is remove the head studs, then once you pop the head up, you can slide it off the header. Then when you have it on the bench you can get those last studs out.

I don't bother to paint the metal parts of the cones, I just put a light coating of grease on the lip so it won't rust to the subframe.

[Mudhen]

I managed to get it off - I got the one longer exhaust stud out, and then the header was able to slide sideways a little so I could lift the head straight up.  I tried to get one of the head studs out but it was stuck as well - sure would like to replace them during this project.

Stinks I couldn't get the exhaust all apart, though - even with acetylene I couldn't separate the pieces - brand new Maniflow system 2 years ago so I really hate to put the cutting disc to it - unfortunately, it leaks like a sieve...we get gassed out, which isn't good when you're sitting in line at a rallx waiting your turn to go!

I was psyched to be able to mic up the bore size once it came off - looks like it's definitely something around a 1440cc.  I was curious as the guy I bought it from seemed less than up front about the car when I bought it site unseen in Florida so wasn't 100% sure. 



Wish I could get the rest of it to the machine shop as well - not this go around I suppose - I'm just doing the cones! 

[MiniDave]

That's a big motor, how big are the bores? Were they machined offset? Is it a stroke crankshaft?

Doesn't look like it has a lot of runtime since it was built, looks pretty clean in there.....

I'm not all that impressed with Maniflow stuff these days -  every one I've installed has leaked and gassed you out - even if I use exhaust sealer on the pipes. I've had them crack in the "y" between 1 and 4, I've had to flatten off the center plate because welding it caused it to pull and warp......I mean, I've seen better stuff....

I think I would rather have the SPi cast iron manifold, from what I've read they flow as well as a header, and they don't leak. Plus they have a gasketed connection to the down pipe....

If you're planning to replace the head studs, I've used a pair of vice grips in combination with a wrench on double nuts and managed to get them out when they're stuck really tight.....messes them up badly, but that doesn't matter if you're going with new ones.

[94touring]

86mm crank and 73mm pistons are a 1440cc.  Which is what I've been thinking about doing with the spare 1275 in the shop.

[MiniDave]

Do you have to clearance the sides of the block and the gearbox case to fit that crank? 73 or 73.5 pistons?

[94touring]

Yes depending on the block and gearbox some mild clearance is required.

[Mudhen]

Our bores measured about 73.5mm...not sure what the rest of the spec is regarding the crank.  Curious what the machine shop will say about the valves, springs, etc.  We just got a couple of other engines back from them over the last few months - the one out of 'the rotisserie car' (the original rallycar build car) which they had for about 2 years, lol...the body wasn't done so I never pushed them.  That one we *thought* was a 1098 so got the pistons, etc from Calver for going .080 over - but turned out to be a 1275!  Oops.  We went .060 over on that one...so that's sitting on the floor now.

And we just got the engine pieces back for this '05 - had purchased it with a spun bearing - supposedly it was a JCW, which it turned out to be a fake!  ARGH!!  I should know better!  It had chewed up the crank pretty good on the #1 rod journal so we used a spare one we had...the machine shop went through our spare rods and rings and handed us what to use and we built it back up ourselves - got it running last week and seems good!  Other than some misfires and limp modes. 



Adding a water pump to my to-do list, and a new 11-blade fan?  Can't run the metal one due to the breather on the timing cover supposedly.  Made sure to note which way around the fan was on for the re-install - it was backwards!!  Glad I'm in here now!

[94touring]

What's the stroke measure in the bore?  We have 73.5 pistons and want to say 84mm crank in the Inno, making it a 1425cc.  The 86mm cranks and 73.5 pistons make a 1460cc.