Rally Mini Build

Started by Mudhen, March 13, 2012, 12:12:22 PM

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Mudhen

You f'ers!   :D

I'm seriously considering chopping off those sills again...and this stupid bodger box...now... 36.gif

Mudhen

I can bend it...I can fish-mouth it...





Fits nice:


Now the question is if I can weld it while lying in the car on my back with the foot pedal between my knees.  :(

Mudhen

I also cut blanks and fill holes.

It's what I do.



Are these holes from the manufacturing process?  Do you typically fill them in?  The only reason I'm going it is because I saw Kevin Tetz do it...no idea if it's right or wrong.

94touring

Your pipe bender looks fun. 

The holes you're talking about, are they they drain plugs on the floor?

Mudhen

Quote from: 94touring on May 02, 2014, 02:21:29 PM
Your pipe bender looks fun. 

The holes you're talking about, are they they drain plugs on the floor?

I guess.  My '65 had rubber/plastic plugs in them, but this car seems to have metal ones.  Some are held in place by little tabs but others look to be press fit.  My thought is if they're out, I'm welding them up.  If they're still in place with no rust around them I'm leaving them.  That might change when I see how it looks since there won't be any interior in the car covering them up.

The other update on this project is I heard back from the engine shop.  They said everything seems ok - block, crank, head - no cracks, etc.  When I bought the car the PO said I would probably need to sleeve one of the cylinders since one of the pistons melted, but I guess that's not the case.  They said .020 would be fine.  But do I want to put money into an 1100?

Here's the estimate (just for the machine shop work - parts and assembly would be my responsibility):



Vizard and another write up I found online says it's possible to go to 1220cc with IMP pistons.  Sounds fun, but again...do I really want to spend that on an 1100...and I'm a little worried about buying a bunch of stuff online and putting it together myself - what about 'balancing', etc?  I've always heard, 'balanced and blueprinted' blah, blah, blah.  How much of a beating is it going to take using stock parts?

MED has some sweet looking Omega +.020 pistons...$600, though.



I'm really not qualified to piece it together myself - I'm sure it would end up being one of those, 'why did you do X without doing Y?  You should have bought this and this and this and had the machine shop do that'.

Oh well...really won't be needing an engine anytime soon but figured it would be nice to have an idea where I'm heading...

Mudhen

Did a bunch of sandblasting today.  The trouble with dragging my feet so much is that stuff I sandblast starts to rust again before I get another burst of steam...even with a dehumidifier running in the garage.  About to start a new job where I'll be working from home full time - maybe I can pick off little bits and keep moving.

Cut out this section of the footwell for another patch:


And got a surprise from brown Santa!



Also found a shop an hour from me that stocks some race seats - will be picking up these cheapy steel frame Cobra's:


Sucks that the pair is going to cost me what I paid for the whole car... 50.gif

Also got a supplier for steel - will be reinforcing the tunnel and crossmember, suspension pickup points, etc, per the How to Modify Your Mini book...and they also can get the 1.75" and 1.5" tube for the FIA-spec cage.   77.gif

Eventually.

94touring

You need to expoxy sealer after you get it to bare metal buddy!  Did the sub frame and panels make it ok?

Mudhen

Quote from: 94touring on June 01, 2014, 08:46:00 AM
You need to expoxy sealer after you get it to bare metal buddy!  Did the sub frame and panels make it ok?

I've yet to pop my epoxy sealer cherry...bought a quart awhile back just haven't tried it in my gun yet.  I'm scared...

Got 'em!  Need to dig under the tarp outside and bring in the old subby and start stripping it down.  That will be another first - dry suspension?  Silly... ;D

94touring

Ok good.  I had to strategically put those skin patch panels in there.   My concern was they'd come loose and get crushed by the subby.

Mudhen

Got the patch on the front corner finished up:


And put a coat of POR on it as well as the drain holes and other welds I'd sandblasted.  Also beat the footwell back into shape so it sits flat again.  I hate how I can't get it perfect - not that it matters for this car, but if I was doing the '65 I would be really disappointed with it not coming out like new.

I've also been looking at all the tabs for holding things under the car - brake lines, etc.  They look like crap, I need my bottom smooth so she glides through the gravel with less resistance.  Last night I was GUI (Grinding Under the Influence) and since everything will be inside, anyway, I took care of that situation:


Nothing better than a smooth bottom.

Mudhen

Had a breakthrough last night...

My HF blast cabinet was always frustrating me - blast for a few minutes and you couldn't see the part anymore.  Wait a few minutes for the dust to settle, blast some more.  So the other day I was watching a video from Eastwood and they mentioned the exhaust port on their cabinet...man, do I have one of those?  No dust collection system anyway.

But it seems the stars aligned this once for me.  My exhaust fan for the paint booth is above the blast cabinet.  Bazinga!  Climbed up and took the end out of the ceiling of the booth and stuck it on the cabinet:



Blast away!  No more dust inside, and no more dust escaping into the garage.   4.gif

Mudhen

Picking away on this...was psyched I got some primer on some of it...until it hit me that I mixed it wrong.   50.gif

This is why it's better for me to just leave it - when I actually do something it's usually wrong.  HA!  Pissah.

I'd spent the last month or so stripping from A pillar to A pillar around the back down to metal - was just going to do the roof but it was so much fun I didn't want to stop.  Used a combination of 60, 80, 220 grit discs...sandblasted the seams...and a whole lot of bleeding fingers.  Next time, send it out!



I looked on Auto Body Toomart for some etching primer and thought I'd check my local parts place - 'etching primer in a gallon?  inconceivable!  But we can get sealer primer'.  So I ended up with this:


Sounded good, can do it all.  Mix it one way and it's a high build, mix it another and it's regular build...then mix it a third way and it's primer sealer.  Perfect...

Got up early this morning before the kids got up and hit the garage - I'll bust out the primer sealer, mix another batch for the high build...done before I get the 12yo on the bus at 6:45.  Yikes - took way more time than I could have imagined, just to get the primer sealer done.  But, 30min to 24 hours to top coat, will do high build tonight.  Wasn't until later when I replaying it in my head - FK!!  I mixed it 4:1:1, not 4:1:2 - that's just regular build primer!!!

So what do I do now?  Happy that at least it looks primered:


Think I should still do high build over it?  At this point I'm thinking just throw some guide coat on it, sand, and start with the filler...AFTER I do the front end, with the proper mix...  50.gif

Look at that roof...f'in joke.  Man...  :(

94touring


Mudhen

Thread started March 13, 2012...ouch.

Anyway, my son just finished his freshman year of college, wanted to pick up something to work on for the summer - hey, how about 'The Rotisserie Mini' (as it has become known in the house).  No initial outlay of money and mom will be happy to see something being done to it that might get it out of the garage she's never been able to park in!



He attacked the front subframe that has been sitting outside since, well, 2012...question - lots of easy stuff on it that's obvious to replace, but what else?  Wondering about the top arms/needle bearings...looking now apparently the rebuild kit is cheap enough...do the actual arms ever need replacing?  Also pretty cheap, but I can picture lots of pretty cheap parts becoming very expensive very quickly.

Goal is to try to quickly throw as much of it together as possible as a complete thrash car, rallycrosser, etc.  Dropped the 1098 back at the engine shop, thinking .040 over and whatever else is recommended for a non-grenade powerplant.

Thanks gents!

Pat


MiniDave

Wow, freshman in college already!

Yes, replace the needle bearings in the upper arms, every one I've ever taken apart they've been shot. They're a little tricky to get out, there's a step inside the arm that you can't get around with a straight punch to get at the back of the bearing to drive it out of the arm. I take a long (8") 1/2" bolt and slightly round off one side of the head to match the inside curve of the bore the bearings are in, then you can get that in behind the bearing and drift it out without damaging the bore that the needle cage fits into.

Sounds harder than it is, but impossible without the "tool". I've never had an upper arm too damaged to use unless they let the bearings wear thru the arm....usually the shaft is way damaged before that and clunking badly.

Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

Willie_B

If your going to be bashing it around you will want to reinforce the front and probably the rear subframe. Look here.
https://www.theminiforum.co.uk/forums/topic/306915-subframe-reinforcement/

MiniDave

I can see adding some gussets in the front subby, but not just willy-nilly anywhere there's a corner..... think about what forces will be in play and where they will act on the subby.......in particular, I would look at where the tie bar mounts at the front of the subframe

As for the rear, I don't really see the need, or where to add metal that would really help.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

Mudhen

Quote from: Willie_B on June 09, 2022, 09:16:44 AM
If your going to be bashing it around you will want to reinforce the front and probably the rear subframe. Look here.
https://www.theminiforum.co.uk/forums/topic/306915-subframe-reinforcement/

That's awesome, thanks Willie!  I was reading through the HTMYM book on off road prep again...some of those pics in that thread make more sense now.

I spent hours and hours all those years ago seam welding everything on the shell I could get my welder to - probably not the best it could be due to seam sealer and junk between the seams I couldn't clean out - but better than nothing.

Mudhen

Quote from: MiniDave on June 09, 2022, 07:52:32 AM
Wow, freshman in college already!

Yes, replace the needle bearings in the upper arms, every one I've ever taken apart they've been shot. They're a little tricky to get out, there's a step inside the arm that you can't get around with a straight punch to get at the back of the bearing to drive it out of the arm. I take a long (8") 1/2" bolt and slightly round off one side of the head to match the inside curve of the bore the bearings are in, then you can get that in behind the bearing and drift it out without damaging the bore that the needle cage fits into.

Sounds harder than it is, but impossible without the "tool". I've never had an upper arm too damaged to use unless they let the bearings wear thru the arm....usually the shaft is way damaged before that and clunking badly.

Thanks!  Sounds tricky...I never did the rears either - got the rebuild kit but the discussion about reaming the bushings freaked me out.  Was thinking I might take it to a machine shop.

ADRay

Hi Pat, I had my front and rear arm bushings / bearings done by Kevin at KJE in Rochester, after attempting the job myself. He charged me $100 per set. I would use him again in the future.
1982 Mini 1000 HL
@andyray998

Mudhen

Quote from: ADRay on June 10, 2022, 05:58:02 AM
Hi Pat, I had my front and rear arm bushings / bearings done by Kevin at KJE in Rochester, after attempting the job myself. He charged me $100 per set. I would use him again in the future.

Awesome, thanks Andy!  I might go that route.  Sort of wondering if I should even bother trying to save them (the fronts) or stick them on the shelf and get new ones - $45 pounds?  Although I can't tell if they're built up, ready to go.

Do the shock mounts in the top arms press in?







Kind of liking not being the one bundled up in the sun!   4.gif


MiniDave

#71
Shock bolts not pressed in, just rusted in   ;D

Take a hammer to them, they'll pop out.....thread a nut on the end first so you don't damage the end of the bolt, if you mushroom it out it won't go thru the hole.

£54 ea is about $70 ea plus shipping.....
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

Mudhen

Quote from: MiniDave on June 11, 2022, 02:03:33 PM
Shock bolts not pressed in, just rusted in   ;D

:D

Gotcha, thanks.

Is that 'upgraded pin' picture I posted that shock mount bolt?  Wondering why it's threaded on both sides...

And is that a special 'cup' in the arm for the ball socket?  I don't see one listed - oh...is it on this guy?  So I should be able to just pull the old one out?



Thanks AGAIN for all the help.  First time taking apart a front subby - first time doing anything on a dry suspension car, actually!

Pat

LarryLebel

Use a propane torch to melt the cup out.

MiniDave

Right, they're just plastic, but I would see if you can just pull it out.....there is a small hole in the arm on the bottom of the cup, sometimes you can get a small pin punch in there and push it out.

The shock bolt is threaded on both sides because the short end goes thru the control arm and a nut locks it in place, the long side is where the shock goes on.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad