301 replies to this topic

[1984mini25]

Well I’ve since cleared out the garage and made a few storage boxes/crates out of an old pallet and a load of off cuts I already had. The most expensive item I ended up buying was the screws (all of £3) and even the tin of paint came from pound land.

I also just topped up the charge in the battery I bought before Christmas and dropped it into the battery box. It only just fits, and because of its size and terminal layout I’ve had to do a bit of fiddling with the connectors, but it’s in.

After a quick check of some of the electrics, most of with wok with just the odd earth problem /s I need to sort. I topped up the oil and removed the spark plugs to turn the engine over. Good news is the oil light went out after just the second cranking, so the oil pressure should be pretty good.

Just need to pop the plugs back in, stick the tank back in, add some fuel and see if it will want to fire into life.

I was tempted to squirt something down the carb to see if it would fire, but then knowing my luck I’ve probably put the dizzy 180 degreases out or something and might have ended up with a toasted/ burn arm.

So it’s just engine firing foe the first time, bleed the brakes (should be fun with 4 pots and a completely dry system) and finish off the paintwork and its done.

[1984mini25]

Why is there always something ready to bite you in the arse? Thought id give bleeding he brakes a try, or not as the case might be.

Filled up the master cylinder reservoir and as the systems dry I had my assistant press the brake pedal while I cracked the unions off, only I wasn't getting any fluid out of the ports on the master.

After a bit of messing around trying different things, I ended up pulling the master of back off and stripping it down. All the seals have gone hard and crusty and the cylinder is full of black, rubbery grit. So one job I never planed on doing, but looks like I’ll have to try some new seals.

Edited by 1984mini25, 04 March 2011 - 10:49 PM.

[1984mini25]

I still haven’t got a working master cylinder, so still no brakes.

But I’ve instead being buying more stuff off e-bay, namely an oil pressure gauge. So hopefully once my fitting kit order arrives I’ll know exactly what the engine is up to when it’s first started.
Just need to work out were to mount it, either in the dash, under the heater or the dash rail or if any others are going to be joining it.

I also had to spend a huge £1.14 on some eyebolts, just so I could chop them up and be able to re fit the battery strap with the new larger battery.

So hopefully if my order turns up and the weathers not too wet, I might just have the engine running for the first time very soon.

[1984mini25]

After buying a seal kit ands stripping down the dead master cylinder, it did finally show some signs of working. Unfortunately after countless times of stripping it down and reassembling, only one half of it was working.

But after sourcing a replacement master cylinder for £20 and a quick clean up, it was in full working order. It was also while browsing e-bay for the replacement master that I happened to spot something else, a full brand new unused minispares braided servo kit. Think there something like £28 on minispares, but mine cost me less than half that at just £13.50 posted. Although it probably helped that the seller miss-listed them under car parts for a Peugeot.

My fittings for the oil gauge also turned up and a good job really, as once it was all plumed in and the engine spun over on just the starter motor it was reading around 100psi. Obviously not good, but a quick play with the oil pressure relief valve and the pressure dropped to a more acceptable 60ish psi.

So at least now I have some change of bleeding the brakes successfully and being able to start the engine without it self-destructing.

But as usual the 25 has started to demand some attention, this time in the way of some new door cards as they got a little bit too damp and had started to rot. Unfortunately being the type they are replacement aren’t available so I’m going to have to try and salvage the originals, clean them up (if the can be) and make up new backing boards for them.

Although judging from the large puff of blue smoke recently, it might not be letting me off as easily as some new door cards just yet.

[1984mini25]

Some picks...
First off my replacement fully working master cylinder with my nice shinny hoses all connected up. I did bleed all the brakes through a few days ago, but some plum forgot to nip one of the unions up on the rear subframe. So I was greeted to a trail of brake fluid running from under the mini, no fluid in the master or any brakes.



Oh and the space for fitting one of the banjo bolts onto the brake limiter on the bulkhead is somewhat tight, ended up having to unbolt and shift the whole servo bracket assembly out of the way just to get to it.



One of the routing of the oil pressure pipe work, plus the fittings to the engine block, witch are also very tight for space.




After lots of messing around I chose to mount the gauge to the front of the heater, as at the time it seams the most logical solution. Although it might be on the move again as I’ve got something planned for below the heater with the possibility of some more gauges or even re-locating the head unit as well.



I’ve also recently acquired a set of these, I do have the full set but I don’t need the window winders for mine anymore. Still they should help brighten up the inside a bit more than the standard plastic items.



And lastly, this is the effects of what the bad winter weather has done to the 25’s door cards.




How both doors got that wet/damp I don’t know, as both doors are watertight and even the carpets, under felt and floor pans were bone dry. I’ve now got to try and salvage the original covers and put them on new backing boards, but that’s if I can re-use the original covers. As you can see from the picks, I’ve been left with pretty visible watermark, the flint velvet fabrics nice but an absolute pain to clean.

Edited by 1984mini25, 06 March 2011 - 05:34 PM.

[Stevee]

Karl

just updated my project thing

Love it karl love it cars really coming on! i need to pop over so ill let you know

[tedmcedd]

looks great! the interior looks very neat!

[1984mini25]

Time for another e-bay special, this time it was this… A genuine, complete (hence why I paid a little more than I would have liked) mk1 golf centre console.



Witch now after quite a bit of trimming fits like so.



I did unfortunately get a little too keen with the hacksaw and chopped a bit off it later turned out I didn’t need to. But luckily I was able to melt/ weld it back on with the help of a soldering iron.



Now all I have to work out it whether or not to stick some gauges in the holes, cut out and fit the head unit or leave them blanked off. Then it’s coming up with a way of mounting and either painting or covering it.

[Stevee]

wow that suits your car well good ! love it

[1984mini25]

Still undecided on the console :S

Oh and I’ve finally sorted out my exhaust bracket issue, but it did end up costing me a trip to a&e after getting a bit of crap fall in my eye. Still no harm done, just a yellow looking eye from the die they used.

[Stevee]

Told you invest in some goggles

ive got some beauts ;] so clear and there like wearing sun glasses

[DaveVader]

Dude, that centre console... perfect!
It looks so standard! The project's really coming on nicely!

[1984mini25]

Told you invest in some goggles

I have got some, just I chose not to as I wasn’t expecting it, seeing as the underside on the mini isn’t exactly dirty, but...

And I kind of feel a little better on chopping up £25 worth of centre console. I could have got one slightly cheaper, but without the gear stick gaiter. But I couldn’t find the surround that clips into the console, so it probably would have worked out the same anyways.

I had also thought I’d found some steel in the shape of a filing cabinet to chop up and use to panel the doors. Only with less than a day to go, still currently the highest bidder the seller has gone and removed all of their items, so I’m back to square one on that.
Not having much luck at all on e-bay recently, 4 items that just simply haven’t turned up and now that one deciding to pull the listing.

[Bluecray]

Like the centre console, certainly looks the part!! surely you can fit three gauges in there? rather than blank it??? - your oil pressure one that you've already got, a battery indicator and maybe a nice big amber light to indicate low oil pressure??

[1984mini25]

I was thinking that. But maybe an oil pressure and a vacuum a gauge, both with black rings instead of the chrome on the current oil one. I haven’t quite decided on the 3rd, but at the moment all I really need is the oil pressure one. Plus I’ve bypassed all of the warning lights in the dials to a row of 5 leds above the dials on the dash, so there is no way I can miss no seeing them.