301 replies to this topic

[JayBox]

Brilliant car! Love the splitter. I had one just like that on my Mk3 Polo. Love them.

[1984mini25]

Well I’ve finally got the last of the welding done to the main body, finally got the a panel hinge blanking plate welded in and primed just before it threw it down. So just the filling and a few little bits left and I can paint everything but the front end, which still needs some more work.

[1984mini25]

Well got the filling and a bit of primer on the a panel plate thing, still need to get the door off again and finish it off properly, but every time I do it rains.




But the a panel and door now both line up, so it’s just the door mirror nuts to weld in and I can paint the main shell (everything but the front)

[1984mini25]

Well I woke up today (yesterday) ready to pop out for a few bits, a can of primer, some of those flappy sanding disk things (only needed the one) and some fiberglass paste to stick the rear arch back on.
So I could grind down some welds, stick the rear arch section back on and primer a few bits before roller painting.

What a complete waste of time, should have stayed in bed to be honest. Drove into town for the flappy disks, didn’t have them, okeis, I’ll try the diy place on the way to tescos (needed fuel) and then onto Halfords, nope don’t stock them. So I go off to tescos to fill up and remember that there’s a small independent auto/bike store near by, so tried there, nope everything but. But opposite is a market type place, so tried in there too, again, waste of time.
Then as a last resort I remembered the army surplus store, but that was another nope, they do grinding and cutting disks only. By then I’d given up and just drove off to Halfords for the primer and filler paste, both of which they didn’t have.

By which point I just gave up completely and drove off back home, having wasted £5 worth of fuel and had nothing to show for it.

But then just as I pulled back onto the drive the part I’d been waiting for to build my engine turned up. I’d given up waiting for minispares to have it back in stock some day never (been over 2 months out of stock) and bought the equivalent (wasn’t sure till it turned up) from minisport. Even if it would have been more expensive and postage was only just £2 less than what the item was. But at least now I could finally get to work on the engine build properly this time.

So take one standard bore (just needed a hone), pocketed block



Add this lot,

New piston rings, crank bearings and trusts, cam bearings (I have the tools to fit those myself) new oil pump, cam followers, a duplex timing set, mg metro cam, 12940 head and all the various gaskets, plus a few extras I’d been collecting over the years. Like the minispares LCB, a mainflow single box centre exit exhaust system, mainflow inlet manifold, hif38 carb, etc, etc.

So with the new cam bearings fitted, crank in and checked along with the new rings fitted to the pistons and installed



All ready for this…. (Which I’ve had ready sitting in my room for the last 2 years)




One refurbished standard gearbox with a central oil pick fitted as a why not while it was apart like.

But now for the fun bit, how to get the 2 to mate up to each other. Not a problem for most, but then for me trying to lift the now heavy block complete with crank and pistons onto the gearbox and not damage anything might have been a little tricky for me.

So with the block face down, I though it was easier (except I’d oiled the gearbox Lol) to lift the much lighter gearbox onto the block, bolt it down and turn the engine and box up the right way.

Bolted down, now for the tricky bit



One engine, on gearbox up the right way


Just the easy bit now of bolting on the bits, first in was the cam, which was a bonus as it turns freely. Followed buy the oil pump, rear plate and timing gears. Although I’ve still to set the cam timing properly, I was just checking the fit mostly.




Hopefully it won’t be too long before I can wheel out the engine crane and drop it into the front subframe, the first time in 3 years (and since I’ve owned the mini) it will of have had an engine.

Just need a few bolts I’m missing and a clutch plate first.

Edited by 1984mini25, 20 July 2010 - 12:53 AM.

[1984mini25]

Well the days started off well (ish) got the drop gears all on and the flywheel housing on.



All I had do way tighten the bolts.

All was going well; tightening them up to 35nm, until one seamed to just not tighten and then just snapped.

So the flywheel housing had to come back off again to remove the now snapped bolt that was stuck in the gearbox.




Luckily it wasn’t that hard to remove, just a quick tap with a screwdriver and it unturned by hand.

But upon removal of the bolts it appears that it wasn’t the only one, as one other was close to snapping as well. The one of the far right on the 2nd pick is a bolt that torqued up without any problems.




So I tried to work out why the bots had snapped at only 35nm, all the treads were clean, tapped them out to be sure. And to check it weren’t my torque wrenches I torqued up a good bolt in the suspect threads using a socket and washer as a spacer.



Didn’t find any problems, the bolt didn’t stretch and snap and both my torque wrenches click at 35nm, so I’m hoping it’s ‘just’ the bolts that are at fault. Either way it has set me back for the 3rd time on this engine.

[mighty mini jack]

Nice work karlos

Edited by mighty mini jack, 20 July 2010 - 11:29 PM.

[luiji89]

Nice work karlos

x2

nice one fella

[miniallsort]

looks great

[1984mini25]

I’ve pretty much got the engine built up bar a few little bits and not being able to bolt the flywheel housing and flywheel/clutch.

But I’m hoping if I can get some more bolts and bolt the flywheel housing on properly, even without the flywheel on. I could then be able to drop the engine into the subframe and fit that at a later date. As the front is fully removable and I can always unbolt the brace bar if that’s in the way.

Also hoping if I can find some flappy disks and Halfords has what I want in the way of filler, I might just also have it in paint buy the end of the week as well.

Edited by 1984mini25, 25 July 2010 - 09:47 PM.

[1984mini25]

Well today’s progress was unexpectedly, but predictably cut short, in other words it bloody rained.

But take one mini.




Remove one front end and one sort of completed engine.


And one engine magically fitted.


Ok it didn’t exactly jump into the front subframe; I did have to use the engine crane.
But it went in without fuss (is about the 4th or 5th engine swap I’ve done this year)
But even the engine mounts all lined up as well.

And just after refitting the drive shafts along with fresh grease, new boots and gear linkage, when that wet stuff started to fall.





Before it rained I had hoped on getting some more green paint on it, but oh wells.

Plus as I’ve done the drive shaft boots I’m not happy with one of the pot joint ones (looks like a different type) so will probably buy another and redo it. Plus I’ve also got to get back under and sort the gear linkage out, as the joining bit with the roll pins is loser than a very lose thing. Plus I couldn’t find the gear rod seal, so will need to buy one and do that at the same time before I fill the engine up with too much oil.

All what’s left on the engine is just bolting and painting stuff up, much more fun than sanding bodywork.

Edited by 1984mini25, 28 July 2010 - 10:29 PM.

[mighty mini jack]

Good work as usual Karl!

[1984mini25]

Thank you kind sir Lol

Just a shame the 25 has stopped peeing oil and now decided to pee fuel everywhere instead.

[1984mini25]

Started off by fixing the 25, the float valve had stuck, so to save messing around with it I just swapped it over with a known good one off a spare carb.

With that done it was back onto the Mayfair and giving the engine it’s second coat of good old hammerite yellow.





Then while that was drying I set to work cleaning up the 2nd hand lcb and inlet manifolds I’d bought moons ago.



And with them quickly test fitted, not fully bolted up, as I just basically wanted to see what the space was like behind the engine for the fuel line and the subframe. Never liked the idea of fuel lines next to an exhaust, but there looks to be loads of room and everything fits ok.

[1984mini25]

Not much of an update, just sort of rollered some paint onto the car.












It still needs a few more coats, but i just hope it was dry enough before it threw it down.



And the one thing i'm really liking now the engine is in. I originaly picked this style of mk1 grill more for cooling than anything else, but...

Edited by 1984mini25, 30 July 2010 - 11:16 PM.

[pikey7]

Just need some bolts to hold the engine together now then! (oops!)

Looking good mate. on the road for SMD next weekend?