749 replies to this topic

[thelegg]

Is it possibly 1.5 meaning that it's a 1.5 degree negative bottom arm ? Please don't assume that's right tho lol

[lawrence]

Yh that's what I suspected it was. I've gone through the history of when I got the car and that's also mentioned as being fitted so looks like I've got a nice free upgrade on my car, also the tie bars look fairly hefty compared with a friends so it looks like I've got uprated tie bars lower arm and what was once poly bushed suspension. :)

I've finished sorting out the passengers side now and mini is back up to running order which is awesome, ride height has shot up for some strange reason however but I'm sure it will settle again.

Starting to go back together with all new bushes etc

Alternator fitted also

Tensioner easily accessible :)


Started her up. she runs nice and smoothly, minor squeak from the bearing of either the idler or alternator but only above 5000revs. No movement at all from the alternator mount itself which is awesome.

Due to the top mount of the alternator being essentially a bolt through the timing chain cover I added spring washers to all the bolts that hold the cover on, this has allowed me to do the timing cover bolts up tighter than stated but the spring washers have stopped the sealant all being squeezed out because of over torquing. Hope that makes sense to someone! Seemed logical to me!

Plan tomorrow is to drive her into Norwich (about 20miles) and make sure everything is good for the osf. All bolts nuts etc to correct torque now but I'll check them after 100miles or so to be on the safe side

Got a bit of a kerfuffle to sort out at uni this week so no more mini for the time being and I'll hopefully work this weekend. Plan next week is to sort out the nsf but that should be simpler (famous last words)
Planning to cut the lower arm pivot out and just replace it, can't be bothered with faffing about with a hammer and drifts bla bla

Feel free to comment
Lawrence

[GraemeC]

Those tie bars are adjustable, so certainly an upgrade from standard.

 

That brake pipe union is particularly horrid though!  I'd be trying to make some sort of bracket on the brace bar for it.

Edited by GraemeC, 11 November 2015 - 06:02 PM.

[lawrence]

Cheers GraemeC, it's nice to know someone spend money on her before me!

I agree with yourself there about my brake pipes, it's all standard mini parts just routed slightly differently. Previously the top part was encased in a split hose with electrical tape around it for protection and that tiny piece of green pipe was where the pclip secured it to the welded nut on the subframe. I've taken off the protecting sleeving as there's a brake line weeping ever so slightly somewhere around there that I need to find and fix

I've been searching through my spares also and found the nut that would originally have secured the hose banjo bolt part to the original mini subframe so thinking of making a mount similar to ones on the allspeed frames (essentially a bracket with a hole). Now that there is room where the alternator was before ill weld it on the frame for more secured brake pipes compared to pclips. Just need to sort the leak and do two things at once to save on bleeding the brakes more

Lawrence

[GraemeC]

Ah yes - I can see the nut welded to the bar now.

What I can't see is a copper washer below the brass union, where it screws in to the top of the brake hose?  There should one either side of that union and they are both different sizes.

[coopdog]

Ah yes - I can see the nut welded to the bar now.

What I can't see is a copper washer below the brass union, where it screws in to the top of the brake hose?  There should one either side of that union and they are both different sizes.

 yeah looks like its weeping a bit too

[lawrence]

Hmmm, Ill have a good look at it tommorow when I'm back home. I'm sure I fitted copper washers as I remember heat treating them but I'll check either way as that could be the cause of my weeping

[thelegg]

When I bought a braided hose kit back along it was 1 washer short each side so maybe you've got the same problem ?

[lawrence]

I checked the brakes the other day and they have the washers on them. Looks like the weeping is coming from the front rear bias valve. What I'm finding strange is that the pedal still feels fine and no loss of braking performance. I shall investigate further.

On a second note the suspension change has gone well for the nsf
New lower arm bushes
New track rod bushes
New (to me) shock absorber that I can adjust
New bump stop
New return stop

Driving the car feels so much better! Much more controlled sterring, no more wobble at speed! Additionally the suspension has become a lot more comfortable. Both shocks are set at mid way and it's not bone crushing on every bump :)
Secondly new alternator is working well. No more loosening off malarkey and mounts all nice and stable

But you know me :) there's always a bad point to fix!

Had a brakedown the other nights.
Nsf driveshaft popped out! Little sod just needed the inner joint collar drifting back down but it's highlighted another 2 problems

Inner gaitor for the inner cv is rubbing on the frame again. I Had to change the old one as it had turned into rubber rings. I'll try and get a photo today to explain the problem but basically the engine/gearbox needs to move up about 10mm to leave space for the gaitor and cable tie to spin around

Second bad point. New alternator mount leaks. About 1 drip every 10 seconds or so but its still leaking (otherwise known as floor rustproofing haha) My plan is to make a rubber gasket to replace the instant type gasket currently used This will allow me to do the timing cover bolts up more but the rubber won't leak due to vibrations. If that doesn't solve the problem then I will have to redesign the alternator mount Yet again

Hopefully updates soon
All the best people
Lawrence

[lawrence]

Urhhh this car is killing my enthusiasm.
So I went to sort out the few bits I could manage today
>new rubber gasket for timing belt
>clean up oil spill

So yh I went to start it and move her infront of the garage.
Battery dead!
I'm thinking whaaattttt it's only been on bout 8 months. Check voltage. 11.5volts
Jump start her with spare battery
Check voltage
11.5volts!

You what? Alternator not charging?
Check tension. It's tensioned
Checked all connections. All fine
Checked voltage at alternator
11.5volts. Disconnected battery charging lead and checked again
0.8volts!

Urhhh. My new alternators not charging. Popped the idle up to 2500revs.
Output 2volts

So great I'm thinking. Flipping alternators fubared
Took it off. Continuity checked
Windings all fine. Connections grubby but working

=voltage regulator dead.
But then I thought well the charging plugs not been wired in yet so the sods been not charging ever since I've had it. Battery's really good but I worked out I've only driven the car about 100miles and only in the day with no radio/heater/lights on therefore had minimal drain. Would also explain sluggish start after her driveshaft breakdown that I put down to the choke sticking again.

I've messaged the seller and he's sending me another one but now I've got an undrivable car till then

Oh and the bloody sprayer my gunk is in has broken when I went to use it

So I thought I would change the rear shocks as its a nice simple job. Put the spax shock in the vice to change the dust cover to my gaz ones as they look more substantial. Walked back to mini, heard a crack and a thump. Looked back
Vice just fell apart!

Turned off the lights and left the garage

So to recap
>alternator broken
>degrease sprayer broken
>vice broken
>spirit broken

Now looking at Micras on gumtree as contemplating sticking mini under a cover while I'm at uni because I can't have all this while I'm supposed to be doing freaking work!

Lawrence

[thelegg]

Ah man can't believe all this bad luck your having, you say your drive shaft popped out surly that's not meant to be able to happen ??????? Is the shaft too short ?

[miniobsessed]

Hey Lawrence.

I just got caught up on your build. You've been having some rotten luck.

But just on your alternator... Did you mean that you haven't connected the charge indicator light? If so, that is probably why it's not charging. It may be a simple bulb but it is tied to the field current regulator inside the alternator. Maybe try that before losing all hope.

And I hope you stick with the mini despite the difficulties - it's character building :)

[lawrence]

Cheers for the comments chaps always appreciated
Drive shaft popping out was my own fault, I never tapped down the retaining ring, not a huge issue but now it's tapped back down it may not work properly and the inner joint may pop out again. I've got my fingers crossed it'll be ok

And I understand what you mean about the alternator. That's what I initally thought so wired the charge light up and it also wanted a power feed which i did however that made no difference to the output and it still didn't work

I worked out costs for me to get another car and it's really not worth it at the moment
Micra for £500
Insurance about £700
Tax £140

I can't change my policy over either so that's gunna be a year of ncb gone if I cancel the policy. I've got the money that's not a problem but £1300odd for a different car that could be just as bad reliability wise just doesn't seem worth while. My main issue isn't money but time! I need a car that can get me to uni and back 5days a week (40miles round trip) when I can't use my bike cost of weather conditions. Poor mini has taken such a hammering driving to Yarmouth and back for the last 10weeks and has done at least 1500miles

In all honesty I'm being horrible to my car expecting that much of her!

She is a 25 year old car that I'm using daily, she's had an engine conversion engineered completly by me with zero experience in that department and loads of trials and error to get it to work so to get in and drive her is asking a hell of alot!

So in the grand scheme of things having a dodgey alternator and a drifeshaft gaitor that catches is bugger all compared to everything else working fine!

So plan is today as I'm yet to go out to the garage
>change rear shocks to spax adjustable ones
>try and tighten handbrake which is a bugger to do because of my huge seats!
>put suspension up higher at the rear by about an inch 1/5 each side for my winters ride height

I'll pop some photos up later
Lawrence

[lawrence]

Only a little update then.
As of today still waiting on replacement alternator to arrive
Checked over back end. Took of the gaz shock absorber cleaned it up. Adjustor still works fine so have given it a lick of paint and will hold off fitting the spax shocks to the rear for the time being.

Also raised the suspension up a bit. Looks high in the photo but mini is on a bit of a slope currently so on the flat should be ok I hope


On a side note I fixed the sticking choke cable
Sleeved it with some rubber hose I found in a draw. Now the clamp holds it better and the choke is alot more variable opposed to on and off so something good there


Hopefully the alternator will arrive tomorrow if not I'll be getting soaked on my bike going to Norwich in the evening which is lame but not the end of the world

Ohs and on another side note im Making my parents a wood store to put the logs for the woodburner in
Just starting

First floor

First floor and shelf


Side are going to be cut down pieces of old skirting board and roof felted :) should look fairly serviceable!

Feel free to comment people
Lawrence

[lawrence]

So then people
It's time for another little update for my mini

I've finished uni for the year which mean that I've got the whole of December off to play with mini/make some money for next year to play with.

I got a letter through from my insurance the other day and it's due on the 13th of December. Tried to get a cheaper quote online but due to my previous issues and engine modification hasn't changed much.

It's dropped to £350 a year which I don't think is too bad but considering it was £400 last year I'm fairly disappointed especially with 4 year ncb! Wonder what other people get for their insurance for engine conversions! Oh and talking to Adrian flux I can't get insurance for a turbocharged engine till I'm 25!

So looks like I'm running NA till then :) better rethink my engine decision now

Back to the mini now. My replacement alternator from the ebay seller turned up. Bearings sounded rough as hell so just nabbed the regulator from it.


I then fitted the beast :) cor look at the voltage haha


Also replaced the timing chain cover gasket with a oil resistant rubber one and since driving about 30miles hasn't leaked a bit! So my fingers are crossed

Proof off the pudding :)


So I'm fairly happy now. The bearing of the idle pully is rather whiney so it does sound like I have a supercharger which I do like to be honest :)

She's also running really nicely for once so I'm happy. Shall add more progress when I do bits to her

Also thinking about getting megasquirt to have efi. Opinions would be nice on that front also. Was thinking megasquirt as I already have the edis part of it. What do we reckon chaps? Plus could sell megajolt to another mini owner!

Lawrence