1065 replies to this topic

[Jamie_hail]

Looking epic Kam! Just shows how quick things can go back together when you have all the bits and bobs there! Time to get some stuff ordered for mine I think - seeing these last few pictures has given me a right kick up the ass to get mine done!

Will need to come down one time, have a look at your toy! The build quality is fantastic!

[Kam]

Cheers mate but it'll be a wasted effort Jamie, the camera makes it all look the part

I can understand the position your at though.....everything waiting there like a coiled spring ready to get into action but the main part missing so everything at a standstill, in my case the engine, in your case the frame, it is annoying but just get done what you can

I'm glad your getting a kick, these builds aint easy and I get mine from other build diaries when mine isn't going to plan, its like a relay teamwork thing

[Jamie_hail]

Damn - I'm after any excuse to take mine for a week away! I may be near to you next year anyway, in Devon. Decided on a completely different career path, and have applied for the Royal Marines. So, will be spending 32 weeks at Lympstone, all being well!

It certainly is frustrating, and it's causing me much expense! Whilst I'm wating for the frame, I keep taking bits apart, and now, accidentally, I'm left with just a shell! Oh well, will make wiring easier!

It sure is - we'll all come to a halt one day, and due to the lack of updates, none of us will have the motivation to continue - and our minis will be lost to the internet!

[Kam]

Ok, been having a few problems lately with the engine and wanting to get on with things so been wasting time (and money) sorting that out, I won't go into detail on here as its mostly sorted out now but it meant I still haven't been able to do as much as I had planned so your gonna have to put up with an update with a load of pictures and waffle but not alot of actual work being done......

Started off with the head, swapped all the springs and valve train and put most of the sensors on, I'm using a water temp sender switch which is a 1/8th NPT fitting but the honda hole is 1/8th BSP fitment, wilp used some ptfe tape on his with the above and reports no problems so thats good enough for me



Then after a debacle with trying to fit the head I stripped it bare again and got the head back from a local machine shop couple of days later who kindly gave it a very light surface skim aswell (with a diamond cutter) and he threw in some blue studs aswell as he liked the fact it was going in a mini



Put all the valve train back in (again!) and got it fitted and torqued up (ARP studs) then put the buddyclub kams together



I put my old b16 rear timing cover on



But found the cover rubbing slightly against the cam





I compared it with the b18 one but that has an even more protruding edge



Heres the three covers, b16 b18 and b20



The b20 one is scrap anyway as apart from the head holes on the cover being different the actual cam surround cut outs are very slightly wider set and don't line up with the b16/18 head, so on a b20 head the cams are spaced out more, not that this matters, but just so you know you can chuck it in the bin along with the b20 head.....

I ended up cutting my b16 cover with them protruding edges



Theres still a bit of rubbing, I know the cams are not bolted down but its still way too close



So will cut more so the teeth clear completely, trust me, it'll be fine........

Next, how to get a cambelt on without removing the engine mount



Grip it tight



And smack it into the frame at the right angle



And viola! all done, easy as that! It has to be hit at the right angle or it won't work



For those of you who are using the IACV you probably won't like this got my old blanking plate that track n road done for me on the skunk2



Also got a new gasket for my ITR throttle body (62mm) which will be going on first



I'm not gonna use my 68mm jobbie initially as its got no throttle position sensor on it and that TPS should ideally be setup once the engines up and running, so I'm gonna run the ITR first as its a secondhand one so its all setup but more importantly it allows me to worry about running the new rings in rather than tarting about setting the TPS up.....

Put the valve cover and manifold on



They aint attached, its just a money shot

Next job, get the belt on and tensioned up, obviously not setting a high goal for the next one.....

[samsfern]

Looking very good kam!

That valve spring compressor tool looks A nice bit of kit too!

[Jamie_hail]

I'm liking the pictures that happen to be on the laptop, in the background... Dirty Git!

[Kam]

I'm liking the pictures that happen to be on the laptop, in the background... Dirty Git!

I'm allowed mate, I am over 18, just

[Shifty]

So when's this gonna be ready for then??

[Jamie_hail]

I'm liking the pictures that happen to be on the laptop, in the background... Dirty Git!

I'm allowed mate, I am over 18, just

You'll go blindddddd

[Kam]

So when's this gonna be ready for then??

Not sure yet, I would love to take it to brooklands Sean but I think its best not to set a deadline, all of my other deadlines have spectacularly failed so I'm just gonna go at my own pace

[Kam]

Ok I've given up

No not the project but the inner timing belt cover! really important part of the build!

I can't get it to sit properly so I've ditched it, I should be able to live my life without it, I think.....

Kambelt is all done, had a bit of an issue trying to keep the cam gear markers pointing in the right direction whilst tightening the cam caps down (engine sits slightly forward tilted in ours) I'm not sure how Mr Honda does it but I decided to be creative and whipped out my old cambelt and some grips



Worked like a charm

Ok injectors, as I'm using RC ones I found they didn't hook up to my loom connectors, theres a small center inner bit that my injector clip doesn't have





My pre-made wiring loom is from Watsons, so I'm not sure what the original 1993 del sol injector clip looks like, I know theres all this OBD1 and OBD2 business but as I don't do anything electrics I haven't got a scooby on that side of things, I don't know what year loom Geoff stripped but either way these don't fit, you can get a conversion loom for the injectors but I sorted it my way instead - stanley knife!



Left one fits clips in securely now

Got all the oil pressure/temp senders fitted on the back of the block where the new VTEC take off point will be



Luckily I got quite a bit of room before anything touches the underside of the inlet manifold, you could swing a cat in there, well ok maybe a kitten



But something didn't look right, I know I gotta do a fair few oil changes when this is first fired up, but I can't get the oil filter off! The new take off braid has no give even with the filter fully spun out so had to 'correct' it a bit and spin it



I can't believe the engine builder left it like that........schoolboy error.......

I've never used aero fixings before so I'm hoping its all still secure

Ok, my alternator bracket, I don't think I've mentioned it in detail on here just incase it didn't work out, this was one bit I was hoping would not mess up as it cost me enough to buy and stick an angle grinder to!

Basically, the plan was to buy a custom alternator bracket for the MTB frame from minitec across the pond and cut away the bottom section as this don't fit the allspeed frame and I got someone to make up another piece of the same thickness which would be the securing piece, I then had to chop about as necessary once its all in, the small cut out allows me to take the inlet off aswell



So it goes in like this ready to be tack welded when positioning was correct





Its using the now defunct original top alternator holes (bottom alternator holes hold my crank sensor) and a spare hole at the very top of the head, not sure what this top hole is for but its now been labelled "busy" and it will keep the bracket straight and secure, thats the plan

Came across a problem though, I knew this might happen but was hoping it might just disappear on its own through the night somehow (which happens alot right!) belt alignment with my original b16 pulley.....



Its out as I've got the "V" pulley on the outer wheel for the honda power steering I think, I need some ribbing here!

Picture of my old b18 pulley against my b16



I've sold my b18 engine the lot, which to be fair I didn't think I needed any bits from at the time, I think the larger outer pulley is marginally larger if I remember correctly on the b18 but that don't bother me as I'm only using the smaller end one anyway which is the same size on both, but Geoff to the rescue as usual! Watsons is gonna cut out the trigger wheel teeth on a b18 three rib pulley he has there and swap it with mine

I've got my larger 68mm throttle body on aswell now along with the heater pipe on the passenger side, the pipe runs under the inlet as there was no other room to route it!





I've had to chop off a small bolt hole lug on the back of the rocker cover as it interfered with the alternator bracket and trim down one of the screws on the alternator which was sticking out and was sitting a couple of mm away from the fuel rail end, I know its gonna move in synch with the fuel rail but it looked too close for my comfort

The pictures make me laugh, there is now NO room on that side for anything but wiring!

I've still gotta drill some aero fixings in the front of the rocker cover for my breather assembly which I have absolutely no idea where it can go, engine builder says its best to weld the aero fixings on, problem is rocker cover has already been powdercoated.....

Next job, sort out the wiring, my favourite part of a car

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

NIIIICE!!!!!!

[Kam]

NIIIICE!!!!!!

Patience young one, it'll look much better once the front ends on and painted up whenever that'll be......

Anyways, someone over on 16v mentioned that having my oil pressure assemblies hanging over like that might put some stress on the oil take off pipe as its all weight hanging over on one side



So I made up a hanging plate for it using the other defunct alternator hole, holds it secure now



That small bit took me about 3 hours to cut bend and get a good fit! It had to be precise as otherwise when the top bolt is tightened up it would've pulled on the T piece which seeing as the other side is tight in the block would not of been good! So I made the 'alternator' hole on the bracket oversized so when the t-piece is tightened down there is still a bit of give to tighten the other end without pulling at it

One of my heater pipes is heading straight out the bulkhead on the passenger side just like on a normal mini but I've got no room for the other one so I need to route it over to the driver side which means running it behind the dash



Being a silly sod I did it this way round with the b16 in here expect this time though I'm not taking any chances with all the wiring and gubbins back there so got some protective sleeving for it



Also found my old brake discs (yes I had lost them!) I want to reuse them but they got what I think is alot of surface rust on them?



Any way of tackling that to clean it up? or just leave it to the pads?

Also the holes don't go all the way through, worth getting them drilled through or not? these are the solid versions

[yeti21586]

I'm liking the reuse of pics from a previous post lol

But it's all looking good kam keep it up!!!!



YetI

[Kam]

Got my old brake discs cleaned up, including the dimples and grooves



Old gaz shocks were looking sorry for themselves, as for my old damper brackets!



Luckily I got some tidy ones from boots over on 16v so gave them a lick of paint and cleaned up the shocks



Hub assembly all done, just gotta add me old pads as they only have 2000 miles on them and torque up the notorious hub nut



Other side of the brakes all done aswell, got my old servo in and hooked it up



Now I can get on with the wiring as most of the bay has the bits where its needed



Expect........its no secret I hate electrics, I choose not to understand it so I'm putting it off and will turn my attention on something a bit different, my DTA ecu



I'm gonna put my old rover radio back in its original factory place (holder below dash, passenger side) but I'm gonna mount my ecu INSIDE it! yes inside it! I had another one of my crazy ideas earlier and thought why not, I've still got my radio in the main dash but this will just be sitting there out of the way, I had my ecu mounted here before but now I want to hide it a bit

I'm gonna take my time with this as its not oh so important but ripped up the rover one anyway



Plan is to spin the ecu upside and move it to the left so you can access the DTA port through the old display window, or I might spin it upside and place it central so you need to actually push the cat flap to get to it! simples

I'll have a little play with this and then I'll tackle the wiring..........maybe......

Edited by Kam, 11 December 2011 - 10:00 PM.