1146 replies to this topic

[hughJ]

Carlos, both Daves,  jagman.2003, minimuk, Graham and hoody99 a big thanks. I still have one pane of glass to put in.

 

This week has not been good.

 

A week of leaks

 

1. I filled with brake fluid and pressurised with my trusty old Gunson Easibleed and blew brake fluid out the back over the rear subframe and underneath. I had reused the original front to rear brake pipe and it was leaking!! Best to find that now. There are problems in trying to recycle as much as possible. Now that is not an easy pipe to remove - it has to be cut. I hope the new copper one ordered will bend into position OK.

 

2. I hoped to get the engine started and was priming the carb using a funnel and rubber tubing when petrol leaked out the bottom everywhere. There is a pipe linking the float bowl with the main jet. The pipe had come out the gland. So carb off to sort that one.

 

3. Then I filled the cooling system with water. Thank goodness I didn't go straight for antifreeze. This happened.

 

 

It was leaking at the water pump. The rim of the pump is all pitted bit I hoped a dry gasket would still seal. It didn't! So it is out with radiator. That's easy to say but getting the lower hose off and the bottom rear radiator bolt out is not so easy to do. Out with the alternator. Off with the fan and fan belt. Of with the cowling and out with the water pump. To leave a hole.

 

 

I cleaned up the mating surfaces and made another gasket.

 

 

This time I used a ton of gasket sealant. Gloops of it. And then put all that mess back together.

 

 

Weary with a grazed left arm - that wretched lower hose. Minis really are dreadful to work on!

 

I did a couple of nicer jobs - both bling.

 

Stainless wipers and fittings

 

 

And did the door cappings to seal the wind up windows.

 

 

 

That was a nice easy job.

 

I am wondering will I ever get it running and MOTd.

 

Leaking along, Hugh

[CLM]

Looking good! And I feel for you with that water pump issue, I just got done swapping engines and putting the original engine back in the moke and it's water pump is howling... 

 

Chris

[davej]

Looking good Hugh, shame you've had a few leaks to sort out. If I remember rightly last time I had to take the radiator out I disconnected the pipe at the other end by the water pump and left it on the rad as it is a right pain in the rear end to get on and off. Stick at it and you will get there.

[jagman.2003]

Good repair on the water pump Hugh. Getting those radiators out never gets any easier. One day someone might think of a better way of mounting it.

[racingenglishcars]

Looking very good Hugh. I feel for you with those leaks... and the lower hose is on my list of most-difficult-jobs on the Mini. (Is it any easier on the later cars?)

I'm glad you got the glass in this time in one piece. 

One day it will be MOTted. Don't worry.

Chin up!

[ToM 2012]

looking excellent hugh keep up the good work mate

[hughJ]

It's living again!

 

Hi Chris at least my water pump is quiet. Leaky but quiet. No the leak seems to have been sorted. Dave thanks - I will still have to drain the coolant by removing the bottom hose! It is incredibly difficult. Not as bad as the right side engine mounting. jagman.2003 thanks, it was designed to fit the smallest space - not with ease of removal in mind. Don thanks, I don't know what its like to do on the models with the radiator at the front, but the side ones is awful. Tom thanks.

 

Well here is an awful video - I've never put one on Youtube before so always learning. The sound is dreadful but if I edit to remove the sound you'll not believe its running. Sounds better in real life. Like a pile of marbles in a tin on the video.

 

 

I had a poor connection to the starter. So it would intermittently turn. Then there was no fuel coming. I hadn't connected the tank to the cupro-nickel pipe under the car! Anyhow its running now with a nice new battery.
 It's badly needing a tune up as you can hear when the accelerator is depressed but also the engine is cold.

 

But another leak has appeared at the heater.

 

 

Chugging along, Hugh

Edited by hughJ, 16 July 2013 - 12:27 PM.

[jagman.2003]

I had some heater leaks Hugh, made my new mats soggy. Just tweaked up the jubilee clips a bit seems to have cured it. Most of the pipes seem to settle & need a small bit of tightening after a couple of engine runs. The worst leak I've ever had was the oil pressure gauge feed broke loose & sprayed the engine bay on the virgin run of new car build.

[silve1999]

awesome! shes alive!!!

Edited by silve1999, 16 July 2013 - 12:30 PM.

[sherly]

Sick!!!! Wait till you see what only I can do.

 

Darren, Ben, zony, Graham, Carlos jagman.2003 and silve1999 thanks for the comments. It does help especially on a day like today.

 

Went to fit the front screen

 

 

Got it in

 

 

But the lip of the seal not sitting flush - so wont seal!!

 

 

Tried to persuade it to sit better with a rubber mallet against a block of wood against a welding glove. Important!! Don't try this technique!!

 

 

All my trying to watch the pennies and this happens. It has spent three safe years up in attic. The sick feeling when you do something like this can't really be put in words. I've gone straight onto minispares.com and ordered a replacement. £34 is really quite amazing. I've still to see what carriage up north here is. We are penalised so often on Ebay in the Highlands for carriage.

 

Sickening along, Hugh

 

No way! - I did exactly this when trying to fit my brand spanking new top-tint screen into my project.  Was also watching the pennies so had to settle for an old scratched screen that I had in the workshop.....which is still in place.  Will get round to replacing it when the pennies situation improves.....

[hughJ]

You gents are fast - thanks a lot. jagman.2003 - the leak does seem to be getting less so I'll keep my eye on it and tighten up the jubilee clips. silve1999 I sometimes wondered would I reach this stage!

[jagman.2003]

Excellent it's running Hugh. The video didn't show the first time I saw the post.

[hughJ]

jagman.2003 having you keep an eye on my post makes me proud and humble at the same time. I've followed you a long time and think your amazing. Glad you could see my attempt at posting a video to the world. sherly I'll bet you had that awful sick feeling. Not nice. But we have to be brave. I don't normally reply to posts right away I usually do it in batch form once or twice a week. You can see I'm a bit excited.

 

Hugh

[tino]

Great to hear her running hugh! 

[CLM]

Woohoo!! It runs!

 

Congratulations Hugh!

 

Chris