852 replies to this topic

[JonnyAlpha]

Did you manage to get to the show this weekend just gone as planned?

Albino - yes we absolutely did and as you can see I bizzarley met up with Alex from this forum - heck we even randomly ended up in the same row of cars.

Long drive back but well worth it. Car was fine, kept under 50MPH all the way

 

Edited by JonnyAlpha, 13 June 2017 - 06:38 PM.

[JonnyAlpha]

I didn't actually get any pics of your car, but was good meeting you and seeing it in the flesh.

 

 

Great seeing you there too Alex. My wife did all the snapping and got this one of you me and your dad discussing your car

 

[Albino_Hedgehog]

Did you manage to get to the show this weekend just gone as planned?

Albino - yes we absolutely did and as you can see I bizzarley met up with Alex from this forum - heck we even randomly ended up in the same row of cars.
Long drive back but well worth it. Car was fine, kept under 50MPH all the way
 

Ahh very good!

Did you manage to test the Sat-Nav out?

I'm still working on my dash installation, but recently got the power situation and Car-Pi all good to go!!

I also managed to fit my door cards today,

I may get a picture of them up a bit later if I can do so :)

[JonnyAlpha]

Did you manage to get to the show this weekend just gone as planned?

Albino - yes we absolutely did and as you can see I bizzarley met up with Alex from this forum - heck we even randomly ended up in the same row of cars.
Long drive back but well worth it. Car was fine, kept under 50MPH all the way
 

Ahh very good!
Did you manage to test the Sat-Nav out?
I'm still working on my dash installation, but recently got the power situation and Car-Pi all good to go!!
I also managed to fit my door cards today,
I may get a picture of them up a bit later if I can do so :)

Never got the Sat Nav software installed but I do have Kodi Media Centre running fine on the Raspberry Pi some have trouble with screens going to sleep but I found a fix.
to be honest we never had the ICE on at all, I was to busy listening out for rattles in case something was falling off and listening for the correct engine noises

[Albino_Hedgehog]

Did you manage to get to the show this weekend just gone as planned?

Albino - yes we absolutely did and as you can see I bizzarley met up with Alex from this forum - heck we even randomly ended up in the same row of cars.
Long drive back but well worth it. Car was fine, kept under 50MPH all the way
 

Ahh very good!
Did you manage to test the Sat-Nav out?
I'm still working on my dash installation, but recently got the power situation and Car-Pi all good to go!!
I also managed to fit my door cards today,
I may get a picture of them up a bit later if I can do so :)

Never got the Sat Nav software installed but I do have Kodi Media Centre running fine on the Raspberry Pi some have trouble with screens going to sleep but I found a fix.
to be honest we never had the ICE on at all, I was to busy listening out for rattles in case something was falling off and listening for the correct engine noises

Ahh very well haha!!

[JonnyAlpha]

So being a teacher I am now off for 6 weeks !!! Believe you me I have earnt the rest But much to do!! Several years ago during this rebuild project I set myself two goals. 1. To get to Beaulieu (done that) and 2. To take the Mni to our local 'Wheels' display on the local recreation area.

 

The Wheels event is this Sunday - weather permitting - so I have been doing some last minute work on the car.

 

The Engine Bay has always bothered me owing to the fact that it never got dropped or sorted out properly - still no time to do it but it needed some work.

 

Most of the paint had come off the radiator and as its brass I cleaned it up:

 

 

Sorry just switched to imagur and not sure how to edit the pic size?

 

Then I cleaned up the fan shroud, sprayed it with Rustoleum and installed a chrome Radiator bracket that I bought S/H ages ago.

 

 

 

One problem - the bolts I bought from Mini Spares to install the bracket turned out to be the wrong thread!!! So luckily I had a couple of correct size bolts but without the spacers (i'll have to clean up the old ones).

 

 

Next up was the engine block. I cleaned it up as best I could.

 

 

Painted where I could with Engine Enamel (also cleaned and later painted the Ignition Coil bracket).

 

 

Turned out OK.

 

 

[JonnyAlpha]

At some point in the future I will remove the radiator and change the hose and clamps (all of which I picked up at Beaulieu). Alternator could do with a polish up also.

 

Weighing up squeezing some performance out of my 998 v fitting a 1275 so possibly considering dropping the Subframe at some point and overhauling the front end (Engine Tune up, bore out, Stage 2 kit, disc brake conversion) but that's a dream at the moment as I reckon it would cost around £1000. 

[Albino_Hedgehog]

Will you be heading to Mini in the Park this August?

I had a few targets I wanted to complete in time for the August event, but so far I feel I am going to miss every one of them!!

[JonnyAlpha]

Will you be heading to Mini in the Park this August?

I had a few targets I wanted to complete in time for the August event, but so far I feel I am going to miss every one of them!!

Too far away for me I'm afraid and too much happening over the next few weeks :-(

 

All my recent work (although not wasted) may have been in hast though as the weather is looking pretty bad for our local car show 'Braunton Wheels' on Sunday 30th July. 

 

Also just about to register for the North Devon Legendary Grand Tour usually in excess of 200 Minis - only down side is no stalls or jumble (I think)?

[johnR]

I've just started upgrading my 998 to 1275, Unfortunately your £1k estimate is a bit low - probably need to double that especially with suspension mods. Keep up the good work - my top tip for cost effective tidying up in the engine bay is having all the brackets and fastenings re zinc plated - if you de-rust them in DeOx or similar then take them to a platers it works out a lot cheaper than buying new or stainless parts

[JonnyAlpha]

I've just started upgrading my 998 to 1275, Unfortunately your £1k estimate is a bit low - probably need to double that especially with suspension mods. Keep up the good work - my top tip for cost effective tidying up in the engine bay is having all the brackets and fastenings re zinc plated - if you de-rust them in DeOx or similar then take them to a platers it works out a lot cheaper than buying new or stainless parts

Nice work - didn't see this before. 

I have been contemplating 998 or 1275. COst for a really good 998 upgrade (inc brakes etc) is going to be around 2K!!!

[JonnyAlpha]

OK - havn't been on this thread for a long while, lots going on but driving and enjoying the motor

 

Now contemplating lifting out the 998 and getting it sorted (New Head, Re-Bore etc) and or dropping in a 1275 that I have stripped out of an old Metro. 

rather than go over what I have been doing, here are some links to my other threads:

 

Engine Upgrade Thread

http://www.theminifo...or1982-998-hle/

 

Refurbishing Old Metro Parts For Minis

http://www.theminifo...in-minis/page-2

 

Might keep these going?

[JonnyAlpha]

Decided to put the 1275 Engine split on this thread as I intend to put it into this Mini.

 

I removed the engine a few weeks ago and it has been stood outside on a pallet waiting for me to find out (a) how to move it and (b) where to take it.

 

 

I had never split an engine before so took some advice from this forum, did a bit of reading and watched Bill Sollis stripping down the same engine on his DVD (well not the same engine - just one like it )

 

First up I removed the Dizzy and Starter Motor:

 

 

 

 

Then I removed all the brackets etc and started to remove the Bell Housing:

 

 

As I removed bolts I put them back to avoid loosing them.

 

Before starting on the Flywheel I had to make sure that the slot in the shaft was horizontal to avoid the C or U shaped washer from becoming dislodged and jamming behined the flywheel.

 

 

At first this turned out to be a real issue as although the engine was turning before I removed the Bell Housing, it sure as hell did not want to budge now!! I tried everything apart from brute force. I considered hydraulic lock up or something and then it dawned on me. Where I had refitted the bolts that once held on the Bell Housing could it be that these were now jamming in the Flywheel - YEP - what a DOH BAG!!

 

Looking at the Flywheel Nut, looks like someone has taken it off before - maybe to fit a clutch, not sure what it supposed to look like but the tabs were all chewed up.

 

 

Once that was sorted using a large Screw Driver to jam the Flywheel I started on the Flywheel Nut:

 

 

 

I had to wind it up pretty tight but not stupidly so. Slowly slowly. I then tapped on the bolts holding the Mini Sport Heavy Duty Flywheel Puller on and also gave a little nudge from behind. One more turn and I consider leaving it for a while but before doing so decided to tap the nuts once again.

 

Once tap on one of the nuts and POP, off it cam YIPPEEE.

 

 

Clutch does look newish?

 

Wonder if I can re-use it and the Flywheel?

 

Next up all the remaining Flywheel Housing bolts (after first washing out oil of the grime with Petrol. Wonder where it all came from?

 

 

Anyway that's all for now - getting late and work tomorrow :-(

[JonnyAlpha]

So bit more on the engine split.

 

After removing all the nuts holding on the flywheel housing with a gentle tap it came off:

 

[JonnyAlpha]

Well I have been umming and ahhing looking at machining prices and options and I am now leaning towards actually dropping the 1275 idea and sticking with the original 998. 

 

1275 v 998 debate rages on, well in this case 1293 v 1097.