74 replies to this topic

[lucas1amps]

answers to most of your questions can be foundd going through the threads when I started mine I got a folder full of notes photots etc from different builds saves time waiting for replies from other people mind you these days allspeed will sell you a complete setup what will probably make these engines common conversions in the future....... nevermind I got a lovely Rover V8 sat on the floor at work hmmmmm.........

[Artstu]

 mind you these days allspeed will sell you a complete setup what will probably make these engines common conversions in the future....... 

 

No drive shafts for the 1.3 as yet (or 1.0, had thought I'd seen them previously?), guessing they'll be available in the not too distant future.

[lucas1amps]

how can they sell a frame and not offer driveshafts? mind you cant remember without looking if it was the 19 or 21 spline shaft that fits a mini joint which ever one it is dont think they need to cut then 

[Artstu]

 19 or 21 spline shaft that fits a mini joint which ever one it is dont think they need to cut then 

 

Micra shafts will be too long for a Mini and will need cutting and shutting.

[ibrooks]

I've just received my custom driveshafts from these guys

 

http://www.broadoakgears.com/

 

My Micra was a 1.3 so the CV joint end was nowhere near to fitting the Mini CV. I also had an issue that the Micra had two different styles of pot joint fitted so I bought two new driveshafts from Eurocarparts which were Q-Drive branded. The ball&cage joint on the inner end is on a spline and retained with a circular spring-clip just like the CV on a Mini so after a quick dismantling job I had them off. I hacked the end off one of the Micra driveshafts and the same with a Mini one and dry built the engine in the frame with the suspension. I then stuck the ends of the driveshafts into their respective receptacles (the CV joint and the pot joint) and used a piece of plastic plumbing pipe and jubilee clips to make up the gap in the middle of the shafts. This gave me a "driveshaft" with the correct ends that I can turn by hand and that has a telescoping element that I can adjust to tweak the length. I moved the suspension from bump to rebound and lock to lock (probably a little more as I hadn't fitted the bump and rebound stops or rack) to make sure the lengths were good and nothing clashed before clamping up the jubilee clips and removing the shaft. Measure it end-to-end and that's how long I need the shaft to be. Repeat for the other side. I then took the ends of the shafts and the lengths to Broadoak and they made a pair of shafts with the right spline for the Q-Drive Micra pot-joint on one end and the Mini CV joint on the other.

 

I'm just far happier with proper shafts made from the proper stuff and heat treated than with cut and welded things. It also means I'm starting with new joints so shouldn't need to be changing them whilst I have the car given that it's not a daily driver and doesn't do massive mileages and if I do need to change the joints I've a fair chance of being able to get them (I tried getting one shaft to match one or other of the ones that were on the car but no-joy - they've obviously superseded those designs).

 

Iain

[BradleyRogerson]

cheers ibooks! and in answer to the other questions im constantly on all the micra threads looking but some info just isnt there and is easier to just ask instead of hijacking threads, i.e im looking at doing the alternator mount and gear linkage next but cant find detailed photos of them especially the linkage so if you guy have any photos i would really appreciate if you could post them in here :)   

[slack]

i spoke with allspeed to sell me some driveshafts to a micra conversion (1.0 engine) and they reply me that stop to build driveshafts for micra (1.0) because they have no orders. 

[Artstu]

Hopefully for Rob demand for the 1.3 frame will be better.

[ibrooks]

Just had a look and unfortunately it's not an area I've taken photos of. I can grab some but to be honest it's probably not going to be of much use as most conversions putting the CG into a Mini put the alternator high up behind the engine - I don't have room there so it's ended up sticking out the side of the engine the "wrong" way around. I've stolen some of the ideas from the Bart (search for the Dutch Micra Mini on here) around the routing of the fan-belt though and he does show pictures of most of his mounting.

 

Iain

[BradleyRogerson]

okay cheers Iain i think im going to have to mount my alternator up and behind like most people, can i ask where you've mounted your gear linkage steady bar? 

[BradleyRogerson]

having abit of trouble with my clutch done the cable and pedal, it seems to be only moving about half an inch (the clutch arm) and i cant move the arm by hand or with a bar i can  only take the play out of it. any ideas? 

[ibrooks]

I did measure the travel that I saw on the end of the arm before I took it out of the Micra and it's written down in a notebook but not here at work with me. 30mm seems to ring a bell. I'm staying hydraulic for the clutch using one of these.

 

http://www.wilwood.c...heets/ds751.pdf

 

 

I don't have a steady bar on my gear linkage as I'm using cables with an MGF selector mechanism - it's another oddity of mine over the Mini conversions due to it being mid-mounted in my car.

 

Iain

[BradleyRogerson]

ahh right we can get it to move on the cable but dont know if its far enough we have been able to move it with a bar but since it being in the car we cant 

we've manged to do the gear linkage, we cut the steady down and welded a plate on and just bolted it up through the floor 

[BradleyRogerson]

just got home from having my drive shafts done by a friend and he was wondering if you guys bother to re harden the casing?

[ibrooks]

Mine are but as I said they are complete new builds so no welding of existing shafts creating a HAZ and possible inconsistencies in the material.