308 replies to this topic

[colinf1]

Great to read this thread - thanks for sharing.  

 

Quick question - did you follow any kind of guide when building up the front subframe, or was it just the reversal of stripping as you stripped it yourself?  I bought my Clubman in bits, so have been trying to find an online guide to building up the front subframe - amazed not to have found loads of them.  I have a big tub of random bolts which is not useful, so I'm going to buy all new from Moss - at least that way I know which bolts are which!

 

Thanks,

Stu

 

Not really following any guide, have a haynes but its a bit vague. Best thing Ive found is looking at other peoples build threads, see how they do it and apply the same to your own. I know what you mean with the tub of random bolts. I really wish I had bagged and tagged each bolt as I took it off and stuck to doing one job at a time. But if your going to buy new bolts, cant see it being an issue for you, as they should all come in separate bags and the exploded diagrams on minispares are quite useful.

[colinf1]

Had to rummage around to find the top radiator bracket grommets and bolts. Eventually came across them thankfully. Unbolted the radiator and started to paint up the engine in matt black. Got a good 75% of it done, will flip it around and get all the parts I missed done tomorrow, then give it another coat.

 

One thing I have noticed, the fan doesn't seem to sit in the shroud at the bottom, the radiator seems to be at an angle, so its inside at the top, and slightly out at the bottom , is this normal?

[sixtyeight]

do you have the correct upper radiator bracket? there were longer and shorter ones depending on engine (1275/998)

[sixtyeight]

I thought I posted this before

 

rebuilding front subframe (a how-to on my forum)

 

http://forums.minidr...front-subframe/

[colinf1]

Thanks for that guide sixtyeight. Will come in handy tomorrow to make sure I'm doing mine right.

 

On with the engine painting. Rotating it to get in all the nooks and crannies. Took off the clutch housing to sort out a bolt that had threaded on me. Zero thread left on it, then noticed another 2 with fairly damaged threads deeper into the hole. So, had to re-tap 3 holes out to 3/8 from 5/16. Was more than enough material around the hole to allow me to do this. Just took my time while doing it, making sure I didn't go deeper than what was needed or damage the new thread. Then had to re-size the holes on the cover plate to accept the bigger bolt, didn't have a 9mm drill bit so a quick  go with a sanding drum on the dremel sorted it.

 

All back on now and all bolts tightened up with no issues.

 

 

 

Also got the old bearings out of the front hubs. Cleaned hubs up ready to put the new ball joints and bearings in tomorrow,

[Jordie]

is your clutch arm the wrong way?

[colinf1]

Is it?? Might explain why I cant get the arm to meet the slave? Opps!

Edited by colinf1, 24 October 2014 - 09:57 AM.

[colinf1]

The clutch arm was on backwards, got that sorted and it now lines up with the slave. Sorted out one hub with new bearings and ball joints. Went to do the opposite side, rear bearing was a bit tight and front bearing is a bit loose. Might explain why they where so hard to get out in the first place.

Any ideas on how to sort it? New hub needed or can I just use some loctite??

 

[colinf1]

37c heat is not the best time to be working outside. So hot today, barely got anything done.

 

Decided to get a new swivel hub for the drivers side.Not worth the risk of using loctitie. Hopefully I can pickup a good 2nd hand one during the week.

 

You can see some wear on the outer part of the hub here,(look at the shadow at the bottom)  maybe that has weakened it in places

 

Heres how the engine is now, with most stuff back on and painted up.

 

 

Gills on the rocker cover are roughly painted, top edges will be sanded back down and I'll polish them back up.

 

Passenger side of subframe is almost there, just need to clean the backing plate and reattach the drum.

 

 

Spotted a green 68 Mini K on a transport trailer while cycling to the shop. Had a nose under the front to make sure I'm reassembling mine correctly.

[Jared Mk3]

Working in that kind of heat sounds familiar!

 

Looks good. I do like that rocker cover. 

[colinf1]

My good second hand swivel hub arrived in the post today, straight into it when I got home from work. It was a bit dirty/greasy so half hour or so stripping, cleaning and painting it, it was then good to go.

 

Transferred the new ball joints onto it first, then popped in the new bearings. Sprayed up the steering link and while waiting on that to dry started stripping down the passenger side brakes. Pretty easy to do compared to other drum brakes I have worked on. Cleaned up the backing plate and painted it, then clean both cylinders, then all reassembled and attached to the hub.

 

Need to pick up some clips for the CV joint boots and that will be ready to go back in.

 

Ill do the drivers side in the morning, then shouldn't be too long until I can sit the engine back onto the sub-frame. 

[Jared Mk3]

Sounds like some good progress. Get some pictures up soon.

[colinf1]

So engine is finally back on the subframe after a long weekend of things just not going right. Got the drivers side brake backing plate cleaned up along with the cylinders, then reattached them to the hubs. Then, couldnt figure out why my drive shaft wasnt going through the bearings enough, bit of head scratching and googling and turns out the old and new bearings where different. New ones had the built in spacer and I had spacer inbetween the bearings (plus had them in back to front) so a messy job of removing and reinserting them began. Didnt take too long.

Onto today, finished the drivers side brakes, got drum back on then spend some time cleaning the rocker cover.

 

Got the engine on the hoist, set up the subframe underneath it on axle stands and placed it in, after 30mins of fiddling to get the bolt holes to line up. Then seen another mistake I made. Had the drive shafts in the wrong way! So quickly undone the nuts and swapped them around, then back on with the nuts and split pin!

 

Then a quick clean up of the tools and yard, another weekend done!

 

 

 

Kept the old shoes, they had almost the same amount of meat as the new ones. 

 

When I was releasing the engine stand off the alternator bolt holes, noticed it came loose all of a sudden. Small piece of the casting is missing, so will need to carefully run a tap through it. Will paint up the rest of the engine during the week and get the alternator back on.

[Jared Mk3]

That looks neat. I like it.

[colinf1]

Snapped the banjo bolt on the front brake line union. Over tightened it and now threaded section is in the new braided hose! 

 

Need to try and drill it out tomorrow, then source a new banjo bolt (and try to get a single brake hose if i cant remove it)

 

Also tried to get the rubber yokes back onto the drive shafts, doesnt seem to be alot of room to plate with to get them in. Is there an easy way to do it?