524 replies to this topic

[Vinay-RS]

Nice fabrication

Thanks :) Keen to get them completed and fitted. 

[Vinay-RS]

Had a fun day today. Well, not entirely. Lots of learning and finding quite a few things that didn't quite work. 

 

So I decided to tackle the brake upgrade today. The first step was changing the rear wheel cylinders for the small diameter ones. People locally have reported that they do 180s if the standard cylinders are not changed. 

 

I did not succeed in completing this simple first task, although, I got quite close and might need some advice on how to fix the current problem.

 

Firstly, these backplates really need to be spruced up. I think at some point in the future, all of this needs to come off and be cleaned and painted. 

 

Anyone notice something about the new and old wheel cylinders? 

 

Yup, the locating pins don't match. So, I was advised to drill the back plate or the wheel cylinder. I had access to a drill press but not a hand drill, so wheel cylinders it was. 

 

Got them drilled out and fitted. Then faffed around for quite a while with the circlip (because I never bothered to get that Minispares tool for the job). I followed the shifty approach and one of the suggestions under it. Bent a tab, got two in and then used a screwdriver and hammer to get the last one over. 

 

When disassembling, I found that both sets of shoes had been fitted incorrectly. Probably by me (long ago when I tried to work on the brakes myself). Anyway, it looks like they have worn incorrectly and now even with the adjuster all the way back (I rotated it back to slacken the brakes (I think this is correct?)), the drum doesn't slide onto the shoes. 

 

So, I gave up for the night and decided to post this update. 

This is where the Mini sleeps tonight. The second picture shows the drum not on properly. 

 

Does anyone have any advice on how to get the drum to clear? I hope there's a solution I can do with basic tools and doesn't involve a brake specialist. 

[timmy850]

Its possible that the shoes arent in the centre of the hub. You might be able to wiggle them around until theyre centred and the drum slides on

The adjusters can be wound right out until the two sliding tappets are all the way in

Theres a nice video here
https://youtu.be/M02bqqNOlkY

[Vinay-RS]

Its possible that the shoes arent in the centre of the hub. You might be able to wiggle them around until theyre centred and the drum slides on

The adjusters can be wound right out until the two sliding tappets are all the way in

Theres a nice video here
https://youtu.be/M02bqqNOlkY

Thanks, Tim. I actually used that video to assemble the brakes. it is super detailed and he explains things really well. 

 

Moved them around and they're still contacting the drum at too many points. 

[ryomini]

Vinay - great fun to read this log - your mini is fantastic, you seem to be having almost as much fun as me keeping your mini on the road and pimping it.  Being part of a club must be a blast too.  I wish I was an engineer then maybe I'd understand how some of the parts actually work together.

[Vinay-RS]

Vinay - great fun to read this log - your mini is fantastic, you seem to be having almost as much fun as me keeping your mini on the road and pimping it.  Being part of a club must be a blast too.  I wish I was an engineer then maybe I'd understand how some of the parts actually work together.

Thanks, man :) Yeah, it is fun to get to do jobs to the car and slowly modify the car. 

 

The club helps so much! There is advice on purchasing parts and fixing components. It is also so much fun to meet up, go on runs and just chat with the fellow Mini fanatics. 

 

I have learned a lot by just reading this forum, asking experts questions about building stuff and then just trial, failure and eventually some success. 

 

Also, big success today! The rear brakes are back on and it is on its wheels at the back. Now to do the front brakes.  

[Vinay-RS]

So, tried to do the front brakes. The nuts for the flexible hoses were really tight and when I tried to turn them, it started to round the head, so I stopped. So, I figured since the wheels were off, I'd fit the new shocks as they were apparently the source of the squeaking. 

 

Then I put it all back together. Torqued up everything. Also, I know the source of the terrible metal-on-metal scratching sound now, it is definitely the drive flange (the bit with the wheel studs). There is so much play there, it is terrifying. 

 

Then I tried to use the bleeder kit I bought yesterday. Turns out it doesn't fit on the front bleed nipple. So in complete dismay, I put the wheels back on, pushed the car out of the tunnel I was using to work on it and parked it at the back. 

 

Oh, and the best part about the shock swap? The squeaking is still there. As loud and annoying as ever. 

 

So now, there are no brakes, the discs were not fitted and I've got no way to fit them. The money spent on the shocks was a waste as they solve the problem and now it means that I'm guessing the full front suspension will need another overhaul (which was done when the new lower arms, bushings, tie rods and knuckle joints were fitted by a professional) and I have no idea where to start now. I had kind of assumed that the pros know how to build Minis, so what could be causing that annoying squeaking sound?  

 

Maybe it is time to take this car to bits and store it somewhere, then eventually restore each and every system, rather than trying to fix things as I go. Or maybe it is time to sell. I don't know anymore. 

[timmy850]

If you're replacing the rubber hoses anyway you could cut them off and use a socket to get a good grip on the nut. You will get brake fluid everywhere but it might be an option. 

 

The front suspension is relatively simple, so it shouldn't be too hard to narrow down the cause of the noise. If you're removing the hubs to change to disc brakes it'll give you a good opportunity to move around the top and bottom arms, steering linkage etc and see if you can pinpoint the noise. Getting a new pair of shocks won't necessarily be a waste of money either, they do really transform the ride quality if the old ones are worn out. The new disc brake setup will fix the drive flange problems too. Is the squeaking in time with rotation of the wheels or when the suspension is compressed up and down?

 

Keep up the work! It can be really difficult and disheartening at times but it'll all be worth it in the end. If you need to have a break from it to clear your head it can mean you don't make rash decisions 

[Vinay-RS]

Thanks man. I got some pipe and an old brake fluid bottle and then I got a friend to help with pumping the brakes. (A really good friend who I really need to buy lunch for as we did the job from 8pm to 10pm last night). The pedal feel isn't great, but at least there were brakes and I was able to get the car home. 

 

You're right too, I need to get 1) the right imperial spanners, 2) the little CV joint driveshaft circlip, and then take a day and do the front brakes. At least I know how to bleed the system now, even though I didn't do a fantastic job. 

 

I'm still worried about that squeaking suspension. Perhaps, it is something else that wasn't replaced at the time. 

[Vinay-RS]

One of our local Mini parts guys makes an awesome car cover for a Mini. I chatted to him and he also does a softer inner cover that is really soft. I got both covers in the middle of last week (Thursday morning) and fitted them that evening. The fit for the covers is really good and I love the feeling of the inner cover, it is super soft. 

 

 

 

Also ordered the small components that I'll need to assemble the brakes - i.e. brake lines and circlips. Should be here early next week.  

Edited by Vinay-RS, 19 May 2018 - 02:44 PM.

[Vinay-RS]

Bit of an update. The car lost all its brakes on Monday evening. So, I chatted to a friend and took the car to him on Tuesday morning as I figured I'd not bled the brakes correctly. After a terrifying trip (given the fact that there are lots of hills and the stopping capacity of the Mini was non-existent), I got the car there and he found the source inside of a minute. No fluid in the master cylinder as it had all leaked out of the nearside front brake line fixture. 

 

Anyway, after hearing the car run, we jacked up the car and started removing the brake components to check them. Like I'd mentioned before, the offside front flange refused to slide out. Turns out that was a blessing in disguise as the front bearing has disintegrated... 

 

So we took it all apart and also found that the inner CV joint boot on the nearside was missing and the balls had fallen out. His advice was to drain the oil, pull out the pot joints and service the whole assembly on the bench. It was good timing anyway as the Mini is yet to be serviced this year. 

 

I needed to get new inner CV joint gaiters and was waiting on the brake lines and other bits I'd order. Well, the gaiters arrived on Thursday afternoon and the box of bits arrived on Friday morning. It's nice when new shiny parts arrive from across the world :) 

  

 

I'm hoping to go to his factory early next week and under his watch, clean and assemble all the components. I will do the work, so I learn, but at least someone with experience will be on hand to tell me when I'm not doing the job correctly. 

Edited by Vinay-RS, 25 May 2018 - 01:34 PM.

[Rorf]

So what goodies are in those packages

[Vinay-RS]

So what goodies are in those packages

 

New manifold, rack and rack ends, brake lines, and a bunch of nuts and bolts. 

[Rorf]

Very nice - just such a pity our exchange rate is so terrible and then being punished on top of that with high customs duties and VAT

 

PS I have the identical model as yours, same colour too.

Edited by Rorf, 27 May 2018 - 05:42 AM.

[Vinay-RS]

Very nice - just such a pity our exchange rate is so terrible and then being punished on top of that with high customs duties and VAT

 

PS I have the identical model as yours, same colour too.

Yeah, it's why we have to bring in quite a bit of stuff at a time to reduce the effect of shipping costs.

 

Post a picture of your car. I'd love to see it :)