616 replies to this topic

[jagman.2003]

Nice shiny things..!

I'm just about to clean up a rocker cover myself. Nice to see how good it could come out.

[johnR]

Small progress but the first re-furbished part of the new engine build.   From this:To this:

[Avtovaz]

thanks for all the pics mate, i was thinking of buying a mk3 and restoring it, but i can see from your car, you have made something you can mod the way you want and it be drivable etc.  You have inspired me! thanks!

[johnR]

Thanks for your kind comments - I felt that as later Minis aren't rare I could have some fun with the look and spec without annoying too many purists.  Obviously if I could have afforded a genuine Mk1 Cooper I would have gone to all lengths to keep it factory - but then would have been reluctant to risk taking it out on our crazy overstuffed roads.

JohnR

[Vinay-RS]

I agree with this. If you've got a rare or completely original example of a Mini then perhaps you should keep it stock and original, but many Minis can be modded safely without upsetting the purists. That is my view too :) 

[johnR]

Not much progress - have bought a pair of Midget SU HS2's as they seem to go for less money and I already have a Mini manifold. I had the body and float chamber of one of them media blasted and polished the dashpot - I'm leaving the other one assembled for now as a reference for re-building.  I've bought a selection of shiny bits such as a stainless heat shield and throttle mount for the manifold as well as gaskets etc.  I've DeOxed all the linkages and fixings ready for zinc plating.http://imgur.com/W3UpoXx

 

 

Edited by johnR, 28 July 2017 - 05:33 PM.

[johnR]

Some goodies arrived in the post, I also collected my newly zinc'ed carb linkages, oil pipe, nuts and bolts etc

Edited by johnR, 19 October 2017 - 03:43 PM.

[johnR]

Not much progress during the Summer as garden projects have taken precedence, but now the weather has changed I can get back in the garage.I've taken the head and block to my nearest engine re-finisher to check out with a view to having the unleaded conversion and valve de-shrouding work done. In the meantime I've started stripping the gearbox - found it very difficult to lock the gears to get the mainshaft nuts off and in fact I don't know what I did that caused them to lock in the end. However I took advantage of their immobility to remove the smaller one, then ordered a 1 1/2" socket for the big one. It arrived today and using a long socket handle with a metal tube extending it further and with two bags of concrete and my wife perched on the upturned box it came off.
I've ordered a windage tray and centre oil pick-up from Guessworks so I'll wait 'til the tray is trial fitted before I strip the box any further. I have a 63 tooth diff crownwheel which would appear to give me a 3.9:1 ratio - hopefully a lighter flywheel and the extra oomph from the headwork and better cam should give me a good compromise between acceleration and top speed/ecomomy?

[73MkIII]

Good stuff. Follow from me. Now going back to read the rest of your thread

[73MkIII]

Phone melt down duplicated post and cant delete it

Edited by 73MkIII, 19 October 2017 - 09:30 PM.

[johnR]

Tech! - don't you love it!

[johnR]

Guessworks windage tray and centre oil pickup have arrived

Edited by johnR, 25 October 2017 - 05:34 PM.

[johnR]

Made a trip yesterday to AutoEngineering with 1275 engine parts. They will bore the cylinders, work to head(unleaded conversion, porting, match to inlet manifold,de-shrouding valves),grind and balance crank to associated components, vapour blast gearbox casings.
So now I need to put in an order for new pistons, lightened flywheel, valves and springs, bearings & new cam.
At the same time I need a re-furb kit for the gearbox. Time to take a hammer to the piggybank!

[johnR]

gearbox casings back from being vapour blasted and order for new bearings,baulk rings, uprated diff pin and all the gaskets & seals placed.

[johnR]

Gearbox under construction - just waiting for some more bearings to arrive. I discovered that a spring and ball from one of the selector rings had made a successful bid for freedom so I need to replace them as well. When re-fitting I found that a jubilee clip didn't compress the balls enough for the splines to pass over so used three de-pointed nails and the assistance of my wife to get the pesky things in place. On taking the diff apart I found that the planet gear cup bearings had spun and worn away the casing and the pin and planet gears were knackered. The cost of replacing the damaged parts was about the same as a new cross pin diff from Minispares so have traded up to one.