221 replies to this topic

[HUBBA.HUBBA]

Built up my drive assemblies this morning.
 
NOS Metro hubs with Timken bearings, KAD 7.9" non vented callipers with Mintex 1144 pads and Minispares competition drive shafts.
 

Out of interest Jon, what wheels will you be using with those 7.9 KAD's

[podifold]

I must ashamedly admit that despite being a member of the TMF team I only very rarely post and even then it's usually to update my own progress thread. However after stumbling across this build thread I really just wanted to share how much I'm enjoying reading your progress with this. It's always so inspiring to see someone going the extra mile to get the best out of something.

I especially like the movement of the top arm to accommodate the metro hubs. Mini ball joints are not my favourite either, I'm never sure they're just right.
 
Looking forward to further updates and hope to see the Clubman or your Pickup around (I'm fairly local).

Thanks. I do tend to get quite obsessive about trying to make things work better!

 

Out of interest Jon, what wheels will you be using with those 7.9 KAD's

I'm really hoping to keep the car arch-less and stick with the Minilites.

 

At the moment they're "drum fitment" 10x4.5 wheels. I know the disc brakes will, in theory, increase the track width but after moving the top arms and swapping to Metro hubs I've kind of lost track of whether I've lost or gained width so far.

 

Minilite do a disc fitment wheel too which, they tell me, has 10mm more positive offset. Once I get everything swapped over I'll know which ones I'll need.

[Deathrow]

Thanks. I do tend to get quite obsessive about trying to make things work better!

 

I know how you feel, things should work as best as they can. I usually find I run out of ability long before I get anywhere near though. I always like to see people squeeze the most out of things.

 

Though I must confess it makes me really eager to get away from doing the bodywork on my car and start playing with things .

[ryomini]

Crickey

you work so fast !

very nice indeed, love all the space in the engine bay

you make it llook easy, I always seem to find it pretty challenging

look foward to seeing the progress

[podifold]

So, after two weeks of e-mails back and forth to the UK distributor for Total Seal piston rings it turns out they don't do the right size for my forged Accralites. So that's that. I'm still waiting for a reply from Omega to see if they can sort me some instead.

 

With the engine build at a stand-still my thoughts have turned to my clutch. It's a twin plate RTS type which works great at handling the power but makes for a very heavy pedal. I've tried a couple of solutions already, but nothing I want to do on the Clubman.

 

I am working on a solution though, something I haven't seen done so far.

 

Today though I had the day off with nothing to do. I was looking for an excuse to go out for a drive when I found out Minisport have just made a new verto clutch arm CNC'd from billet EN24T steel. So off I went.

 

[HUBBA.HUBBA]

 

I must ashamedly admit that despite being a member of the TMF team I only very rarely post and even then it's usually to update my own progress thread. However after stumbling across this build thread I really just wanted to share how much I'm enjoying reading your progress with this. It's always so inspiring to see someone going the extra mile to get the best out of something.

I especially like the movement of the top arm to accommodate the metro hubs. Mini ball joints are not my favourite either, I'm never sure they're just right.
 
Looking forward to further updates and hope to see the Clubman or your Pickup around (I'm fairly local).

Thanks. I do tend to get quite obsessive about trying to make things work better!

 

Out of interest Jon, what wheels will you be using with those 7.9 KAD's

I'm really hoping to keep the car arch-less and stick with the Minilites.

 

At the moment they're "drum fitment" 10x4.5 wheels. I know the disc brakes will, in theory, increase the track width but after moving the top arms and swapping to Metro hubs I've kind of lost track of whether I've lost or gained width so far.

 

Minilite do a disc fitment wheel too which, they tell me, has 10mm more positive offset. Once I get everything swapped over I'll know which ones I'll need.

 

I ask as I have the wide 10x6 minilites and the standard 7.5 cooper s calipers are very snug (snug enough to knock the balance weights off!) I would love some KAD calipers but never sure if they would fit!

[podifold]

So, especially for you, here's the brakes fitted to a standard 10x6" Minilite.
 
Clearance is tight where the caliper is - probably too tight - but if you move the weight towards the outer face of the wheel there's plenty of room.
 

[HUBBA.HUBBA]

So, especially for you, here's the brakes fitted to a standard 10x6" Minilite.
 
Clearance is tight where the caliper is - probably too tight - but if you move the weight towards the outer face of the wheel there's plenty of room.
 

Cheers jon. There's more room there than with my standard cooper s calipers. Thats good to know. With those 7.9 calipers are the discs anything special or just off the shelf?

[podifold]

They're standard Mini 8.4" discs turned down to 7.9".

 

KAD sell them like this or, like me, you can do it yourself.

[podifold]

This morning I collected this piece from a local water jet cutting company, the first part of a device to help make my clutch pedal lighter. Any ideas? 

 

[Gr4h4m]

You fix it to the back of your office desk and use it to exercise your left leg?

[Mini Manannán]

Spill the beans Jon, what the bejaysus is it???

[podifold]

OK, so how about if I show it installed...

 

 

 

So the ideas is it should work like a modern clutch pedal, using the assister spring from a mk4 Golf.

 

The big square end of that new piece is first welded to the pedal bracket roughly where you see it there. The whole lot, minus the spring, is then installed in the car with the master cylinder fitted and the fluid lines fully working.

 

The clutch is pressed enough to take up the play in the upper movement of the pedal travel and actuate the hydraulic system just slightly before the ring end of the water jet cut piece is tack welded to the axle tube of the clutch pedal.

 

The thin curved part joining the two ends of the new piece can now be cut off and removed. It's a sacrificial piece who's job is to hold the two ends in a precise position relative to each other. The clutch pedal can now be removed and fully welded to the ring end.

 

The whole lot is then re-installed, complete with the spring. When the clutch pedal is depress the spring starts pushing on the pedal once it gets passed it's "over centre" point, i.e. the point where the clutch pedal was held when the ring end was tack welded in place.

 

All good in theory. I'll just have to wait and see how well it works though.

[minimissions]

Such an awesome build this.. keep seeing the little brown clubby bobbing about in stockport love the standard sleeper look.

[Deathrow]

Is there anything holding that spring retainer to stop it working it's way out and launching at your legs?

Be interesting to see what effect it has on the pedal feel.