308 replies to this topic

[McMini 22]

Nice work making that!

Cheers.
I reamed out the bearings at the weekend. The first side took ages as you can't measure across an adjustable reamer as there are an odd number of flutes. Adjustment was 1/5 of a turn at a time until the pivot pin fitted.
I marked the reamer then backed off the adjustment for the second arm. As I knew where I wanted the final size of the reamer to be, I could take bigger cuts.

Arms are fitted but I need to sort out the handbrake quadrants and pivot pins. I am staying back at work to make a wee mod to them which should stop them seizing up.

Another problem I am having is trying to find all the parts. Why have I only got 4 brake back plate bolts? I'm sure all 6 went in the same box when I stripped them! I think the mice in my garage are taking the piss.

[McMini 22]

This is just getting stupid now!



Stainless threaded pins. Stainless nyloc nuts and washers. A brass bush that press fits in the (drilled out) quadrant and a brass shim between the quadrant and the radius arm. The black disc is a schnorr disc spring (a cupped spring washer).
I fitted one side and it works perfectly with no sloppiness like they were before.

[benm]

I managed to find a reamer in work the correct size so just turned a extension for it to ream the arms :) I got a bit of luck there 

[McMini 22]

I managed to find a reamer in work the correct size so just turned a extension for it to ream the arms :) I got a bit of luck there

Did the extension turn out concentric? When I fitted the reamer to the extension and placed it in the lathe, it was wobbling by about 0.5mm. That's why I put the 3 grub screws in the end.

I also had an 11/16" machine reamer but it had a Morse taper shank. The adjustable one was a hand reamer so it was easier.

[McMini 22]

I knew this was going too well.
I fitted up the left suspension hi lo and shock absorber no problem but when I went to do the right side I am missing a shock fitting kit and the knuckle won't fit in the socket on the arm. Obviously I should have cleaned it when the arm was off. *******!

[benm]

 

I managed to find a reamer in work the correct size so just turned a extension for it to ream the arms :) I got a bit of luck there

Did the extension turn out concentric? When I fitted the reamer to the extension and placed it in the lathe, it was wobbling by about 0.5mm. That's why I put the 3 grub screws in the end.

I also had an 11/16" machine reamer but it had a Morse taper shank. The adjustable one was a hand reamer so it was easier.

 

 the reamer I had was a machine reamer I turned the morse taper off and made an extension to fit, I then pinned it in place and turned it with the centre in the end to get it concentric :)

Edited by benm, 23 March 2017 - 05:00 PM.

[benm]

The extension was the same size as the reamer so the bearings acted as a guide for reaming the bush

Edited by benm, 23 March 2017 - 05:04 PM.

[McMini 22]

That looks great. A handy tool to have wrapped up in a greasy rag and stashed in the back of a cupboard.
I'm planning a regular suspension greasing routine so hopefully won't need mine too often😊.

I took the rear arm off and dremeled rust out and the cup and knuckle joint fitted nicely. It's all built up (with old shock rubbers) already for hubs and brakes tomorrow.

[McMini 22]

The subframe and suspension are all on. Still have to do brake pipes and cables. After a bit of messing about with axle stands and blocks of wood I managed to get enough clearance for the exhaust. I bought a second hand Maniflow back box for £20 but need to make up a centre pipe in stainless. I'm off to York soon so I'll pop into Minispares on the road up and pick up an RC40 exhaust fitting kit and anything else I can think of.

So to keep me busy I decided to look at the SPI tank I picked up. Its a bit mucky inside so needs a clean out. I am going to try vinegar and some nuts and give it a shake. I need to get the pump out the Micra tank and see if it can be made to fit.

[McMini 22]

I'm back from York with a few goodies from Minispares.
I have been removing the rust from the tank with vinegar. It was 27p a pint bottle from Lidl so I bought 4 and chucked them in. It works pretty well but it's slow and I have to keep turning the tank. I will keep going with the vinegar until the citric acid I have ordered turns up.
The vinegar does work but the exposed metal trusts pretty quickly so you keep chasing the rust round the tank.
I have bought 2kg of citric acid for about 8 quid. If got 500g already so that's enough for about 5 gallons with warm water. Should only take an hour or two but it does start attacking the steel if you leave it too long. What could go wrong.

Well on to the exhaust. The Maniflow box i picked up for 20 quid is a 2 1/4 inch od. The stainless RC40 link pipe is 1 3/4 inch. What to do?




I need to make a bend in the link pipe to mate up with the back box.

Will having a bigger diameter back box than the rest of the system cause a problem with flow? From what I've picked up it should be the same dia a all the way to the tail pipe.

I suppose I could always punt the Maniflow and make a box in stainless. But that's more work and that maniflow looks nice.

Edited by McMini 22, 07 April 2017 - 08:44 AM.

[lawrence]

I doubt it'll make much difference. My final silencer was slightly larger than the link pipe so I simply ran a strip of weld to take up the gap!

[l_jonez]

I don't think it will make a noticeable difference on the road, probably won't show anything on a dyno either.

[McMini 22]

Yes. I think it will be the Maniflow with some kind of reducer and see how it goes and sounds. When I used to run about in this mini at the tender age of 18, I fitted a Pico centre exit back box that joined on to the standard pipe. Sounded good but it was hard to tell if it made any difference to the performance of a tired 1000cc engine.
That was followed by a Cherry Bomb still on the standard pipe. That was noisy and got me in trouble with the police and the girl I had in the car at the time who wasn't my 'regular' girlfriend. Long and embarresing story!

[lawrence]

Got to tell the story now! Thems the rules

[McMini 22]

It's not a very interesting story! I bought my mini when I was 19 but as already had two cars I let my girlfriend drive it. Her insurance wouldn't put me on as a named driver as the car was registered in my name so I transferred the car into her name.
I was out with a different girl when I got pulled over by the police for the noisy exhaust. They assumed my passenger was the registered owner. Took some explaining to the police and to the girl in the passenger seat!

Now don't get me wrong. I was not a complete tart when I was 19. Having said that, if I had my time again and knowing what I know now, I would be trying to bed a lot more girls!

So back to the problem in hand. I got the Micra fuel pump off at the weekend. It's quite a bit smaller than the Mini one so I need to make a spacer up for the bottom end. It should sit in a piece of rubber but the shape is all off so I will turn up a spacer in nylon 66 as it is not affected by petrol.