148 replies to this topic

[imack]

Nice one.
What's the additional linkage on your brake pedal?

[DUF2]

That is for the brakes when being towed on an A Frame behind my Motorhome, look at the photos on post 37 to show the other end of the cable.

Edited by DUF2, 06 May 2019 - 11:30 AM.

[DUF2]

Apologies I have not posted on this thread for nearly 12 months! I have been working on the car, but very slowly, something to do with getting old and lazy, so here is a bit of an update.

another pic of the bulkhead sound proofing.

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I also changed my daily driver, I traded my SEAT Leon FR184

 

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Edited by DUF2, 10 April 2020 - 03:09 PM.

[DUF2]

A MINI,

 

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I have gone all green the car is a MINI Countryman S E All 4 PHEV, I think it is quite good, but rather pricey for what it is. The list price was £37k but I got it a few months old with 3k miles for just less than £30k.

it is nice & quiet running around on the electric motor, but when needed you can use both engines and it’s 226bhp, it certainly gets off the line quickly with a sub 7 second 0-60 time!

 

Here is a pic of my “fleet”, minus Duffy which is still at home in the garage.

 

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Edited by DUF2, 10 April 2020 - 12:57 PM.

[DUF2]

I rebuilt the wiper system fitting a 2 speed motor wiring & switch. The Screen wash bottle I have mounted in the boot.

i decided I could do with a drain tap on the radiator 

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as the radiator was not really thick, I bonded on another layer of plastic, before drilling & tapping the bottom tank.

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I then fitted the drain tap.

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whilst working on the rad I covered the matrix with cardboard to protect it.

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the cardboard also protected my hands whilst trying to refit the radiator, fan & belt, not a lot of space!

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I also had clearance problems with the “can” on the breather, I had to “lean” on this to ensure it did not come into contact with the fan shroud.

Edited by DUF2, 10 April 2020 - 01:15 PM.

[DUF2]

I had a bit more think about the braking system on the car. I have renewed the rear brakes fitting new drums with the built in spacers, the front brakes are 8.4 vented discs. I was wondering about fitting a servo, but did not want it to take up the limited space under the bonnet.

Is this a suitable space?

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it looks like it is.

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Here it is all piped in, I fitted the heater pipes to ensure all was OK with the connections to the servo.

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You  will notice I have now fitted soundproofing to the wheel arch.

 

[DUF2]

I was now thinking about getting the engine fired up again. I gave some thought to the fuel gauge, I had never seen this off the bottom so did not know if it worked, so I rigged things up so I could test the gauge by wiring the sender to the gauge using a small 12v battery, I turned the tank upside down so the float went to the top. The needle never moved, so I thought there was a problem and started researching the gauge system.  I then realised the gauge was slow to operate, I had mistakenly thought the needle was undamped. So I could now see the gauge moving from empty with the tank upright, half full with the tank on it’s side then full with the tank upside down.

I had thought the tank was the original Elf tank, but once I trial fitted it I noticed the filler neck was at the wrong angle, 

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I cut a vee out of the neck, closed it and welded it up again.

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So I then refitted the fuel tank. When I got the car it had a diagonal strap securing the tank similar to later cars, but I decided I’d be happier with the correct strap fitted, but the boot floor had been repaired and the bottom hole for the strap was no longer there. I drilled for the strap and then discovered I could not refit the “floor section” so had to redriil the bolt hole.

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[DUF2]

Now back to the brakes as I had to pipe in the servo. Also the pipe setup for the calipers was very poor as each caliper was fed with 2 pipes.  I was looking on how to resolve this issue and eventually decided to go down the Goodridge set up so pulled out the 6 way connector block ( 2 front R caliper, 2 front L caliper one inlet & also the brake light!) on the bulkhead.

i had already installed a bulkhead elbow fitting got the pipe to the rear brakes, I changed this for a tee piece to allow the servo outlet pipe, I also rerouted the pipe from the master cylinder through to the servo using the now redundant bulkhead elbow.

Right hand caliper had one broken bleed nipple which I somehow needed to free off & remove. Whilst checking the caliper another nipple broke, leaving 2 to try & remove. I tried various methods and eventually gave up and had to but a new caliper. This caused me problems as the shiny new ( remanufactured) caliper had not been faced correctly where the hose goes in and the banjo would not seal. So I am currently awaiting the delivery of a replacement item.

 

 

http://www.theminifo...pot-hose-route/

 

[DUF2]

Duplicate post, I think my finger has a stutter

Edited by DUF2, 10 April 2020 - 03:18 PM.

[DUF2]

Due to the hold up with the brakes, I decided to try to fire up the engine. Initially there was no spark, but I thought I’d get the oil pressure up first. I then encountered this little problem!

http://www.theminifo...o-oil-pressure/

Once I had the oil pressure issue sorted I turned my attention to the ignition system, I Had no spark but I traced this back to a wire off at the fuse box.   I had marked the wires ages ago but some of the markings had disappeared so I posted on here, http://www.theminifo...m4-distributor/

Great news the engine runs!!! After more than 2 years, once I had oil pressure and sparks, I refitted the spark plugs and it fired up straight away!  It did have a bit of a misfire & backfired on opening the throttle, but the dashpot was dry. I checked on what type of oil, filled the dashpot and it now revs up

fine.  It is a good starter, firing up almost immediately!

Edited by DUF2, 10 April 2020 - 03:20 PM.

[RustyAutoCityE]

Good going, always a nice feeling to get them running after sitting quiet for a while.

[DUF2]

Having the engine running might spur me on to doing more on the car, nowt else going on at the moment!!

[Jared Mk3]

Glad there's still progress on this. Nice going 

[DUF2]

Glad there's still progress on this. Nice going 

Slow going Jared, I should be much further on with it!!

[toromod]

I was getting on well with my Mk III Elf but Covid-10 travel restrictions now mean I can't/shouldn't go to work on it as it's in a lock-up approx 9 miles away - so frustrating especially when the bodywork has been repaired apart from the boot floor which would then have it getting ready for painting!