416 replies to this topic

[IronmanG]

i've been getting out and about in the pickup when i can but keep getting caught in roadworks which seem to be everywhere at the moment. Last weekend got caught in a horrendous jam and had to resort to running the heater on full pelt to keep the temperature under control so decided i needed to fit a cowling around the radiator to improve the efficiency of the auxiliary fan.

I wasn't keen on fitting the factory cowling to the inner wing as it makes getting the radiator out much more challenging, so spent the weekend making up some panels to fit around the top and sides of the radiator




just need to order some seals to fill the gaps to the inner wing, but even without them and a panel across the bottom it's a big improvement

Good job Pat. I've been saying on here for ages it makes the world of difference.

Edited by IronmanG, 08 October 2023 - 08:42 PM.

[Vinay-RS]

i've been getting out and about in the pickup when i can but keep getting caught in roadworks which seem to be everywhere at the moment.  Last weekend got caught in a horrendous jam and had to resort to running the heater on full pelt to keep the temperature under control so decided i needed to fit a cowling around the radiator to improve the efficiency of the auxiliary fan.

 

I wasn't keen on fitting the factory cowling to the inner wing as it makes getting the radiator out much more challenging, so spent the weekend making up some panels to fit around the top and sides of the radiator

 

 

 

just need to order some seals to fill the gaps to the inner wing, but even without them and a panel across the bottom it's a big improvement

 

This is a very cool idea. (pun intended :) )

 

Hoping it's okay to ask, but did you design the shroud on CAD and have a sheet metal bender fold some aluminium for you? I've been having overheating issues with my Clubman and it's always run a little hot. The late Clubman over here didn't have the spotwelded shroud on the inner wing and I was wondering if you'd be able to send me the plans for this shroud. I'd like to make something similar that can be bolted to the radiator cowling too.  

[KTS]

 

 

This is a very cool idea. (pun intended :) )

 

Hoping it's okay to ask, but did you design the shroud on CAD and have a sheet metal bender fold some aluminium for you? I've been having overheating issues with my Clubman and it's always run a little hot. The late Clubman over here didn't have the spotwelded shroud on the inner wing and I was wondering if you'd be able to send me the plans for this shroud. I'd like to make something similar that can be bolted to the radiator cowling too.  

 

 

CAD was involved, but using card rather than computer  , and all the folding was done using my bench vice, hammers and dollies

 

i can make some drawings of the panel dimensions, but I'm pretty sure that the inner wings are different on the clubmans vs the saloons so you'd need to make some adjustment to the panel depths to suit (..given the extra space you may even be able to fit a bottom panel).

[Vinay-RS]

 

 

 

This is a very cool idea. (pun intended :) )

 

Hoping it's okay to ask, but did you design the shroud on CAD and have a sheet metal bender fold some aluminium for you? I've been having overheating issues with my Clubman and it's always run a little hot. The late Clubman over here didn't have the spotwelded shroud on the inner wing and I was wondering if you'd be able to send me the plans for this shroud. I'd like to make something similar that can be bolted to the radiator cowling too.  

 

 

CAD was involved, but using card rather than computer  , and all the folding was done using my bench vice, hammers and dollies

 

i can make some drawings of the panel dimensions, but I'm pretty sure that the inner wings are different on the clubmans vs the saloons so you'd need to make some adjustment to the panel depths to suit (..given the extra space you may even be able to fit a bottom panel).

 

That would be amazing! Thank you so much! 

[KTS]

 

 

 

 

This is a very cool idea. (pun intended :) )

 

Hoping it's okay to ask, but did you design the shroud on CAD and have a sheet metal bender fold some aluminium for you? I've been having overheating issues with my Clubman and it's always run a little hot. The late Clubman over here didn't have the spotwelded shroud on the inner wing and I was wondering if you'd be able to send me the plans for this shroud. I'd like to make something similar that can be bolted to the radiator cowling too.  

 

 

CAD was involved, but using card rather than computer  , and all the folding was done using my bench vice, hammers and dollies

 

i can make some drawings of the panel dimensions, but I'm pretty sure that the inner wings are different on the clubmans vs the saloons so you'd need to make some adjustment to the panel depths to suit (..given the extra space you may even be able to fit a bottom panel).

 

That would be amazing! Thank you so much! 

 

 

here you go

 

   radiator_cowl.pdf   222.82K   27 downloads

[KTS]

finally managed to work out that the really annoying rattle/buzzing from the heater was coming from the front panel vibrating.  A piece of thick card wedged between the panel and the heater chassis turned out to be a simple but effective solution - trimmed down and coloured in with a marker pen it's barely noticeable

 

 

The down side to sorting that out is that i can now hear a whole load of other rattles that i need to chase down 

[Vinay-RS]

 

 

 

 

This is a very cool idea. (pun intended :) )

 

Hoping it's okay to ask, but did you design the shroud on CAD and have a sheet metal bender fold some aluminium for you? I've been having overheating issues with my Clubman and it's always run a little hot. The late Clubman over here didn't have the spotwelded shroud on the inner wing and I was wondering if you'd be able to send me the plans for this shroud. I'd like to make something similar that can be bolted to the radiator cowling too.  

 

CAD was involved, but using card rather than computer  , and all the folding was done using my bench vice, hammers and dollies

 

i can make some drawings of the panel dimensions, but I'm pretty sure that the inner wings are different on the clubmans vs the saloons so you'd need to make some adjustment to the panel depths to suit (..given the extra space you may even be able to fit a bottom panel).

That would be amazing! Thank you so much! 

 

here you go

 

  radiator_cowl.pdf

 

Thank you so much!!! This is awesome! And good luck on the hunt for all the rattles and squeaks. 

[Designer]

But a Mini isn't right without the odd rattle and squeak. They were factory built in all be it with a slight delayed action before making themselves known. Usually a couple of days after you took delivery.

[KTS]

a nice day today so took the car out for what's likely to be the last run for a while, and as i've now covered about 500miles since the car was setup, a good time to refill it with fresh oil before it's hibernation over winter

 

As befits the season, a festive sump plug..

 

 

..and glittery oil

 

 

Looks like something is still chewing up bearings somewhere, but that'll have to wait awhile before I start looking at that....

[Steve220]

a nice day today so took the car out for what's likely to be the last run for a while, and as i've now covered about 500miles since the car was setup, a good time to refill it with fresh oil before it's hibernation over winter

 

As befits the season, a festive sump plug..

 

 

..and glittery oil

 

 

Looks like something is still chewing up bearings somewhere, but that'll have to wait awhile before I start looking at that....

Did you change the oil and after the cam run in and again after bedding in the rings?

[KTS]

Yep

first oil change after knocking the cam in looked similar so stripped it down to inspect (and fix a leaking halfmoon seal) and didn't find anything untoward

Second oil change was after the rolling road session and looked ok

[KTS]

put to bed now.  resting up before surgery sometime in the new year...

 

[miniireland]

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this Pat,

Simon (Ireland)

[KTS]

now that it's warmed up a bit I thought it about time that i pulled my finger out and started making some progress

 

out came the motor;  other than a bit of a fight to release one of the pot-joints no real dramas

 

 

the usual heath-robinson type contraption to pull the lower pulley off

 

 

..cargo strap to catch the flywheel (i think i may need to invest in a new puller; the drive threads seem to get chewed up the last few times i've used it)

 

 

given it's only done 600miles everything is looking as i'd expect (hope!) other than some residue on the crank from the primary gear bushes which i had given a smear of oil when fitting.  next time they'll go on dry 

 

[KTS]

finished off stripping the motor down and inspecting

 

big ends looking OK - number 4 bearings have picked up some crud, but it doesn't appear to have affected the crank journals

 

 

..main bearings also look acceptable

 

 

..and the crankshaft journals themselves look OK

 

 

..and then we get to the camshaft  ...

 

4 of the followers are pitted

 

 

and the front and centre journals on the cam don't look right to me

 

this is the rear journal (oil pump end) which looks OK to me;  fairly uniform surface wear

 

 

but the front and centre journals look a bit rough in comparison

 

 

knocked out the cam bearings to get a better look at them, but they don't really seem to tell me anything; they're more worn at the bottom than the top but I assume that's normal as the cam is loaded from the top, and none of them have worn through the whitemetal material..

 

Edited by KTS, 06 April 2024 - 03:55 PM.