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[Hunter2]

Team SweCan is again entered in the ALCAN Summer Rally Aug. 23 - Sept. 1...5,040 Miles (8,000 kms).

 

Some may remember that we had idler gear bearing failure on the 2018 Summer ALCAN.  The bearings simply disintegrated...the total failure revealing itself on the Alaska Highway in Canada's Yukon.  We lost the transmission case, the drop gear housing the drop gears went in the bin and a new build was completed with Schaeffler Group 1212 INAs a direct replacement for the Torrington 1212s used In production.  The rebuild included a complete bare metal strip down clean, crank polished std/std, all new bearings (engine & transmission), new oil pump, new oil pickup, new drop gears etc.

 

One Car Team (also Truck & Bike entries) this year is being sponsored by Subaru.

 

They are being provided a vehicle by Subaru of America which is happy to sponsor their entry.

"The Subaru Outback is, of course, one of the brand’s most popular offerings. Its spacious and comfortable wagon body style will offer us loads of posh seat time over the 5,040-mile rally. Its capability starts with all-wheel-drive and is capped off by a powerful 2.4-liter turbocharged engine making 260 horsepower and 277 lbs/ft of torque. Keeping up with the rally will not be a problem this year!"

Meanwhile Team SweCan...the barest bones of bare bones privateers will be taking a 49 year old Leyland Australia Mini Window Van - birthed in April 1973 in Enfield New South Wales - into the event for a 2nd time. Hopefully better prepared (read no service/replacement parts made on the cheap) using fit for service parts like Timken bearings, real Rubber boots etc.

 

We - Rick Higgs aka Hunter2, Pitt Meadows, B.C. Canada and Micke Pettersson, Uppsala, Sweden - hope to be able to report that we made the Finish in Jasper, Alberta this year.

 

Stand by for our happy report!

The Mini & the Subaru

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Cooperman]

Good luck - it's a long drive.

One thought, have you fitted the competition drive-shafts. Instead of the register for the CV joint circlip, the groove is deleted and a washer is lightly tack-welded on to set the position of the CV joint. The shafts are of better material and won't snap if a lot of load/unload is repeatedly applied.

[Hunter2]

Yes Uncle Cooperman it is a very long drive.  I had the standard 13H748 idler gear bearings disintegrate on the Alaska Hwy in Yukon on the last ALCAN Summer Rally in 2018 (it's held every 4 years).  The rest of the Mini did very well.

 

That bearings failure was so total only the circlips were still trying to do their job.  As a result, a complete teardown and rebuild was needed, with new transmission case & drop gear housing.  I sourced German made Schaeffler Group 1212 INAs a direct replacement for the Torrington 1212s used in production.  The rebuilt power unit has done very well.

 

As for the driveshafts, they are the original yoke type shafts used by Leyland Australia in 1973.  The rubber u-joints are gone, as are the QH successors, in favour of alloy cupped joints designed by Graham Reid, Heritage Garage, California.  These joints are readily greased, no need for grease needle etc.  The Mini had 12" wheels and 8.4" Metro 2-pots when I bought it, so it has had the related outer CVs for more than 12 years.  Our Stages are TSD, so not flat out as the Rally is more in the style of the early Grand Touring events.  That said some days are pushing 1,000 kilometres.

 

Long story short, I am less concerned about drive shaft failure than ground clearance and tire failure.   Mini will have the sump guard in place and the exhaust is tack welded, safety wired (mid-hanger on subframe is through bolt mounted vs just bonded rubber).  The refreshed fuel tank also has two straps from rear subframe to rear closing panel to ensure it stays in place!  Fortunately, the Australian Van left the factory with underbody shields for brake & fuel lines and battery cable.

 

The rest is complete servicing of all suspension components...rubber boots are a quality issue and worry for steering rack, rack rod ends, CV boots, yoke boots.

 

A very practical issue is tools & spares...fortunately there are 2 LWB Classic Minis this year so we can split the extra weight as we both need to carry extra fuel on top...at least 6.5 Imp. Gal. on one long transit following a Stage out of Fort Nelson, BC headed to Yellowknife, NWT with some 300 miles plus on gravel. 

[Magneto]

What average speed do you hope to hold on the gravel stages?

 

1,000 KM in one day is huge......I've done that on smooth tarmac in a new MINI with A/C and cruise control and good seats, but in a classic? Yikes!

[Hunter2]

Speeds on Stages vary as all are Richta scored TSD.  So, we'll see what will be asked of us...each time.