Engines, engines
Discussion
I've recently got a 1970 mini, with an A+ 1275 engine, it's had a few bits stuck on it and apprently was used for hillclimb in the past. I bought a mini because they're cheap to run and easy to maintain 
. They'd need to be easy because until 3 weeks ago the most maintenance I'd done was to check the oil. Then the car got stuck in gear...
My local shop quoted me around £900 to fix it!!!
So I thought s*d that, I'll do it meself!
So now I've got an engine on the floor of the garage. I had a complete nightmare getting the flywheel off (verto clutch) and ended up attacking it with a drill. When it finally gave up and came off, there were lots of bubbly bits on the taper where I guess it had welded itself and also a nice big drill bit score down the side. The boss in the middle of the flywheel has had it and what used to be the slotted thing at the end of the crank is a completely different shape.
I have got the gearbox off though, which was what I set out to do and now I guess I just need to get it rebuilt... except, I'm starting to think, well now it's out and I'm not sure I can put it back together, why not put something more interesting in?
On one of the postings on this forum, someone (cooperman?) mentioned you could get a decent lump for about £1500... Any recommendations on the best place to go for an engine and the best lump for road use at about £1500? Are kits difficult to put together? Do they come with all that's needed or would I need to buy other sundries? All info and suggestions greatly appreciated as I'm feeling a bit lost and lonely with my mini in bits.
. They'd need to be easy because until 3 weeks ago the most maintenance I'd done was to check the oil. Then the car got stuck in gear... My local shop quoted me around £900 to fix it!!!
So I thought s*d that, I'll do it meself!
So now I've got an engine on the floor of the garage. I had a complete nightmare getting the flywheel off (verto clutch) and ended up attacking it with a drill. When it finally gave up and came off, there were lots of bubbly bits on the taper where I guess it had welded itself and also a nice big drill bit score down the side. The boss in the middle of the flywheel has had it and what used to be the slotted thing at the end of the crank is a completely different shape.
I have got the gearbox off though, which was what I set out to do and now I guess I just need to get it rebuilt... except, I'm starting to think, well now it's out and I'm not sure I can put it back together, why not put something more interesting in?
On one of the postings on this forum, someone (cooperman?) mentioned you could get a decent lump for about £1500... Any recommendations on the best place to go for an engine and the best lump for road use at about £1500? Are kits difficult to put together? Do they come with all that's needed or would I need to buy other sundries? All info and suggestions greatly appreciated as I'm feeling a bit lost and lonely with my mini in bits.
Ok, Bini Blower £120ish ebay
1380 11cc pistons and rods £100 ebay
Straight Cut gearset (not box) £200 ebay
SC Dropgears £80 Mini Magazine.
Head work, DIY, MG Metro Head £30 Scrappers
LCB Big Bore £80 and 2" pipe/silencer £40 to finish.
Rebore offset 73.5 £80 Slight skim here and there £40
Gaskets for everything £20
Gearbox rebuild kit £100 Minispares
ARP rod bolts £60 Minispares
Bearings/Thrusts £80
Flywheel/Backplate Lightened £150 ebay
Clutch/Diaphragm £100 Grey Dia' Rally Clutch £150
Avonbar Ph 2 cam kit £110
Rover TD Intercooler £10 Scrapyard.
MG Metro Turbo Inlet Manifold/Plenum £10 Somewhere
Belts/Pulleys £30 scrapyard/belt specialists.
Megajolt Programmable Ignition £60 + £20 bits from a Scrapped Sierra
Assemble/Clean/sweat yourself
That's about £1.5K and that's what I'm doing.
1380 11cc pistons and rods £100 ebay
Straight Cut gearset (not box) £200 ebay
SC Dropgears £80 Mini Magazine.
Head work, DIY, MG Metro Head £30 Scrappers
LCB Big Bore £80 and 2" pipe/silencer £40 to finish.
Rebore offset 73.5 £80 Slight skim here and there £40
Gaskets for everything £20
Gearbox rebuild kit £100 Minispares
ARP rod bolts £60 Minispares
Bearings/Thrusts £80
Flywheel/Backplate Lightened £150 ebay
Clutch/Diaphragm £100 Grey Dia' Rally Clutch £150
Avonbar Ph 2 cam kit £110
Rover TD Intercooler £10 Scrapyard.
MG Metro Turbo Inlet Manifold/Plenum £10 Somewhere
Belts/Pulleys £30 scrapyard/belt specialists.
Megajolt Programmable Ignition £60 + £20 bits from a Scrapped Sierra
Assemble/Clean/sweat yourself
That's about £1.5K and that's what I'm doing.
Wow! Thanks for the feedback and contact details.
I've now taken my gearbox off to a local mini enthusiast (lapsed) to get some hands on help on the rebuild (anyone know Tim Allen near Cheltenham?).
I've decided I should get the current engine back and working before I attempt improvements, that way I might have some idea of what I'm doing.
I hope to get the thing back on the road before xmas. Then I can take a steady approach to improvement. I'll keep posting updates for anyone that's interested.
This forum is great! Thanks again.
I've now taken my gearbox off to a local mini enthusiast (lapsed) to get some hands on help on the rebuild (anyone know Tim Allen near Cheltenham?).
I've decided I should get the current engine back and working before I attempt improvements, that way I might have some idea of what I'm doing.
I hope to get the thing back on the road before xmas. Then I can take a steady approach to improvement. I'll keep posting updates for anyone that's interested.
This forum is great! Thanks again.
I said I'd post an update, so here it is, also a question at the end if anyone can fathom verto clutches:
I've spent a few months working on my mini now resolving my gearbox problems. I bought a gearbox from a scrap yard and took the bits out of that for my old one, with the help of Tim Allen, who has been brilliant!
Finally, last week, I dropped the engine back in, attached the last bits and pieces and gave the battery a charge.
With my heart in my mouth I turned the ignition and, hey presto, it started first time. I swear the engine did not turn more than once before it burst into life. Fantastic!
So I jumped out, checked I hadn't left any bits lying around, then jumped back in, selected 1st (hooray!) and gingerly drove out of the garage. Some smoke started to come off the engine (no bonnet at this stage) so I turned it off and had a check around. I was pretty certain the smoke was just some oily hand prints burning off, so I jumped back in and thought I'd go for a quick spin. Went for 1st again, bit of a crunch, so I went back to neutral and tried again, BIG crunch this time. Back to neutral, tried again. No gears. Now I can't select any gears and almost all the movement seems to have gone out of the clutch pedal. I've had a go at bleeding the system with the help of a neighbour, but it doesn't seem to have helped.
I've had another look at this today and taken the slave cylinder back off. Nothing looks worn at that end and I haven't disturbed the master at all. I put it back on and noticed that as I pushed the plunger back into the cylinder some fluid spurted out of a little hole in the cap on the master cylinder reservoir and then it seemed to suck back some air. Is that normal?
My real question is this: Have I put something together wrong on the clutch itself, are the hydraulics the issue, or could it be something else all together?
I've spent a few months working on my mini now resolving my gearbox problems. I bought a gearbox from a scrap yard and took the bits out of that for my old one, with the help of Tim Allen, who has been brilliant!
Finally, last week, I dropped the engine back in, attached the last bits and pieces and gave the battery a charge.
With my heart in my mouth I turned the ignition and, hey presto, it started first time. I swear the engine did not turn more than once before it burst into life. Fantastic!
So I jumped out, checked I hadn't left any bits lying around, then jumped back in, selected 1st (hooray!) and gingerly drove out of the garage. Some smoke started to come off the engine (no bonnet at this stage) so I turned it off and had a check around. I was pretty certain the smoke was just some oily hand prints burning off, so I jumped back in and thought I'd go for a quick spin. Went for 1st again, bit of a crunch, so I went back to neutral and tried again, BIG crunch this time. Back to neutral, tried again. No gears. Now I can't select any gears and almost all the movement seems to have gone out of the clutch pedal. I've had a go at bleeding the system with the help of a neighbour, but it doesn't seem to have helped.
I've had another look at this today and taken the slave cylinder back off. Nothing looks worn at that end and I haven't disturbed the master at all. I put it back on and noticed that as I pushed the plunger back into the cylinder some fluid spurted out of a little hole in the cap on the master cylinder reservoir and then it seemed to suck back some air. Is that normal?
My real question is this: Have I put something together wrong on the clutch itself, are the hydraulics the issue, or could it be something else all together?
Ouch.
Have you checked the "bally thing" on the end of your clutch arm, this could have (very unlikely though) failed. I hope it has otherwise your release bearing may have come to bits, (off the top of my head).
Have the "Wok" off and see if you can see something which is wrecked.
Stu
Have you checked the "bally thing" on the end of your clutch arm, this could have (very unlikely though) failed. I hope it has otherwise your release bearing may have come to bits, (off the top of my head).
Have the "Wok" off and see if you can see something which is wrecked.
Stu
Thanks for that Stu. I'll get the wok off again tomorrow, it's -3 outside right now and I'm not that committed! 
Stupid question: What does the release bearing look like (especially when it's in bits)?
Also, where does the force come from to return the clutch arm and the pedal to its correct position? I have to manually pull the pedal up about 3 inches right now.
Stupid question: What does the release bearing look like (especially when it's in bits)?
Also, where does the force come from to return the clutch arm and the pedal to its correct position? I have to manually pull the pedal up about 3 inches right now.
bit of a long shot.
when you put the clutch back in the car did you remember to put the thrust sleeve back into the diaghphram part of the clutch (its a metal bit that looks like the lid of a areosol paint can)??
its very easy to misplace this bit in the general clutter of a first time engine swop as it really looks like a bit of junk that just doesnt belong in the engine.
if its missing the cluch will go over centre first push of the pedal and allow the clutch to operate. however the release bearing will bear against the moving clutch and wreck its self. i think the release bearing can force its way into the diagphram and jam itself. i also think its likely that the piston in the slave cylinder has gone to far and may have jammed. pushing the piston back has forced the fluid back into the master cylinder, which explains the escaping fluid.
either way i think you are going to have to whip the chinamans hat and have a look to see that all is well. the arm and the pin that hold it do wear (and seize) so its a good idea to check them whilst its off the car.
good luck!
when you put the clutch back in the car did you remember to put the thrust sleeve back into the diaghphram part of the clutch (its a metal bit that looks like the lid of a areosol paint can)??
its very easy to misplace this bit in the general clutter of a first time engine swop as it really looks like a bit of junk that just doesnt belong in the engine.
if its missing the cluch will go over centre first push of the pedal and allow the clutch to operate. however the release bearing will bear against the moving clutch and wreck its self. i think the release bearing can force its way into the diagphram and jam itself. i also think its likely that the piston in the slave cylinder has gone to far and may have jammed. pushing the piston back has forced the fluid back into the master cylinder, which explains the escaping fluid.
either way i think you are going to have to whip the chinamans hat and have a look to see that all is well. the arm and the pin that hold it do wear (and seize) so its a good idea to check them whilst its off the car.
good luck!
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