Most liked posts in thread: 90's Sportpack, Japanese spec automatic

Making progress....the front end is all done on both sides, and I have the alignment set close enough to drive it to the alignment shop BUT - we got 6" of snow with a 1/2 inch of ice underneath, so it's not going out on the roads till they at least dry up. I also need to bleed the brakes yet. There is quite a bit of difference compared to the first pics I took, It's still more crowded than a carburetted car because of the extra stuff needed for the EFI, ECU, relays and extra wiring and such.





I got the rears installed, the cones weren't as badly compressed, but they were still about 50% of the new ones - the ride quality improvement will be impressive.



The left rear was/is a challenge. I managed to get the tank moved enough out of the way without unhooking any lines or draining it BUT - after I got the suspension in I still haven't managed to get the tank back where it belongs. I'm probably going to have to take the deck lid off so I can get at it better.

I also pulled both rear drums, the shoes and all were in good shape so nothing to do back there.

Once the tank is back in place, and the brakes bled all I have to do is add coolant and it's ready to start and run.

 

Well, just when you think you have it sorted.

I ran it extensively yesterday, drove it around the block a bunch of times and when I parked it in the shop overnight, this morning not a drop of oil on the floor.

So I went ahead and buttoned up the front grill, installed and adjusted the bonnet and then put the sumpguard back on under the engine. Fired it up and took it around about a 10 block run and came back, parked in the shop and sum-of-a-beach, there's a damn oil puddle on the inside of the sumpguard!

Right in the center where the oil filter is too.....so now I'll pull the grill and sumpguard back off and see if I can determine where it's coming from. Why in the hell it didn't leak all day yesterday is beyond me.

 

After all the frustrations with the oil leak I thought I finally had it whipped. Drove it around the block several times, had already driven it up to the alignment shop, about a 5 or 6 mile run on the highway and not a drop. So Monday morning Clancy was on his way to pick it up to haul it home, I backed it out of the garage and again drove it around the block and when I came back I noticed a trail going up the street - this is what I found when I walked back in the garage.....



It was clear that it was coming from the oil filter o-ring again.



So I pulled the housing off -again - cleaned everything up, put a new o-ring in - again - and a new gasket between the housing and the engine - again - tho it wasn't leaking there. I find it easier to just remove the whole housing so you don't dump all the oil out of the cannister all over the engine trying to get it out. Not that it mattered much at this point since so much oil had already spewed out all over the road on my drive around the block.

Anyway.....I gently filed the end of the cannister to make sure there weren't any sharps or nicks, put yet another new o-ring and gasket on and put it back together and ran it on the rack. Dryer than a popcorn fart - tho I've been here before. I also had to remove the sump guard which was full of oil and clean it too, then put it back on.

This morning it was still dry after I started it so I ran it around the neighborhood some more and let it run for about 20 min in the driveway...... perfectly dry.

So we loaded it on the trailer and it's headed home today. I think he plans to be there by Friday.

 

It only leaks when it's running....and for a little while after you shut it off!

To answer both questions....no there is no room for a remote on one of these automatics with fuel injection....nor do I know of anyone who makes one. Also, which answers the second question, the oil pressure on an automatic as measured at the filter is well over 110psi, more than any spin on's I know of that will fit this car will stand. Plus too and also, there would be a lot of drainback with it installed sideways.

Bottom line - cannister it is. I've installed hundreds of these over the years....the early cars all had cannisters too - tho not for the same reason - and I've never had one leak before. This was seriously causing me to doubt my abilities. Can't imagine what the owner was thinking!

(He says it's cool, he's seen it all before )

Oh, and later standard shift Minis all have spin on filters (mid 70's on I think), and of course there are kits to backfit the early standard shifts with the spin on.

 

Happy to share the knowledge and experience with anyone who will listen!

 

So the white car was delivered home today, when they went to unload it there was a minor electrical fire.....the relay for the fog lights fried it self and killed the battery, smoked pretty good out from under the bonnet too.



But all's well that ends well, he pulled the relay and put a new battery in it and drove it home - very happy camper!