Most liked posts in thread: A+ Engine and Transmission Build

Today I reset the block in the stand so I can install the cam bearings and build up the lower end.







To get ready for that I cleaned everything again, ran a tap thru all the bolt holes, cleaned off all the overspray and cleaned and painted some more parts to be ready to install when I get to that point.

Tomorrow I'll start putting it all together....

 

Cam bearings came in at last, so I installed them using my custom cam bearing installer tool, then put in the lifters, cam and oil pump.



Once that was done I went ahead and installed the pistons, then the crank and torqued everything down to spec.





Then I installed the front plate, cam retaining plate, chain and tensioner, so I can begin to time the cam.



Before I did that I set up the dial indicator on the end of the crank so I could measure the end play - you want 3-4 thou of play.

 

Today I went ahead and timed the cam in, then torqued the cam nut to 66ft lbs, and bent over the lock plate. I put the seal in the front cover, gave everything a good once over and put the timing cover and front pulley on..... lastly the water pump went on, so now the front end is pretty much done. Still plenty of bits and bobs to go on, but the next thing up will be installing the cylinder head.

I'm still waiting on shims so I can locate the rockers and I also found I don't have any core plugs (aka freeze plugs or expansion plugs) and I don't know when they decided to do it but once again I found more metricosity - the core plugs are 33.6mm, so not much hope of finding them at the local Autozone.

 

I put A/C in my shop, so even tho I live in hot, muggy, humid Kansas, I'm good to go!

 

Closer, the rest of the small bits I needed came yesterday while I was gone, next I need to install the rear housing, clutch and flywheel. Then the intake and exhaust, then it's ready to mount in the engine stand and make some noise. Should have it running by early next week.

 

STILL don't have my cam bearings, so I've been working on other things.....

The head is a brand new Calver head, and he also bought the 114 rockers, new high performance shaft and stands, so I got to assembling that. Once thing I noticed right away, since the stands are narrower than the original ones, I'll have to do some shimming to get the rockers to line up well over the valve ends. So, yet another order - this time to MiniSpares as I needed some other parts too that Moss didn't have. Also, these rockers didn't come with adjuster screws, fortunately I had a spare set of those on hand.







So that's mostly buttoned up till the shims get here.....I've also been cleaning and organizing all the little parts and fasteners - takes for frickin ever!

On to the transmichigan....

 

Next it was time to tear down the transmission....it's a later model rod change which I find not too hard to work on, other than there are a LOT of little bits and bobs and this one was really crudded up.....I'll spend far more time cleaning it that the teardown and reassembly.

I had to order a few bits - a couple of bearings, layshaft, some lock tabs and small stuff and of course synchros. He's decided to go with a 3:44 diff, so I'll be changing that over from the 3.1 that's currently in it.

Once all the parts finally arrive I can get going on the rebuild, in the meantime it's just clean, clean clean....Man there are a lot of parts in one of these transmissions!

 

Definitely, and it's pretty spendy but it works well, and makes good power and torque.......

Carb and exhaust mock up.....

Ceramic coated headers...



Brandy new HIF 44, needs a spacer to clear the linkage....



Pipercross air filter





The engine is pretty much ready to come off the stand now, so I can install all the front parts, oil filter housing and pipe, oil pressure relief valve, dizzy, alternator and starter. But I may wait on all of those till I get the engine mounted on the transmichigan

 

Yeah..........I think I work too cheap!

 

I've been spending huge amounts of time cleaning and painting parts of the engine and transmission - you have no idea how encrusted and mucked up this transmission case was, I may have to have my solvent in my parts washer tank changed again! At any rate, I think I have everything ready to build the transmission now so I'll get started on it Monday.....it will take at least a day or two to assemble it before it's ready to mate up to the engine block.

More as it happens....

 

I buy it from Crystal Clean, they come and pick it up and bring me a new one - then they recycle the old stuff - filter it thoroughly and sell it again.

 

Got a good start on the transmission today, main cluster and bearings are in, laygear and shaft are in and also reverse.

Once these are all shimmed I can install the differential and stub axles, then it's pretty much ready to assemble the engine block onto it. I also installed the center oil pickup, it has to go in with the laygear as you can't put it in place after the laygear is down in its postion.

Could be ready to run this weekend if the other bits I need come in the next few days....

 

Well it's getting there.....slowly.

I should have the trans buttoned up today and ready for the engine block to mate up, then it's just a matter of adding on all the bits to make it run.

I won't be in the shop Wed and Thurs, but I may get it running this weekend sometime. I think I have all the bits painted and ready to go on the engine now. Still have to shim the third motion shaft bearing, diff bearing and idler gear.....

 

Got delayed a bit on this one waiting for one little shim I needed to finish the assembly, now it's all together and mounted in the engine stand. Just need to plumb it, wire it, bolt up a few things, add liquids and........make some noise!

 

Had a heck of a time getting the oil pump to prime, once it did I was ready to go. He's coming over Sat to see it run, then he'll be back Monday to get it....he has to borrow a truck and he lives more than an hour away from me.

At this point the only tuning I've done is to set the timing, still need to tune the carb a bit, but I'm limited on how much I can do till he gets some miles on it and we can get it in the car and on the dyno.

It will probably be early next year before the car's body is finished, but I would like to get it out of my shop to free up some room for other projects. I have two more engines already in the shop waiting, and two or three more that want to bring theirs over - I told them maybe in the fall or over the winter.

 

I did, I cancelled them due to health reasons......I'm just getting too old to do this work - too much stress. I appreciate all the positive comments, and I'll have more to post in a bit. I'm putting the finishing touches on the Innocenti, and this will let me get back on my Ecoboost project and EFi projects.

 

A 64 Classic Mini - originally the car had an 850 - the car is getting a total refurb, paint, interior, suspension - the works.

 

Yes and no.....mostly it had to do with strengthening the block, the mount for the dizzy is different as is the drive, the mount for the alternator is moved forward between cyl 1 and 2, and there are a lot of extra strengthening ribs in the block. Other than that......they are pretty much interchangeable.

Unless...... you're talking about an MPi A+ (multi point fuel injection)

Those have no distributor (so no dizzy hole either) and a myriad of other changes.....even tho it's still basically the same motor underneath.

 

Dang it, forgot to order cam bearings (again?) so on hold till Moss ships them out to me - in the between I'll keep cleaning and painting parts I guess.