Most liked posts in thread: Mini Ecoboost Project

Just spoke to the engine guys and they say I should have it in two weeks! Of course, that's really only the beginning of a long project but............progress!!!

I finished up and delivered the last engine/gearbox build and delivered it last week, I'm in the process of inventorying all my engine/gearbox/misc parts so I can sell them. I have a metric ton of extra parts, mostly small, internal engine bits but I need to make room.

I have a local Mini enthusiast who says he wants to buy it all which would be the perfect thing as then I don't have to ship anything, he can just bring his van over and load it all up

 

Teaser....should ship this week.

 

Finally!




They sent everything including the kitchen sink.....pedals, linkages, brake booster, axles, uprights, brakes.......sheesh!

 

And the car is here......Dan brought the shell up to me (on the only rainy day we had this weekend!) and it did wash off a little bit of the "barn find" that was all over it from sitting in his shed for several years.....but it still needs a lot of cleanup/

There's no front subframe in it although the back is on wheels, I need to figure out how to get it mobile so I can get it out in the front drive and see if I can wash it down some more. If that doesn't do it I'm going to look into one of those mobile blasting outfits and have them strip the shell. I'll need that done anyway, so why not get it done up front?

So, that's where I'm at right now, the engine is here and running, preliminary measurements show that it will fit, next I need to strip it down to a bare shell and see if I can borrow a rotisserie so I can work on the bottom - my scissor lift is not conducive to bottom work.

I'm also having a 10X16 shed built in the backyard for storage of all my yard equipment and the extra parts I won't be working with for a good while....that will help me get some more working space in my tiny garage.

 

Tank is done and back from the welder's....it came out well.
In this pic the round dealybobber is the fuel filter/pressure regulator. Fuel comes from the pump in the short hose in the pic, then exits out the metal pipe on the end of the regulator to go to the high pressure pump driven by the cam on the engine, excess fuel goes back thru the second hose to a one way check valve into the tank. The third fitting in the middle is for the vent hose. That hose will lead up and under the fender where I think I'll mount a charcoal filter box.



I made a small bracket to hold the fuel pump in place, just a zip tie passed around the pump thru a couple of holes in the bracket - that should keep the pump from moving around. In this pic you can also see the end of the float for the sender.



The baffle is welded in place with a slot for the sender float arm to move up and down, it also allows fuel to flow to either side of the tank. I thought about making a cup for the pump pick up to sit in but decided I probably won't run the tank low enough for fuel starvation to be an issue. We'll see. If it is an issue I can either use an accumulator/swirl pot or just add a cup to the bottom and drop the pump down a bit.

I also test fit the tank in the subframe and it fits perfectly, now I need to build some brackets to locate it and then set the subby back in the car to figure out the upper mounts. I had some tabs welded on the ends at the top to use for mounts.

 

I had to pause my bracket making when I realized that if I set the tank all the way down in the subframe, the pipes for the coolant wouldn't clear and would hang down below the subframe......so.......

I decided I was tired of working in filth and I need to get the shell outside where I can go after the mud and mud dauber's nests with my pressure washer. To do that I needed to make some sort of dolly. I dug around an found these 5" casters, I bolted them to a 2X6 and bolted that to the subframe. I figure if I can get a couple of my young, strong neighbors to help, we can "wheelbarrow" it out onto the driveway. Getting back in might be a trick, but we'll figure it out. I had to make it wide enough that the casters would ride on the boards beside the lift....



I had a problem with the front panel not being square to the subframe, so Don brought his porta power over and we moved it out enough to get the spacer in place. Things lined up pretty well except for the gap that opened up at the outer corner between the fender and the valance. Dan thinks it will pull together with a judicious application of clamps and welds.





Next up I'll be cutting out the floor pans and welding in new ones. Lots of rust to deal with there so it will be an adventure getting it all right so the door will fit and line up correctly. I have to get the shell as strong as possible before I cut the giant hole in the back for the motor.

 

Well, the powerplant is ordered and a deposit paid, delivery isn't expected for 6 months due to their backlog of work. That will give me time to get the shop cleaned out and final projects done. I have one more engine I could build and sell just to get it out of the shop and build up a little more cash but I don't know if I'll do it....we'll see. I have a Sprite differential to rebuild and some work to do on my green Mini, then I can sell off all my extra "stuff" and clear the decks. I think it will take all of those 6 months to get ready to start the project!

 

Now that I know the engine runs (and sounds bad to the bone too!) I'll start stripping it down so I can begin figuring out how to build the new subframe and rear suspension - I have a LOT to learn about that so I'll be doing a lot of reading first....not to mention getting the axles sorted.

The radiator they sent with the engine is just too big to fit in the front of the Mini so I'll be looking for a different one.....this appears to be a single core, single pass radiator, I'm thinking a dual core, dual pass will do as well in a smaller overall size.

I found a fuel tank and will be ordering it soon, I've made contact with a guy who welds aluminum (or aluminium) and I will sub the modification of that and the weld up of the SS exhaust to him, once I figure out exactly how I want to build them.

Then I've got to figure out all the piping that needs to go from the engine to the front, my plan is to run everything thru the tunnel and have an almost completely flat floor under the car. Clancy has offered to do all the pipes for me - he has the tools and knows the best places to get SS braided hose and AN fittings. There will be a LOT of pipes - fuel, coolant, brakes, A/C lines.

This engine has a vacuum pump (since it's turbocharged) and I'm wondering about using the brake booster, since it will have 4 wheel discs now and the bias will be different with the engine in the back. If so, that's yet another pipe thru the tunnel. Plus I'll need to figure out coolant to the heater.....

Wiring is yet another challenge, I'll be using a lot of the original harness, adding what's needed for the engine and building an entire new dash harness as I don't plan to use the Mini instruments as they're not compatible with a modern engines electrical system Plus too and also I'm going to add A/C.

Dan and I are working out the logistics of getting the shell up to me, but before that comes I need to finish up some more gearboxes and diffs that got dropped on me (surprise!) and do some more cleaning and re-arranging of the shop and basement - there will be a lot of stuff that needs to be warehoused while I build this. Once I have it completed and running I'll blow it all back apart and send it back down to Dan for paint.

Still don't know what color to paint it, but that decision is WAY down the road.

 

OEM, but it's been modified to get rid of all the things that would keep it from working in a non original car - things like alarm systems, door locks, ABS, yaw control sensors and on and on...that's the biggest issue with using modern engines in older cars. Then if you complicate it with direct injection, variable valve timing and boost controls it gets really hard to do with an aftermarket ECU. It IS doable, but you really have to know your stuff - and I don't - so I went this way.

 

Buncha stuff showed up yesterday, a box full of panels and later my gas tank.

I got new front floor pans, door step, both sills, all the repair panels across the back including a new valance and a set of louvers to help vent the front compartment. The radiator and A/C condenser will be in the front, so I wanted plenty of openings to get the hot air out of the front compartment.





The gas tank came in and I'm really impressed with the quality - especially for the price I paid for it. The welds look almost machine done rather than hand done, and it came with three -8 fittings on top - one is the fuel pickup, one is the vent and one is the return line. It also has the sending unit and of course the cap. Too bad I'm going to have to shorten it to fit in the space in the front, but I know a guy who's a wiz with a TiG - we'll see how he does in comparison. It's 17 gallons now and it'll be 10 when I cut it down. $125 and free shipping!

 

Hi Don, I HAVE been busy, but not too much on the Hot Rod. i built a 10X16 shed in the backyard, so I could clean out the small shed so I would have a place to put all the extra parts I've removed from the car while I fix the body shell. I've also finished my engineering on the gas tank and sent it back to the welder to button it up.

Next up, start cutting out rust and welding in new panels. Once I get the body shell stiffened up again, then I can cut out the back end floor and start engineering the subframe. I also need to depalletize the engine which will mean draining all the coolant and removing the wiring harness so I can fit it up into the shell and see where everything goes.

I think I've found a radiator that will do the trick, and I have all my brake parts in stock now. I'm deciding on an HVAC system and I'll start looking at how to build that in. Then instruments and wiring, plumbing etc.

Still a VERY long way to go!

Oh, and I built two more Sprite transmissions and a Sprite diff for my friend's race cars......

 

I mounted the front subframe back in the car and cut a piece of 1 1/2 angle to act as the bottom mount, then set the tank back in. Fits perfectly and it's exactly the way I hoped it would fit, low enough for plenty of room to mount the filter/regulator and the tabs to mount it to the bulkhead. I also ordered the radiator today, and tomorrow I'm talking to a shop that sells vintage car A/C kits to get some measurements for their "mini" evaporator, if it fits I'll order a kit, that will get me the right sized condenser core and I can do the planning for those bits.





That will do it for the front end for now - that's the major part of the design/engineering for the front end. Next up - I'll brace the body so I can start cutting out the rust and welding in the new panels. Once I have that done and the body fairly solid, I'll pull the motor off the pallet and strip it so I can plan to cut the sheet metal out of the back and fit the motor into the shell. Then the real fun starts, engineering the rear subframe and suspension.

At least that's how I see it in my head!

 

New radiator and A/C condenser appeared, so for the umpteenth time I bolted the front subframe in again and mocked up the locations. It looks like it's all going to fit well....I still need to fab up brackets and such but it all went together pretty much the way I saw it in my mind's eye.





So I'll mark all the locations and build out the brackets and mount it up one last time for a final fit check, then that part is mostly done.

I also got the mock up A/C evaporator box, with a little bit of cutting of the sheet metal it looks like it's going to fit right in the dash too, so I won't have to Binky an air box together!



I've been mocking up other bits and bobs too, the accelerator is mounted to its own bracket and it looks like it will bolt right to the bulkhead and be placed perfectly. I love it when complicated things go together easily!

There will be challenges plenty yet to come!

 

Today I'm making brackets and such to weld in to mount all the stuff in front.....to that end I got to use a new tool today! I needed to remove the big heavy bracket that the clutch hose attaches to, so I got out my spot weld cutter kit. I bought it about 30 years ago and never had used it before, so there was a learning curve as I broke one fairly quickly - but, once I got the hang of it, it worked really well, even in this thick metal. Should make separating some of these other panels easier than just ripping them apart with an air chisel.

I was concerned that if I just chiseled it off it would tear the underlying metal and I would have to weld in a patch.

I also was sent a link to a Facebook page for folks who put modern engines in classic Minis, and one of the guys on there has done exactly what I'm doing, so I'm hoping he has a build thread somewhere so I can copy his work!

 

Nothing to report, finishing up some work on other projects first. I rebuilt a GT6 gearbox - twice - as one of the parts we put in failed. I've also rebuilt yet another Sprite racing gearbox and have another yet to do that the parts have just started coming in for and I've been working on my Innocenti.....it has some weird electrical faults (imagine that - on an Italian car!!!) I'm going to have to pull the dash back out, the temp gauge seems to be stuck.....which is a major effort on this car unlike an English Mini.

Another order of bits and bobs have come in for the hot rod - any time I need to order parts for someone else's project I see what bits I need that I can add into the order to save on shipping.
I'm hopeful that someone local is going to need a new windshield for their classic, so we can double up the order - it cost's the same to ship two as it does one, so we then split the shipping cost! The windshields are only about $50, shipping is $100, so delivered it's only $75 ea when we get two - so, half the price of what it would be if I bought just one for myself.

I also need to winterize my 2009 MINI, oil and filter, tire rotation, fill the windscreen washer etc.

Still trying to decide if I need to build a rotisserie for the hot rod or if I can get it welded up without one.

That's all the news from Kansas!

 

This poor dead project is starting to show some life again. I recently found a company who sells turn key Ford Ecoboost motors and gearboxes, with the PATS system removed and the ECU reprogrammed to run without it! It's abit spendy, but IMHO worth it. I've written them to see what they can come up with, their current lead time is about 6 months, which should tie in nicely with the completion of all my other projects.
I had almost decided to just go with a Honda D series Vtec, but now I'm back on the Ford idea.....

 

Well, this project has slowly been coming back to life!

I'm in negotiations with an engine provider - and it will be an EcoBoost after all.....only they can't find me a three cylinder, so we're going with the engine out of a Focus ST - 4 cyl turbocharged with 252 HP and 195 torques, in a turn key package with the transmission (a 6 speed) and the ECU already modified to remove all the crap I don't need, so it will just be the stock engine management system - however, if I can find a tuner I can bump that up to 300 hp easily. Don't know that I'll need or even want to do that, but it's nice to know it's in there!

Cost will be close to or about what I would pay for a stock engine and trans from Mini Mania.....yes of course I can build one for less than they charge, but I'm just using them for comparison of what you get for what you spend.

This company delivers a crated engine on a pallet, ready to run. Hook up gas and a battery and turn the key and it will run on the pallet....radiator, air cleaner, intercooler etc all there and plumbed in.

Of course then the real fun begins, getting it into the back of the Mini, but I figure if MiniTec can do it with a V6 Honda motor and trans, I can do this too.

I'll let you all know what I got once negotiations are complete. Delivery could take up to 6 months as they are really backlogged with work, but that's OK. I have plenty to do to get ready before they ship the motor to me. They provide the vin of the car that the motor came from so you can look it up and prove mileage etc. They even provide pics of the car it came out of.

 

Thanks, this one should prove a challenge to say the least. It also promises to take a LONGGGG time to complete!

 

Not a lot to report on this build so far, I have the car completely stripped down to a bare shell, and I have been measuring and figuring for various parts - I reinstalled the bare front subframe for example, so I could figure out the fuel tank and radiator and A/C condenser locations and size.

I ordered a fuel tank, and the first order of panels to repair the rust in the front of the car/sills should arrive by the end of the week, according to DHL.

Just in time for typical Kansas summer weather to arrive - hot and oh so muggy! Time to switch the shop unit over from heat to A/C!

I got a small bench top media blaster at a garage sale and decided to try it out on an upper control arm - it did great, but I made the mistake of leaving the air plugged in. I was upstairs having lunch and I heard the air compressor kick on - usually it takes about a minute to recharge the tank but it seemed to go on and on, so I headed down to see why it was still running. When I opened the door to the shop the air was full of dust - the hose inside the unit had popped off and it was blowing the media around inside - forcing the dust out around the seal for the window! I popped the air off the connector and gave it an hour for the dust to settle so I could see again.....not a lot of media got out, mostly just the dust but I think in the future I will roll this thing out on my hydraulic table and use it outside!

 

Couldn't find anyone to do that, and this one was priced right at $120 including the sending unit and cap.