Mini Ecoboost Project

Discussion in 'Classic Mini' started by Minidave, Jun 26, 2016.

  1. 00Mini

    00Mini Well-Known Member

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    While it looks nasty at least by the photos there is some good metal to attach the patch to.
     
  2. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    #122 Crashton, Sep 12, 2023
    Last edited: Sep 12, 2023
    Damn Dave sorry about your foot. Oh how I have rust. Hope your tetanus booster is up to date.

    Edit: I do have rust but I Hate rust.....
     
  3. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    Wait, doesn’t everyone fix holes with blue paper towels and silicone?
    How did you manage to get your foot run over? Hope it gets better fast.
    You do nice work Dave!
     
  4. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    At our age we all have rust!:D
     
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  5. 00Mini

    00Mini Well-Known Member

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    Oh so very true.
     
  6. Minidave

    Minidave Well-Known Member
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    #126 Minidave, Sep 13, 2023
    Last edited: Sep 13, 2023
    At the car show last Sunday, some "helpers" were pushing the Innocenti back into alignment with the other cars and as I was steering it from the left side they got a little too helpful!

    Finally got it out onto the drive and gave it a bath - I was tired of working in filth and vacuuming it constantly. It's a nice warm, sunny day and it only took me and one other guy to get it off the rack and outside, but I'll have a third to get it back in, there's a pretty good lip at the edge of the garage floor. With all the holes the water drained out easily!

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    Edit: It was surprisingly easy to get it back into the shop! Also, front coilovers came in today. now once some other bits get here I can build the front suspension and roll it around on actual wheels.

    IMG20230913175144R.jpg
     
  7. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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  8. Minidave

    Minidave Well-Known Member
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    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!
     
  9. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    Thanks for the update! I feel your pain on the Italians and electrical problems. My X1/9 is not charging correctly. It shows 14v at the generator and 11.5 at the battery, sometimes more. I have checked all the grounds, perhaps the battery cable from the generator to the battery is the wrong gage. I don’t know. It’s just not consistent some days it’s 10.5, 11.5, 12.5 or on a good day 13.4.
     
  10. 00Mini

    00Mini Well-Known Member

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    If’n the wire was the wrong gauge / damaged wouldn’t it get really warm especially if there was a large load ??
     
  11. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    Lee this sounds like the voltage regulator to me. I don't know If Tony uses a stand alone one or if it is built into the alternator. Anywho that's my old fart guess.
     
  12. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    Internal regulator. But is could be. It’s been modded to take a GM alternator. I have checked and been getting 14 at the alternator and less at the battery.
     
  13. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    Well there must be a hole in one of the wires leaking volts. Look for a puddle of volts under the car & trace back to the leak. ;)
     
  14. Minidave

    Minidave Well-Known Member
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    I know it's been a while but this project has not died, I just had to put it aside to complete some other work. I build transmissions for Sprites, especially for racers (straight cut gears) and I owed one to a guy - then a friend of his came in with one for his Bugeye - which became 2 when the one already in the car blew up also (turned out it was run thru two racing events with no oil in it. I've never seen a gearbox that dry! Some of the gears were blue)

    So coupled with the holidays, some final electrical work needed on the Inno before it leaves in Mid Feb, a wedding for my grandson and who knows what else I'm almost ready to jump back in on my project once the Inno leaves. In mid-Feb I'll be taking it down to Tulsa to the new owner, and picking up my Racing Green Mini from his shop after he painted it - which turned out really well!

    More as it happens!

    A few pics of the Racing Green in progress - he still needs to cut and polish most of it. The racing stripes are painted on. Can't wait to get it back....since this is a part time gig for him it's been there since last August. Should get it back just in time for some spring driving and events.

    right side.jpg

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    bonnet.jpg

    left fender and bonnet.jpg
     
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  15. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    Good to hear you are doing well Dave. Life does have a habit of getting in the way. Your green one looks perfect. Enjoy!
     
  16. Minidave

    Minidave Well-Known Member
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    Red letter day, major parts being delivered this afternoon......rear subframe, roll cage, axles and rear coilovers. Next up, trying to figure out how to mount the motor in the subframe......it's built for Hondas, and I'm putting a Ford in it.......
     
  17. Minidave

    Minidave Well-Known Member
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    IMG20241017122517.jpg

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    The parts arrived today and I spent some time familiarizing myself with the various components, then went ahead and assembled the basic framework.

    Next I'll take it all apart again and start figuring out how to mount the motor.....
     
  18. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    Christmas in October!
     
  19. Minidave

    Minidave Well-Known Member
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    I fit up the motor to the subframe and right away several issue were evident - the A/C compressor will NOT fit where it's supposed to, and the axles were at crazy angles to reach the hubs......so I spent several days pondering, moving, adjusting and scratching my head trying to figure out how to make it all work.

    I'm still not 100% there, but one question needs to be answered. I always thought the axles should be as straight as possible to the hubs and gearbox under normal ride height - is this correct, or just the preferred situation?

    Cause a buddy of mine pointed out the crazy angles his VW bus axles run at all the time. First thought is - yeah, but it's a slow moving low HP bus - except it isn't, it's a 150hp bus that he tows a loaded trailer or a Mini behind at 70+ MPH for hundreds of miles at a time, and after 20K miles or so, his axles still seem fine.

    I also seem to remember that Project Binky's front axles run at some angles too?

    Point being if i can run some odd angles, I can probably put my A/C compressor back on.

    IMG20241019160218.jpg

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    To test out a couple of theories I moved the engine around, tilted it somewhat and built a couple of brackets to set the ride height approximately where I think it will be - at about 1/2 of the shock travel. Doing all that I've managed to get the axles pretty much straight on in both directions. I will have to do some small modifications - I'll need to remove a boss on the oil pan where the A/C compressor used to bolt up, and I will have to completely engineer a bracket to remount the compressor somewhere else......but that at least gets me in the neighborhood.

    But, if I can run the angles then I may be able to move the engine back further in the frame set and put the compressor back on.

    What say the cognoscenti?
     
  20. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    The 308 axel angle is about half of the angle as the picture. I would think it would depend on how the spider gears are riding in the hub. If you have an old axel you could pull the boot back and set it at that angle to see where the spider gears are riding. As long as they are not riding on the edge it should be ok. Also maybe reach out to the axel manufacturer to see if they specify a max angel. Last thought. Look at the angle the 4x4 crowd run.
     

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