Most liked posts in thread: Mini Innocenti 1300 Export

The block came back from the machine shop today, it was painted a very strange shade of green....certainly not BMC green nor any factory color I've seen before. No matter, it will be Innocenti black when I'm done with it. First coat is on.....the cylinder head should come back tomorrow, then I'll paint it too.

I ordered all the engine parts, when they get here (hopefully by the weekend) I'll take everything up to the crankshaft guy and have it all balanced.....lightened flywheel, rods, pistons, front pulley, clutch assembly, bearings and rings. Once that's all back I can start to build the motor.

Everything I've read about POR says if you get it on your hands nothing will take it off except time and wear, but lacquer thinner cleaned it right off my fingers....just FYI.

 

Cylinder head coming together.....

 

Today I put the pistons back on the rods, and put one in the block so I could establish TDC. My pointer lined up perfectly with the TDC notch in the front pulley.



Next I've started dialing in the camshaft, but I need to find the specs on this particular cam....nothing came with it.

 

The Inno is on the trailer ready to come back to my shop today.....here's a pic of it out in the sunlight for Dnepr Dave, looks a lot more like it should in the daylight!


And on another positive note, DHL finally has my package from MiniSpares, it should be here by Friday sometime, but given their recent track record, I'll expect it on Monday

 

Both tanks in now, both Monza caps installed, cross pipe in...all I need to do now is install, wire and plumb the fuel pump....but first I want to bench run it and make sure it will pump fuel. While I'm down there I'll install the emergency brake cables, rear brake line and red + cable to the battery.

 

More news.....None of the fuel pumps I have work, it looks like the one that was in the Innocenti was one of the newer electronic pumps, no points I can replace so it's dead. I have a larger spare off my E-Type but it's dead too. Should have checked it earlier I guess.

So, now I have a new pump on the way. I can get one from Victoria British but theirs is really expensive now - which is curious as I've bought them before and did not remember them being nearly this high. In the meantime I'll work on getting the em brake cables installed.

Lastly, a little bit of good news - the interior has shipped from Newton Commercial today!

 

So, the back end is pretty much sewn up, I still have to install the battery hold down but I made a new cable for the negative side. The emergency cables are in and adjusted, Don is coming over tomorrow to install the fairlead plates and gaskets as I cannot crawl under the car at this point due to my back.

Once that's done I could even put the boot lid back on but I think I'll wait on that....

Got a better pic of the fuel pump installation.

Last thing to do is hook up the main brake pipe to the brake pressure regulator.

Oh and give the bottom of the boot floor another coat of paint, Dan brushed some on before we put the subframe back in at the reunion but it will need another coat.

Oh, just remembered, I need to put the vent hoses on the fuel tanks - see? lots of little time consuming jobs!

 

Yesterday, I drove the one hour up to the crankshaft shop to see what the heck was going on, since it's been a month or more and I still didn't have the crank. The last time I was here they asked me when I was going to get them the gear they needed to match the crank too - I was flabbergasted as I had delivered that gear to them weeks before.

They said they would get to it "sometime this week", but this morning I got a call that it was all done (!?!?) , so I drive up there again.

They bring out the crank and flywheel assy and I ask about the rods and pistons. They ask did I bring them up? Crikeys! They've had those since day one! So while I wait they go all over the shop looking for the box with those and find them amongst the parts for another car. He says he'll balance them while I wait and about an hour later they're all done. He did say they balanced out nicely, so this should be a nice smooth motor when it's done. I know I'm going to find something missing that I desperately need still, but for now it's all home and back in my control.

The seats are also supposed to be done by Friday, so there is some progress at least.....

 

After lots of delays due to health issues and a trip to the Mini Meet East Meets West in Colorado, I'm back working on the Inno.

Installed the crank, cam, lifters and oil pump, then the front cover. Installed one piston assembly so I could set the cam timing. Pistons now come to about 5 thou of the top of the block, just as they should! I had ordered a 2* offset key for the cam, and with it in the timing checks at exactly 106.5*….as my goal was 106-107, I'd say I'm there!




Next up I'll install the rest of the pistons and double check the rod bearing clearance - I already checked the mains. If they're as they should be I'll torque everything up and assemble the rest of the motor. More as it happens....

 

Well, better......but still a long ways to go. I'm still really limited on what I can do, but thanks for the comment Dave.

More progress.....

Once the cam was timed in I installed the locking tab, torqued the nut, installed the gasket and cover and the front pulley, locking tab and bolt.



With that done I stood it back up on the blocks and made sure the top of the block was completely clean, then ran the new studs into the block. Added the copper head gasket and fit the head.... installed the washers and nuts and cinched it all down. It's not torqued down yet as I'll need someone to hold the block while I torque the nuts. Note too that the 11th stud is actually a 5/16" bolt.



I also need to look at the positioning of the rocker arms and make sure there's no interference with the stands and that the arms are centered as much as possible over the valve stems. I may have to pull them off again and add a shim or two before I'm done.



But...….progress.

 

New seatbelts installed, next up I'll put padding and sound deadening for the carpet on the floor, then install the carpets, then I can install the inner seat belt anchors.



The engine is ready to go back on the transmission, basic timing and valve adjustments done. Once I get the transmission rebuilt I can marry them up and set it in the engine stand for its first test runs. That will be a big day in the life of this Inno! Can't wait to hear it make some noise.....

 

Finally got the rest of the transmission to come apart, specifically the two nuts that hold the differential pinion and the first motion shaft in place. Everything looks really good in the box, synchros, op sleeves and gears are not torn up at all, roller bearings are all in good shape and no wear on the inner surfaces of the gears or shafts.



The 1st motion shaft bearing was a little rough so I have a new one on the way but the rest look good. I'll clean it up a little more and when those bits get here I can put it together, then marry it up to the engine and put them in the engine stand and make some noise!



I put some special air tool oil in my impact wrench, maybe that's what did it?

Still a lot of work to do, but......progress!

 

Yesterday I had another session at the back doctor so I couldn't do any work, today was transmission day. I managed to drift out the main shaft bearing so I could remove the mainshaft cluster, I'm surprised how good all the components look, synchros are not worn, nor is the facing on the gears that the synchros ride on. The teeth on the operating sleeves are not chewed up and all the bearings are actually in pretty good shape. I thought the input shaft bearing was bad but after I cleaned it up in the solvent tank it runs smooth as can be. No matter I have a new one on the way.

Now the real work, I'm taking all the case parts over to my friends shop to bead blast them. That takes long enough on it's own, but then the real time consuming part is getting all the glass bead detritus out of every nook and cranny, then taking a tap to every threaded hole to clean the crap out of them too.




The result will be a case that looks brandy new, and clean parts always makes assembly go easier. I take my inspiration from the MiniMania YouTube videos, they always have the case clean as new. I'm hopeful the last few bits I need will get here quicker than the last order did - that one took 12 days. And while I'm not pressed for time on this build, I would like to continue making progress.....I like to finish a job before I jump onto something else if I can.

 

I know, right?

Differential went together smoothly, everything fit and feels correct.....



I spent the rest of the day cleaning all the cases and misc shafts and other bits, any time you use the bead blaster the tiny remains of the glass beads get into every crack and crevice, also in the threads of all the blind holes and studs and they all have to be cleaned out.....merely blowing them out doesn't do it. It also embeds itself into the aluminum so I have to take a wire brush to it as the solvent runs to make sure there's nothing left. I run a tap into every hole, then spray with some spray lube and then blow it out again to make sure all the threads are clean. It takes hours but if I don't whatever hole I didn't clean out either won't accept the bolt or torque properly.

Ready to put it all together tomorrow.....

 

FINALLY! Found the bulkhead insulation I was missing - I looked for it off and on for two weeks - finally found it in a box marked "Inno brakes", I guess the association with brakes was because I need to install it before I fit the two master cylinders and the brake lines that were also in that box. Drove myself nuts trying to figure out where the hell I put it!



I also found the shift knob I bought for it back last October, I liked this turned aluminum much better than the original black plastic. Might need a shift knob cozy for it in really hot or really cold weather tho..

 

And here it is in action.....

 

The only hard part about removing the dash is that you have to remove the eye ball vent assemblies before you can get the dash out, the hard part of that is getting your hand in to turn them, the hard part of that is getting them to turn at all!

I had hoped to take the dash vents apart so I could repair the silver part of the eyeballs, it's chrome on plastic and it's pitted something awful, and flaking off - but I think the two halves that have to come apart are actually glued together and I don't want to break 40 year old unreplaceable plastic bits.

Dan says they give the car character, but I think they just look bad amongst all the other "new" inside the car...…..we'll see. I messaged the guy in Croatia to see if he had a pair he could sell but no response so far. Actually, on looking at them I only need one, the other is OK.




I also had to find some defrost hose as one side just fell apart in my hands when I removed the heater box. They do have it at MiniSpares (from time to time - the last two times I ordered parts they were out of stock) for like $20 a stick, and it's only 22" long where they claim I need 27", so I went online and found old VW's use the same size stuff in the right size and length and of course there are multiple places to get parts for old VW, only it seems they're all in California! No matter, I bought one there for $20 shipped.

I've laid the harness into the car - no small feat itself - and now I'm sorting out what goes where, and why. (to quote Gene Wilder in Silver Streak! )

I also found and modified the bulkhead insulation I bought a while ago, it has to go on before the harness does.

 

When I took the gauges out to clean them and the dash around the instruments those little o-rings that insulate them from the dash just fell apart into bits, so I'll be calling Nisonger in the AM for some new ones. I don't think they're expensive but the time to replace them is now......they keep the instruments from rattling too.



I also got all the remaining glue off the speedo from the red tape that was on there.....



This is how they looked before....they were grey instead of chrome - I thought they wouldn't clean up but some chrome polish and elbow grease did the trick!

 

Today I got the wiper motor installed and wired up, and now I'm working on the master cylinders and pipes. I bought a tool a short while ago to help put the clevis pins in and boy howdy does it work slick! I'm pretty sure that as long as the clevis isn't rusted in it will work just as well at getting them back out again too and not losing them inside the bulkhead tube.

You can see the pin installed in the second pic ( a little red smear of grease dripping off that I already wiped up) it doesn't help with the cotter pins, but then I don't use those, rather I use "hairpins", after all, all we're trying to do is keep the clevis pin from walking out - there's really no stress on the hairpin to hold the clevis in. I'm just about done with the engine compartment and ready to put the motor back in, I have a few details to sort out but it won't be long now.



Master cylinders all in, working out where to run the pipes to make sure they miss the carbs, air cleaners and what have you. It would be easier to wait till I have the engine in and carbs on so I may wait on the pipes....



I did find a home for the washer bottle and pump that I think will work and look correct. Still have to make sure it doesn't interfere with the booster cylinder or its mount.



Ran my speed test this afternoon, but as I was working by myself the results were inconclusive - It was hard for me to work the throttle, watch the tach and get the reading off the speedo....so it will wait till I have it in the car and can compare it to the Garmin.

I did get the timing set so the engine is ready to go. I have two small oil leaks that may set me back a few days tho while I sort them out.

I think my bulkhead insulation turned out nice tho…..

Last thing I did was find the brake booster servo and mount it up to help see where the brake lines will go - and in doing so I realized it's been leaking fluid internally. After doing quite a bit of sleuthing, I found out it's the same as used on the Alfa 105 cars (GTV etc) and there were rebuild kits available - two kits that added up to $200. Or.................I could buy a rebuilt servo for $242, but there was a $50 core charge, and I wasn't planning to ship it back as it might cost $50 to do that. Then I found you could get a brand new servo for $255, plus shipping! Done deal. $286 to my door and now the brakes will work correctly.