Parts are readily available, depending on the model. The Cooper S was only made till 71, and some parts - like the crank - are available but extremely expensive.
Here is the crank out of the spare engine, it will have to have the rod journals machined down from 1.750 to 1.625, but other than that it's in great shape.
Musta been tired and not thinking, or breathed in too many solvent fumes...... There is no need to grind this crank, I'll just use the rods that fit it on the Inno pistons. I think based on wear patterns these rods are in much better shape anyway. However, I will take everything (crank, rods and pistons, front harmonic, flywheel and clutch assembly) up and have it all balanced. Now all I have to do is wait for the block and cylinder head to be done and the new parts to come in and I can begin assembling the whole megillah. In the meantime there are plenty of parts yet to clean and prime, and I still need to get that damn nut off in the transmission. Or do I? Turns out my spare transmission is also a 4 synchro remote gearbox, maybe I can do a little more mix and match - this one does not have hardy spicers, but rather the rubber donuts, but I'm pretty sure they'll just change out....have to study up on that a bit, but I can always switch out the carriers or stub axles......hmmmmm…...
Engine parts are all ordered, block and head will be done by Friday. Found the block has been bored to 1380 - the max you can go with this block! glad it was still in good shape with less than a half thousandth wear from top to bottom - a light hone to deglaze and it will go right back together. I will take everything down to the crank guy to have it balanced once the new (lightened) flywheel gets here. Then a whole lot of cleaning and careful assembly to put it back together, then into the engine stand to run it in a bit and get the baseline setup on the carbs. By the time that's all done the car will be back from the painter's and I can start the long process of reassembly. I also have a new set of seat covers and door cards on the way from Newton Commercial.....the interiors on the Innocenti's is different from the regular Minis, so I decided to splurge and order the correct covers and foams.
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.
Today I got the second coat of paint on the Inno block, looks pretty shiny now! I had missed more than a few spots up under the bosses so this time I laid it over on it's side so I could see all the nooks and crannies. I also separated all 8 of the pistons and rods, removed all the piston rings, cleaned them all up so they're ready to go to the balance guy on Monday if all the other parts get here. The pistons from the Inno look great, the ones out of my spare block not so much as I found more than a few stuck rings, those went into the trash - tho I saved the rods as those match the original Inno crankshaft. The piston pins on these are a press fit in the rod, free floating in the piston, so you have to be very careful when pressing the pins out that you don't damage the piston - same with putting them back in. Once the pin has gone thru the rod journal, then you have to make sure it's lined up perfectly before pressing thru the rest of the way, then you have to stop so the pin is centered in the piston when the rod is. Still have a few thousand more pieces to clean and some to paint.....still waiting to hear on the cylinder head. Edit: Cylinder head shop hasn't touched it - they swear they'll tear it down tomorrow and get it back to me asap. We'll see. Dan and I are definitely planning to put both the Inno and his blue car on the dyno once I'm done.
Man that POR 15 makes that block look like it was porcelain coated. Sort of like a Jag exhaust manifold.
This is why when doing an overhaul you always remove the oil pressure galley plugs.....this is the oil pressure relief plunger - it's scarred so badly it looks like they ran metal scrap thru it. The rearmost cam bearing was trashed too, along with the cam and lifters. The plunger was stuck in the hole, but a 1/2" coarse tap just fits it perfectly - I only had to thread it in a turn or two and the plug began to move and I was able to get it out. So I'll pull the galley plugs and clean it all out, I already have new cam bearings and a new oil pump is on the way along with the new cam and lifters. I also have a new plunger and spring for it. Haven't decided whether to thread the holes with a pipe tap and use grub screws to seal them off or just tap in a new set of galley plugs the way they are now. There is so much more to rebuilding an engine properly than just putting new bearings and gaskets in it.
Took all the crank, rods, pistons, new flywheel, clutch and front pulley up to the crank guy to be balanced. It's funny, every shop I go to says the same thing - 2 weeks!
There used to be an engine machine shop that I took engines to that did everything and I mean everything. Their shop took up a whole block in NW Portland. They took two weeks for everything also, but you didn't have to go from machine shop to machine shop to get things done.
Well, I'm down to two shops now from 3, but I'll bet that one stop does all shop isn't there any more either. Most of them in KC are simply gone, owners got old and retired or just quit. There used to be at least 3 crankshaft shops in town here, now the only one is way out north in Claycomo…..there are still a couple of block/cylinder head shops around.....including the one I just found less than 5 miles from my house. I don't often need crank work done, but the shop near me that does blocks and heads say they send theirs down to Chilicothe - that's about 2 1/2 hours or more from me in southern Mo! Before I took the crank up to the cranky guy, I lapped the new flywheel onto the end of the crank and got a nice clean finish so it will fit properly when it comes back
It's getting harder and harder to get basic stuff done. How long before we're down to scrounging for old parts because we can't get them machined anymore and new ones don't exist? The electrification of new cars may finally kill the old car hobby.
I have been surprised how no one repairs parts anymore. I went to a tool shop and asked for a thread file the guy had no ideal what i was talking about. The only person in town that could turn the brake drums on my old bike is a old guy that use to work for my stepdad, great mechanist but he wont do it much longer. the other day a guy in a parts store wanted to sale me a strut that had a spring on it, you just bolted it onto the car. I told him I didn't need a spring, he said it was better this way so I wouldn't have to swap the spring. I just laughed. My stepdad taught me to try and fix parts first. He told me that was the mark of a good mechanic, anyone can be a parts changer. I'll pass that to my boys
The new camshaft that arrived yesterday came with the springs recommended to be used with it, so I took them down to the cylinder head guy hoping that they didn't already have it back together.....HA! They did have it disassembled and cleaned (don't know why they felt the need to hot tank it, I had cleaned it thoroughly before I took it down there) and he said later today they would check it for cracks and tomorrow give me a list of the parts they needed - valves and seals - or whether they could use the valves in the head now. I don't know if the ones they sell at Vicky Brits will be the large 35mm intakes or the smaller ones commonly used in Sprite heads, need to find out or else there will be a further delay while I order them from Spares. Anyway, he said they might be done with it in another 2 weeks to a month! Yikes! Gonna make it tight for getting it back together, run in and ready for Aspen/Snowmass. I might be taking the green Mini after all.
Had to order valves from England, the ones in it are way oversized compared to what I can get locally - I did go ahead and take them the seals and guides. I ordered the new valves from Spares in England, I hope to have them by Monday. Given the port work that was done and the oversized valves, the large bore, high compression pistons and the new cam I bought, I think this motor should make pretty good HP. Nothing like what new MINIs do, but on a percentage basis - it would be like getting close to 400hp out of your stock MINI......that's a pretty substantial upgrade in power.