The brake line issue turned out to be much ado about nothing......one of the nuts was stuck tight on the line that goes to the rear and I was afraid I'd either twist, break the line or not be able to get the nut tightened properly. I had sprayed it with Kroil a couple of days ago and fortunately it broke loose today. Next I got going on the engine again.....I laid the crank into the main cradles, added the thrust washers and snugged the main caps down - it turned nice and free so I went on to the rods...pulled them up onto the journals, added the rod bearings and snugged the rod caps up too.... Before torqueing anything down I checked my torque wrench with my electronic tester. Since the rods only torque to 40 ft lbs being off even a little could cause them to strip or break, I prefer to be right. Once the crank was in and torqued, I set the engine back on the transmission temporarily so I could install the rest of the odds and ends onto the block and check the fit of the block to the transmission - since this is a Sprite block I wanted to make sure it was all copacetic......so far, so good! More as it happens.....
The engine was just sitting on the transmission while I added a few parts and sorted out a few things, so today I pulled it back off so I could install the gaskets and seals and bolt it down once and for all. Before I could do that I had to modify the locating dowels - the holes in the Sprite block were about 40thou smaller that the ones in the old Mini block so I modified the dowel pins to fit the new block. Once on I installed the timing gears and set the timing.... Next the front cover and pulley.....the timing cover has two different sized bolts in three different lengths, it was a bit of a puzzle figuring out which went where..... I also finished the port work on the head, but the new cam came with new valve springs and I'm going to go down to the auto parts store and borrow a valve spring compressor and change them out. That will give me a chance to make sure all the grinding dust is out before I reinstall the valves. I also worked on the suspension.....the new upper control arm bearing kits came in so I pressed the new Torrington bearings in both sides and reinstalled the arms. I made a tool to get the old ones out and had to modify it further to get them out of the other arm that I'd already assembled. Now I can flip the subframe over and install the rest of the parts, and get it ready for the engine once it's finished. I still have to modify the rear crankcase cover for the breather I'm going to add, and I have other tweaks I've still got to do before I put the clutch end together, but it's coming along, for sure. More as it happens.
Did you ever imagine you'd be re-restoring your restored Mini? Buzz is very lucky he got you as a Dad.
No, I thought all I was going to do was routine maintenance and a little fiddling here and there to get rid of the buzzes and rattles. Oh well.......:mad2: One interesting thing happened today, I was leaning over the engine supporting myself by putting my hand over one of the cylinders while I rotated the engine with a wrench to make sure everything was turning feely, it like to sucked the skin off my hand! I think the new rings are going to seal well!
So your new engine sucks. That's a good thing. Man are you in for a happy surprise when you fire that little A series up & have some ponies.
I'm really counting on it having more than it did, it was one weak sister time I got home with it....of course, with the 2:76 gears it may feel like I'm starting uphill from every stop, won't know till I drive it. Got the head all done tonight, porting done and the new valve springs installed. You would not believe what the auto parts stores lend out as a valve compressor now - I've never seen such a cheaply made POS, and on top of that there's no way it will work with the tiny little valves and springs in a modern 4 valve head - I have no idea what it does fit, but nothing I work on that's for sure. I cobbled something together using some bits and bobs I had laying around the shop and a big assed C-Clamp. It worked, but it was a handful! I may stop for tonight, I'm beat......but I feel like I'm making progress at last. Edit: found a pic of the idiot thing..... Instead of one of these that I've used successfully since the '50's
Damn Dave at the pace you are going now your car will be completed before I finish redoing my JCW aero bumper. Oh that tool they gave you looks like a engineering team made a roach clip. :lol:
My self imposed goal is driving by next weekend.....that gives me two weeks to get the initial miles on it and debug whatever I missed before I leave for my 1500 mile trip. :fingerscrossed: I still have a huge amount of work to do tho......huge! :crazy:
After finishing the head, next I locktited the head studs down and set the head gasket and head on the block. The next thing to install would be the rocker assy itself, it slides down over the taller studs, but first I needed to take it apart and replace the original stamped steel rockers with the forged units used on the Cooper S. It's a little complex so I laid it out as I took it apart....once apart I found the shaft worn badly, so I had to stop for tonight. Tomorrow I'll pick up a new shaft from Victoria British and carry on...... I'm glad the head isn't bolted down yet, as looking at these pics reminded me I forgot something important. There's a bypass hose that goes between the bottom of the head and the water pump - I have a new one to install but forgot to put it on - it's almost impossible to put it in there once the head's on without removing it or the water pump!
Well I have been stopped dead in my tracks today because it's raining and only 64 degrees with 84% humidity. Not good weather for painting today. Maybe later today when it's warms up to 77+ degrees and less than 50% humidity and sunny.
We have the same weather.....I'm glad I still have clean, painted pieces ready to go back on so I can keep moving forward. Need to go get the shaft right now...... :biggrin5:
Well, Victoria British let me down this morning, they didn't have the rockershaft, and wouldn't for 3 more weeks. So I started looking at the usual suspects and their price was 2-3 times higher! So I consulted the wise and powerful Google-Fu and found one at a Toyota/Jaguar dealer in Michigan, of all places, and for even less than Victoria British charges! On top of that, the place is staffed by a VERY knowledgeable woman, who's been selling parts for British cars for over 40 years! Yay, finally a person who knows their way around British cars parts...actually that's not fair, all of the people I deal with at 7 Enterprises, MiniMania and even Victoria British are very good but she was extra sharp and easy to deal with. So, in the meantime, on with other things. We just got another big rain storm blown thru here and the humidity is over the moon, so painting is out for another day or three but I still have parts that need cleaning, derusting and so on. I also have two axles to put together and some new wheel bearings to install in the hubs. Lots to do...... I still haven't decided on where I'm going to mount the electric fuel pump either....... I need to carry on with lots of electrical work yet actually....the heater fan doesn't work and I haven't wired up the aux electrical port I installed for my Garmin and phone charger. I also have a pretty nasty rattle in the left door to find and cure.
And the list goes on................what would you ever do when you get to the end of the list? Oh, wait......it's a British car. Nevermind..
Funny......:frown2::biggrin5: but you know, since I finished my E-Type rustoration I have done very little to it, and that's been about 20 years now. And yes it still starts, and yes it runs and yes I do drive it, but not as much as I'd like to since my knee went south a few years ago.
More pretty pictures...... Can't torque down the head tho, till the new rocker shaft gets here, hopefully on Sat....
I'm a little late but I just noticed that you need to index the fuses to have the blades all in the same orientation as opposed to that current hodgepodge.
Yes, well I'll get on that right away........:biggrin5: Today I modified the rear crankcase to take a breather assembly that Ruder gave me. I think part of the reason it was leaking was too much crankcase pressure, I'm hopeful this will alleviate that. First I had to drill out the casting, being careful not to drill into the clutch side of the housing - then bore and tap two holes to mount the breather to the crankcase. I also made a gasket for the base. Then I had to open up some holes to allow the vapors to escape the crankcase and flow up to the breather can. The breather has an oil separator (which is nothing more than a chore boy stuffed into the can) that will help trap the oil part of the vapors and drain it back to the crankcase. Once done I could mount the breather onto the crankcase. I also installed a new crankshaft seal, then mounted the crankcase onto the block and transmission. Next it was the flywheel, and then the clutch assy....however, no sooner than I had the clutch cover tightened down I remembered I hadn't bent the locktab over on the flywheel retaining bolt, so off it came again. Installing the clutch is very fiddly on these cars with the early style clutch - part of it is behind the flywheel, and part of it is on the back side, you have to bolt them together without losing the plot....it can be a bit of a PITA. Later cars have a normal clutch like pretty much most cars use. Anyway, once that was done and the clutch reinstalled, it was time for the cover and the starter. Once the rocker shaft gets here (tomorrow I hope) then I can torque down the head, adjust the valves and it's pretty much ready to go into the subframe and into the car. I still have some suspension work to do before that can happen tho, so I'll start on that tomorrow while I wait for the postman to ring twice. I also have to go pick up a case of Brad Penn oil that I sourced locally - I'm undecided whether to go with 10W40 during break-in, or just go with 20W50 that it had in it before. it carried great oil pressure even with a block full of worn out parts, maybe I don't need the thicker oil now?
Another good catch Dave. I'd have remembered that lock tab a few days after I was driving the finished car. I'd think break Buzz in on the 10W40 & switch to the 20W50 at the fist change. You'll know more once you run it for a while. You are making great progress. Old farts everywhere are pulling for you.