Slow but steady..... The best way to ensure that you finish a project like this is to do something everyday, even if it's something small. There will be setbacks, parts that don't fit or get lost or things you find out later that you need and have to wait for, but in the end it will get done. Yesterday I ordered some SS plugs and screws to fill in the extra spots that the Sprite block has and the Mini block doesn't. They should be here tomorrow. McMaster Carr is the best place for stuff like this......
Today I got the paint sorted out for the firewall.....I posted a pick of Buzz on an English Clubman Estate Facebook page and someone in the club had one the same color and gave me the code. After trying for two weeks to get the paint code in the end it didn't matter as they couldn't make me up a spray can based on the formula alone. The only formula that they could mix was for a two pack, where you have to mix the color and hardener right before you spray them, so no way to make me up a spray can. Instead, I took the hood down to the paint store, they scanned it and made me up a pint. If I decide to spray it they'll put it in a spray can for $10, but right now I'm planning just to brush it on, since almost everything I'm painting is behind the subframe or other parts and barely shows. Next I got word that all my parts have shipped and should be here by Friday, so then I can really get going on the re-assembly. To that end I spent about two hours this afternoon running a tap into about 100 holes in the block to make sure all the threads were clean so I can get accurate torque and good sealing when it goes back together. With school ending, spring yard work and parts coming in, I am really going to be busy the next few weeks!
Yeah, that's the old cam, I just installed the new cam bearings and I wanted to make sure it moved smoothly. As expected DHL just gave me a robo call telling me they need a signature to leave my parts.....I hope they don't come tomorrow while I'm at school, but you know that's exactly what will happen!
Piston rings came in today from Jolly Olde, and I was home when they showed up! yay! Notice anything interesting about the box they came in? In some ways it makes sense tho as the pistons are TRW, another US company.....
Should be more parts coming in tomorrow and Monday. The rings look really old stock, they are not chrome plated, don't have any bevel cuts on either the inside or out....they look like something I would have installed in the 50's - or earlier. I sent an email to Hastings asking about them. Working on cleanup today.......
DHL showed up with a box of parts shortly after the springs arrived, but I was a little disheartened when I saw the size of the box, as I knew everything I'd ordered couldn't be in there. The courier sad he didn't have anything else in the system for me, so I went ahead and opened it up - sure enough only about 1/2 of my order. I sent an email off to Mike at MiniSport and after doing some checking he figured out what happened - half the email had been cut off and not sent in. He's going to get the lads on the rest of the order and get it out to me as quickly as possible but being a weekend I won't expect to see anything till mid-week, and he's going to eat the shipping. Good guys at MiniSport! I did get the steering rack re-assembled. Some new rack boots, some grease, new tie rod end boots and a little fresh paint and it's ready to go back in the car. I also got the steering column drop bracket installed.... Oh. and I heard back from Hastings Rings too, they said those are the latest version and are the correct current rings they make for this engine, so I'm going to go ahead and put them on the pistons.
I've been working on getting the firewall cleaned up and painted......I was going to just paint it black as I didn't think I'd ever get a paint matched, and my premonitions were correct as it turned out. I took the hood up to the local automotive paint shop and the guy used the scanner on it, the first pint I took home was just awful, so I took it back and he tried again - in the paint shop it seemed to match the hood spot on, but once on the firewall - eh, not so much. however, most of it will be either hidden behind the engine or under the new firewall insulation, so I think I'll be OK with it. it certainly looks better than it did! Before...... Primered.... First coat of remixed color.... I have one more coat of color to put on, and then I'm calling it good enough, I'm not trying to build a showcar here, just a nice clean functioning Mini...to that end, on to the next little project.....
Since I had the wiper motor off anyway, I decided to give it an overhaul - truth be told the wipers would just barely move anyway, so I really had to - it does rain from time to time around here. One thing that puzzles me right off the bat, why would someone cut and splice the wires like this, when there's a plug only about 1 inch from where they cut the wires? I don't think that big chunk of foam is OEM either I think I'm just going to solder splice them back the way they were originally rather than leave them like this....I think I have enough wire left..... The wheelboxes were almost frozen with rust and hardened grease, so I took everything apart, cleaned, removed the rust and gave it all a light coat of paint. Once cleaned and re-greased it all went back together pretty smoothly and I think the wipers will now work the way they're supposed to - the wipers on a classic Mini are not world class to start with, you have to give them all the help you can!
Man Dave you are doing some great work! If I buy a Mini & I'm going to ship it to you for your rejuvenation services. The engine bay looks very good, ya done well. The before & after pics are quite telling. As for the crazy wiring, most every Brit car I have owned has had puzzling wiring changes. Solder the plug back on & get rid of the cluster of connectors. Thanks for the continuing updates. Keep on truckin Dave.
I think you and I are the only ones reading this thread, Crashton....:rolleyes5: I appreciate the feedback!
I'm speechless.... Don't stop.... OK... Please explain how the wiper mechanism works... I assume there is a cable of some sort that pushes in and out based on the drive gear in the wiper motor housing... How is that action transferred at the wiper blade connection?
You have it.... The wiper motor wheel turns and the rod attached to it pulls the cable back and forth - the "teeth" on the cable engage a gear wheel in the wheelbox - on the edge if the gear - which turns the wheel back and forth and the wiper arms are attached on the ends of the shaft connected to the wheel. It's a very simple design, and very cheaply made as well. The shafts in the wheelboxes are lubed with grease which gets hard and dry over time and can bind up the shaft making it almost impossible to turn - that's what happened to mine. Here's a pic of all the pieces cleaned and painted, you can see the "teeth" on the cable. The toothed part is actually just a piece of wire wrapped around the cable at an angle, so it acts like a gear.
Huh.... I think it's an interesting concept.... Maybe not as robust as the cam and lever method. But a lot simpler and a great space saver... Our Mercedes has a weird articulating single wiper arm that does the normal left right sweep but the arm also changes length during the sweep.... The wipe pattern looks like the letter "D" laying on it's side. Thanks!
I had to laugh when I saw the first one of those Mercedes single arm wipers - it's a brilliant concept, it covers so much more of the windshield than if it just swept, but I have to say it sure resembles someone pleasuring themselves! :biggrin5::biggrin5::biggrin5::biggrin5: