Rally Mini Cooper

Discussion in 'Car Builds, Projects, Idea's Experiments' started by RallyMini370, Mar 27, 2012.

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  1. RallyMini370

    RallyMini370 Well-Known Member

    Mar 12, 2012
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    I hope this cradle/support bracket will stop the bolt bending. I added a locking plate to stop the bolt turning and working loose.

    [​IMG]
     
  2. RallyMini370

    RallyMini370 Well-Known Member

    Mar 12, 2012
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    Came back to the US with a wicked virus which has grounded me this week. I went to the doc's for tests. It seems a monkey is most likely to blame! I'm hoping to be well by the weekend for my bike test.
     
  3. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    Take care Chris. Don't share your beer with your monkey crew. :beer
     
  4. RallyMini370

    RallyMini370 Well-Known Member

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    Thanks...no more sharing beers for sure. Those monkeys are in for it when I get back
     
  5. RallyMini370

    RallyMini370 Well-Known Member

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    you may also have noticed more crazy posts from me today due to the fever!
     
  6. RallyMini370

    RallyMini370 Well-Known Member

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    I'm with the Mini so the weeked I got stuck in to fix the rear suspension bolts and the exhaust. The exhaust was driving me nuts, the internals of the center muffler (ex Suzuki) had come lose so rattled more than a womens coffee morning!

    Saturday I visited the welding sponsor who cut out and welded in a straight tube which did not make the exhaust note any louder. Also you can see the deleted center bracket.

    That was it for Saturday due to the CR/NL game.

    Sunday I pulled out the old bolts, then bored out the threads and fitted the longer bolts. The most time consuming part was grinding the nut to fit the contour of the R56 arm. I didn't want to remove to much metal off the arm so shaped the nut to fit. Grind, engineering blue, fit, take off check , repeat. The left side was contour was a little different to the right but after a days work and with no rain I finished both sides and fitted a spherical joint on the lateral arms that had some play.

    You can see I fitted a lock nut which comes pretty close to the wheel rim. I have 8mm wheel spacers so the nut is not as close as it looks.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  7. RallyMini370

    RallyMini370 Well-Known Member

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    Fitting the STI strut tops did not stop the mushrooming hahaha

    [​IMG]
     
  8. RallyMini370

    RallyMini370 Well-Known Member

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    To pass the RTV (state tech test) you need a reverse light. I don't have one since way back so I had to do some checking. Bulb, reverse switch and wiring were good, the black control box seemed to be the problem. Lucky my wiring loom is easy to get at, once I found the blue/yellow wire I cut the wire and ran it to a switch. Now I have a manual switch and a new 2015 sticker! I did have to ram a bag of fiberglass insulation in the mufflers secured by some mesh to quieten it some. The Mini passed for another year and I had great fun blowing out the fiberglass when I got home.

    [​IMG]
     
  9. TheModFather

    TheModFather Well-Known Member

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    Thats a cool switch! Where did you find those Chris?
     
  10. RallyMini370

    RallyMini370 Well-Known Member

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    That's a very good question as I pulled them off the Suzuki. I think I got them from Adavnce auto store. When I get back the MA I'll go look. They are high amp, enough to run my cooling fan.
     
  11. TheModFather

    TheModFather Well-Known Member

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    Damn those are heavy duty! Way more than I need to run the relays for the lights.... On the Jeep... ;)
     
  12. RallyMini370

    RallyMini370 Well-Known Member

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    I'm using one to run the reverse light which is very low amps
     
  13. soccerbummer1104

    soccerbummer1104 New Member

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    just curious, why not tie it into the line out coming from the transmission? (reverse gear sensor switch)?
     
  14. RallyMini370

    RallyMini370 Well-Known Member

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    I could have done that but I found the wire after the black box so it was quicker to splice in there.

    Next week I start the epic gearbox build. I have all the parts and the casing has been welded with some extra metal. A big thanks to Emini parts for the parts I picked up today.
     
  15. RallyMini370

    RallyMini370 Well-Known Member

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    What a weekend! I worked all last week in the evenings building the gearbox with new bearings etc. and setting up the LSD pre-load ready for an early start on Saturday, The pre-load is set to around 75LBS before the LSD clutch plates lose grip. The adjustment is done by adding different thickness plates, bolting up the LSD and doing the torque test. I do this with drive shafts attached to a front wheel with the LSD in the middle and a nut on the end of the drive shaft.

    I was up at the crack of dawn jumping with an army of monkeys to have the Mini back on the road. One thing I did notice when I unpacked the crown wheel was a tiny dent in two places at the very bottom of the teeth. Looking at it I thought there should be no worries. Spinning the gears off the car I did not feel any issues …..so I thought

    Within an hour the box was back on the engine and drive shafts in, I turned the brake disc's by hand and could hear a slight knock knock from the box. Now I'm so paranoid I pulled out the box again and stripped it down. I fitted only the pinion shaft and diff to ease the checking and found the knock to be the little dents hitting the pinion teeth. So I had no option but to Dremel the dents out until the knocking was gone. I refitted the gearbox finding the noise had gone. Hooooray! on went the drive shafts until a almighty storm rolled in stopping Saturdays work. The Monkeys and I retired for the day ready for an early start the next morning. Sunday was a beautiful day with huge red butterflies flying around in the early morning sun which was wonderful to see. First job was to fill the gearbox with oil then start the final fitment of the bumper, air box etc.

    In went the oil and out it came from the bell housing! Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo I thought maybe the input shaft seal or not enough gasket seal around the bolts? I had no choice but to drop the box again and see where the oil is coming from…..Damn I’m becoming an expert at removing the box! It seems the gearbox welding guy missed a small hole in the bottom on the gearbox……once again I had to strip down the box and send it to be welded which takes me to Monday!

    The weld


    [​IMG]

    Black box?

    [​IMG]

    No comment

    [​IMG]

    LSD clutch plate internals

    [​IMG]

    Pre-load test

    [​IMG]

    The box in bits again!

    [​IMG]

    The dent was tiny and removed

    [​IMG]
     
  16. old81

    old81 Club Coordinator
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    Chris, you have much more energy than I, more power and fun times to you. :)

    Don
     
  17. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    Wow Chris, you living on caffeine? I'n in awe of your energy. Racing is a powerful drug & you have the addiction. :wink:

    I think your teeth will be OK. If you find any sharp ends touch them up with a file to remove any stress risers.

    Good luck & keep on truckin Chris! :Thumbsup:
     
  18. RallyMini370

    RallyMini370 Well-Known Member

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    I'm always jumping with energy!! I hooked up the axles and poured in some oil last night to find it still leaking so I took it to be welded again today with the oil and axles so he can see where the oil is leaking from, I know the standard of welding is not the best but what can I do? A new casing is $800! So hopefully I'll be putting in the box tonight.
     
  19. RallyMini370

    RallyMini370 Well-Known Member

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    So the week went like this, got the box back for more welding, went to pick it up to find the welder and machines in the shop blew the breaker box in fine style. You can just imagine what the wiring is like..LOL So Wednesday I went back and still the box was untouched due to a back up of work....the guy then welded it while I waited with what looked like better aluminium. BINGO! no leaks! But to be sure I put some metal weld over the welding. Tomorrow is Mothers day here so a day off which should give me plenty of time to install the box.

    Going forward I'm really thinking of building another box with the Quaife straight cut gear set and LSD. The cost is about the same as the 6 speed conversion but I get a low final drive, split second no clutch gear changes and super strong racing gears. Also the 6 speed weighs in a 125LBS with the Midlands being 74LBS which I can lift.

    That's for 2015.
     

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