Most liked posts in thread: So, Today This Happened.....

And.......................she's out!

The leveler def made the job easier for a one man band to get it out - no cussing, smashed fingers or dented/scratched panels!


I learned something from this effort too, about where and how to attach the chains.

Now I need remove the water pump, fuel pump and flywheel/clutch assembly as these were all new parts when I put old smoky in the car. I'll transfer them over to the white engine and it will be ready to install in the RG. I still need to rebuild the front "breaks" as even tho I put in new pads and rotors a few years ago, I didn't rebuild the calipers and I think one has been dragging causing issues with the rotors. I have another new pair of rotors to go on once the calipers are fixed.



More as it happens.

 

Finished the brakes, on to the next. Still can't find that damn drop bracket!

 

The combination of the scissor lift and the hydraulic lift table make putting aa subby/engine back in from below a whole lot easier!

She's in and bolted down, now all I have to do is hook up everything, install the exhaust, radiator, shifter, intake, starter, alternator, wiring, cables and linkages.

The temp is still holding at about 50* in the shop with the heater running even tho it will be in the single digits later today - it's 12 right now. after tonight when it goes down to zero or lower I probably won't be able to work out there tomorrow, but it's supposed to be in the 40's again by Tuesday.

 

I've done it with a cherry picker, but on these late model cars with the big brake booster you either have to remove that or tilt the engine at a crazy angle to get it in/out. this was it's a fairly easy procedure, especially when working by myself. The only downside is having to disconnect a brake line and drain brake fluid, and there are a few more things to unhook before the subby can come down.

 

Got the shop temp up to 50* this afternoon, so I got some more done on the Racing Green, got the "back" of the engine done and the radiator in, now I have to go underneath and finish that end up - run the main battery cable, hook up the shift linkage and the exhaust, then bleed the brakes and the clutch. After that, add oil and water and make some noise! I'm sure there are a bits and odds and ends still loose that will need tidying up too.....

Had to stop tho, my feet got too cold.

 

Well, she's ready to start, but even tho it was in the high 40's earlier today, by afternoon it had gotten cold again - headed down to the teens tonight and low single digits tomorrow, so I didn't want to open the garage door.

I'll be heading out of town this weekend to do the trip we couldn't do last weekend, so it might be next week before I get to drive it....too bad too as it will be in the 50's on Sat, then cold again Sunday when we get home.

A friend whipped up this cool cup holder, I put the seats in today and bolted it in - looks like it will work, but he's going to tweak the design a little for me. I got everything ready to go, just need a break in the weather....

 

I don't know if MiniFini is still in bidness, this was made for me by a friend - he 3D printed it to fit the seat mounts on a classic Mini

 

5* out today - WAY too cold to work in the shop.....but it's supposed to be in the 50's by Monday, so everything will just have to wait a bit. I found the coolant leak on the blue MINI - thermostat.

 

It warmed all the way up to 30* today so I started on the MINI thermostat project, it's amazingly difficult to get to all the hoses, clips and sensor wires to release and remove them. They use the spring style hose clamps and while I have the special clamp remover tool even that doesn't work in some spots on a couple of the hoses. I'm probably removing more than I absolutely have to but for the first time doing this (and hopefully the last!) better to err on the conservative side.





While I was in there I took the top off the air cleaner to get more room to get to stuff and found the last time I replaced the air filter was in 2017, with 66K on the car - which was informative for a few reasons - I've only driven 33K in the last 5 years in this car (99K now), and a mouse or something has gotten into the air cleaner. He didn't build a nest but did enjoy the peace and quiet while snacking on some pin nuts.





I may have to screen over the air inlet just above the bumper to keep him out.....

 

Managed to get the old one out and the new one bolted in, now I just need to hook up everything I had to remove so I can fill it up and run it. It's in the 50's today so I can run it with the door open once I get it all buttoned up. Getting the pipe back together wasn't nearly as difficult as taking it apart, but just maneuvering the new thermostat into place was a real bugger.



I also picked up a new air filter - only $21 at the dealership but I was there.....and it was there.....

The whole job will be about $200 in parts but I know I would have spent three times that in labor alone had I let the dealership do it.

I love my little magnetic puck lights, only problem using them on the MINI is everything under the hood seems to be either plastic or aluminum!

 

Never fails, does it?

I got everything buttoned up, last thing to do is install the big rubber boot between the turbo and the air cleaner and it rips. Old heat hardened rubber just tore apart right where it attaches to the turbo. It won't run without it but I was able to jam it up against the turbo with a big screwdriver so I could get it started and start bleeding the air out of the system.



The local dealer didn't have it and said no other dealer in the whole country did either, I found them all over the interwebz and I have one coming (probably for 1/2 the cost from the dealer) but it won't ship till Monday and could take a week to get here.

Close up of where the end broke off and the piece that broke off the end of the tube....





The good news - it runs and doesn't leak - so far!

 

I got lucky and found the broken off end lying in the drain pan, so I cleaned up the hole that it fits into in the back of the water pump and now the pipe is back in, as is the T-stat. Now it's just a matter of putting all that stuff back in too, filling it up and running it again to bleed the air out and make sure all is good.

I'm leaving Thursday for Texas then on to Phoenix for a week or so, it's needs to be right before I hit the road.

 

Any car that uses plastic parts in something that heat cycles constantly seems like it would be a potential problem. My advice, go online now and buy a t-stat and that connecting pipe while they're available and relatively inexpensive.....and just put them in your spares.

Mine lasted 100K, seems like that's a reasonable time for them.

Now that I've done the job (twice!) I think I could do it in about 3 hours round trip.......

I'm going to do an 80 mile roundtrip up to a friend's and drop off a transmichigan I finished for him, if it makes that OK I'll feel confident that the trip to Texas and Az will go OK too.

 

Yay! Made it to Dallas with no issues, and no puddles under the car!

Austin tomorrow......