After being gone for 2 weeks or more I was expecting a pretty good puddle under the green Mini but it was only a couple of small spots....so I've decided to leave it alone for now and concentrate on other things. To that end I got it back on the lift and dropped the old cobbled together exhaust system off. The Play Mini SS muffler has gotten a bit louder lately so I ordered an RC 40 center pipe and resonator which finally came in just before I got home. I installed it today and the old rear box (which I cleaned up and gave a coat of high temp Rusty Oleum) that I've been using on the engine test stand. I'll either convert the Play Mini to that duty or come up with something else. The pipes were pretty poorly cobbled together..... The one part of the equation I don't have tho are the rear bobbins that attach the muffler to the rear cross brace of the subframe.....I ordered those from McMaster Carr today and should have them in a day or two. I also got the new choke cable to install, but I noticed the backing plate is all loose, so I'll drop the heater box down and see if I can figure out how to snug it up again. Then once the choke cable is in I can finish buttoning up the engine compartment, install the air filter and windshield washer bottle and a few other bits and then put some miles on her.
So, I got the choke cable in finally.....and maybe cured yet another dash rattle! Whohoo! Turns out the little bracket that was loose and flopping around was only held in with a nut and a captive bolt, so all I needed to do to fix it was tighten the nut. Of course, I didn't know that's how it went together so I wound up removing all the switches so I could get my hand in there and see how it all went together. the cover plate is held in place by the choke cable housing too, so when the bracket got loose so did the cover plate. all back together now and works a treat. I've had the switch for the rear fog light just zip tied up under the dash, I think I'm going to replace the silly "check your brake fluid" switch and light with that switch. I may have to extend the wires for it to reach but that's easily done.
The oil leaks were annoying me so much I decided to pull the motor back out and see if I can fix them. I used new gaskets and sealer (on one side) when I put it together but the leaks were persistent, so I bought some "right stuff" from Permatex to see if that would do better - this stuff is highly rated but it's just RTV in a cheese whiz can to me. Took it all apart, all the gaskets looked fine to me. cleaned everything thoroughly, put the cheese whiz on both sides of the new gaskets and put it all back together again. I poured about half of the oil back in and put a white paper towel under it....if it's still clean in the AM I'll put it back in the car - if not - I may shoot it!
So there was no joy in Mudville, a couple of hours after I finished I found a big green oil stain on the paper towel, the only good news is that it really pinpointed where the leak was coming from. There is an o-ring around the detent spring and carrier for the shift rod inside the trans that mates up with the bottom of the right side cover. I pulled that cover off, cleaned everything up and popped the o-ring out - it was hard as a rock and flat on both sides! As hard as it is for me to believe that I didn't change that - considering that I cleaned and painted all the covers - it sure looks like that is the case. Either that or I managed to re-use the old one by mistake. Anywho, another new gasket, some more cheese whiz and a new o-ring from my spares and she's all back together again with another fresh paper towel in place. I will say this about the "Right Stuff", it's a whole lot easier to clean off than regular RTV. If only it wasn't so damn expensive.....$18 for a can of cheese whiz is a bit much. After 3 hours now it's still dryer than a popcorn fart, so I think that's the final answer. If I don't see this or any other drips by tomorrow am, she's going back in.
Good news that the leak seems to be fixed. I’m with you on the cost but I’d gladly pay $18.00 not to have a leak and to have to pull a motor out of my car a second time.
No oil leaking? Is there oil in there? Sorry Dave couldn't help myself. Now that it's done take a break & have a beer & a cheeze whiz samich.
That green oil stain on the paper towel looks vaguely like the outline of Lake Fontana.... Is your Mini hinting about a future trip to NC?
CMU event starting in Wytheville, Va. I think the last one I did was there too, in 2018? In 2019 we went to Aspen for MMW.... Classic Minis United, Mini 63 - ReUnited After this I'm going to visit the kids and grands in Hendersonville, NC. My daughter needs her tractor fixed....
This didn't happen today, it was sometime last week. Skooby the clubster turned over 100,000 miles. I noticed today as I was driving to the old guy touchless car warsh.
Mine did that on my trip to Texas, AZ and Santa Fe last month.....I have a pic somewhere.... Edit: Found it.....
Motor is back in the car.....only about 1000 things to hook back up and I can drive it again! This is the new switch arrangement with the fog light switch next to the headlights, and the silly check to see if you have brake fluid switch removed.
I had intended to simply bolt this back in the car, but it was so grotty and stiff feeling that I decided to clean it up before putting it back in. Interestingly, the only place it was rusty was where heavy greasy muck was on it. So I wound up completely taking it apart, cleaning everything, painting a few bits, re-lubing it and reassembly - took most of the day by the time the paint was dry enough to put it back together. Shifts really light and sweet now tho..... One more piece of metric madness on this later model "English" car, this bolt attaches the shifter assembly to the brackets under the tunnel - it's 10 mm! (14mm wrench - not 9/16")
Got the shifter bolted back in and the exhaust installed. With the bottom end all finished I went back to the top - got almost everything buttoned up there. I didn't bother to hook up the extra switch since the solenoid isn't there anyway, plus the wires were broken. The switch was there to control a solenoid that cuts off the vacuum advance in 4th gear - it's a German Mini only control - I figure it has to do with them running high RPMs on the autobahn...... Poured the coolant back in and it fired up on the first turn of the key! Still have to bleed the brakes and install a few other bits and bobs, then the bonnet and she's ready to drive. Just in time, too. We're supposed to get rain for the next two days and a high tomorrow of 42*! The other good news.....not a drop of oil on the floor anywhere!
Yep, all I have to do is bleed the brakes - I ran out of brake fluid so I'll run down and get some this morning. Driving it will have to wait a day or two, it's raining cats and dogs here..... the good news about that is it washes all the damn salt off the roads. In a couple of days I'll put up a short vid of a drive around the neighborhood. The new(ish - well, new front resonator, old rear muffler) exhaust is a lot quieter, I hope that makes for a bit less racket on a long drive.