4 replies to this topic

[teddy16_4]

Hi

I've just bought a metro engine and want to fit it to my 1985 Mini Mayfair.

How easy is it to drill out the plug to allow the heater matrix pipe connect to the head?

I've heard that to connect the new starter motor to the solenoid on the car, some fiddling is required. Can anyone point me in the right direction to do this?

Are there any other modifications I'll need to do?

Thanks

[Ru55boy]

On the Metro head, the place where the heater valve would go (if it was in a mini) is quite obvious and looks like a blanked off hole. Use a 10mm, or 11mm drill bit and drill down where the hole should be. The metal there is only about 1mm thick. Once you've drilled the hole you'll need a magnet to clean the metal swarf from inside the hole. You could use a cheap magnetic pick-up tool. There should already be a threaded hole either side of that hole for the heater valve studs, and they may need re-tapping or just cleaning. If you can find a bolt of the right size then cut two grooves down its shaft with a metal saw and use this carefully to clean/re-tap the thread. Then you'll need two heater valve studs and a gasket to re-fit your old heater valve.

Other things for the swap....

The engine mount on the radiator side is different so you'll need to find one of these...
 894a_1.jpg   7.65K   6 downloads
and swap it with the big aluminium Y shaped thing on the Metro engine. Then your existing bottom rad bracket / engine mount bracket will fit to that.

The existing radiator should still be okay but you'll need a top engine bracket for a 1275cc and also a new top hose.

The top engine steady will need to be changed for the right length too.

[998dave]

For the Starter motor you have two choices really.

I kept my solenoid in location and simply use it as a junction box, with everything attached to the live including the thick wire that's normally switched, this now feeds to the piggy back solenoid.

I also disconnected and extended the 'start' lead from the original starter solenoid to the new motor.

This minimised the amount of leads going round the front of the car, keeping them all at the solenoid->come->junction box and leaves the original solenoid in location in case it ever goes back to a standard engine.

You could instead extend everything to the piggyback starter, and get rid of the original solenoid.

[teddy16_4]

great. thanks for all your replies.

[Ethel]

Don't forget Metros don't have a bypass hose.