8 replies to this topic

[Goliath]

Right I have a few questions and would be most greatful if anyone can answer them for me.... I just got my first mini today so some are problems on it.

1. speedo overreads by about 10mph at 50mph (so at 50mph it reads 60mph), what do i need to do to fix this?
2. Dash lights are really dim, Im guessing this is normal but can brighter bulbs be put in to remedy this?
3. It has disc brakes on the front, is that standard for a 1982 998cc mini?
4. Im wanting to (eventually) change the wheels for 6x10 ultralites, will these fit over the disc breaks? and will they fit nicely under miglia arches or would i need spacers/smaller arches?
5. there is a nasty bang/snapping noise when there is lots of engine movement (i.e. when starting or changing gear aggressively) is this the top engine mount buggered?
6. what does the right hand knob on the dash do (same shape as the choke) it has what appears to be a 'fire' symbol on it.

ill update as i remember the other questions

[james962]

I can only help with a couple but here you go:

1) You can either replace the speedo drive and pinion (sp) or send off your speedo to "speedy cables" to get it recalibrated
2) My dash lights are quite dim, you could get brighter bulbs but im not sure if this would be recommended to be honest.
3) If i remember correctly, this isn't standard for a 1982. I think they were standard from 1984 (correct me if i'm wrong).
4) As the discs aren't standard, it depends which discs you have. If they are 7.5", yes they will fit, if they are 8.4" no.
5) No sure about this. give it a wobble?
6) This is your heater control, changes the heater between hot and cold

Edited by james962, 04 September 2008 - 11:26 PM.

[mini_morley]

My 82 HL 1000 had drums all round, so your disks are not standard.

[Goliath]

I can only help with a couple but here you go:

1) You can either replace the speedo drive and pinion (sp) or send off your speedo to "speedy cables" to get it recalibrated

Thanks, will look into getting this done

2) My dash lights are quite dim, you could get brighter bulbs but im not sure if this would be recommended to be honest.

Will probably replace for standard ones and see if it helps, they may just be tired/one gone or something

3) If i remember correctly, this isn't standard for a 1982. I think they were standard from 1984 (correct me if i'm wrong).

Awesome, quite a good deal then!

4) As the discs aren't standard, it depends which discs you have. If they are 7.5", yes they will fit, if they are 8.4" no.

Will measure these tomorow and hope...

5) No sure about this. give it a wobble?

Again, will look into this tomorow...

6) This is your heater control, changes the heater between hot and cold

Thought it might be, seems to have no effect on mine!

[oli8925]

james 962 has pretty much got it all.
1. this will most probably be because you would originally have had 10" wheels. so the 12" have uncallibrated the speedo. i had the same problem with 12->13's. easiest thing to do is send it off to get recalibrated. obviously if you want to put 10's back on dont bother until after if it still needs it.

2. i think you can get LED bulb kits to replace the standard dash lights. its quite a common replacement for a lot of classics so shouldnt be too hard to find.

3. james962 is right. discs only on 1984< cars. there were a few exclusions such as the cooper s and i thnk some late GT's, but the cooper s disc are 7.5". you probably have the 8.4" from a 1984< mini. you would originally have had drums i would guess.

4. for 10's you will need to change back to drums or 7.5 discs. you can do a fiesta conversion (and possibly similar on minisport/spares) thats a 7.9" disc but not all 10's fit over the callipers. 7.5's are your safe bet but its not cheap.

5. sounds like could be a stabiliser bush. get a haynes manual and check all the bushes to see if theyre perished and need replacing. as james said give the engine a tug, youll know if theres excesive movement.

6. right hand nob is heater temp. i have a feeling on '82, pushed in should be hot and pulled out should be cold (austin rover changed this around the 80's so watch out. but mines late 80's and is the other way around so i think thats right) all this does is connect to a valve on a hose from the rad. if the nob doesnt work this valve is probs stuck but check its all connected just to make sure first.

Edited by oli8925, 04 September 2008 - 11:45 PM.

[MiniMonty]

1: How do you know (and why do you say) your speedo is inaccurate ?
What tests have you done ?

2: The dash lights are dim because your car is OLD.

3: Disc brakes on the front wheels are good - love it and make sure they are up to scratch.

4: WHY ? If it's for style then go ahead. If it's for function then stop in your tracks and think very carefully.

5: Why would you change gear aggressively ? Smooth and sweet is the way to go FAST when swapping up or down.

6: It's the heater's long lost cousin. They know each other but they don't often talk.

7: You do know that you will need spanners, screwdrivers and time - don't you ?

[Goliath]

1: How do you know (and why do you say) your speedo is inaccurate ?
What tests have you done ?

2: The dash lights are dim because your car is OLD.

3: Disc brakes on the front wheels are good - love it and make sure they are up to scratch.

4: WHY ? If it's for style then go ahead. If it's for function then stop in your tracks and think very carefully.

5: Why would you change gear aggressively ? Smooth and sweet is the way to go FAST when swapping up or down.

6: It's the heater's long lost cousin. They know each other but they don't often talk.

7: You do know that you will need spanners, screwdrivers and time - don't you ?

1: Driven next to 3 other cars which are all the same (speedo wise) and as far as i know accurate, also it dosent match the tomtom.

2: lol

3: Yes im so glad they ar on there, im relieved it stops well after hearing the brakes can be dodgy on these.

4: I was wanting them for style but wouldnt want to compromise performance, for what reason would these not help with grip? (sorry dont kow optimum wheel/tyre sizes for mini's)

5: When lifting the clutch quickly, i dont make a habit of it I just noticed when getting used to the clutch and its the sort of sound you hear and know its not meant to be!

6: Will see if I can get anywhere with this tomorow, it dosent seem to pull in or out at all at the moment....

7: Yup, got lots off tools as I am quite a car enthusiast (although only dealt in peugeots before) and have a fair amount of time too.

Thanks for the replies guys, very helpful

Edited by Goliath, 05 September 2008 - 12:19 AM.

[sixwheeler]

It is likely that the speedo is out because of having to use 12" wheels because of the disc brakes.

There are lots of handy tools out there to calculate speeds etc, Guess-works is one of them.

If you plan on changing back to 10" wheels then forget the speedo problem for now as it should correct itself once the 10" wheels have been fitted.

Otherwise, you should be able to change the speedo pinion (might have to take the radiator out to get at it). If you have a 7 tooth pinion you could probably change it to a 6 tooth to get the speedo a bit closer.

As for the heater knob: there is a 99.9% chance that the heater tap on the head has siezed. Disconnect the cable, get some wd-40 on the heater tap and try and work it loose - careful though, they tend to bend.

[taffy1967]

Check the top engine steady bushes and also ensure the exhaust downpipe bracket to gearbox is bolted up securly: -