21 replies to this topic

[carbon]

With the Minispares belt drive kit;

- crank pulley, should be light drive fit. Beware if much too tight, they have been known to split

- cam pulley, if non-vernier type can be tight. Then very difficut to get off without damaging ring or making loose

[mini13]

as already mentioned de burr edges and try without the key fitted, also give the crank a good buff off with wet and dry and a bit of wd 40, crap can build up on here over the years and affect the fit, then look at polishing the inside of the gear, and check the fit of the woodruff key and ease the fit iff needed with a needle file.

 

If it nearly goes on then a little bit of heat is ok, but we are talking warm it up to say 100-150 degrees in an oven, NOT hitting it with the blow torch! also bear in mind that you have to get it in place before it cools, and also there are the oil seals to consider. they should be pretty heat proof but...

 

on the subject of belts and them being replaced by chains, thats all very well but this has mostly happened with the introduction of other vibration absorbtion tech, such as DMF's, and also most variable cam timing pullys work via fluid so are very good at absorbing harmonics. the car engins IMO is a very good application for a belt generally, assuming the service life is observed. also lets not forget chains can cause issues too, just look at BMW's early N47 engine, lots of chain issues there, (although to be fair thats down to the sprocket) and where did they put the chain! next to the flywheel! Silly BMW!

[tiger99]

Yes, why did they put the chain at the wrong end of the engine?

 

And why do they still keep having recalls for structural things like suspension mounts on some models?

 

INCOMPETENT BMW. A triumph of marketing over engineering....

[Cooperman]

On my BMW 7-Series, a 730D SE, the chain, which it is claimed, will last the life of the car is at the back of the 3-litre diesel engine. If the chain brakes or needs to be changed, the engine has to come out and that is an absolutely huge job.

So, yes, the chain lasts the life of the car because if the chain fails the car is scrap and that's the end-of-life for the car.

[mini13]

Which isn't great with them going as early as 100k

[tiger99]

Oh dear, and I was wondering about fitting one of those engines in a Rover P4 at some time in the future (along with other essential mods of course!).

I will think again...

Along those lines, someone once told me that the Alfasud gearbox was put in place before they welded the front together, so gearbox failure meant the end of the car. I doubt that many found out, even if it was true, the Alfasud of about 1979 being one of the worst rust buckets ever, along with the Lancia Beta, voted "Car of the Year" in two consecutive years if I recall correctly. So don't buy anything that is voted Car of the Year by journalists...

By the way, my Mini number 2 was out-cornered by an Alfasud a long time ago. Standard tyres and geometry. But the Alfasud was almost new and my Mini had already done 100k miles. It outlasted the Alfasud!

[Cooperman]

Those Alfa suds used to sit and quietly dissolve all by themselves😉.

But like all Alfas they had superb road-holding and predictable handling.

Don't get me wrong, the 730D engine is superb. It has 230 bhp and huge torque. I love every mile I drive in it and in 6th it is doing 2000 rpm at 85 mph at just under 40 mpg.