11 replies to this topic

[Hedgey]

Well I've gone and made a stupid mistake!

 

While fitting my newly cleaned and rebuilt clutch housing I put the idler gear in the wrong way round and broke the casing.

Dry build without the primary gear went fine, I somehow flipped the idler gear around when building with the primary gear installed. Thinking it was just the oil seal catching I put some pressure on and this happened

 

 

Is it fixable? Or is the only option a replacement housing?

 

I spent so much time getting the case clean and only just had the bearings replaced. I'm so annoyed with myself for such a stupid mistake! Lesson learnt.

 

Cheers

 

Elliott

[KTS]

i'd imagine it could be tig welded back in place - whether that would be more or less expensive than a replacement housing i don't know

[nicklouse]

new housing.

[Spider]

Bummer !!!!

 

You wouldn't have been the first to do it.

 

I really don't think / feel welding it back on is a viable option as the Bearing Tunnel on the other side will distort and end up way out of alignment (further than as machined by the factory!).

 

As all it really need to do is hold oil, you could try 3 Hail Merry's, and some Epoxy Metal.

[Hedgey]

Thanks for all the replies. 

 

I will see if I can get a decent replacement housing. I'd buy a brand new one but this is a Pre A+ housing and as far as I can tell not available.

 

Would JB Weld be up to a job like this? 

 

Elliott 

[harrythehat]

Put some pics up

may have one amongst bits

[Spider]

I will see if I can get a decent replacement housing. I'd buy a brand new one but this is a Pre A+ housing and as far as I can tell not available.

 

Would JB Weld be up to a job like this? 

 

Elliott 

 

You can use an A+ Housing along with an adaptor;-

 

http://www.minispare...px|Back to shop

 

If you go this way, soak the Alloy Housing in boiling hot water for a good 20 minutes to expand it before fitting this adaptor, they fit MUCH tighter then the Bearing does.

 

I think JB would be up to this, but I've not enough experience with it.

[imack]

When I bought my mini in the 80's my dad and I removed the engine and box for rebuild and found the back of the idler gear housing and been glued on with some sort of araldite type epoxy, so someone had fitted the idler gear backwards in the past, but it was bone dry.
Have since spoken to someone who worked for austin rover who said rover supplied an epoxy resin that was regularly use to bodge up workshop mistakes.

[DeadSquare]

EPOXY, EPOXY, EPOXY.

 

I have done over 1/2 dozen in 50 years of helping people out, and it has worked every time.

 

There is no stress involved, it is just a matter of keeping the oil in the gearbox.

[Hedgey]

Thanks for all the replies.

 

I might give the epoxy a go. Should I use JB Weld or has anyone got any other recommendations?

 

 

I will see if I can get a decent replacement housing. I'd buy a brand new one but this is a Pre A+ housing and as far as I can tell not available.

 

Would JB Weld be up to a job like this? 

 

Elliott 

 

You can use an A+ Housing along with an adaptor;-

 

http://www.minispare...px|Back to shop

 

If you go this way, soak the Alloy Housing in boiling hot water for a good 20 minutes to expand it before fitting this adaptor, they fit MUCH tighter then the Bearing does.

 

I think JB would be up to this, but I've not enough experience with it.

 

 

I do actually have a spare A+ clutch housing but wanted to use the correct A series type to keep everything period

[grizzler73]

JB weld is excellent stuff, run a file/grinder round the area to make sure its nice clean/roughed up surface though.

[Hedgey]

JB weld is excellent stuff, run a file/grinder round the area to make sure its nice clean/roughed up surface though.

 

Luckily the surface is already rough haha. I'll give it a bevel with a file so I can get a decent amount of epoxy around the entire crack and then decrease it with brake clean.