9 replies to this topic

[Clubber Lang]

Number taken from oil pump end v5042 cstr930m anyone know what cam this is? information greatly appreciated, Steve

[Asphalt]

Might be a Kent STR930?

http://www.kentcams....mp;ModEngID=429

Not sure aboth the 'M', tho...

[Clubber Lang]

That looks promising, i measured the valves in the head today and they were 37mm and 31mm wasted stem valves and judging by the way the ports are done i think this engine should have been a serious bit of kit?

[62S]

Could be this

Mini Spares spec.

[Clubber Lang]

Oh dear, looks like it could be? now i am confused, either way it seems to be a race cam and not a road cam?
I also have an Aldon distributor fitted to the engine would you think this would have been set up to the cam?
regards Steve

[Nightrain]

STR930 is the control cam for the Mig's, your looking at a powerband starting over 3000rpms, the dizzy will be a Aldon Red I'd expect. It's a brilliant spec as far as power is concerned, but I'll tell you this now after the first few months it'll become a pain in the arse. Don't expect any sort of half decent economy, another thing you need to look at is the gearbox. Did you get the box with it ? If not you'll NEED a close ratio box and a low final drive.
If you do decide to keep the cam, consider a megajolt or another mappable ignition system.

[Clubber Lang]

Engine and box were in the car when i bought it and previous owner had no history on it as he bought it as an unfinished project although he said it would need running in as it had a rebuild. Trouble started as soon as i got it on the road with mayo in the rocker and quite a bit of blue smoke. I was expecting head gasket but turned out to be the head. Head has been machined to at least stage 5 or full race spec i have been told and looks recent but water was coming up under the valve springs when i had it tested. The half moon seal between the engine and box had been mis fitted and as a result i had to lift the engine anyway so we decided to investigate the blue smoke. The bores look freshly honed so it may be the rings have not bedded in yet?
I am a complete novice at all this so bear with me.
Aldon distributor has a black cap? and engraved with what looks like 100 ArP 43 3/07 what does this mean?
Pistons are omega +60 but we removed them to inspect the rings were fitted correctly and not broken and soon realised the pistons are not new. We may renew the rings as a matter of course? what would you do? It may have been the head causing it to smoke?
The engine seems to have had a lot of money spent on it in the past but because the history is vague it is a bit of a struggle knowing what to do with it.
Anyway i am looking for someone reasonable to machine/build me another head using the valves etc. in this one. Do you recommend anyone?
The gearbox looks standard to me but as there was a bit of a crunch into 3rd my friend has replaces the baulk rings just in case. I don't really want to replace the gearbox if i don't have to? do i?
I originally bought the car for weekends as my son has one but so far have only done 30 miles since buying it and am a bit disheartened to be honest.
Who would you take the head to who is local who can build me another?
What is migs?
Cheers Steve

Edited by Clubber Lang, 12 May 2009 - 05:35 PM.

[Nightrain]

100 ArP 43 3/07 is a Aldon Red A+ type drive, the rest I'd say made march 2007 and yours is 43 one made that year.
The head I'd expect to be cracked, between the valves straight through to the water way. Happens to must heads with those valve sizes, so really it's just a ornament now. You could salvage the valves for another head, just don't use 'em together in the same head. The head will have been causing the smoking, the vacuum sucks in oil/water through the crack.
Head wise any of the well known tuning shops, A series heads have been modified for so long and had soo many articles/books written about it all the major places are worth looking at. MED, Swiftune, even Minisport heads aren't that bad.

I know where your coming from on the disheartening front, it's a common occurrence when people start modifying the A series. The main reasons are people buy the books on the subject, but don't seem to understand that 'Biggest' isn't always the best answer for a road car.
What are you hoping for from this Mini ? How do you drive and what sort of roads do you use ? and what size is the motor ? Give us the answers to these questions and we'll be better advised to point you in the right direction.
AND SERIOUSLY don't exaggerate if you use mainly A roads as opposed to finding the most interesting road to where your going. And you don't treat the redline as the start of the operating zone, please don't make out you do or you WILL end up in the same boat your in now. Had this before with members of the local club and it will end in tears if you not Honest about how you use your mini.

[Clubber Lang]

100 ArP 43 3/07 is a Aldon Red A+ type drive, the rest I'd say made march 2007 and yours is 43 one made that year.
The head I'd expect to be cracked, between the valves straight through to the water way. Happens to must heads with those valve sizes, so really it's just a ornament now. You could salvage the valves for another head, just don't use 'em together in the same head. The head will have been causing the smoking, the vacuum sucks in oil/water through the crack.
Head wise any of the well known tuning shops, A series heads have been modified for so long and had soo many articles/books written about it all the major places are worth looking at. MED, Swiftune, even Minisport heads aren't that bad.

I know where your coming from on the disheartening front, it's a common occurrence when people start modifying the A series. The main reasons are people buy the books on the subject, but don't seem to understand that 'Biggest' isn't always the best answer for a road car.
What are you hoping for from this Mini ? How do you drive and what sort of roads do you use ? and what size is the motor ? Give us the answers to these questions and we'll be better advised to point you in the right direction.
AND SERIOUSLY don't exaggerate if you use mainly A roads as opposed to finding the most interesting road to where your going. And you don't treat the redline as the start of the operating zone, please don't make out you do or you WILL end up in the same boat your in now. Had this before with members of the local club and it will end in tears if you not Honest about how you use your mini.

Cheers mate, i will use the mini mostly for the shows and weekend runs with my son. Like 90% of you i would like a bit of power under my right foot but your right i don't want to have the engine in bits every week. regards Steve

[Nightrain]

Cheers mate, i will use the mini mostly for the shows and weekend runs with my son. Like 90% of you i would like a bit of power under my right foot but your right i don't want to have the engine in bits every week. regards Steve

So your really looking a something with good road manors, that'll pull like a train upto the redline. So in my opinion (this means it will differ from others) I'd be looking at a head with 36/29mm valves and the SW5-07 cam. Recently fitted one of these for a lad from the local club and he's really happy with it.
This is about the max you want to be going cam wise with a standard ratio gearbox, any bigger on the cam front and the gaps between the gears become more of an issue. For a final drive a 3.44 or if you are willing to sacrifice a little acceleration for a top end gain with slightly better economy on a run a 3.1.