655 replies to this topic

[bcjames]

Just as well I have become accustomed to looking at her sat in the garage rather than driving her!

[bcjames]

Hmm, drivers side rear bleeds okay, and there's fluid in the solid pipe to cylinder on the brake, so looks like there's something up with that brake cylinder or it's nipple.

[bcjames]

Ah yes, so that will be another one of these then!



Untitled by bcjamesmini, on Flickr

But I can't get the copper pipe coming down from the flex to fit. Even on the bench, the thread just won't take. So hopefully tomorrow MRA can make me a replacement pipe and I'll have them back together.

I have the distinct impression nothing is going to plan here!

[bcjames]

Still no sign of the brake pipe, so only a little progress today. Still, progress is progress!

The exhaust is all back on. The cat is as close as I dare to the tunnel, and the poly bushes have minimal give, so all being well I have bought myself a little more clearance! I have also raised the front suspension again. I'm still playing with the ride heights as the new cones settle before I get it set up at Track, Road & Race. It's been the best part of a year now, so I think this may be the final adjustment needed.



Exhaust re-hung by bcjamesmini, on Flickr

I then went to put the battery it, meaning I could start the engine for the first time in a while! I pulled the battery acid mat out the bottom and found a load of surface rust, so got some kurust and hammerite on that (only had black in the garage!). My boot is well used, often lugs sports equipment around for work, so has a few spots of surface rust in the various gashes through the paint. Quite a few paint touch ups needed I think!



Battery box by bcjamesmini, on Flickr

In theory, just that little brake pipe to go on and we're back on the road! Annoyingly, that is unlikely to be before Tuesday.

[bcjames]

Just been for a drive!!!!

Martin @ MRA sorted me a replacement hose. The previous issue was that someone had overtightened the fittings, distorting them. I had replaced the cylinder on the other side a few months back with no issue, so I guess it's a repair from way back by a ham-fisted mechanic!


P1010094 by bcjamesmini, on Flickr

So, after clearing all the crap out the way, bleeding the brakes, and setting the handbrake, the car was ready to come down.


Still up by bcjamesmini, on Flickr


And down! by bcjamesmini, on Flickr

At this point I had the engine turning but not firing. Ah yes, forgot to connect the coil pack! Put that back on and it fired first turn

For the first time in what feels like forever, the car was out of the garage, and crucially did so under it's own steam!


And out! by bcjamesmini, on Flickr

The additional brake light looks good, I'm really glad I managed to hunt one down.


Brake lights by bcjamesmini, on Flickr

I took the car up to the petrol station and along the dual-carriageway to get it up to temperature, and now it's back in the garage to cool overnight so I can retorque the head, readjust the tappets, and top up the coolant.

In one final act of defiance, the exhaust is blowing between the cat and the rear section where I had it apart. It also seems to shake a lot, I'm not sure if that's maybe the poly hanger mounts. I'll worry about that tomorrow, I'm just so chuffed to have it back on the road again!

Edited by bcjames, 08 October 2011 - 05:37 PM.

[M44K TS]

Nice one, way better since the last time I looked in your thread.

[bcjames]

Thanks Mark! It's great to have some positivity from the car after what felt like a continual downward spiral as of late.

I'm going to drive it again today

I've done the post-heat-cycle head gasket work, just need to find someone with a rivet gun today and I can stick my arch back on Looking at how much the tyre sticks out I'm not sure I want to go archless, and I quite like the slight over-arch the Rover arches give with standard wheels. It makes the Mini look small.

[MaxAndPaddy]

Yeayyyyyy back on the road!!.....Coming out party!!

(Out of garage )

[bcjames]

Haha yes out of garage!

After walking past it hundreds of times on 12-18 inch axle stands, the car feels so low and small now it's back on it's wheels!

[bcjames]

So, in the last couple of days I have driven it, parked it, driven it, parked it, and aside a bit of coolant due to a slightly loose hose clamp, she doesn't appear to leak No more oil marks, and the back of the engine and diff all looks clean I think (hope, wish, dream) that it's sorted!

The exhaust is still leaking, so I've just set it again. Third time lucky!

[bcjames]

As nice as it was to be in the Mini again, it was an absolute pain to drive. The revs were stuck high and it was uses loads of petrol on every journey. Dave at Track, Road & Race had diagnosed a warped throttle body a while back. It was indeed warped, opening and closing it by hand meant you could feel the notchyness. New tb needed! I'm guessing it has warped due to the lack of stock heat shield as it has a Maniflow manifold on instead. I'm thinking about getting some replacement standard downpipes and refitting the stock manifold.

Anyway, Andy (andyagl) had a tb for sale and he's just up the road. I picked that up, fitted it, and it's running spot on once more It will eventually be replaced with an alloy version, but this is fine for now.



MPi throttle body by bcjamesmini, on Flickr

[dfraser]

What a great read this thread is, you've done some sterling work with your Mini, a credit to you!

[bcjames]

Hey, thanks It's not much, rather just the work to keep things in a somewhat working order!

I've been for a drive and the revs issue is definitely better, but it's still not settling properly. One minute it drops down to 900 as it should, then it floats around 1100 instead. I loosened the throttle cable a bit more and when I moved it from the drive to the garage last night it behaved itself. I've removed, cleaned, and replaced the sensors, and I'm going to try a new throttle cable as a cheap starting point. Beyond that it's back to plugging it in I guess if there's still an issue.

The exhaust seems to have stopped itself blowing, which is good, but in checking that over I noticed my top engine mounts have gone again. Less that two years and 10000 miles, so I'm going to make sure I get some proper MPi one-piece items this time.

[bcjames]

It's broken again, bloody thing! Really jerky, hard to pull away, won't do any light throttle stuff like 30mph in third. Not sure where to start this time!

[Ryang556]

I'd start at the carb, check the fueling etc does it make any difference with the choke out?