665 replies to this topic

[bcjames]

Hey, thanks

I had new outer sills and doorsteps fitted about 18 months ago, together with copious amounts of waxoyl, so they should be good! Like you say, shame about the other bits, but then looking at some of the state late MPis have got themselves in to, I'm quite glad to see my Oct '96 built is only just starting to go! It's really just under the headlights, but at the moment its holding together well enough to not be a priority!

[850mini]

Ah thats alright then, waxoyl is always good too :)

I know what you mean, i saw a 98' mpi shell that was worse than my 73!

[paul_s]

Your '96 is certainly in better nick than my '97, that's for sure.

I had the inner, outer sills and doorsteps done earlier in the year so that's all sorted at least. It's got rust under the headlights, noticed some bubbling on the A panels, as well as the scuttle and around the filler neck. Not to mention a mysterious oil leak I can't put my finger on!

Hope you get the rattle sorted, it's a great little specimen other than that

[MaxAndPaddy]

I think you just have to accept that no matter what you do with the later minis the rust demon comes a calling.

Max doesnt go out in damp nevermind rain and hes got the first sign of bubbles around his headlights

Florence looks amazing and is a credit to you!

No new news (sounded weird...new new news) on the rattle?

[bcjames]

850, There are plenty of late MPis that Are so far gone the only thing saving them is their LE status. As much as I hate the rust, I am thankful it hasn't set it too bad

Paul, Thank you It's horrible chasing the tin worm around a car. It's good you at least have the floor areas solid too. I don't feel so bad about the new front end then!

Steve, you're right. She was a second car to the previous owner, and before that when she lived in the sunshine of Dorset. I wouldn't trust my car outside in Yorkshire weather either And;

No no new news on the rattle.

I really wanted to say that

I've got a couple of free hours this morning so I'll have another play, although I'm not really sure what to do now. I'll check her oil! And buy some, since John filled her up with 20w50, my top-up supply of 10w40 is redundant!

[bcjames]

I think the thread needs more photos, so I took some!

This is the engine with the breather test in place. Yes, that's a genuine Lucozade bottle cable tied to the grille. I wanted to use a Lucozade Sport bottle for the best performance, but the hole in the top is smaller, so it didn't work out I think I need to move the bottle, I imagine its a bit too close to the inlet, and I'm trying to keep the mucky air away from there. There's just not much space to add anything in this engine bay!



Engine with breather test by bcjamesmini, on Flickr

I'm a bit stuck with changing the oil. It's on the min line at the moment, so 500ml to get to the top line. I really want to do a filter change, needing 4.8l, but no where in town has filters in stock. If I top it up properly now, I'll have to buy another 5l tin to do the oil change. I begrudge spending so much on oil when I think the engine needs to come out again anyway!

So then I parked her in the cold. It's impossible to keep her clean when using her each day for a 40 mile commute.



Florence braving the cold by bcjamesmini, on Flickr



Florence by bcjamesmini, on Flickr

She looks odd in that last photo. i think the front either needs to come down or the rear needs to come up a bit too.

With regard my judder when slowing down with the clutch pressed down, I think it may be down to the idle control valve. As the engine had been breathing just its own mucky air from the crankcase, the sensor might have a load of muck on it. I want to take it off to clean it, but I can't get to the two torx heads on the side. Somewhere I have a little adapter to turn torx bits with an 11mm ratcheting spanner, so I'll try that. If not, the inlet needs to come off again. >_<

Edited by bcjames, 09 February 2012 - 10:29 AM.

[bcjames]

There's definitely something wrong, the car is struggling to start today

[bcjames]

I've forgotten what it's like to have a working MPi.

Oil and filter change complete. The filter wasn't changed when it was all apart for the gearbox work so I thought I'd best do it now. Filled up with some 20w50 again. Heres some bits of my new gearbox:



minor tree by bcjamesmini, on Flickr

Also, I have a wonky headlight. The only thing I can see that will sort that is to drill out the rivets securing the bowl to the wing, drill new holes, and re-rivet it in the correct position. Am I right in thinking the headlamp can't be moved in the bowl, and that I do need to move the bowl itself? It was highlighted on last years MOT as it kicks the beam up the wrong way, so I'm sorting it at last!




So, with the idea I could fit my green aches when I paint them, I have at last invested in a rivet gun!



Stanley rivet gun by bcjamesmini, on Flickr


I'm not sure what to do next now. All the sensors were found to be okay using the code reader's live data, so I might just take them out and give them a clean, especially the IACV. I just wish it would feel normal to drive like it used to be!


Florence by bcjamesmini, on Flickr

[charie t]

I thought I would sort my head light quickly once
don't mention the indicators

Edited by charie t, 10 February 2012 - 04:40 PM.

[bcjames]

You've scared me now!

I took the IACV apart today, hoping to find it all covered in muck like Oli did. Cleaning it would provide some miraculous transformation in the running of the car!

Well...

It wasn't particularly dirty. No build up, but a film of oil, I suppose from all that engine breather air that it had been running on. I'll see if that made any difference on the drive to work tomorrow.

[liam_italian]

It's strange for the headlight to be wonky as there is a cut out at the bottom of the headlamp hole to allow for the headlight adjustment motor to sit. I cant see the headlight bowl fitting in any other way.

[bcjames]

Very good point Liam! I'll pop the wheel off later and see what it looks like from the inside. Perhaps the simple job isn't so simple! The motor has stopped working on that side so that's another job to do while I'm there.

I'll order a clutch slave, copper, and braided pipe later as well. That will hopefully see the end of any shifting issues.

[bcjames]

Cleaning the iacv hasn't made any difference to the running. If all the sensors are okay, I'm not sure what else to look at

I didn't have a chance to play with the light either. I got back from training and just wanted to sleep

The list of bits to buy seems to be ever growing too

[bcjames]

A bit more to ponder

More sensor cleaning. I gave the MAP a clean, although again there was just a film over the surface. I also took the intake temp sensor out. It wasn't in particularly tight, but it was hard to unwind by hand, and it came out with a black coil up its thread.


Intake temp sensor black curly thing by bcjamesmini, on Flickr

Odd, so I took that off, gave it a clean and it threaded back in normally. I'm going out in an hour so I'll find out then if this has made any difference.

Also, and utterly annoyed about this, I seem to be leaking oil again. Clutch side this time. More patches than drives since I did the oil change, so I don't think it's linked to that. Filter is secure, and the sump plug is all clean.


Leak under car by bcjamesmini, on Flickr

Without wanting to jump to conclusions, that's right below the jiggle pin. It's too cold to lay underneath and clean and inspect it today properly today.

The garage and drive both look like this:


Leak by bcjamesmini, on Flickr

Patches on the right are from the timing cover end leak. New patches on the left.

Edited by bcjames, 11 February 2012 - 05:11 PM.

[Shifty]

That black coil looks like a helic-coil, its used to repair damaged threads or its sometimes used in alloy casting to make a stronger thread.