17 replies to this topic

[ChopperHarris]

Hi
Changing my RHD UK 1983 Mini van to LHD
I broke a similar aged Mini saloon LHD for the rack and also salvaged the Wiper motor and pedal box plus throttle. The restoration has so far taken 4 years......

2 Questions
a) I have over the years mixed up the pedal boxes, one has the pedals more offset to the left than the other...I assume this is the LHD one?

b) The various forums suggest that the wiper motor be placed on the RHS of the engine bay so the wipers sweep properly, however there is the fresh air inlet pipe there. Is this just a van related problem?

Thanks

[ChopperHarris]

hup

[ChopperHarris]

btt

[Guess-Works.com]

The wiper motor stays on the LHS side of the engine bay. The clutch master and non servo brake master move to the LHS, but if a servo is fitted then this stays on the RHS, and I believe there's a bar which connects the brake pedal to the servo inside the car ( similar to a dual control system )

[ChopperHarris]

Yep, as I thought.
Funny thing is though, the LHD wiper motor spindles still exit the same holes in the scuttle, whereas I would have thought they would have used those previously grommeted (is there such a word?)

Any ideas on the pedal box regarding the pedal offset?
Ta

Edited by ChopperHarris, 19 December 2012 - 08:42 PM.

[colinu]

I'm considering doing an LHD conversion as part of my ground-up rebuild/restoration (early non-servo brakes). The wiper motor moves over to the other side and the wipers are moved to the holes that are currently grommeted. Yes you can keep the wiper motor in the old place, but then from the driver's perspective his/her wiper will sweep to the vertical position in the middle of the screen instead of their A-pillar (i.e. not ideal visibility).

Pedal offset... I'm not so sure about that. I'm planning on using my existing (RHD) pedal box as I'm told there's not really that much difference in the offset (that plus I believe LHD boxes are no longer available). If it needs more offset then I'll chop the pedals and weld an offset into them

Cheers,
Colin.

Edited by colinu, 20 December 2012 - 03:17 AM.

[eeae6000]

from what i have found the only difference is the gas pedal, everything else is the same except LHD has the bar to go to the brake master cylinder

[colinu]

Yes the throttle pedal is different for LHD, but the bar you refer to is really only needed if a brake servo is fitted. For Minis without the servo you move the brake/clutch masters cylinders to the LH side as well as the pedals; on Minis with a servo there's no room in the LH side of the engine bay to move it to... hence why it and the brake master stay on the RH side connected to the pedal box by a bar.

[ChopperHarris]

Ok...just for reference, I have just measured the difference in pedal offset is (the distance that the centreline of the footpedal is effectively moved)
Clutch pedal 30mm to the left
Brake pedal 15mm to the left

Colin that should help you if you do chop the pedals you have.
Photo
 lhd pedals.jpg   51.57K   15 downloads

Here are the master cylinders and current position of the wiper motor. However I cannot easily move the wiper across because thats where the 100mm ish diameter fresh air pipe passes through the bulkhead. Not only that, none of the bulkhead pressing is there fot the wiper mount.
 mini van 002.jpg   61.37K   14 downloads
 engine.jpg   80.71K   13 downloads

I was wondering if this is a specific problem to vans that obviously retained some old features (ie ext hinges) into the 80s?

[mk3 Cooper S]

from what i have found the only difference is the gas pedal, everything else is the same except LHD has the bar to go to the brake master cylinder

plus the steering rack

[ChopperHarris]

I think that was a given

[Ethel]

The wiper drive is fairly universal on 70's BL vehicles, there is a universal version of the motor with a movable drive peg for various applications. since it's only the park switch ramp location, a replacement gear wheel is all you really need - plus some arms & rack outer tubing to reposition the wheel boxes. A crafty botch would be to flip the wheel boxes over to reverse the blade sweep.

http://www.minispare...|Back to search the holes will allow you to move the drive pin, your motor might already have them.

Pedals to the left makes sense to make way for a lhd accelerator .

[ChopperHarris]

Hmm, I have the assembly from a LHD....what would you do in my position Ethel (may I call you Ethel!)

[Ethel]

We might be confusing ourselves here, all pedals are offset to the left, I believe lhd drive ones have the offset, offset even more. There's a topic somewhere.
http://www.16vminicl...ead.php?t=20683

[ChopperHarris]

Sorry, i was referring to the wipers.
Re pedals, the ones I pictured above are LHD and are offset +30mm clutch and +15mm brake compared to the RHD ones I fitted in error originally, as they were in better nick and the web had informed me incorrectly that the pedal assemblies were the same.