13 replies to this topic

[Mini118118]

Hi guys I'm about to remove my A series lump and I ve got a hoist and lifting eyes... I'm I right in thinking that I can put the lifting eyes on to the studs that hold down the rocker cover...is it safe, it dosent look it....
Any advice please..thanks

[Carlos W]

Nope!

I'd go with head bolts rather than rocker cover

[scott_65_cooper_s]

If you lift off front head bolts the engine will tip backwards as you come up, allowing the diff casing to clear the sub frame.

[mk=john]

Yes, having the eyes should tilt the engine unit backwards by several degrees so the back of the diff housing clears the subby. But this isn't by much, but makes removal much easier than without.
Using the two outer head bolts forward of the rocker cover, will be ok. Some jiggery pokery on moving the engine hoist several times as you winch the engine out will be required.

Dont rush, just be patient and it should lift out without scratching your paint.

Edited by mk=john, 08 March 2013 - 06:41 PM.

[kartucho]

Hi,

Yes, having the eyes should tilt the engine unit backwards by several degrees so the back of the diff housing clears the subby. But this isn't by much, but makes removal much easier than without.
Using the two outer head bolts forward of the rocker cover, will be ok. Some jiggery pokery on moving the engine hoist several times as you winch the engine out will be required.

Dont rush, just be patient and it should lift out without scratching your paint.

Hi,
In case I what to replace my engine for a new one tested on a bench, do I have to remove the nuts from those head bolts to attach the lifting eyes?
If I remove them, will I disturb the head gasket?
Thanks

[Spitz]

I've always placed one end of the chain at the altenator bracket, and the other held by the clutch slave forward bolt.....puts the engine at the right angle and no need to use head studs etc. Works well for me anyway....
There are also some great lifting eyes available that thread into #1 and #4 spark plug holes

[crock]

Where do you find these lifting eyes?

[Spitz]

Someone on the minimania forum was selling them. They basically made them using old sparkplugs.....welded lifting rings to them...should be easy to make

[tiger99]

Undoing the two outer head bolts alone does tend to disturb the gasket, but even if the engine has been bench run, the head should be retorqued after its first run anyway, and ideally again after 500 miles. I have undone them a few times to fit lifting brackets, without causing gasket failure, but I loosened them all first and retorqued them all afterwards. It does not take very long. Don't loosen them fully, or any residual oil and water will leak between gasket and engine, and possibly cause a leak later. If you keep about 10 lb ft on all the nuts except the two that need to be removed, the head will stay in firm contact but not be stressed so unevemly that it temporarily bends, damaging the gasket.

I have also seen several A series engines with longer studs in those two positions, to allow for a second nut to hold the bracket. If you only nip up the nuts, not apply high torque, it does not disturb the load on the studs, so will not affect the gasket. I have no idea where the longer studs came from, maybe another type of engine altogether. If you can find the source for these, they would be a very useful fitment to simplify maintenance in the future.

[Shifty]

I've always used the rocker cover bolts to lift the engine out.

[tiger99]

I have done that sometimes, on Mini number 2, with a pair of lifting brackets that were standard fitting on whatever A series car I got them off (Moggy?) in a scrappy. But I needed an extra pair of hands to keep the engine tilted the way I wanted it.

Digging deep into my memory, I also remember that I fitted Mini number 3 with a permanent pair of brackets, made from small offcuts of angle iron, on the two front outer studs.

Mini number 1 was done usually by splitting the engine and box in situ and lifting by hand, with heavy bits like the head removed. Not really recommended.

[GraemeC]

I have also seen several A series engines with longer studs in those two positions, to allow for a second nut to hold the bracket. If you only nip up the nuts, not apply high torque, it does not disturb the load on the studs, so will not affect the gasket. I have no idea where the longer studs came from, maybe another type of engine altogether. If you can find the source for these, they would be a very useful fitment to simplify maintenance in the future.

These are standard studs surely - usually only one fitted though to hang the coil bracket from.

[tiger99]

Well, maybe but I can't see any mention on the Somerford web site that those two are slightly longer. There seem to be only two types for a given engine size, long and short, and as we know, the long ones are for the 4 at the back.

And yes, on at least one, but not all, of my Minis, the coil bracket was indeed on one of these studs. I seem to recall that on the oldest one the coil sat on top of the dynamo.

[Cooperman]

Personally I've always used a single bracket fitted to the front centre head stud. It tilts the engine to the correct angle and makes it easy to take the unit out.

Early cars did have the coil fitted onto the top of the dynamo with a special bracket.