467 replies to this topic

[colinf1]

I think you'll need to investigate the resistance of your temperature sender, or dunk it in boiling water while it's still wired to the car (you'll need to earth it back to the engine) and see what reading you get on gauge.

[1984mini25]

I should at least be getting more of a temperature difference between the top and bottom hoses though? As the readings were after getting home (obviously had cooled while parked) and wasn't running as hot on the drive home.

[1984mini25]

Also the current radiator is off one broken up for parts in 2017, fitted in 2019 and chemicaly flushed in 2020 along with a new water pump as it was running hot (wasn't the gauge as I 'bodged' it with resistors and it boiled over).

[1984mini25]

Today I decided to pull the radiator out to flush it through, although in doing so I found the water pump (New in 2020) was blocked up with crap. I didn't really want to as I don't/didn't have a spare gasket, but removed the water pump to clean it out anyway.
Although in cleaning the water pump I then discovered that the weep hole was also blocked up with the same limescale and crap. With that unblocked pouring water onto the impeller, a tell tale dribble then dribbled out of the weep hole and at the pulley flange end.

So I've found the problem, it's not a blocked radiator or a lying temperature sender, but a knackered water pump.

Still, as the pump was off I've flushed several liters of fresh water through the block and back through the heater unit the water ran clear, and will do the same once I've left the flush to do the same to the radiator. Just need to find a replacement water pump now before I can do anything else.

[1984mini25]

These arrived in the post yesterday and as I didn't have any plans, decided to fit the new water pump and flushed out radiator today. Bloody freezing at 2 degrees in the garage and with only a small electric fan heater for warmth. That and only having two outlet sockets, so I could only choose between an led flood light (perfectly adequate with the door open) led inspection light (pretty good with a decent length of cable) or the heater, just not all 3 at once.

Still, got the water pump fitted pretty easily, went to fit the pulley, spacer and fan with the original bolts and... They didn't f*** fit. Turns out the threads in the flange on the new water pump weren't imperial but metric, which caused some frustration in finding any bolt/screw to work out what thread they were and then finding some suitable bolts in my disorganized chaos of a garage. So that wasted about an hour finding some suitable bolts of the correct thread and then having to cut them down to the right length, as were else would I be able to find any?

Popped the radiator back in (the bottom bolt is always a t***) hoses all connected and the system refilled. Ran it up for a good half hour to 40 minutes for it to warm up (and the garage with the door open) bleed the system and check for any leaks.

Then took it on a quick run out and back, which even with the grill blanked off the temperature stayed within the normal range on the gauge. I'm also running an 88° thermostat over the 82° one that was previously fitted, so in theory should be running hotter than before.

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Edited by 1984mini25, 25 December 2025 - 10:07 PM.

[1984mini25]

Checked it earlier today now it's cooled down and sat overnight, no leaks from the water pump, radiator and hoses the bottom radiator hose being the usual pita in the past, and the coolant level hasn't dropped.

That was until I looked inside. The heater valve and hoses on the heater (top one) are still proving to be a pain.

I've gone through several new jubilee clips, but I'm still having issues with the top one on the heater (the bottom one maybe?). I've moved the clamp on the hose slightly and retightened it. If it's the hoses it's not getting done anytime soon and to replace that short section the heater needs dropping out. Annoying as all the hose connections with the blue connectors pretty much seal without really needing the clips, the heater valve and the new matrix however.

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Edited by 1984mini25, 26 December 2025 - 03:57 PM.

[sonscar]

I like to place the clamps closer to the end of the pipe,dimly I remember  one mm being the figure.could be wrong though.Steve..

[1984mini25]

Well, what I've done is drain the heater, removed both hoses, removed the grommets I'd used to neaten up the enlarged holes in the heater panel side (I'll have to touch up the paint another time) refitted the hoses and used some slightly smaller jubilee clips.

And then run it up again to bleed the system through. Although I obviously won't be able to see if there's any leaks until it's cooled and after it's been left overnight.

Although, while it was running up I had the side lights/lights on. I've had led bulbs in the dials for the last 10 years, but even with repeatedly changing them, trying different types (ones with resistors) changing the PCB, all new bulb holders, new sidelight feed and extra earths, nothing has stopped the led bulbs from continuously flickering. The speedo and rev counter were both flickering, I say were, as the speedo one has just died (or is just really dim) and to be honest seeing as I've got to unbolt the dials yet again to replace them I can't be bothered with replacing them with LEDs. But because of the design of the dials with only the centers backlit I don't want to fit standard 501 bulbs, so I'll need to look into some brighter/whiter standard 501's, and obviously need 3 of.

Edited by 1984mini25, 27 December 2025 - 09:46 PM.

[1984mini25]

I've since removed the led bulbs In the dials and replaced them with standard ones. They aren't anywhere near as bright, but no longer have the distraction of them flickering.

I've also properly driven it since swapping the water pump and flushed out radiator. On the same trip we're it came closer to overheating, and now with a hotter 88° thermostat (that does work as was tested before fitting) and the front grille blanked off the temperature gauge stayed bang on (or just below) normal. If anything even with the grill blanked off it might be slightly over cooling.

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[1984mini25]

I’ve recently noticed and discovered that the paint on the clutch master cylinder has picked up, more likely from leakage rather than spillage. A tad annoying, as during the first lockdown I stripped the bulkhead back to bare metal, repainted it along with the mounting bracket, fitted a new brake master cylinder and refurbished and painted the clutch master, but of course brake fluid is pretty effective at striping paint.

 

What I’ve done is try to remove as much of the pickled up paint as possible, the paint that’s left wasn’t affected. So I can now see were exactly its leaking (if at all) make a temporary repair with jb weld and find/source a replacement to refurbish and swap over.

 

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[1984mini25]

Having since cleaned off the pickled up paint and driven/used the clutch, and having just bought a used item to refurbish for £30 it doesn't now appear to be leaking.

Could it have been from spillage? But I'm always super careful when checking and topping up using a squirty type oil can. But then if it's not the clutch master cylinder that's leaking, it can only then be spillage from the brake master cylinder reservoir that's dribbled down. Would be quite a lot of fluid if it was that though.

[1984mini25]

Regarding the clutch master cylinder. I found and bought the best looing one I could find on eBay for £30. Cleaned it up and replaced the seals and tested it with fresh brake fluid. Fully working so then painted it up ready to swap over.

 

Fitted it after removing the one that was currently fitted and cleaning up the paint on the bulkhead, went to blead it and all was going well until nothing. Removing it from the car and testing again I’m assuming the new seal has gone. So rather than mess around with it any longer I cleaned up the old one (had new seals back in 2014) painted it and refitted that one.

 

Rather frustrating having now wasted £50 on a master cylinder, seal kit and fresh brake fluid for nothing, oh and having the fun and games of that bloody clevis and split pins. And of course the heater pipe didn’t want to stay attached to the heater upon refitting.

 

 

 

[1984mini25]

And some recent photos I took for an upcoming valuation (not posting up all of them due to space) I’m assuming that’s it worth more than the “lucky to get 2.5 to 3k” valuation from a so called expert of a local mini club? (that I’ not a member of because reasons)

 

 

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Edited by 1984mini25, 20 February 2026 - 08:47 PM.

[Retro_10s]

Looking great, a testament to your continued attention, perseverance,... and probably very bruised/hardened knuckles by now.   

[1984mini25]

Well since taking those pics etc and sending them off to the British mini club for the valuation, it's been an eventful few weeks, but not all good.

Soon after taking those pics it started drizzling and then threw it down, and as I was already out and the car was rained on anyway (not that I'm bothered using it when raining) I thought I'd head off over the other side of Mk to a few places etc.

The next morning was much brighter so I did give it a quick detail over and tried taking another load of pictures at a different location (tired out to be a mistake with all the random road closures and roadworks) but somehow even though the weather was brighter, the mini didn't look as good as it did the other day before it threw it down. Didn't matter though as the pictures taken the other day were good enough anyway.

Then about a fortnight or possibly 3 weeks later took the mini on a short drive and back. I wasn't driving and I'll explain why later, but it's bloody weird being a passenger in a car only you've driven for the past 20 years. It drove ok (even if I could hear more 'noises' from sitting in the passenger side) but upon returning home noticed the headlamps had decided to stop working intermittently (playing with the switch) and then packed up completely. I did originally think it was the headlamp switch, but then found that the rear fog lamp that feeds off the headlamps was still working. Oddly flashing the full beams would temporarily 'fix' the headlamps to working. Until further investigation revealed 'lightly wiggling' the indicator stalk but not actually moving it enough to click the indicators caused the full beams/headlamps and additional relays to have a fit.

Tried replacing the additional relays with no improvement, so set about removing the steering wheel and pulling appat the indicator stalk which was only replaced 9 months ago. Took it apart and couldn't see anything obviously wrong with it (other than the crap modern quality) then thought about trying the cars original stalk. Fitted and plugged it in and the headlamps behaved themselves, the indicators though refused to work at all.

So the new ones got dismantled, cleaned with contact cleaner and reassembled (hate those little springs) and refitted. And magically everything was back working to how it should, just with a frustrating 3 or so hours wasted taking things apart etc.

But, since the valuation picture two other things have happened, one personal and another mini related.

The personal one is after waiting for two weeks on urgent referral which wasn't acted on or an issue with the vision in my left eye, then after the 3rd week of me complaining and the issue I'd been noticing (vitreous hemorrhage) had finally pulled my retina back off for my third retina detachment in 11 months. Lucky it hadn't progressed to pulling the macular off this time so I've got no noticable permanent vision loss, but it was dangerously close to the optic nerve.

So I've had yet more traveling expenses back and forth from central London for year another surgery to reattach my retina (which your awake for during) and then a full week of nothing but face down postering, spent most of that asleep to be honest as I just wasn't feeling good.

Thankfully now 3 and a half weeks later my eye is healed, I'm back to 6/7.5 vision in that eye which is bloody good considering the macular has been off twice, but it won't be fully healed for at least another 6 months. And untill then I'm pretty restricted on any strenuous activities, lifting or anything that could cause a rise in eye pressure or sudden impact and possibly cause it to fail all over again. Driving I'm still good eyesight wise, just I'll have to leave it a bit longer until I'm feeling up to it.

The other being mini related. The morning of giving it a quick detail for before setting off for the second lot of pictures it was pissed a tone of blue smoke out the exhaust on start up, was fine the day before and while driving.

It's annoyingly done it on both further starts from cold and trips out including one to Halfords for oil related items. In the hope that changing the current oil and filter that was only 1500 miles old for fresh along with an engine flush would help. I've never used an engine flush, but did notice that the oil pressure gauge after being sat idling (have to let it idle for 20 minutes) after about 10 minutes in was slowly moving about from the 35psi it was at to nearer/just above 40psi, so it was doing something (was ready to switch it off it lost oip pressure). Also upon draining close to 6 liters came out even though even with the flush is wasn't overfilled on the dipstick and that didn't include what was still in the oil filter.

But it's since had fresh 20w50, new filter and a can of stop smoke, all of which have made zero difference on in smoking heavily on start up out the exhaust, filling the rocker cover and out of the breather with blue oil smoke. Once it's warmed up and driving it seams to be ok.

But everything I've previously done (had a reconditioned head with new valve guides 600 miles ago) points to the rings failing, as annoyingly it's still got really good oil pressure. Changing the rings isn't that expensive, just with my current health/eye issue there's no way I'm able to pull the engine out considering the can of oil is too heavy for me to lift at the moment.

Edited by 1984mini25, 25 March 2026 - 10:27 PM.