27 replies to this topic

[MINI MAD RKH]

Interested to read that the 286 is not good for road use? - mine is docile and the car is a daily driver?

As for revs i cannot tell you what i get because i have the wrong Rev counter in my mini! which means

i have to halve the figure - consequently i am also around 6000 (actually 3000) so not sure what its meant to be as i have 

no more space on the counter!!

 

•Re conditioned metro 1275 gearbox (done about 1500 miles) 3.2 differential

•Re conditioned metro 1275 engine (done 1500 miles), +60 pistons, 286 cam, stage 4 head (Robert Walker) , orange non verto clutch, ultra light flywheel and back plate, 1.75 inch SU, Aldon distributor, (approx 90 BHP)

•New clutch master + slave cylinders

RC40 mini exhaust 

•Maniflow manifold (larger centre pipe)

 

Cheers

Lenny

 

Yeah, me too, mine is a similar spec. to yours but re-bored to 1330, 286 cam with 1.5 high lift roller rockers (I think), MG Metro dizzy, Lucas sports coil, bladed crank, ported head, unknown valves, ultralight race flywheel, orange rally diaphragm & AP race clutch. Same induction/exhaust. RR'd at 95bhp

has SC drops & std. (wide ratio?) box, I can't remember FD but diff. is an LSD

 

idle is quite lumpy but feels relatively powerful from the off

Edited by MINI MAD RKH, 23 September 2013 - 02:39 PM.

[tom1]

Any body else have any comments on things like 1.5 rockers etc. ?

[Guess-Works.com]

If you have pressed steel rockers, use them.... they will give an approximate 1.28:1 ratio, 1.5's are not really necessary on cams with high lift and long durations... a later upgrade would be 1.3 rollers which will reduce side loads and wear on the valve stems and guides.

[Cooperman]

If you have pressed steel rockers, use them.... they will give an approximate 1.28:1 ratio, 1.5's are not really necessary on cams with high lift and long durations... a later upgrade would be 1.3 rollers which will reduce side loads and wear on the valve stems and guides.

+1 on this.

If you can, run a line of MIG=weld across the joint across the top of the pressed steel ones, then linish it back. This prevents the two sides opening up when you use heavy valve springs and high revs.

[MINI MAD RKH]

So how do you tell if they're 1.3 or 1.5? Mine are purple

Edited by MINI MAD RKH, 23 September 2013 - 02:37 PM.

[Guess-Works.com]

You either measure them or look on the receipt or box they came in... but I'd measure them to be sure...

 

Easiest way is with a DTI, measure the max lift on the pushrod and then the max depression on the valve, divide the latter by the former and you get the ratio.

[chrisxr2]

Carlos, i thought you where pointing towards one of those magic fast and furious gearboxes the have in the films.

[Lennyliverpool]

Just to be sure were do i find confirmation  re which cam i have - bit surprised at the comments re my 286 as its been on a rolling road and had several" mini"

people comment on how well it drives.....

 

Didn't realize it was a serious mismatch?

Best make sure which cam i have then

 

Lenny

[seancv1]

I had a 286 can in a road car went brilliantly all you have to do is always drive with your foot to the floor and rebuild your engine all the time ! Brilliant

[Cooperman]

It is possible to drive a Mini with a 286 on the road, but to pull away, especially uphill, requires a lot of clutch slipping. When over 3000 rpm it will pull, but a 266 would pull better and mean there was no need to slip the clutch.

As above, a 286 will make the car 'fly' so long as it's a part of a co-ordinated build with parts which match, but the 286 will only give its best power from about 5400 to 6800 rpm, so if you are driving about at those revs, which is where it will deliver the 100 bhp or what-ever, you will have to re-build the engine quite often - I re-build mine with that spec after every 6 or 7 rallies - and you'll appear quite anti-social driving about at those revs.

Then again, if not driving at those revs, what's that cam installed for when a milder cam will give better power and much better lower end torque and make the car more driveable, use less fuel and be more reliable, and probably quicker on a journey.

The 286 really is a competition cam. It is lumpy and can easily 'bog-down' below about 3200 rpm. It needs a close ratio gearbox to keep it in its optimum rev range.

I blame the 'comics' for featuring cars with a 286 when it is not a suitable cam for road use.

[Mrpeanut]

It is possible to drive a Mini with a 286 on the road, but to pull away, especially uphill, requires a lot of clutch slipping. When over 3000 rpm it will pull, but a 266 would pull better and mean there was no need to slip the clutch.
As above, a 286 will make the car 'fly' so long as it's a part of a co-ordinated build with parts which match, but the 286 will only give its best power from about 5400 to 6800 rpm, so if you are driving about at those revs, which is where it will deliver the 100 bhp or what-ever, you will have to re-build the engine quite often - I re-build mine with that spec after every 6 or 7 rallies - and you'll appear quite anti-social driving about at those revs.
Then again, if not driving at those revs, what's that cam installed for when a milder cam will give better power and much better lower end torque and make the car more driveable, use less fuel and be more reliable, and probably quicker on a journey.
The 286 really is a competition cam. It is lumpy and can easily 'bog-down' below about 3200 rpm. It needs a close ratio gearbox to keep it in its optimum rev range.
I blame the 'comics' for featuring cars with a 286 when it is not a suitable cam for road use.

Amen to that. A mate has just ditched his 286 for a 266 because the extra horses were so far up the rev range he rarely got to use them.

In his words he has about 15 - 20 less horses but in the real it feels like about 15 - 20 more.

The more I read on here it seems like people are seeking a mystical bhp figure without thought to the drivability of the car. Torque lower down the rev range is so much more relevant and useable in town and around the lanes than horses at 6k+.

[Lennyliverpool]

266 cam it will be then......

[Hegnirst]

Hi , I would like to achieve 100 BHP, with the bits I have, from an old engine,it only ever did less than 1k road miles.

 

1293 block 

MED head (I think 31/ 36 vales)

kent cam 286?

S crank and rods (no pistons)

 

So to get there, which of these bits is not up to the job and what other bits do i need to buy? This should be looked at from a pounds to bHP ratio but with limited fund.Things like, can I get away with a cheaper set of piston or do I need a good set.

 

listen to Guessworks about the box and Cooperman about the engine itself.

 

just to add ive driven a 286 cam everyday for  a year in my 1340 and its fine it traffic. not smooth as but i found it fine and many do. some dont like it because it is harder to pull of sometimes. i ran/run this with a weber and i have 92 bhp and 97ftlb's. that head and block is a good start!