• Registered users are encouraged to enable MFA/2FA to add an aditional layer of security to their account. More information can be found here: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/top-tips-for-staying-secure-online/activate-2-step-verification-on-your-email

Hazz's 1971 mental Mini Clubman - JDM B18CR engine

Hazz said:
8hpdZYQ.jpg

One piece.

Edit: For FARK sake! What is wrong with my imgur?! (Admin edit: the link you pasted pointed to the gallery. You need to paste the specific image link.)

Anyway.. it’s a complex part.
Click to expand...

Yeah see what you mean. To get that made would cost £££. Especially with hardening etc
 
Thanks for imgur schooling admin :) duly noted!

Plot thickens on final drive. Fix from Watson’s wasn’t straight forward, or infact it doesn’t work. The collar is too long and creates play in the first gear end float. Options were A) send it all back and rebuild OEM at my own cost and wait 10 weeks for the correct pinion or B) Stevie suggested getting a custom collar made up locally to his specs, so essentially a one of a kind gearbox with a mish mash of OEM gears, custom batch made final drive and one off custom adapter kit. I went for maximum risk, option B. What a ballache. I dread to think what the damage will be :picardfp:
 
Sort of befitting for the car to have a mish mash of bits in there though isn’t it? Stevie is probably the only person I’d allow to just put a gearbox together like that though, you’re in safe hands.
 
Hazz's 1972 mental Mini Clubman - b16a2 engine

That’s annoying.

To make you feel better TGM rang me and and said the bit of the car where the top mount fits (not sure what it’s called) is all bent to fcuk and might need welding to make my suspension fit.
 
Chris. said:
To make you feel better TGM rang me and and said the bit of the car where the top mount fits (not sure what it’s called) is all bent to fcuk and might need welding to make my suspension fit.
Click to expand...

Does this mean it's been in an accident in the past?
 
mike.h said:
Does this mean it's been in an accident in the past?
Click to expand...

No, Tom said it’s most likely been caused by a pot hole or kerb on track. I don’t remember doing it though but then again I do aggressively drive on the kerbs.
 
Project cars are a PITA. But they’re awesome when they’re working.

Now I think back... something I didn’t mention is he gave me some more free parts totally unassociated with the gearbox, some ‘helper springs’. Think double valve springs, if you know anything about mini suspension & the rubber cones... mine are replaced with tiny springs. They’re bouncy AF, these centre springs add 12.5% stiffness (the mrs will be happy).

Anyway.. this was probably a “here, have some free parts because I’ve just knowingly put you into world of hurt” type of gesture.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The turrets on the BMW Mini's are renowned for warping when you hit a pothole heavily, Lohen and a few others do reinforcing plates for people fitting coilovers.
 
Just spoke to Stevie.

Gearbox is already back together, they modified 3 things to get it to work. A thrust washer, the S80 1st gear and the final drive pinion itself. It's a fully custom box now, so don't break the fecker! :lol:

Should have it back tomorrow night, weather permitting. Really looking forward to it :D I'll be able to use 1st gear for more than 10mph and 5th will actually do its intended job of providing me with a comfortable cruiser. I can't quite work out whether it'll feel any faster or not. On the one hand it'll be geared way longer which will obviously be slower... but on the other, 1st gear will be useable from the lights & I will also have a LW flywheel.

I'm leaning towards "it'll be slower" at the moment. Gone from 4.26 to 3.7 ratio.
 
The additional usability should account for a better drive and thus "feel" faster as you can use more of the power more of the time...? That's speculation on my part though.
 
Ready to collect... Spoke to stevie, he said the clutch is now almost un-usably heavy. No idea why :picardfp:

He also said the brakes are shockingly bad :lol:.... he should have driven it with the previous set-up on! Still, he's right. They still need sorting.
 
Hazz said:
Ready to collect... Spoke to stevie, he said the clutch is now almost un-usably heavy. No idea why :picardfp:

He also said the brakes are shockingly bad .... he should have driven it with the previous set-up on! Still, he's right. They still need sorting.
Click to expand...
Did he have any suggestions for a plan to improve the brakes? I'm sure he must have some good ideas for it!

This thing must be so much fun to drive, I'd love to get a project like this on the go. Good luck for your drive home!



Sent from my LG-H870DS using Tapatalk
 
Well. That was interesting.

I can deal with the heavy as feck clutch. I've got some quads on me from cycling/fell walking so no issues there. First time setting off I nearly stalled it right infront of stevie. Got the hang of it from there, no issues. Took it for a spin past Dr oatkers for those who know the area, around a 10 minute B-road blast. New thermostat has solved the over cooling issue which is nice. The first thing I noticed, other than the much improved gearing, was the whine. It's LOUD. Imagine the straight cut noise of reverse in every gear, amplified 2 or 3 times. It's constant. I knew it'd whine, they're a semi-helical final drive. I just didn't think it'd be quite so loud. So my quiet motorway 5th is a non starter.

Acceleration wise it's most certainly slower. Much less punchy in 2nd. I've not given it beans from the line yet so can't report back on traffic light GP times with my new and improved 1st gear. It's still quick AF though.

Last thing was the IACV which I disconnected the plumbing from. Previously it'd hunt until 70°C and settle down. For whatever reason it won't settle now. So stevie farted around with the idle before we decided it'd just be easier to disconnect the thing entirely. So that's what we did. I don't have an EML so no light was thrown :lol:

Up next: Fix brakes. S300 ECU. Delete VSS, re-use VSS to drive a set of mini clocks using some old rover parts. Install OEMish dash. Begin tuning :D

PS: Norv... Brakes is either air trapped and requires 'aggressive' bleed whatever that means OR the square pyramid adjuster for the rear drums isn't sat on a flat section. Hard to explain. It'll be sorted.
 
Hazz said:
Well. That was interesting.

I can deal with the heavy as feck clutch. I've got some quads on me from cycling/fell walking so no issues there. First time setting off I nearly stalled it right infront of stevie. Got the hang of it from there, no issues. Took it for a spin past Dr oatkers for those who know the area, around a 10 minute B-road blast. New thermostat has solved the over cooling issue which is nice. The first thing I noticed, other than the much improved gearing, was the whine. It's LOUD. Imagine the straight cut noise of reverse in every gear, amplified 2 or 3 times. It's constant. I knew it'd whine, they're a semi-helical final drive. I just didn't think it'd be quite so loud. So my quiet motorway 5th is a non starter.

Acceleration wise it's most certainly slower. Much less punchy in 2nd. I've not given it beans from the line yet so can't report back on traffic light GP times with my new and improved 1st gear. It's still quick AF though.

Last thing was the IACV which I disconnected the plumbing from. Previously it'd hunt until 70°C and settle down. For whatever reason it won't settle now. So stevie farted around with the idle before we decided it'd just be easier to disconnect the thing entirely. So that's what we did. I don't have an EML so no light was thrown

Up next: Fix brakes. S300 ECU. Delete VSS, re-use VSS to drive a set of mini clocks using some old rover parts. Install OEMish dash. Begin tuning :D

PS: Norv... Brakes is either air trapped and requires 'aggressive' bleed whatever that means OR the square pyramid adjuster for the rear drums isn't sat on a flat section. Hard to explain. It'll be sorted.
Click to expand...
Aggressive bleed might mean a pressure bleed while pumping the pedal? You can rule out front or rear by clamping any flexi pipes off and see if it's better.

Is it too loud as it is? After all that work it seems a shame to want to change anything in the box. At least its driving and fairly well, even if it's lost some of the grunt from the gearing. I bet its still a lolfest to drive it though.



Sent from my LG-H870DS using Tapatalk
 
It's not getting changed now, cost a small fortune to do that mod. Knowing what I know now, I'd have gone for an Mfactory 4.05 as it's fully helical AND lapped together. I was worried it wouldn't be long enough though.

More power and less weight will bring the punchiness back. Target is 190bhp, 500kg.
 
Bloody hell H that’s some serious figures in something that small!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top