Bits and bobs was on the agenda.
As the boot lid was getting close to instillation I thought changing the boot lock was a good idea. Obviously that meant I had to clean and buff the handle till it was gleaming and set about stripping it to change the barrel. Having watched a YouTube video to make sure there wasn't any quirky bits that would catch me out... It's a mini, of course it's quirky! A sort of circlip holds most of it together and a sneaky tiny locking pin needed to be drifted out. Then just out in the key and use that to draw the lock out. Sounds easy, lol. The circlip and pin where easy but not having a key slowed me up. So it was brute force/wack a screwdriver in it and turn/pull.
I might have installed the handle upside down (the key was upside down) the first time, I sucked it in and re fitted it having wresteled with "can be arsed, is it really going to matter" and the fixing bolts where a bit taxing. Would only bug me latter!
With that done I found the other boot strap fitted that and set about bolting on the boot lid, it linned up ok which was a surprise but all nipped up my word it was a bit tight to close. It's a new boot seal which do bed in so we will see if I need to add another gasket on the hinge to ease closing or it beds in. I already have a spare pair so no big drama.
Bulbs.... Owww!! So the mini is old, bulbs have improved, and become a pain. Orange indicator bulbs are just simple standard bulbs.... Nope new ones have off set pins and I need parallel pins. Eventually found the right bulb code and bought some, argh, that's the rear lights finished. Front side lights... Same problem with the pins! I had only just exchanged the indicator bulbs at Halfords that morning for petrol resistant lacquer to do the inside of the boot lid before it was fitted. Yep I have spare bulbs for the, more modern, daily car now!
A few days ago it was time to stop putting off the fog light switch. Made in 1980 it was not required to have one but five years later they made it law and back dated it for cars made upto five years prior. This meant the wiring loom does not have the wiring to the switch but I had installed a new rear loom so I had wires... Just no where to put them. The brake test switch which is often not used or hidden behind the dash has been sized up to supply power and light to the switch. The theory is good, I really do want to get some power on the car and check the multiple tweaks I've done have all panned out ok. Watch this space.
While I was on that the discoloured switches bugged me. I quickly found that cleaning did next to nothing but a rub with my nails took the grey white discoloured coating off, not the quickest way but a nice result. Especially as I have been told by many the new switches are simply shocking and don't last so refreshed old ones is much better. Happy with that, re use and save a few pennies is always good.
One calliper and stone gaurd is off, that calliper is cleaned up. The other one is being stubborn and I may have smashed my finger quite well trying to remove it. That's why I'm doing this instead of getting dirty, badly brushed bone means not enough grip and I'm also sporting quite a few cuts. Keeping the hands clean tonight!
The stone gaurds are 2 parts held together with a Phillips bolt and crappy nut. Really? In a place that gets caked in water lots. Well done. Mole grips and undid them quickly so the boot would shear. It was a 10mm nut so the metric replacement I was going to fit won't be out of place. Do I really need to say, the stone shield I have off is already sat next to the sand blasting cabinet waiting to be cleaned up.
As these where donated to the cores and have been sat up for at least ten years, a full service kit was always going to be needed. Seeing the pad springs fall in half just confirmed that idea.
I have private work to do this weekend so not expecting to much progress for the rest of this week. But may get a chance to remove the front cones to replace and out the hi lows in as well. We will see.
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