All over the place

 Since the last update I have been ... Yep all over the place on the mini. Well it felt like it.

I decided it was time to go visit the back up engine in another garage. It was filthy, so got down and dirty cleaning it up. Couldn't help my self and I had gone prepared with the drill and wire brush to clean up the ally bell housing, to get rid of the oxidisation.

With that little spruce up done, I moved on to fitting the new clutch and fly wheel. With the fly wheel fitted it was the first time I was able to do a compression test. Nice and even figures, so called it a day on the engine.

Work on prepping the front hubs continued. The second caliper has been stripped and painted, leaving me just the seals to change on the second one. The calipers split in half, bit of a shit I managed to loose 2 bolts that hold them together, sourced some and they are in the post! 

On the front hubs, where predictably taxing to remove the castle nut. But out came the big torch, a 1" drive socket set and a very long bar.

The ball joints where removed and just left me a truck load of thick old black grease to remove before I get round to replacing the ball joints and wheel bearings. I did split the wheel nut plate from the old brake disc, painted the brake disc shaft, I was good and masked it off. I might not have been bothered to go to the garage to get a Stanley blade, so the kitchen knife was a great substitute! Always pushing my luck, well I have been cleaning and painting the calipers in the dinning room so why not. When I find the torque setting the wheel nut disc can go on the new discs all ready for when the hubs are finished.

So the end to my weekend was yet another order with mini Spares... For another £100 of parts, which I am almost getting used to being a disappointingly small box when it turns up. But that should be all the parts to finish the front hub refurb complete and the last few bits to bolt on ancillaries to the engine. Which I hope just leaves the carb to sort out for the engine.