Tiny stints

 With school term starting again, my "spare " time is already starting to reduce. I have been strong and even though I've had only 1/2 hour windows of free time, I have been in the garage.

The choke cable ... fixing nut? Clamps the cable to choke lever on carb. Arrived and was fitted. Indicator relay arrived and did the trick at reviving the indictators back into constantly flashing. The new wiper arm that has a spring with full tension, so the wiper blade should contact the windscreen fully! Has arrived but yet to be fitted.

A nice step forward was being able to start the car with out leaning over and holding the choke. As the heater is fitted now, and I had filled it up, I could let it run for longer than a couple of minutes.

It was nice to stand back and see her running, as ever with a full rebuild I was watching the many joints carefully. One jubilee clip needed a couple of turns to stop a small leak. The idle needed raising, But other than that all was good. I have also had a quick check of the carn needle, result the correct needle for the engine is fitted. Good to know that shouldn't give problems when the tune up happens.

Tonight the passenger hub, disc and calliper was fitted.... yep, we are ready to fill the brakes up with fluid. Oh, I filled and bled the clutch reservoir up last week. A timing light was dropped off tonight. So hoping for some more obvious progress this weekend. Just need to make sure I stay focused and in the garage.

I'll leave with a pic of today's arrival, leather gear stick know:)

Coming together

 A few more hours done and it really is starting to actually look like it's coming together.

Done some more fine tuning of the wiring for dash ancillaries and final testing. The rocker switch for rear heated window was not working so that was stripped and terminals cleaned to get that working. The new hazard relay was a lovely simple swop over and they work now. Wiring for the under dash lights is done and tested, they do need mounting but that should be quick... now I have re stuck a couple of small sections of the bottom dash rail on properly! The clock test didn't go so well, the light works, the clock doesn't. I did find out it came froma 1960,so porsche  :) that willl be coming apart soon. 

With the switches alll tested attention had to move onto the heater. Routing the pipes for this around the steering column and the engine bay has been on my mind for quite some time. This was last week

 With just the screen pipe and heater/water pipe, doesn't look to bad.

Then the air feed pipe needed to go in there as well as another water pipe. After much wrestling and vent pipes popping back off.

I was quite glad I bout a silicon 90 bend, with  out it I am sure a water pipe would have kinked. I was determined to have as much foot space as possible, I do remember it being cramped on the foot space.

Just as I was about to bolt the heater in, I remembered being told by the sparky there was a factory connection for the auto box in the loom. Separated that and quickly added extentions to fit a immobiliser switch. Close to missing that opportunity. With that done the switch panel was finally installed, a quick stare of admiration and on to fitting the last 2 heater mounting screws. 

Tonight ended with the engine bay ends of heater water pipes being trimmed and clamped off, loving the brass 90 I snuck in the engine bay to keep the pipe angles tight.

 cable routes re checked  and we are now ready to add water. The last big test, does the heater matrix and radiator actually hold water under pressure ???

Have to admit the worries got the better of me and a quick compression test on the engine was done. Why I had not done this weeks ago I have no idea. But all is good with 150 -148 accross them all I can rest easy... for now 😉

A short list!

 Yep the list of jobs to do is getting short, nice.

With the engine fitted it was time to start adding some of the cables, speedo first, while I could still rock the engine and get my hand down the back of the engine. Then the copper pipes from brake bias valve to the servo. Quite a bit of time spent staring and pondering the best route. Had to re make one pipe as the chosen route left it falling short by an inch.

The new slightly longer wheel studs arrive, wacked out the old and pressed in the new. Passenger hub  was installed that evening and checked the torque  on any nut I was near. Drivers hub wasn't as ...  I have misplaced the calliper to hub bolts, which still haven't arrived  it they will soon.

The mini specialist came round and went over the engine bay electrics, routed nicely, changed connections he wasn't happy with and left me with a fair list of correct varient parts for me to buy.

With refreshed confidence some refining of the electric take offs for my extras was done, also a feed to the starter motor was made/added to the bay loom.

Then back into the engine bay to install the exhaust manifold, which took a little fettling for it to just slide over the studs. Then fit the carb to the new inlet and fit that... with a little more fettling! Petrol lines installed, battery cable clipped up under the floor pan front to back with some nice new P clips and i had all the metal tabs on the floor pan as well :)

The new tyres turned up, so I shot off to get the brother in law to fit and balance them. Of course one had to be fitted to the car. Still looking ace by the way :)

It was definitely time to check the wiring with power. We'll that didn't go to well.... nothing, like zero. After a little chat, the earth lead inthe boot was removed all components filed up and one of my special grounding washers fitted. Just the job. Interior light came straight on (no doors on yet) so a good start. Drivers side indicators and one side light didn't work. A blown indicator bulb changed and a little wiggle of the side buld to ground it. Quite pleased with that.

The brand new hazard switch only worked if I half rocked it!!! And the flasher relay seems faulty. Indictators flash but slow down until they just stay on, quality. New parts ordered and waiting for the post for that.

Well, with that done.... it had to be prep to start it up. Eeek, nervous. Fuel tank refitted (with the obligatory struggle to get the strap seated right), loosely placed the exhaust together, HT leads fitted to dizzy only. A good cranking to get oil pressure, add fuel to tank and a good crank to get that through. May be a little pause to tighten a fuel jubilee. Another crank,pause to change hands on key and cranked while adding a little choke. Beauty, fired up and stayed running. A little lumpy but happy with that.

The pressure is on though, marmite had been promised as a daily commute for the wife. That would be for the start of September.. almost! Also a friend had quitely pondered who would finish first, project blinky or me. It could be a photo finish

Bolt ons

 It was high time the car was tagged, the vin plate had arrived and I knew where the pop rivet gun was. Carefully offered up the plate to double check the marked but blank holes lined up, drilled and riveted it on.

I moved round to the dials after that. I had twin dials with mounting frame but the triple didn't have the frame. Lots of checking, measuring then off to the friends work shop to cut and fold some metal. Then round to father-in-laws to Rob some rivnuts in stead of welding in captive bolts as per the original, easier to line up and a little tidier in the engine bay. 

A little paint and ta dar, dials and set back so at 6' I should be able to see the dials through the steering wheel, with the bonus that the sun shouldn't blot the dials out. Something I suffered with 20 years ago driving them.

The mini specialist had finally visited and been subjected to a lot of routing questions, also he pointed out a nice list of parts (correct varients) I need to finish up the engine bay. He checked over the engine loom, replaced some potential bad terminals, supplied correct nuts for a few items .... and spotted the speedo I borrowed from the twin cluster was the wrong colour (grey background instead of black) which he had a spare for me to swop with him. Nice.

Today has been wiring up the starter motor and using the standard set up for marmite, a wing mounted solenoid, but converting it to a junction box as the solenoid is now on the starter motor. New feed wire and ignition wire extended then taped I to the loom, in what can only be said as a very smugly tidy manner.

The loom could be a little bit less flappy, but I was told an extra earth is often added to the wing and seems like a good chance to add a P clip while the bolt is out to mount the earth to engine, and pin the loom down at the same time. Earth ends cleaned up and area that will not be bolted is painted. So time to get that on.

The lower front engine steady was next, nicely powder coated already and new bushes fitted, wow that was a bit tight and largely done by feel!

Then axle stands are out again to take the front hubs off, only fitted to check wheel scrub on the new wide wheels. Then take the hubs to work and swop over the studs ready for the new spacers... then they can stay on and I can finally fit the brakes, yay

Mini engine in, is a go

 With the rad finally attached after a bit of messing around getting the fan spaced correctly, the correct top bracket (which was one I hadn't already cleaned up and painted!) And of course falling short of bolts, the rad cowling this time. The alternator and belt was fitted. At this point it is really start to look like a proper engine !

On the run up I couldn't help but notice a lot of dust, dirt and cat hair (yes cat, it snuck in with out me knowing and I locked it in for 24 hours) all over the engine bay. With out think much of it I got the house hoover and gently hoovered the engine bay .... who hoovers an engine bay ..... 

Um, me..... then  wash it, oh we'll why not get the shammy out as well..... Nerd! But looked better, and was easy with no engine there. So I don't  care, job well done.

Engine mount bolts were gathered up and a chat with a local mini nut who wanted to help drop the engine in, and a date was set. I trundled off to my parents with the trailer on a wet Saturday morning to collect the engine hoist. Dropped  that straight to my garage and then pushed the engine on it's  dolly from the front of the house round to the back alley. Some idiot put a big wooden shed/garage accross the back gate so it can't  be used any more.

So a few hours later the engine had been delicately placed in and bolted in, just the bottom to allow some more bolts ons to be done.

On the Sunday the drive shafts came out of storage, cleaned  and greased then shoved in their holes. Then the hubs were bolted on and the shocks

I had to stop at putting on the hub half with wheel studs in a mild moment of dought over the stud length/ need for spacers which would need longer wheel studs. With some birthday cash burning a hole I phoned a great local chap who had been holding a set of wheels for me... for 2 years. Arranged to collect them so I could check alignment.

Oh, just look at them :)

Yes I had to see how they looked on the back as well, nice. Much better arch fill over the mini lights.

 That evening it was attack the brake servo, well fit the braided clutch pipe while I could still get to it and fit the freshly made copper pipe from master to the braided pipe. 

Then onto the brake pipes from front/rear manifold to servo. Wasn't happy with one of those coppr pipes so re made that one which came out much better, the first was just a little short giving a bad route. It's great when your neighbour says hi, and then ends up lending you a pipe flaring kit saving a run to my friends work shop.

Tonight the servo vacuum pipe and accelerator cable was fitted, really starting to look a but proper in the engine bay. Yay

I had a brief moment staring at the steering wheel I had to get out from the loft so I could straighten the hubs and check the wheels. Really do like it, but hang on, it's  dirty and NOT  shinny!

 

Hang on .....

That's better.

I'm thinking I now have more bits on the car  than waiting to go on it. Now that does sound like progress, still a way to go but it's  good.

 

"holiday" friday

 As ever there is so much to do I had to crack on with some home chores first so the conscience was clear and I was at least semi focused!

I did see this coming so had a quick moonlight go at the clutch bell housing, just one of the 3 bolts to mount the clutch slave plate just didn't  pick up enough for a secure mounting. After it was re tapped and a longer bolt was found the test fit was all good. It had seemed like forever to "just" mount the clutch slave. Missing bolts, spacers, new pins, new washers.

Have to admit it was just a test fit last night but meant a confident and quick bolt up this morning.

It was then onto the front brake pipes, which was nice just to tidy up the copper brake lines, that until then, had been flapping around the engine bay. Under the wheel arch is looking good and ready for the engine before the hubs go on.

Sorry it is a bit dark, but you can still see shinny things :)

I spotted I had been waiting for a sharp Stanley blade to cut the front window beading, so got on with that and tucked it in to the rubber seal.

Another job which has dragged on monumentally is the steering column bracket. This time .... After I had worked the right location again, it all went smoothly. All new washers and spring washers every were. Oh, I have been so used to the rope holding up the column I didn't even take it off the car! I super easy job for the next visit.

Talking of easy jobs, beaded fuel line to carb fitted at the pump and intake has the jubilee fitted as well. Small bits but all have to be done

 

Bolting up

 Since the last post a couple of brackets have been bolted on to the engine .... And I found some bolts I didn't have, sigh.

Some nice progress was made on the front end. Finally the front suspension was removed and new cone springs fitted.... After I was loned a compression tool which fitted unlike mine, there is only fine thread or course thread. Mine was course ... It just didn't fit the new cones!? While I was down there the bottom arm bushes looked past their best, so they where replaced and the front tie bars got the same treatment. Well the new bushes where fitted to the adjustable front tie bars ;)

The decision to stop there before putting the reconditioned hubs on was made when I realised I could cut out the bottom door stop rail on the garage. This would allow the engine hoist to get inside, so I no longer needed wheels on the mini to poke it outside and then get the engine fitted. Yay.

New brake pipe s have finally turned up, I really wanted to fit them before the engine went in and got in the way

Things are looking good for bolting on some big parts, a long time coming but it has given extra time for those little parts to be cleaned or painted.

A quick decision to take this Friday off was made, so I am hoping to get on with some of this prep and be ready for dropping the engine in. A little bit excited :)