Racing Green 89 Mini

Started by MiniDave, August 19, 2016, 01:37:24 PM

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94touring

Quote from: MiniDave on December 11, 2016, 09:53:57 AM
Quote from: 94touring on December 08, 2016, 06:18:08 PM
Speaking of dead batteries, mine isn't liking the cold spell we've had.  It's not even an old battery  8.gif

Getting all the way down to the 50's is it?   ;D

We haven't been down to 0 yet, but we've been into single digits already.....I have a feeling January and Feb are going to be brutal.

Lol it was in the 30s and barely turned over.  Hopefully this isn't the 2nd old alternator that's going bad on me.

MiniDave

I feel better about my charging system now, after I hadn't started the green Mini in weeks, it popped off fairly quickly and the gauge went right up to about 14, then dropped back a bit after it had run some......
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

#252
Got a little more work to do on the Racing Green Mini, when I drove it up to school it was really cold, and it had one heck of a dead spot just off idle, I don't know if that's a function of a lean carb or just the cold weather and the K&N air filter....I ran a stock filter on Buzz and plumbed it for heat so I never had this issue on him. Don't know how I'd get heat to this carb, tho I do have the tube thru the intake manifold so I could plumb it for hot water from the heater circuit.

Edit: Turns out this is super easy to do as the hose comes out of the fitting on the head and goes across the top of the intake to the heater valve, all I need to do is replace that long hose with two short ones = done. I'll head down to the auto parts store and see if they have some flexy 1/2" heater hose once we lose this ice off the streets. The cool part of this arrangement is that I only have manifold heat when the heater is on.

Installed my towbar today too, it fit's so well that I'm just going to leave it on till the trip and during our runs.

Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

jeff10049

I really like the idea of carb heat only when the heater is on. That's a great way to plumb it.

John Gervais

I've been thinking of trying a pair of 'T' connectors on each side of the intake manifold's heater tube and a short 'U-shaped' bit of copper tubing around the carb suction chamber. 

I was really worried about carb icing yesterday, as I had a heck of a time trying to keep the car at normal operating temperature.  On a 200 mile jaunt on extremely salty highways (Grrrr) , in severe fog (got to use my front and rear fog lamps!), I struggled to maintain 80 - 82°C.  The instant I turned the heater on, temperature would drop to just below 80.  This was with the grill 2/3's blocked off and allowing air to enter the vehicle's nose through the right side of grill.  The car is a mess right now, salt really shows on the black paint - hope I can find a carwash somewhere that won't destroy the arches.
- Pave the Bay -

jeff10049

John, That should work I did the same to a truck I had that would ice like crazy I had my work commute planned where I could coast in neutral with engine off at several areas and then restart that would give just enough time for the ice to melt and make the next hill. After wrapping a heated copper tube around the carb. base it was fine.


MiniDave

#256
Two steps forward, one back......

When I did all the other suspension work I used a set of rear camber brackets that came with the coilovers....I said at the time I preferred the style from Mini Sport as I had used them on my last car with great effect - they were easy to set up and not fussy.

I've never been completely happy with the alignment with these, so today I changed them out again for a set from Mini Sport. Tomorrow I'll get the car back on the alignment rack and hopefully get it set once and for all.

Here's a pic showing the difference.....the MiniSport are very similar to the KAD design, very robust metal but well less than half the cost of the KADs. The MiniSpares design is closer to this style (I got these from Huddersfield) with the screw adjuster.

These work just fine, but in order to set the toe you use shims behind the bracket, which is fiddly - on the Sport versions you just loosen the nut and slide it forward or back till you're in spec. The serrations are good for about .5* each in camber.

Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

Quote from: John Gervais on January 14, 2017, 11:09:40 AM
I've been thinking of trying a pair of 'T' connectors on each side of the intake manifold's heater tube and a short 'U-shaped' bit of copper tubing around the carb suction chamber. 

I was really worried about carb icing yesterday, as I had a heck of a time trying to keep the car at normal operating temperature.  On a 200 mile jaunt on extremely salty highways (Grrrr) , in severe fog (got to use my front and rear fog lamps!), I struggled to maintain 80 - 82°C.  The instant I turned the heater on, temperature would drop to just below 80.  This was with the grill 2/3's blocked off and allowing air to enter the vehicle's nose through the right side of grill.  The car is a mess right now, salt really shows on the black paint - hope I can find a carwash somewhere that won't destroy the arches.

You realize that the running temp of the engine has little or nothing to do with carb icing? It's strictly a function of the temp and humidity of the air going across the carb venturi, which causes the moisture to drop out of the air stream and condense on the walls of the carb. Your heat mod around the carb will help or maybe even cure the problem, but the main help would be to get some warm air on the air intake side of the carb....a tube sitting just over the top of the exhaust and directed at the air cleaner intake would probably fix it, and be easily removed in the summer.

As for your temps, 80*C on a cold day is NOT a problem, it's when it gets down around 65 or lower that you could have issues......I would not worry about it a bit. Blocking the grill helps both issues......
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

John Gervais

Yup - I've done nothing so far, only have the panel behind the grill.  I rummaged through a box of carbs and dug out the old, original flexi-hose that was fitted to the thermostatic-valve doodad that sat on the air filter box and might fit this to the filter-box nozzle to pull air from above the exhaust.

Otherwise, I've been thinking that since I've drilled holes along the forward edge of the air filter box, if I were to cap the air filter box's original air nozzle, then it'd suck air from the edge of the head, just above the manifolds. 
- Pave the Bay -

MiniDave

Took the racing green car back to the alignment rack, I'm still not completely happy with how it drives, so I may try a little more caster in the front. It drives straight enough, but it just doesn't feel completely planted like I think it should.

Maybe next I need to take a good hard look at the subframe mounts, I didn't see any broken ones any time I've looked, but maybe I just didn't see it.

Also got a pic of my three new instruments, everything is going well now......more things not to worry about on a long trip. Pic taken at idle, engine warmed up  and the headights on, alternator appears to be alternating just fine now.....

Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

Willie_B

Looking plush.
I need to have my alignment checked, still not happy with it either. Twitchy at turn-in.

MiniDave

That's what mine is doing too....any suggestions?

I'm running 2° caster in front, spec is 2-3°, I thought it might make the steering a little lighter so I went to the low side - maybe I went too light?

I'm running 1/2° camber front and rear, a little toe-in in the back and a little toe-out in the front.

Brand new 175/50-13 tars......and 28lbs air pressure all around.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

Willie_B

I tried a do-it-yourself alignment. So not sure what it really set at. The shop I have used in the past told me they cannot do 10" anymore. I am going to take a steel wheel by to verify. I have been told by Alex that the locating pins can be removed on the machine and flipped so they will grab the inside part of the wheel.

John Gervais

I like 0° toe and between -½ and -1° camber at the rear.

My front is:

Toe:  1/16" toe in

LH caster 4°, RH caster 4.25°

and LH -1.25° camber, RH -1.0° camber.

Because I'm using fixed, non-adjustable front negative camber arms, it is what it is after my ride height, caster and toe adjustments are made.
- Pave the Bay -

jeff10049

Dave, Try more caster around 4 is what I had on my later mini I'd keep the rest the same.

MiniDave

The only problem with running that much caster is that it pulls the wheels forward and they hit the fenders on turns (running 13 X 6" wheels - but it did the same on Buzz on 10's)

I'll move it up to 3 and see if I can detect any difference.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

John Gervais

How about borrowing a set of 12 x 5 wheels and trying 4° caster?  Surely someone has a set with 165 tires that you could borrow for a couple of days.

They'd fit over your brakes, definitely have a performance edge over the 13's, don't look too bad (in my opinion) and who knows, you might like the feel of them. 

Also, have you fitted any shims between the subframe and forward teardrop mounts?

2a4292
- Pave the Bay -

94touring

13s are definitely a performance killer on a mini. 

John Gervais

That's what I've heard.  I've never driven in a 13" mini, but mine had 10" steelies originally and I bought a set of 10 x5 alloys.  Then the 8.4" disks and 12" went on, and completely changed the car's attitude on the road.  (I'm a big fan of 12" wheels...)  The 10's felt somewhat mushy with 165 tires, the 12's feel modern, firm and sporty.
- Pave the Bay -

94touring

12s are a good compromise between performance and looks, plus fit over 8.4s.  Imo nothing beats 10s.  My rx7 had heavy 18s on it, which I immediately swapped out for lightweight 17s simply because they perform so much better.  It's noticeable.  Diameter plays a factor in gearing and in turn torque as well.  Anyways...Dave have you gone back to cone/struts yet?  Wonder if the coilovers are having a negative impact?

BruceK

Quote from: MiniDave on January 21, 2017, 05:05:27 PM

Also got a pic of my three new instruments, everything is going well now......more things not to worry about on a long trip. Pic taken at idle, engine warmed up  and the headights on, alternator appears to be alternating just fine now.....
Instruments look great!


My trick to let Mr. Sunshine gently fade the radio blanking plate didn't work?   Bummer.   

I think over time all will work itself out...
1988 Austin Mini
2002 MINI Cooper S
1992 Toyota LiteAce (JDM)
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

MiniDave

#271
Bruce we haven't had hardly any sun since then......nothing but grey days.  ::)

John, I prefer the 13's.....I had them on Buzz for a while and I liked how they felt - but I was running more caster on Buzz....so I'm going at least to 3° and see if I can feel any difference.

Dan, no I'm going to run these coilovers for a while - at least till I put the smootharides on the 73 and see how it drives with them.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

#272
Quote from: Willie_B on January 21, 2017, 07:11:24 PM
I tried a do-it-yourself alignment. So not sure what it really set at. The shop I have used in the past told me they cannot do 10" anymore. I am going to take a steel wheel by to verify. I have been told by Alex that the locating pins can be removed on the machine and flipped so they will grab the inside part of the wheel.

It depends on the machine, both of our Hunters will align 10's, but one is a little harder to attach the targets too. They both work easily on 12's and 13's. If you have a set of those or access to some to borrow, it will make it easier for the shop - maybe then they'll be more receptive.

It sounds like your shop just doesn't want to fuss with it, I suggested Bruce find a race or high performance shop when he needed to align his, and they were fine working on the Mini and did a great job!
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

BruceK

Quote from: MiniDave on January 22, 2017, 05:50:24 PM

It sounds like your shop just doesn't want to fuss with it, I suggested Bruce find a race or high performance shop when he needed to align his, and they were fine working on the Mini and did a great job!

Yup.  I followed Dave's advice and found a local tuner shop - place that was familiar with working on modified street cars as well as track-day cars.  They were more than delighted to have a chance to work on my Mini.  They knew what a Mini was, and having the car in their shop it was a big deal to them, especially since the shop manager was a British expat.

My car's suspension is adjustable front and rear (like a lot of Minis) and they spent over 90 minutes dialing my car in exactly as I wanted it.  In fact, they tweaked it with me sitting behind the wheel.   Cost was a little more than getting an alignment for a Camry at your typical Firestone store, but well worth it.
1988 Austin Mini
2002 MINI Cooper S
1992 Toyota LiteAce (JDM)
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

gr8kornholio

Hi Dave, Mark here, I was directed to this site when I met Bruce on BAT.  I've been contemplating putting coilovers on my mini as I'm not currently impressed with the HILOs and the coil springs that it came with when I bought it.  Saw earlier in this thread about you running a set.  What's your opinion on them and how they work with the mini?

Bruce, I'll need to get that shop name from you as soon as I convince the wife to let me do the suspension and brakes before any more talk about repainting the mini.

Thanks for any help. 
I am the GR8KORNHOLIO! Are you threatening me?

Saussie Aussie 1965 Australian MK1 Mini.
"Beavis" - 07 MY/MY MCS, B/MY Konig Daylites, JCW sideskirts, TSW springs, TSW lower rear control arms -- Exploring the country with new friends since 11/09.