Racing Green 89 Mini

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

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

MiniDave

#225
Today I replaced my leaking slave cylinder, I had known I needed to do this for a couple of months now, but it wasn't leaking that bad, till Monday when I tried to follow the owner of the 73 Mini the six blocks to the upholstery shop and lost the clutch entirely less than half way there.

Surprisingly it only took about 1/2 hour, I was prepared for the fight of my life based on BruceK's description of changing his....but I dunno....I took out the washer bottle, removed the two screws, removed the banjo bolt for the clutch hose and off she came. Installation was the reverse, as they say. Bleeding it was easier than expected too.....I hooked a hose and small bottle to the bleed screw, opened it, pumped the pedal three times, then closed the bleed screw - pedal felt perfect again.

Result! as Edd Chinar says.....

Helps to have all sorts of odd, weird tools too, I guess......
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

John Gervais

Yeah, I've always thought it to be pretty straight forward.

I bought an EZ-Bleed kit several years ago, which helps a lot when working alone, but before that I'd always closed bleed nipples by used a stick to hold the pedal down.
- Pave the Bay -

MiniDave

BruceK's car is right drive, I'm not sure if that makes a difference tho as mine has the firewall mounted servo too.

Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

tmsmini

Definitely buried with the later style RHD/LHD firewall/pedal box mounted servo.

MiniDave

Yes, but my LHD car has that too - same unit......that's my car in the pic above.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

John Gervais

Yikes!  I understand now.  I reckon many of us plumb forgot about the possibility of having a servo.
- Pave the Bay -

MiniDave

Today - even tho it's about 39* in the shop I decided to swap out the studs on the left rear wheel so I could match the 3/4" spacer on the right rear - the left had a 3/8" spacer for some unfathomable reason.

I found two interesting things, it appears that whoever put the longer studs in for the spacered drums silver solder or brazed the inside ends in place. It was no issue to knock out the studs - my 20 ton press made short work of them - but I couldn't put the new ones in till I had carefully ground the remains of the solder/braze off so the stud would fully engage and sit square to the hub.

Second, I now know why the back end came around on me when I made the panic stop in my video I did for the exhaust sound thread......I found a slightly leaking rear brake cylinder and some gummed up shoes. I'll save that job for a warmer day, at least for now. I cleaned it all off with brake cleaner in the meantime. The drums look almost new inside for wear.

It's always sumthin with these little cars, isn't it?
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

BruceK

#232
Quote from: MiniDave on December 08, 2016, 10:08:42 AM
Surprisingly it only took about 1/2 hour, I was prepared for the fight of my life based on BruceK's description of changing his....but I dunno....I took out the washer bottle, removed the two screws, removed the banjo bolt for the clutch hose and off she came. Installation was the reverse, as they say

Hmmm.  Well, you are correct that I don't have a u-jointed socket in my toolbox.  But you are also more skilled than me too - that is probably it!   I really don't remember - it's been nearly 2 years and I was in a hurry to get mine installed like the night before leaving for our Spring Run in Arkansas IIRC. 

Also, I had fond memories of changing out a non-Verto slave on an old LHD Mini, so this was definitely more fun in comparison.
1988 Austin Mini
2002 MINI Cooper S
1992 Toyota LiteAce (JDM)
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

John Gervais

Maybe they brazed the studs because the hub's holes were loose?  Sure sound odd, though.

By the way, us pre-verto guys without servos can swap slave cylinders in just a few minutes...   4.gif


Always something...  I checked my rear wheel bearings this past summer and found that my RH brake shoes had some serious heavy grease on them.  Lucky for me it was still 'fresh' and hadn't soaked into the shoes.  I apparently had dirty fingers when I installed the drums and hadn't noticed.

And if it's not 'something', we're sure to find something.  I just ordered around $300 of battery cable, heavy-duty crimp tool (which I'll likely use only once), terminals, high-amp relay,  and other fun electrical stuff.  Not that there was anything wrong with anything installed, but it could be better... I think I'll install that 70A alternator after all, and beef up my aux. fuse box's capacity.

It's always something. 
- Pave the Bay -

94touring

You need a shop heater  77.gif

MiniDave

#235
I have a shop heater, but it's electric and expensive to run so I use it sparingly....however it does get the garage tolerable. I also knew I'd be opening the door a little later to go get the 73 from the upholstery shop - which had a dead battery, probably from him having the door open all day and the dome light on. I should have shown him the battery disconnect I installed.

So the 73 is back on my lift, battery charger topping up the charge. Going down to single digits tonight and I have to change the outer CV boots on the wife's Audi, so I'll be taking it up to school anyway.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

John Gervais

- Pave the Bay -

MiniDave

You don't know the half of it! I need to replace the rear rotors, pads and brake sensor on the 09 Clubman, plus change the oil and filter, wipers, rotate the tires and align it - plus I have a code light on which will probably turn out to be boost control valve.

The Audi needs both outer CV boots replaced, an alignment and new wipers.

I have an A/C unit in the master bedroom with a noisy fan, either I'm going to take it apart and find something in the fan or replace it with a spare new unit I bought last year when I thought the bearings were bad but turned out to be condensation not draining out.

I just replaced a toilet in the master bathroom....

and on and on and on.....

After all, a man's home is his hassle!  ;D
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

John Gervais

Quote from: MiniDave on December 08, 2016, 05:23:36 PM
... a man's home is his hassle!  ;D

Hadn't heard that one before, love it!   77.gif
- Pave the Bay -

94touring

Speaking of dead batteries, mine isn't liking the cold spell we've had.  It's not even an old battery  8.gif

MiniDave

Now that my volt gauge is working, it's only just reading 13V, I may have some more work to do in the engine compartment....
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

BruceK

Quote from: MiniDave on December 08, 2016, 06:38:33 PM
Now that my volt gauge is working, it's only just reading 13V, I may have some more work to do in the engine compartment....
My Mini's volt gauge (Smiths) doesn't often go above that - the needle basically sits covering the "3" most of the time.  I was concerned at first, but even after a full day of driving (headlights on) when I come home and put it back on the battery tender it reads fully charged within 20 seconds, so it appears the alternator is doing its job just fine.   I haven't checked with other equipment, but I'm thinking the charging voltage is near 14V and the gauge just reads a little low. I dunno. 
1988 Austin Mini
2002 MINI Cooper S
1992 Toyota LiteAce (JDM)
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

MiniDave

Good to know....the car always cranks over just fine.....even after sitting a week or more. I guess I'll just drive it and see what it does.

Mine also just covered the "3".......I wonder if there's an adjustment I can make that will show actual voltage or if that's really it? Guess I'll get out the meter and see what it's really doing.

I know when I tested Don's P'up with a meter it only read 13.8, and his gauge on the dash shows discharge (below 12V) when his lights and engine cooling fan are on, however my meter still showed it was making 13.8V under those same circumstances.

Since I now have a spare gauge, maybe I'll play with it a bit.......
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

DS1980

Mine always cranked well. 12.3 at idle.

MiniDave

Nominal battery voltage should be 12.6V
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

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.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

BruceK

Am I the only Mini owner here who uses a Battery Tender to keep my car's battery at full charge?    If so, why don't you guys use one?
1988 Austin Mini
2002 MINI Cooper S
1992 Toyota LiteAce (JDM)
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

MPlayle

I have often used one in the past.  Currently, the one I have is on the sidecar rig - see my avatar.  When I want to be sure the Mini's battery is up to charge, I transfer it from the bike to the Mini.


MiniDave

I don't use one because I drive my car often enough and far enough to keep it charged up!   ;D

On my old Jag tho, I just leave it disconnected and charge it once a month or so.....
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

John Gervais

#249
I sometimes hook up to mine, but only if I'm not going to touch the car for a while.  When I do, though, I leave it hooked up for several weeks at a time.  The CTEC charger has a cigar-plug socket adapter that plugs into the battery lead kit, so I just open the boot and plug into the cigar plug socket.  To keep the socket clean and free from debris, I use a rubber tip from a walking cane.
- Pave the Bay -