73 Mini

Started by MiniDave, November 03, 2016, 04:19:39 PM

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Spitz

I've not read through all pages of this....so forgive me.

What is this car then...title says 73 Cooper....of which there is no such thing.
Last Cooper being the 71 Cooper S...(still with hydrolastic).


MiniDave

To most of us, every classic Mini is a Mini Cooper......sorry......I changed the title to reflect.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

The 73 Mini is back again, just a small list this time. The car isn't quite running right, missing and popping a bit. I've been thru the ignition completely - it has new plugs, a new electronic distributor, new coil and I've been thru the rest of it....I think I'm down to bad gas. I had him put a bottle of Heet in it but no improvement......It starts instantly and runs smoothly till you put some load on it, then it misses but not uniformly. Definitely not hitting on all 4 tho.....I'll get into it more tomorrow......
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

#253
Some new plugs and some carb adjustments and the 73 seems to be running fine. I also replaced the speedo cable and did a few more tiny little things and it's ready to go again. With the smooth a rides it really drives nicely!

He asked me to take a fairly long test drive to test the hot start issue he'd been having so much problem with, and to prove how nicely it's now running I took a dash cam video.....if you have 23 minutes to kill, here you go!

Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

94touring

What exhaust does he have?  I have a short clip I will post for Vikram in my thread. Big difference in sound.

MiniDave

It's all stainless, I know that, just a final box, no intermediate. It's pretty quiet....
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

94touring

I may take off my intermediate for ground clearance.  I adjusted it as high as it can go before rubbing brake cables but it's still too close to the ground for my liking.  The pipe from the Y off these headers just isn't jiving, so will try a straight-straight pipe to the muffler.  Good to know his is quiet without it.

MiniDave

My green car only has the rear box too, but the Play Mini exhaust is quite a bit louder than this is. Yours sounds great!

I only took this video to show the owner how well it runs.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

94touring

Wait till you hear it in person  ;D

Is this the car that has wing dents? Wonder if I should bring the dolly set to de-dent it.

MiniDave

Yes actually....that would be great, he'd love that.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

94touring

I'll try to remind myself. 

MiniDave

#261
The 73 is back in my shop with an ever dwindling list....the headlights weren't working right, and I found where the harness had gotten into the alternator fan so I took the harness out and repaired it and now they all work correctly again.

I also had the grill out - the starter seemed to have a dead spot in it so we replaced that and while the grill was out for the wiring repairs and the starter, he decided to replace it with a chrome one instead of the black.
I think it looks better with the chrome too.....

Next up, the turn signal switch bracket (which is just plastic) is broken allowing the switch to move when you use it, so I'll replace that switch too. Oh, and install a steering wheel drop bracket.

After that all that's left are to try and chase down some rattles and a couple of dash lights that don't. He's really happy with it these days.....

BTW, he ordered some new plug wires and mistakenly got the ones for an MPi, which won't work on his engine - so if anyone has an MPi and needs some new plug wires, let me know.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

Finished up the 73 Mini today, ran into an interesting problem with the new T/S switch. This car purports to be a 73, but the steering column doesn't seem to be. When looking for the switch the right one for this car appears to be for 76 and later LHD cars, and 84-89 RHD cars. This is supposed to be a 73 RHD but when you look in the catalogs, that switch is made completely differently than the one in the car - so we bought the later one that matches both this style and mounting.

The next problem was that it didn't fit over the column - the column clearly measured out at 32 mm, but the switch opening was 31mm, should be able to just stretch it over the column, right? Nope. I think that's what broke the other switch - forcing it over the column. There is a locating tang inside that keeps the switch from moving when you operate it , or I could have just set it up in the mill and bored it to size (the owner has an extensive machine shop in his business) except that would eliminate that tang. So I went all old school on it, and got out the dremmel and took a little off the inside. Fit perfectly and tightened up just as it should. Job done.

While I had the wheel off I went ahead and installed a drop bracket so it would be slightly less bus like, even tho the owner is a big guy he figures if he can manage to fit under the wheel of his bugeye, he can get under this one too!  ;D

A couple of minor wiring glitches fixed and I'm done with this one. New starter works perfectly, grill looks nice....finished.

Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MPlayle

When installing the drop bracket, did you remember to loosen the steering rack 'U' bolts to allow the rack to pivot to match the new column angle?  (And then remember to tighten them back up?)


MiniDave

Absolutely!   77.gif
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

#265
Well, the drop bracket was a resounding failure, with it down it blocks his view of the top of the tach, with it up it blocks the oil pressure gauge and the lower part of the tach. He's thinking maybe a bigger wheel might work - he has a 13" now.

The car was running fine when I sent it back to him a week ago, and came back running like crap.....I couldn't find anything wrong, but he also complained that the tach wasn't working right, sometimes it didn't work sometimes it did but was way off. Finally on a hunch I unplugged the tach and drove the car - ran fine. Aha!

So I had wired the tach hot to the hot side of the coil, just as a test I disconnected that side and ran a jumper down to the battery cable on the starter solenoid. Tach worked fine. so I ran a new power wire to the fuse panel and took it for a drive. Car ran perfect, tacho mostly worked fine, read accurately but acts like the needle sticks sometimes. I told him to just go drive it and see what happens.

I also found the horrible rattle/buzz in the front end.....I had Rose rev the engine to where it made the noise and found one of the front lic plate brackets that are spot welded to the front valance panel had broken loose. I just drilled it and put a bolt thru it. Fixed.

He's coming to get it tomorrow and he'll probably just put it up for the winter......that's OK by me.

It still has one rattle thats really bugging him, and I cant find it. Sounds like a shock rattling on th eleft but they're brand new and they're not loose. Still looking for that one.....
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

#266
Well, no joy in Mudville.....

Tach is still wonky, runs like shit when cold, gets way better when it warms up...I don't know what's bugging it, when we had it on the dyno it ran perfectly, needed nothing according to the run.

Today it runs like shit, and I can't find out why.

New electronic dizzy, new plugs, new correct coil - the only thing not new by me are the plug leads and they look new. I still think it's ignition as choking it more when it misses (cold) doesn't help.

I still have a nasty rattle in the back that I can't find, it's not the exhaust, all the suspension is new as are the brakes, I can't find any play in anything yet just backing down the driveway you hear a rattle and it seems like suspension. I'm pretty frustrated with it and I know he is too, I told him to just come get it.

I think from now on I'll just work on my own stuff.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

gr8kornholio

Understand the frustration with working on other peoples stuff.  I like to help people with theirs, but don't think at this point I'd take something in.  Guess it comes down to expectations on both sides.  How perfect do you want it and how much are you willing to pay for me to get it there. 

Rattles are the worst.  You have a creeper?  Crazy thought, is to roll down the driveway next to the car as it back ups but that sounds sketchy just typing it.  Anything attached to the subframe could be causing it.  Loose brake line, emergency cable, nut or something in a pocket of the subframe.  Those things have lots of nooks and crannies. 
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.

MPlayle

Anything in the boot?  Things like the jack, tire iron, etc. can also rattle during motion.  Also check under the spare and around the battery for anything loose.


MiniDave

No, took every thing but the battery out, still there......
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MPlayle

Does it have hi-los in the rear?  If so, could one be just loose enough that it is letting the cone rattle as the wheel moves up/down?


Jimini II

Tag vibrating on the boot lid ?

MiniDave

No, I installed that tag and it's solid. Also, it's not that type of sound....to me it sounds like a loose shock.

The car is back in the cave now so I won't see it again till March or April. I also parked my Green Mini in his cave/garage while I'm working on the Inno, that way it won't have to live outside.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

BruceK

If I didn't know about the actual storage caves in KC I'd think you were using the dreaded usage of 'man cave'.
1988 Austin Mini
2002 MINI Cooper S
1992 Toyota LiteAce (JDM)
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

MiniDave

Yeah, he has 150,000 sq ft of developed cave under ground, and has his business in there.....he also has a part of it partitioned off with a garage door where he keeps his cars - that's where we put the Racing Green. Good thing too, it's turned rainy and cold today. The cave is both temp and humidty controlled.......
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad