My 65 Australian MKI

[Jimini II]

Nice job Dave.
I like to make tools from old tools and have done quite a few over the years especially ones you do not use daily.
I made a tool for tightening Mini choke cables from a deep plug socket with a hex head and an old combination wrench then I slotted both so they would fit over the cable, makes the job of tightening them a lot easier.

[gr8kornholio]

I actually found a pair of pliers in my stepdads sea of them that works great for squeezing the Lucas bullets together. Glad I organized them.  Getting all the little and big bits back from powder coating tomorrow. 

One question, it looks like my remote shift box had a gasket to the rear of the gearbox.  I don't see one for sale, haven't dug through my books yet.

[MiniDave]

Between the gearbox and the remote housing? Nothing there that I recall, although there is a half moon rubber plug that goes in there.

[gr8kornholio]

Ok. Yea I have the plug.  Must just be some grease that's mashed between them. It sure looks like a piece of gasket.

[gr8kornholio]

Finally got some pieces on the car today.  More cleaning up bits too.  Should actually have the doors latching tomorrow.  New nylon buffers were smaller, and imagine that, fit correctly.  Snail springs also work well, when they are there.

On the side, the brisket came out fabulous.  No more going out for way overpriced bbq. 

[gr8kornholio]

Finally have functioning door handles.  Helps to use the right length screw so it doesn't interfere with the inner workings of the door latch mechanism.  Yay for crazy one off unique doors. Lol.

[gr8kornholio]

So either my fuel pump has died, su version with points. Or my battery won't hold a charge or both.  Probably should have had the battery on the trickle charger but it just sat in the shed for 3 years.  Any recommendations on a fuel pump if mine is dead?   Will hook it to a good battery when it warms up a little.

[MPlayle]

If you are going for originality, then another SU fuel pump.  If not, I have used the Mr. Gasket 42S fuel pump with good results.  It is rated at 28GPH at 2.5-3 psi and is often available at local auto parts stores (Autozone, Advanced, O'Reilly, etc.).

Works fine with SU carbs without the need for a pressure regulator.

[94touring]

Any electric one that's 3-5psi will do.  If the battery is old I'd probably just go ahead and get a new one.

[MiniDave]

Victoria British sells an electronic pump that looks just like the SU, but won't die like the SU......two different choices on this page if you/re going for the original look and function.

http://www.victoriabritish.com/icatalog/sm/full.aspx?Page=105

I've had both success and failure with those Mr. Gasket pumps, took three of them back to Oriely's before I got one that stayed working. "but the third one stayed up!"

Not trying to spend all your money, but I agree a new battery is a good idea, but I wouldn't buy one till you're ready to start it up - no point in having the new one sit for a year while you do assembly

[gr8kornholio]

Yea no originality required. If there is a better version then I'm all for it.  Car is definitely restomod.  Looks old but with modern upgrades, where possible. 

Dave that looks similar to one minispares sells. Looks similar to the su and mounts the same, but no points.

http://www.minispares.com/product/Classic/Fuel/Pumps/AUF214MS.aspx?1303&ReturnUrl=/shop/classic/Fuel/Pumps.aspx|Back%20to%20shop

[94touring]

I think mine is just one of those mr gaskets from Oreilly's.  Never had an issue with mine.  Trying to remember where I put the thing after installing the MPI pump for the turbo conversion. I'd like to stick it on the bus since all my bad fuel pump experiences have been with mechanical pumps. 

[MiniDave]

My green car still has the mechanical pump - it's getting changed to an electric when I do the motor on it. I'm thinking I might give the Mr. Gasket another shot because they're small and take very little power to run them.....

[gr8kornholio]

Ever put something in a place for safe keeping only to find out when you need it that it's so safe even you can't find it.  Nothing major, just the keys to the mini.  Can't put in the tank without removing the locking cap.  But for the life of me cannot find the keys.  Even looked in the dumbest places and still nothing.  Good thing is there is a good thread on here for such an issue but DAMN.  They are even on a key ring with a flappy leather thing. 

Dan, if you have a moment next time your at the shop can you keep an eye just in case for some crazy reason I brought them up there and left them.

[94touring]

I'll keep an eye out but haven't seen any keys.  I've cleaned the shop throughly since too.  Last tank I acquired that still had the locking cap on and no key, I just cut the thing off.

[MPlayle]

Did you put the keys with the ignition switch?

How about where you keep all the other car keys?

[gr8kornholio]

Nope, cause I wired that up.  You'd think that's where they would be, but not in the lock box or file cabinet. Really not sure why they ever got removed from where we keep all current keys.  But they did.

[gr8kornholio]

As I was putting plugs/grommets in the boot I noticed some pin holes in the bottom of the battery tray.  Best way to patch/fill these?

[94touring]

A little dab of por-15 which you probably don't have or a little dab of black silicone ect.. to match the existing por-15.  Or really tiny grommets  ;D.  I can't imagine there's much down there.

[Red Riley]

As I was putting plugs/grommets in the boot I noticed some pin holes in the bottom of the battery tray.  Best way to patch/fill these?

Best way? Replace the battery tray. Honestly, that would probably be the easiest body part to replace on a Mini. I don't know if anyone else would recommend it, but I would think you could just cut it out, carefully take the surrounding edges down to bare metal, then panel bond the new tray in and touch up the paint.

[gr8kornholio]

I do have some por15 and was thinking that or like you said some good silicone.
The only way I noticed them was laying under the car fitting grommets from underneath there were 3 tiny tiny white spots but then I saw my fingers on the other side. 

[94touring]

I do have some por15 and was thinking that or like you said some good silicone.
The only way I noticed them was laying under the car fitting grommets from underneath there were 3 tiny tiny white spots but then I saw my fingers on the other side.

Just something to keep water out will suffice.  Probably filled in when I brushed on the por and opened up after I slid out and it thinned out.  Your battery tray isn't on it's last legs by any means or I would have replaced it. 

[gr8kornholio]

No problem. I'll put a couple coats on and call it good.

[gr8kornholio]

Just put in a massive this and that order for spares.  Fingers crossed got all of it to get it up and running. 

Anyone running a larger than stock water pump pulley?

[MiniDave]

Only with short final drive gears, if you're running tall gears you'll want a smaller pulley so it will turn faster