73 Mini Innocenti 1300 Export

[MiniDave]

The car came with an MGB oil cooler, which fits fine over in the left (driver's) side of the grill opening. It doesn't touch the starter tho. Dan found us an original Innocenti oil cooler which mounts completely differently than the MGB one so I'm going to have to make some brackets for it but I anticipate it will go in the same place. I think I need to mount the radiator and alternator before I try and figure out the brackets for the oil cooler.

Here are  couple of "before" pics....I'm pretty sure I can do better.....I can't believe the hose with the yellow bands doesn't leak since there are no clamps on it! No matter, I'm going to have new hoses made anyway.

[MiniDave]

I decided I need to install the carbs before I can install the radiator, as I need the room to come in under the exhaust to install the washers and nuts that hold the intake to the head. To that end I decided to do a trial fit of the bulkhead plate too, to make sure I had enough clearance at the bottom edge of the air filters. Turns out there is just enough, about 1/4 - 3/8" or so, which should be plenty.  Overall, I'm pretty pleased, it looks much cleaner than the big old piece of insulation and vinyl that was there. I won't know how well it muffles the sound till I get to drive it, and since I never heard it run in the car - I still won't know - except to compare it to my '89. 

All the brake and clutch pipes are in and tight. Turns out I had to remove the brake distribution thingy after all as one of the pipes would not start to thread - and of course it was one of the bottom pipes. All I had to do was clean the threads up a bit and it all went together smoothly.

It's nice to get a few things checked off the list once and for all - assuming none of them leak when I go to bleed it out.

[94touring]

Looking good    That's about how much clearance I have gotten with the same filter setup.

[MiniDave]

The clearance shouldn't be a problem, between the engine steady and the long remote shifter housing, it feels like this engine is tied down pretty well. I also have an engine steady that goes under the engine too, haven't decided if I'm going to install it or not.

So far the engine hasn't leaked a drop of oil either, so the Permatex gasket sealer seems to have done the job.

I have the alternator in so all the engine equipment is in except the radiator, I'll do it today and build a bracket to mount the horns and that should be it for the engine compartment. I still have to round out the exhaust pipes and install the exhaust system and weld in the bung on the head pipe for the o2 sensor, but that won't be here till Monday so that will have to wait.

Next I need to wire up the dash and install it, and the switches and heater. I think before I install the dash I'll do a systems test on everything electrical and make sure it all works. Still have to splice the new wires for the rear harness too. Wish that headliner wasn't such a PITA, I would have liked to just use the whole harness.

Oh, have to hook up the choke and throttle cables too and figure out a way to mount the coil, it originally hung off a bracket on one of the head bolts, but the oil pipe I put in won't let it go there.

Or if I can get the oil cooler mounted and have the hoses made then it will go back where it belongs.

Details. Lots and lots of details.

[MiniDave]

Today I remade the bracket so I could attach the bottom engine steady, it had been modified - poorly - so I decided to weld up the mess and drill a new hole in the correct spot.

Once done I gave it a lick of paint and bolted it on the car - fits perfectly now! I don't know if it really needed it between the upper steady and long remote shifter that also acts as an engine steady - but it was there and so was I so......

I may have to pull the carbs off the intake manifold in order to get to the inner two studs/nuts that hold the intake and exhaust center pipe on. I've tried everything I can think of and I just can't get either my hands or a wrench in there. Really didn't want to do that, but like everything else on the build, seems I take two steps forward only to take three back again. Oh well......

[MiniDave]

Decided the radiator and surround were looking a little scuzzy, so I took the shroud off and took it and the sump guard over to a sand blaster to have them cleaned up. I was going to have them both powder coated, but I've decided to just grab some rattle cans and have at them.....save a little money and I'm sure they'll look fine. I also spent quite a bit of time cleaning the radiator - inside and out. There was oil residue on the fins so first I cleaned it in the solvent tank, then cleaned it again with 409 to get the solvent off. I also ran quite a bit of water thru it as a lot of mud was coming out when I ran water thru it.....

Once those jobs were done I started working on the wiring in the dash. I took the heater panel apart to clean it and found another example of fine English craftmanship - don't have a drill to make a hole, just hack at it till it's big enough to fit the switch thru it! I reamed it out with a step drill bit and found a grommet to fill the hole...then cleaned it all up. One of the holes I filled actually is for a warning light for the handbrake-on, so I'll have to dig that back out and refit it.

Next up I wired up the four switches in the dash - I spent a lot of time staring at the wiring diagram as these switches are not labelled on the schematic and they weren't making sense - till I figured out that when they did the conversion to RHD they had reversed all the switch positions! Aughhhhhh……

Next I'll install the heater, then wire up the ignition and turn signal switches. Once those are done I can set the dash in place and hook up all the instruments......then it will be time to test everything and make sure it works as it should.

By the way..

Chiuso = closed
 
Parabrezza = windscreen

Int. vettura = you vehicle

[Jimini II]

The bloke that "drilled" (and i use that term loosely) those holes must have done it after a session at the pub lol.

[MiniDave]

I've found countless examples of bodgery on this car......I see this level of workmanship a lot on cars that have been "restored" in England. It's really annoying......

[MiniDave]

So, more Innocenti craziness......I went to install the heater - they are attached with two sheet metal screws at the front and two nuts at the back where the studs are held in two brackets - and those two studs are NOT 1/4-20 or 1/4-28, but M6X1....

So I run up to Ace hardware and they have M6X1.5 and M6X.75, but no M6X1, and they want $1.04 each nut! 

I drive about 5 miles to the Home Depot and they have M6X1 stainless for $1.50 for 5.....

Oh well, it's a nice day to be out buzzing around town in the Racing Green Mini, it's already in the high 80's tho and will be in the mid 90's later this afternoon......

[MiniDave]

Work continues....

The heater is installed, as are the ignition and turn signal switches.....and all the wiring to the rear half of the car. Next up the dash goes in and gets wired up.

I also found the coil bracket and fit it along with the coil, and I wired it and the distributor up - that completes the wiring under the hood - except for the horns. I have NO idea where they're going to go......but once I get the radiator back in and figure out where the oil cooler will mount...then I can figure out where I can mount the horns. It's really getting tight under the bonnet!

I went out and picked up the parts I left at the blasters last Wed and gave them a coat of primer. However once I took a look I found a split in the sheet metal where the bottom bracket attaches the shroud to the engine support. I cleaned it up and welded it back together then re-primed, then gave it a quick topcoat later. It's so hot this afternoon that the paint dried really quickly.

I also gave the sump guard a coat of primer, and the first coat of color - but it will take several more coats to get complete coverage.....I used the same paint on the shocks and I think it took about 6 coats to get good color on them.

[jeff10049]

The car came with an MGB oil cooler, which fits fine over in the left (driver's) side of the grill opening. It doesn't touch the starter tho. Dan found us an original Innocenti oil cooler which mounts completely differently than the MGB one so I'm going to have to make some brackets for it but I anticipate it will go in the same place. I think I need to mount the radiator and alternator before I try and figure out the brackets for the oil cooler.

Here are  couple of "before" pics....I'm pretty sure I can do better.....I can't believe the hose with the yellow bands doesn't leak since there are no clamps on it! No matter, I'm going to have new hoses made anyway.

Some info, Yellow bands indicate push-loc hose fittings push-loc hose if that whats on the fittings is very good stuff clamps will cause failure it is simply pushed on the fittings and done. If you have a store that sells parker nearby I recommend using 836 push-loc for both lines you can reuse the yellow fitttins you have just cut the hose off. 801 and 836 the 836 is hi temp is some of the best hose made anywhere ever.
It does not have to be used with push-loc fittings but it's a clean look. it can also be clamped onto normal fittings or used with crimp style just don't put clamps on push-loc fittings.

The car is coming along nicely it's neat seeing all the differences on the inno.

[MiniDave]

Thanks, Jeff.....

It's starting to get crowded under the bonnet (to be) 

[jeff10049]

looks really good and yes crowded but in a good way. 

[MiniDave]

Still have carbs and air filters, windshield washer tank and pump, horns, fresh air scoop and the oil cooler to find a place for in there!

[Jimini II]

Coming along nicely looks good.

[MiniDave]

I finally figured out how to mount the Italian oil cooler Dan found for the Inno - if I turn it over and have the hoses come out the bottom there's plenty of room. Dunno why I didn't think of that before, but the old one was mounted the other way so I tried to follow that.

I took Jeff's suggestion and found the local Parker dealer and drove out to see if I could get the fittings I needed to mount the oil cooler. It took them a while to figure out what the correct thread and fittings I needed, and they had one - but the other one they were going to have to order - as Jeff said I can reuse the two old fittings so I also bought some new hose. The last fitting I needed was a 90* BSPP - no one seems to have this one but they had them in stock at the factory in Louisville so I ordered one - they gave me a deal on it as I looked it up online - prices ranged from $95 to $33...…...…………….for ONE fitting! They charged me $29, no shipping.

Later on I was looking up some bits on MiniSpares - and damn - they have the fittings for about $5 each! If I hadn't just dropped my last order yesterday I would have added them......but no sense doing it now.

I may buy some anyway as I want to add a cooler to the Racing Green car but I'll wait till I do the next order. Victoria British has the coolers and lines already made up but they're for a Midget or MGB. They also have this cool snap on shroud that you can use to cover the cooler in winter. Since they're having their summer sale right now I might go buy the 10 row cooler and shroud, then I can order the fittings and hose from Spares later.

[BruceK]

I finally figured out how to mount the Italian oil cooler Dan found for the Inno - if I turn it over and have the hoses come out the bottom there's plenty of room. Dunno why I didn't think of that before, but the old one was mounted the other way so I tried to follow that.

So, good for oil changes, but does that mean the oil pump must fill up the empty oil cooler each time the car is used?

[MiniDave]

No, it won't empty out as it's lower than the oil filter fitting (on top of the filter housing) and way lower than the inlet up on the side of the block. No different than if the fitting were on the top of the cooler.....I noticed some MGs were set up like that too.

Here's a snip of the MGB oil cooler page in Vicky Brit's catalog....

[BruceK]

Ah.  Thanks for the explanation.

[MPlayle]

Did anyone else notice that in the diagram Dave posted, the upside down unit is labeled "Automatic Transmission Oil Cooler"?

[MiniDave]

Yes, I did.....but I figure an oil cooler is an oil cooler......

[MiniDave]

So, got the oil cooler mounts made up tonight out of stainless, I spent a lot of time getting it set just perfectly and in order to get it there I decided I had to put the fittings on the bottom and mount the cooler flush to the frame opening - bolted it in and installed the grill. Coulda kicked my self, there's a good inch between the cooler and the grill due to the way it's made and how it attaches to the front of the car, as there is this much room that explains how the cooler could have fit in there with the fittings on top. If it sits flush to the opening like I have it the top mount fittings won't clear the alternator

So tomorrow I'll go back and try it again......and I'll see if it makes more sense to continue to have the fittings on the bottom or if it's better to have them on top.

I might be able to put the horns under the oil cooler if the fittings go above, otherwise I'm still looking for a good place to mount the horns.

[Jimini II]

Not sure which type of horns you have or are considering Dave but HF sells a compact air horn for around $35 that fits well into small spaces and sounds good too.

[MiniDave]

I bought some nice red/black two tone horns made in Italy, seemed appropriate......

I'll find a place for them......what I try to do is figure out where the factory mounted them, based on brackets, holes in the body or where the wiring leads. So far I haven't found the right spot but the wiring harness does have ends for two horns, not one as on English minis.

[jedduh01]

I have been putting horns in the fender well =  Kinda under the headlamp bucket= behind the turn signal. 

Usually there's always a hole somewhere around there = or rather easy to poke a hole for a bracket bolt there and they can live there.
 
Sure = they'll get a bit wetter by rain and tire splash, but really these cars DON'T get alot of monsoon water or driven much .. and a horn is CHEAP if they do fail  or foul out from that location.
 
Keep it out of the engine bay is my idea. (less clutter)