1978 Pickup, giving her some love...

[Jims5543]

Anything is better than the engine I have in there now. 10 psi oil pressure at idle and 30 while driving I have to give Lucas oil stabilizer credit for making last so long. I have not driven 1000 miles in the last year so that helped too and will change once I have an engine I can trust.

[jedduh01]

Nice job!   I also have a local guy here that got a "rebuilt" 1293 From GB /Sergio

Had a 3:10 Gear also installed byd  him and a proper cleaned up head- 1 3/4 HIF Carb and a peppier cam.  That thing ran like stink! and was  a great powerplant.

I expect you will respond with no less when your's is in and going.

[Jims5543]

There are different ways you can go about owning a dog, you can go to a breeder, you can go to a puppy store, or you can go to a rescue and give a dog a second chance at life.

This is officially no longer me giving a Mini some love, I really feel like I rescued this truck now, especially after my horrific evening today.

According to Dan this is typical Mini, which is just, well.... sad.  I though Mini owners loved their cars, everything I see in this poor little truck is just neglect and I cannot fathom how any owner loved this truck.  Mike if you read this you flipped this truck you did not technically own it,  this is not directed at you.

I am trying to use this forums hosting to bear with me as I flash learn it when posting multiple images.  I cannot get it to work so Photobucket it is.


This is the intake manifold. Nothing special here.



Here is the side of it where coolant is supposed to flow through.



Mostly the proper brass nuts for the intake/exhaust with some oddball nuts thrown in, order for all new ones being made.



Heater hose:


Heater Valve:


Decided to just pull the head, I was dying to see what was going on inside there anyway. Look at the valve on the end, that was the cylinder with the loose rocker nut that was not functioning. Check out all the blockage on the ports.



Cylinder looked surprisingly good, well, outside all the ports being blocked or almost blocked. Wow!


As she sits after I quit for the night, I hope to be able to get her up in the air disconnect the underside stuff and get her pulled by Saturday morning, then the cleaning up happens and hopefully Sunday Morning I can get the new engine dropped in so I can start to slowly place everything back on.

I already know I am not going to have heat or AC so that will make it easier.

[John Gervais]

That sure is a pretty engine!   77.gif

[MPlayle]

Jim,

I have been following this thread.  I felt bad the more I learned how much the pickup had been neglected before I got it.  I got it at a bad time for me and as you say - flipped it basically breaking even.  I owned it just long enough to get the title into my name.

I am glad you don't hold this one against me.  I usually try to pass a Mini along in better condition than when I acquired it.

[Jims5543]

Jim,

I have been following this thread.  I felt bad the more I learned how much the pickup had been neglected before I got it.  I got it at a bad time for me and as you say - flipped it basically breaking even.  I owned it just long enough to get the title into my name.

I am glad you don't hold this one against me.  I usually try to pass a Mini along in better condition than when I acquired it.

I have been very careful and as you can see in the post above, I do not blame you, you purchased and flipped this truck out fast. As I understand you never even drove it.

I am the kind of guy you WANT to buy any of my cars from, I am over the top with the maintenance, just like you. No hard feelings at all, I still feel like I got a great deal on this truck, what made it sweeter is this engine I grabbed it for 50% of what a rebuild would cost, fingers crossed it is a good tight engine, judging by Sergio's demeanor I think I have a very good engine, especially since it was going to be in one of his cars.

From what Dan has told me, many cars that come from straight form England are in very poor shape and very neglected. I tracked down some history on this truck and  I know this truck was restored by P&L Mini's in England in 2004 for a customer who must have sold it shortly thereafter, or maybe not, I would love to know when it came to the states.  My point is from 2004 to 2014 when I purchased it, I am amazed at the deterioration of many parts of this car. Who ever owned it from 2004 until 2013 when you purchased and sold to me must not like cars very much.

[MiniDave]

Those water port blockages are indicative or not running coolant, but rather water straight out of the tap.

Even if you live where it doesn't freeze you need to run coolant for it's protective and lubricant properties.

New engine will make it so much more fun to drive again!  4.gif

[Jims5543]

Those water port blockages are indicative or not running coolant, but rather water straight out of the tap.

Even if you live where it doesn't freeze you need to run coolant for it's protective and lubricant properties.

New engine will make it so much more fun to drive again!  4.gif

She would constantly need coolant and I only used a 50/50 bottle of prestone to top her off. Sadly much of the damage was done already.

Yes, I am excited to get a solid engine in this girl, with that brand new carb and 123 Dizzy she should really purr.

I may finally travel more than 20 miles from my house now. My dad has been begging me to take it to a giant car meet 70 miles away, I knew better hopefully I can do that now.

[MPlayle]

Looking back at some old picture albums I have from the 2004 to 2005 time frame, I am thinking the person I got the truck from is the person that bought it from P&L Minis and imported it to the US.  He is also the owner that installed the a/c system.

[94touring]

You'll be driving it so much all sorts of other things will be breaking, like God intended.

[Jims5543]

Well, that is effing encouraging....


What else can go wrong?

I fear the answer.

[94touring]

Lol.  I am willing to bet a wheel bearing is on the to do list within 12 months.  Which means you'll do both or all 4 and ball joints.   

[Jims5543]

Well since I am a proponent of this thing called preventative maintenance which seems to be lost in the Mini world, guess what I am going to do now?

Wheel bearings and ball joints and what the hell may as well do the tie rods too.

[94touring]

Cv joints while you're at it...

[MPlayle]

Careful.  Dan will soon have you talked into totally rebuilding it.  You know how long it has taken him so far on his pickup?

9.gif

[94touring]

I know it's been pretty bad.  I have however secured a front clip and newer rear suspension to slap on it once I paint it.  Perhaps this will be the summer I paint it.

[jedduh01]

DOnt forget New Cones + shock Absorbers!

(seriously) Cones - These  days rubber cones dont last more than 8 years or so - then are squished out and hard as rocks.

Replace cones for ride comfort!

[Jims5543]

I think I have springs in this car, will crawl under and check it out. If not then either springs or cones. If I am in there I may as well do what I want. I have a set of shocks wating to go in along with a full brake overhaul (new rotors, pads, calipers, drums, shoes, pistons etc..)



Slowly moving along, finally getting her up in the air to get the engine out.
Insane work schedule getting in the way.


Hope to make more progress tomorrow night when I am a bachelor for the evening.

[94touring]

Take a wheel off and look directly aabove the upper arm.  you'll either see a trumpet that has a cone on the other end or if you're lucky a hi-lo with perhaps a spring or cone up there.

[Jims5543]

Take a wheel off and look directly aabove the upper arm.  you'll either see a trumpet that has a cone on the other end or if you're lucky a hi-lo with perhaps a spring or cone up there.

I know it has hi-low's I thought it had springs too, I will take a peak now.

[Jims5543]

Uhg!! I wish I had not looked.

Rubber cones, hi-low's and lots and lots of rust.

Pics to come, once I get the engine out I am putting the entire car up in the air so I can work over the 4 corners with brakes suspension etc..

[Jims5543]

Remember the loose rocker nut?



I thought to myself, how does this happen.

Well, I figured it out, after wrenching around on this car for a bit now, I have noticed one common theme. Nothing is tight, the intake was loose, the exhaust was loose, every bolt I put a wrench or ratchet onto is finger tight and not torqued.

When I went under the truck to start unhooking the linkage I noticed one of the rods had just the screw the nut was long gone.

I have the entire truck up in the air, I have to grab some spare jack stands to get the front wheels off the ground then all the wheels are coming off. Then I will decide on coil overs out just put new cones and shocks in. I have all new brake components, and I am ordering in wheel bearings and CV shafts this week.

Lots of cleaning painting and deciding these next few weeks. Hope to have her on the road again in a few weeks.

[MiniDave]

Did you find the missing rocker adjusting locknut?

[94touring]

Happened again!?  Didn't you just drive it?

[MPlayle]

I think that is the old picture.  Didn't Jim switch out the entire rocker assembly for a roller version?