Stan's 78 mini restoration

Started by stan360, September 25, 2015, 08:58:48 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

MiniDave

#350
It's freakin cold out, but I warmed up the garage enough to do a few things - I got the ground cable for the fuel pump made and installed, put the shifter together, put oil in the engine - man it takes a long time for 20W50 to drain down out of the valve cover when it's this cold and the oil has been sitting on the floor!

I got the distributor in and the base timing set - so it should at least start. Then I pulled the plugs and cranked up oil pressure.

About the only thing left to do to get it to start is connect the hot side of the fuel pump to the fuse panel, wire up the distributor and put some gas in the tank and see what she does!

I also need to adjust the rear brakes and bleed them along with the clutch before I can set it down on it's wheels and get to move itself.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

Today Dan drove up from Tulsa to my shop in KC to do the headliner install and front and rear windshields. I knew a headliner was a fiddly job, but man! When it comes time to do mine I'll either have Dan do it or the local upholstery shop.....I just don't have the patience.....

Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

BruceK

And to me the simpler Mk. I and Mk. II style of headliner looks so much better than the later fussy to install style.
1988 Austin Mini
2002 MINI Cooper S
1992 Toyota LiteAce (JDM)
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

MiniDave

All righty then, headliner is done, and the front and rear windshields are in - took about 5 hours of steady hard work but I think the results are worth it!

It's supposed to warm up some tomorrow so I can open the garage door - tomorrow we'll see if she can make some noise!
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

94touring

The car is coming together nicely.  Too bad I couldn't be there on the initial fire up.

BruceK

That headliner install looks fantastic.   It really looks like a jewel of a car.   Very clean and sorted.
1988 Austin Mini
2002 MINI Cooper S
1992 Toyota LiteAce (JDM)
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

94touring

Thanks. I'd say it's very wrinkle free too.

MiniDave

Interesting the difference in color in the two photographs - mine and Dan's - between our two cellphones.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

BruceK

Quote from: 94touring on January 05, 2018, 06:16:08 PM
Thanks. I'd say it's very wrinkle free too.

Yes. I jealously noticed that.  ;D    Better than the factory did it for sure.
1988 Austin Mini
2002 MINI Cooper S
1992 Toyota LiteAce (JDM)
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

MiniDave

Dan and I were wondering how they got it done quickly on the assembly line back in the day.......
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

94touring

#360
That photo was enhanced, here's the original.   And another angle to the headliner.

Other things to note: original bows are stiffer and easier to work with. The new ones Stan bought were a bit flimsy and also a hair shorter. Not short enough to matter but I noticed. 

MiniDave

I guess I'm going to have to drop the shifter assy back out, I cannot get the reverse switch adjusted correctly and I can't tell what's wrong with it in the car.....I can't get this car into reverse.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

jeff10049

the car is looking great I like the color. What type of trans is it? Could it just need to be run some to get some fresh oil on everything internal?

MiniDave

It's your basic rod change gearbox, it was assembled when I got the car.....I have oil in the crankcase and I have cranked up oil pressure, so the gears have been spun quite a bit. The lever absolutely doesn't want to move back after you lift it up over the detent, the forward gears feel normal enough.....I'm hoping there's just something amiss in the linkage.....although it's pretty simple.....
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

stan360

#364
Dave, i have the slightly shorter steady rod for 998, do you think this 1/2 inch  shorter rod would help this ? The rod on it i am thinking is the later one ?

MiniDave

#365
It's possible that's exactly what's bothering it.......it could be that it can't get 4th or reverse because it can't move it far enough because that rod is just that much too long.....I'm still going to pull the shifter assy out and see about the adjustment of the reverse switch.

I'll go online and see what it says about those steady rods.....

Edit:yep - that could be the answer!
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

94touring

When my rod (giggity) was altered due to being loose, it would do precisely as you have described Dave.  Didn't know 998s had a short one.  Bet that's it.

stan360

#367
Ok, i will be back in a couple days , and can bring it down to you. I remember buying the shorter one after i got the shifter assembly, because like many other parts i acquired, i had no idea what would be correct so i ended up buying some xtras

MiniDave

The steady rod in Stan's shifter now is 18 1/2" from the center of the eye to the flat that butts up against the shift housing - anyone have one from a 998 that you can measure for comparison?

I also found the end of the reverse light switch bent over from moving the shift rod when things weren't put together correctly, but I was able to straighten it and upon testing it with my ohm meter it seems to work fine, so I put it back in in what I think will be the right location and adjustment.

While we're on the subject of shifters, anyone use one of those spring bias devices successfully? One of my friends had one on his car and it was constantly breaking the rubber bobbins at the back of the shift housing and causing him grief. He took it off, put in a new front bushing and two new bobbins and the car shifts perfectly now, and he hasn't broken anything in a few months now......conclusion, the spring adds too much torque and tears the rubbers.....do not use. It might be fine for a race car with a solid mounted shifter but not for street driven cars.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

#369
It's. A. Live!



I forgot to hook up the battery......

Yesterday it was 51*, today it's 14*......Stan came to bring me the missing shifter part tonight and I had him start it too, but we only ran it for a moment as it's just too cold to open the garage door.

Left to do.....

Bleed the brakes
Bleed the clutch
Install the shifter
Install and wire the horns
Install and wire the driving lights
I'm sure there's more......
Send it home.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

joakwin

D16z6 Automatic, 4 wheel disc brakes, deseamed shell

gr8kornholio

So is it just typical of these motors to have a slight run on after the ignition is turned off?  Sounded like this one did it, and mine does too.
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.

BruceK

#372
Success!!! 

I love the smell of a newly rebuilt motor as the new headers heat up and burn off whatever got on them and the paint on the block cures.  Technically it is not great smell at all - but it's all about lots of memories each time I smell it.
1988 Austin Mini
2002 MINI Cooper S
1992 Toyota LiteAce (JDM)
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

MiniDave

Quote from: gr8kornholio on January 11, 2018, 06:52:16 PM
So is it just typical of these motors to have a slight run on after the ignition is turned off?  Sounded like this one did it, and mine does too.

It wasn't running on, I don't have the idle set yet, so it just died....slowly.

They will run on if the idle is too high.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

#374
Quote from: BruceK on January 11, 2018, 07:08:06 PM
Success!!! 

I love the smell of a newly rebuilt motor as the new headers heat up and burn off whatever got on them and the paint on the block cures.  Technically it is not great smell at all - but it's all about lots of memories each time I smell it.

It is a great feeling when one starts for the first time.....especially when it pops right off like this and runs smoothly. Rose was trying to get my attention that she was taking the dogs for a walk, with my head buried in the engine I couldn't hear her......

I haven't run it long enough to get everything to start smoking yet, that will have to wait a bit as it's gotten very cold again - 10* tonight and I have to work tomorrow so I won't get back on it till the weather warms up a bit again, that could be a while, it's not supposed to be above 30* til about the 20th of the month and we have many days in the single digits before then.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad