Racing Green 89 Mini

Started by MiniDave, August 19, 2016, 01:37:24 PM

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MiniDave

Yeah.....the only reason to get the finned ones is style, and they're twice the money, even in the knock offs.....
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

#76
Found a work around to keep my rear windows popped out - a short length of fuel hose fits right in, is unobtrusive and stayed in for about 100 mile run today. Next time I'll turn it around so the writing doesn't show...   ;D

Oh, and 90+* today and running 70-75 mph the temp ran right in the center of the gauge - these chinesium aluminum radiators are a heck of a value for $60 shipped - and they work!
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

94touring

I love my chinese radiator! 

John Gervais

#78
I use MSC's Super MiniFin drums during the summer and change to cast iron drums in the winter.

EBC makes nice cast-iron drums -

I got these at Demon Tweeks (EBCDM016 - the 'disk' image doesn't reflect the product, in this case a spacered drum).

This is the non-spacered drum:

EBCDM019 - and again, the image doesn't match the product.
- Pave the Bay -

MiniDave

Why in the world would you go to the trouble of swapping the drums out twice a year? Seems like a lot of work.....
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

John Gervais

Nice opportunity to clean and service the brakes, and don't want the salted roads to chew up the aluminum drums.  So, every autumn, the winter tires / steel wheels go on and the alloys get shelved, and the car sits with it's winter brakes and tires in the garage until late spring and dry roads...  But it's ready to go if needed.

Of course, this might all change if i can't find a job, so I'll likely sell my daily driver this year - 2 years and still looking for something - anything, have been rejected for literally everything.  I could bore you with tales of woe; about a thousand rejections to date for all kinds of ordinary jobs (customer service, quality assurance, production management, all types of sales, building / property management and a whole lot more) to parking attendant and supermarket clerk, gas station - you name it, I've applied.  Sitting on 2 bachelors, partnered in a business in the U.S., was an Army officer - tactical intelligence and am apparently dumber and more useless than snot.  Yeah, I'm a bit sour now...
- Pave the Bay -

MiniDave

Wow! That's hard to believe......or understand.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

John Gervais

Sorry for the thread hijack - I don't get it either - the few interviews I go to, they're impressed with my background and love meeting with me.  But, they end up giving the job to someone else, recognizing that there's no doubt I could handle the job and would fit in nicely, but that I'd be bored after a couple of months.  'They' prefer to take folks who haven't done anything other than within the solitary 'box' they fit in.  If I were to start something on my own, I don't know what it'd be.  I'm much better at helping someone else succeed than helping myself.  So, all (our) work at being debt free and having 'all the stuff' is pretty much in jeopardy now.

After I'd been turned down to 'lead' 6 people who empty trash cans on the sidewalk (I previously had TS-SCI clearance and charge of 54 analysts deployed all over the world), I realized that if I'd been to prison, or was a recovering junkie, I'd have better chances.  They told me they'd found someone better qualified.

I met one guy I'd interviewed with, at the Copenhagen Historic Grand Prix this year.  He's an engineer - I caught him ogling my mini, I walked up, surprised him and he asked if I could help him with his Sprite.  Um, figure it out - you want me to volunteer my time, skill and knowledge so that you can save money?  Couldn't give me an entry-level customer service job, yet you ask me for materiel advice?
- Pave the Bay -

MiniDave

Well, under the old theory that those who can't do, teach....(I know you can do - so can I) but I took a job at the local college teaching car related subjects. This has led to all sorts f potential openings in industry just from the contacts I made. I'm not interested in a career anymore as I'm too damn old and broken, but it sure is a good place to make contacts. And you get paid in the meantime.....
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

John Gervais

Tried to get into a vocational training job too - wasn't educated as a mechanic, so no luck.  Tried 'parts guy' also - same story.  Tried bicycle repair guy, nope - wasn't educated as a bicycle smith...  Once tried for a job selling tools - was told basically that since I wasn't educated as a mechanic or machinist, I can't know what 'tools' are.  Since I've never worked in within my uni education, so it's useless - only completed to get the box ticked off.  Potential means nothing, and mention to anyone that you're looking for 'a job' and everyone disappears.  Nobody knows anyone. 

I've pretty much given up, hence the 35 jars of marmelade and 10 bottle of sloe liqueur made this year.  The mini likely become my daily driver and I'll continue to develop it whilst chewing up my savings.  It'll be the coolest car at the pigeon feeding park bench.
- Pave the Bay -

94touring

Sounds like me in 2007-2009.  Royally sucked.

Back to brakes.  I like my mini fins solely for weight savings if nothing else.  They are much lighter.

jeff10049

Wanna move here? I can't find anyone to hire we have several ads out for over six months now.
It's putting the brakes on our Business growth.




MiniDave

Can you afford the housing there? I heard it's like LA in Bend anymore.......

They were out of stock on the MiniFins, so I bought the regular Cooper S drums with the spacers built in, and I ordered the longer studs too....but forgot to order the longer retaining screws! Oh well.....
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MPlayle

The retaining screws are nice to have, but opinions on their necessity vary.  A couple of my past Minis had them already missing when I got the cars.  If they are there, I try to make sure I don't lose them.  If missing, I have not bothered to replace them.


94touring

Personally I never bother with the screws. 

BruceK

Quote from: MiniDave on September 24, 2016, 01:54:44 PM
Found a work around to keep my rear windows popped out - a short length of fuel hose fits right in, is unobtrusive and stayed in for about 100 mile run today. Next time I'll turn it around so the writing doesn't show...   ;D


Excellent!  This rear window solution is just what I've been looking for!  I really want the rear windows open to help with airflow, and I am so tired of having them just blow closed at speed.  I have given up on trying the tennis ball solution - they don't stay in place and I just end up with tennis balls bouncing around in the rear side pockets.  I was going to experiment with using a big-ass binder clip on the rear pulls - that might have worked but would have been very ugly.   This is much more simple.   

Why couldn't BL just had later cars use the design of the Mk. I and Mk. II cars?  That over-center latch worked great.

1988 Austin Mini
2002 MINI Cooper S
1992 Toyota LiteAce (JDM)
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

MiniDave

#91
Today was alternator rebuild day....I'd been hearing a noise and got out my trusty stethoscope and sure enough, I heard bearing noise in the alternator.....

Every alternator I've ever seen uses a 6202 sealed bearing on the fan end, this one had the same at the other end too, and both were rough as can be.

I had to get out the big tools to get it apart, but once it apart it was fairly easy to knock the old bearings out and press the new ones on, the assembly is just the reverse as the Haynes says.

One small wrinkle....the brushes are mounted to the very end of the shaft and you have to unsolder the two wires and remove the contact ring to get the end bearing off. No biggy, just mark which went where and resolder.

Back together the rotor turned smoothly, but when I started the engine I still heard a whine....so, water pump bearing? fan too close to the alternator housing? (I did this when I overhauled the Jag alternator, straightened the fan out nicely and it was noisy as hell - bent it back the way it was and it quieted right down again)

Next I'm going to tackle the brakes, there is so much shake and pulsation on braking - I might have a slightly sticking caliper or piston too, plus I have the new rear drums (with spacers) coming so I'll probably wind up replacing all the shoes, wheel cylinders and hoses before I'm done - isn't that how these things always go?

We may have a run this weekend (weather permitting - we got rained out last weekend) so I can't get too far into rebuilding stuff, but after this weekend I'm starting on the suspension......
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

BruceK

Wait.  Removed it, rebuilt it, and did not paint it, before reinstalling?   Dave, are you trying to be Edd China?




1988 Austin Mini
2002 MINI Cooper S
1992 Toyota LiteAce (JDM)
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

MiniDave

#93
It actually was a "Gold Seal" unit, and already painted.......I did not want to disturb the original factory "patina"   ;D

I've also decided not to go crazy on this car and redo everything I come across, performance enhancements and needed repairs only.

Good thing I had that big ass puller.......
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

jedduh01

For the brakes=  check + probably plan for replacing the Pistons in the Calipers + seals (need a rebuild)
  I had to do mine when 1 caliper stuck on for a trip + cooked the rotor . when digging in  found half rotten rusted pistons inside.

Another friend= had a MPI= Exact Same issue= he replaced both calipers with remain units.... simply cheap original caliper pistons RUST.

http://www.7ent.com/products/caliper-piston-1984-on-114713.html

Stainless steel!

MiniDave

#95
Funny you should mention that.......this morning I was changing the pads and rotors and guess what? Yep, stuck nasty rusted piston.

Parts ordered - again! - this am. I bought the SS pistons.....https://usa.minisport.com/114713s-mini-1984-onwards-stainless-steel-caliper-piston.html  and the rebuild kits and the hardware kit....watch, the calipers are not leaking but I'll find corrosion in the housing and wind up buying new calipers......

The car shook pretty badly on braking which is why I was changing the rotors, now I know why they were so warped. Oh well, you can't scrimp when it comes to brakes.....
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

Lets see....for a car I wasn't really going to do much on, I've ordered about $1500 in new parts and so far changed the radiator, swapped the instruments, rebuilt the alternator, fixed the seat, will rebuild the brakes all around, will change all the suspension and the final drive ratio (requiring a motor pull, which means seals, water pump and a carb Ohaul to start - I'm sure there will be more!)

Yikes!
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

BruceK

Quote from: MiniDave on September 29, 2016, 09:43:49 AM
Lets see....for a car I wasn't really going to do much on, I've ordered about $1500 in new parts and so far changed the radiator, swapped the instruments, rebuilt the alternator, fixed the seat, will rebuild the brakes all around, will change all the suspension and the final drive ratio (requiring a motor pull, which means seals, water pump and a carb Ohaul to start - I'm sure there will be more!)

Yikes!
And there's the reason MiniSpares, MiniSport, MiniMania, Huddersfield, Seven, etc. flourish! 

We can't stop ourselves.



.
1988 Austin Mini
2002 MINI Cooper S
1992 Toyota LiteAce (JDM)
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

MiniDave

#98
Ha! Ain't it the truth?????

Just found the lug nuts I ordered aren't the right ones.....and there's the problem with ordering from overseas, it's hard to return stuff when it's wrong.

So if anyone needs a set of new chrome lugnuts pretty reasonably let me know, they are the 60° seat but narrow - I need the wide seat 60° nuts for the wheels I have. My bad, I didn't look at them closely enough when I was on the website......I paid $20 for the set of 16.

Plus as you own a car you discover it's little secrets, like the sticking brake piston, and the bad fuel sending unit that works fine on a full tank then drops to nothing at about 1/2 tank. Scares the crap out of you the first time if you didn't notice it and you're driving along then you look down at the gauge and think you're out of gas.....and you're MILES from town or a station!

The only good news is I bought this car cheaply enough that I can afford to spend some money on it to both make it right and make it more fun to drive......so I'm OK with it.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

John Gervais

"I'm sure there will be more!"

Ain't that the understatement du jour...  I installed MSC's stainless caliper pistons a few years ago - trying to fit the thin steel rings is not a job I'd want to do again.  Glad I did it, and if I ever needed new calipers, I'd probably change the pistons and avoid problems later.

If you weren't 'over there', I'd take those wheel nuts.  I wonder how much they'd cost to send to Denmark?
- Pave the Bay -