Racing Green 89 Mini

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

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MiniDave

#125
I've decided to just go ahead and do it all......

Tomorrow I'll go ahead and remove the hub and pull the bearings, if the bearings are rough I've got 2 new sets of them too. While I'm in there I will go ahead and rebuild the brake calipers, when I changed the pads and rotors last weekend before our run to nowhere one of the of the pistons would not retract so I pushed it out as far as I could and cleaned it up with some fine emery paper, I did manage to get it back in and it didn't drag on my 300 mile run, but just to be sure I ordered some caliper kits and 4 SS pistons too and those will be here tomorrow as well.

So, the only things I won't have done is repack the CV joints and replace the boots....they look fine right now but I'm wondering about the wheel bearings as there was a roaring noise in the front that I could not pinpoint.

So....new upper control arm bearings and seals, new adjustable lower control arms and bushings, new tie bars and bushings, all new hardware, repacked or new wheel bearings, rebuild calipers, new rotors, new pads........what's left?

I'll do the axles when I pull the engine this winter to change the final drive gear and I'll reseal the trans then too - new axle seals, shift rod kit and whatever gaskets I need.

I'm glad this car doesn't seem to have been eaten up by the tinworm, I was encouraged when I pulled the shock mount off and found good metal.....historically that's been a rust haven.

That should do it.....
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

Ran into a problem......the new bracket won't clear this fresh air hose...choices right now seem to be to lose the hose or lop off the top of the bracket - I'm only going to use the lower holes anyway, but I hate to do it......

Going to think about this for a while before I do anything.....
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

John Gervais

I'd probably crush the hose around the bracket - how much is it interfering?  Air will still flow through it...

I carved the snorkel down to a retaining ring for the hose in order to mount my ignition and I still get some air flowing through the system.
- Pave the Bay -

MiniDave

#128
I may just go with a smaller hose, for now I just took it out so I could get the bracket mounted properly.

I got the "hard" side done (right side) and I'm pleased with it - please note the new paint, BruceK!  ;D

No question, trying to do these in the car is way high on the fiddle factor scale. But it is do-able, obviously - Jory (Little Drunken Smurf) did his recently too on his Jap spec SPI.

Letting my bac take a break for the moment, I've decided to leave the brake overhaul for another day and concentrate on getting the suspension done so I can get up to school over the weekend and align it when no one's there...even tho they don't teach steering and suspension classes in the fall, I can't always get on the alignment machine when other classes are in session.

Just got to see a drawing of the new shop they're building for us - $20 million building just for us....24 work bays all with lifts vs the 10 we have now.....to be completed in time for fall 2018 classes! Unfortunately spring 2017 is my last full class - I'm being retired......again! But this time I'm OK with it...I'll make myself available as a sub so I can keep my keys to the shop!

Oh, and while my head was right next to it I noticed my slave cylinder is leaking, BruceK knows how much fun that's going to be as he just did his before our trip this summer.

Thinking about taking one of the old cups and cutting the lip off then putting it back in that hole upside down so it doesn't fill up with dirt and crap......if I can find a rubber plug the right size that would be even better.....maybe a quick trip up to the local Ace Hardware is in order......

My wheel bearings feel fine so I'm just going to clean and repack....I'll save the new ones for another day or another car. I do have to reshim the upper ball joint on one side, someone didn't have the right shims so they didn't put any in, just tightened the nut to take out the play and tried to lock it down with the lock tab......jeez, some people!
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

BruceK

Leaking Verto clutch slave?  Oh, you boys with the steering wheel on the wrong side have it easy.  Since my Mini has steering on the side God intended, I had to deal with the massive brake booster (and washer bottle) sitting right in my way.
1988 Austin Mini
2002 MINI Cooper S
1992 Toyota LiteAce (JDM)
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

MiniDave

#130
Kinda like mine?

Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

John Gervais

The silver paint looks sharp -  77.gif

How'd you get the upper arm dust shield/excluder to sit so perfectly?  Mine wouldn't fit flat - I stretched them onto the arm before fitting the arm to the subframe, then installed the thrust washers and shafts; the seals wouldn't fully seat once everything was in place.
- Pave the Bay -

MiniDave

#132
I'm good, that's how!   :D

No really, I did it pretty much exactly the way you said...put both seals on the arm first, inserted the washer in the rear one and slid the arm into place. Next the shaft goes in - that was fun...I laid a shop  rag down first, then laid the shaft on it, then grabbed the little bit of the shaft I could reach between the body and that brake line with a long set of needle nose pliers and maneuvered it into the hole, then just kept moving it till it slid in. Put the forward washer in and moved it into place while I worked the arm up and down, then slid the plate over that and put the outer 1/4" bolt and nut on to hold everything together. Then I put the rear nut on the shaft to hold it still so I could get the front one on, snugged both up then did the inner 1/4" bolt, which was the hardest to start. Tightened everything up and there you go.....

Greased it all up good and I'm ready to start the other side. I'm hoping the left one will be easier, with the hole under the radiator that you can stick your fingers thru.....

Once I get those done I'll pull the bearings out, clean and repack them, shim that loose ball joint and I'll be ready to install the new lower control arm and tie bar.

The paint is actually darker than it looks in the pic, it's "stainless steel" paint. Bead blasting the parts sure gives the paint a good key to stick to....I did Buzz's arms that way and 2 years later it still looked like I'd just done it.

I haven't seen that style of bump stop before, is that on early cars or just a different style?
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

BruceK

That there is a hydro-spastic bump stop.    Also used by BMC sometimes for the works rally cars.
1988 Austin Mini
2002 MINI Cooper S
1992 Toyota LiteAce (JDM)
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

John Gervais

Dave, if you think the left side has adequate space for fingers under the radiator, you'll love tryng to do the 1/4" retaining plate screws.  Also, you'll probably need a long extension and wobble bar to get under the radiator for the shaft nut.

Quote from: BruceK on October 07, 2016, 06:50:07 PM
That there is a hydro-spastic bump stop.    Also used by BMC sometimes for the works rally cars.

(On my dry-suspension car...  Notice how I shortened it and re-profiled the top?  It's also got the EN24 damper (shock absorber) pins and upper mounts for lowered cars.)  Spastic indeed!
- Pave the Bay -

MiniDave

#135
I got the left side installed today with little drama and most of the skin still intact on my hands!  ;D

John, I was able to tighten the large nut with a ratcheting wrench - very handy little things to have - I used the same style wrench to tighten the 1/4" bolts too.

So, next up - adjustable lower control arms and tie bars.

A while back BruceK gifted me with some offset lower control arm bushes (danko!) the idea behind these is that if you run larger than normal amounts of caster for better handling, the bushes are able to compensate for the change in angle of the lower control arm, so they don't get deformed and fail early. I tend to run pretty normal caster angles - about 3° - but if these will help I'm all for them.

Here's how you fit them according to MiniSpares......

Fitting:
........... the bushes need to be properly orientated to achieve the correct angle of fitment for the offset steel sleeves. The bushes are therefore marked with a fine line on the narrower side of the bush flange (check top and underside of flange). The front bush (nearest front of car) should be fitted with this line pointing down the centerline of the bottom arm towards the wheel. The rear bush should be positioned with it's line 180 degrees the other way, so pointing in towards the centerline of the car. Trial fit the bushes and bottom arm pin to the arm before fitting to the car - the pin should fit easily through. If the bushes are not correctly aligned the pin will not fit easily.



However, before I can fit them I have to get the steel sleeves of the old bushes off the pin...options right now are to drag my acetylene torch up from the storage in the basement, or try to carefully cut thru the sleeve without damaging the pin underneath. The old rubber bushes were absolutely knackered, that could have been contributing to my low speed wobble......

More as it happens.....
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

Well, it took the torch to get those sleeves off the pins, and one side was really stuck on....but a little cherry red heat got them in the end.....I bought this torch set to work on my first Mini, my 62 Cooper S.....that was in the late mid 1960's. Still works perfectly too!

Here's a pic to show the difference in how the pin goes thru the bushings in the lower control arm with offset bushings.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

John Gervais

I've been using those offset bushes since September 2004.  I like the idea behind them; makes sense.

I've also got a slight vibration above 60mph and have recently begun hearing a 'clunk' when I take my foot off the throttle - something's amiss, hopefully just dogbone/engine stabilizer bushes.

I gave a half-hearted tug on the lower arms when I changed rubber cones and they seemed OK, but maybe I should remove the arms and check them.  I have a replacement C-STR632 bush set on hand, just in case.
- Pave the Bay -

MiniDave

#138
I agree, if you're running extra caster or camber, but if you're just running standard numbers? I have a set of standard poly bushes if I need them but I'll put the offsets in and see what they look like.

I took the old suspension parts up to school and bead blasted and painted them, I also bead blasted the hubs and gave them a coat of SS paint - I know they're supposed to be black but I didn't have any black paint!  ::)

Tonight I thought I'd finish up the hubs by cleaning and repacking the wheel bearings (which are all in good shape) and cleaning and reshimming the ball joints, but as always I ran into a problem....2 of the ball joints are just done for so I got an order in right away in hopes they'll be here in time for me to get them installed and the car aligned in time for our event next weekend.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

BruceK

That swivel pin is just a bit past its prime.   Are you going to use the "genuine" ones, or the aftermarket ones?
1988 Austin Mini
2002 MINI Cooper S
1992 Toyota LiteAce (JDM)
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

MiniDave

#140
I'm using the Genuine Mini Spares ones!  ;D

http://www.minispares.com/product/Classic/Suspension/Front/GSJ166MS.aspx?1902&ReturnUrl=/search/classic/ball joints.aspx|Back to search

Those are two different pins in my pics BTW, both the right side pins were toast (what, you mean those holes aren't there just to hold extra grease?), left side both were fine.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

BruceK

I've purchased both the Rover ball joints and the MS ones too - I can't see any difference in quality between them.
1988 Austin Mini
2002 MINI Cooper S
1992 Toyota LiteAce (JDM)
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

MiniDave

Considering the tiny number of miles most of these cars get driven now compared to when they were new, I think many aftermarket parts are just fine. Not to mention the cars are babied, protected, rarely driven in rain, garaged at all times and benefit from modern lubricants........

Today I'll get the left side put together - MiniSpares has ready shipped my parts and I've gotten notice from DHL that they expect to deliver Wed, so I should be fine for getting it all back together in time for the show on Sunday. Really quick service from them. After I placed my first order I remembered a few small things I wanted to get for spares (extra lock plates, split pins and other small parts) so about an hour after the first I placed the second order and sent them a note asking them to combine them to save on shipping, this morning I had an email from them saying they had done just that. Really good service from these guys.......

Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

MiniDave

Got the lower control arms installed - it's a bit of a brain teaser as the hole where the ball joint pin goes is tapered, you're looking at the top one which has the taper to the top and you have to remember the bottom one has to go the other way.

I put the left arm in, decided it was wrong and changed it, then realized I had it right the first time and changed it back!  ::)
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

94touring

#144
Those look pretty slick  4.gif

MiniDave

I prefer this style of lower control arm, it's easier to adjust......I'll be happy when it's all back together and I can drive it again!
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

John Gervais

Those arms really are quite nice - not from MSC, where from?

Unfortunately, I suspect they'd likely be illegal for road use over here and I'm already pushing my luck with respect to modifications that deviate from bone-stock standard, so I'll be staying with my cast arms.


Tell, me though - what do you make of this sentence:

"When increasing negative camber ST Abingdon always advised fitting a 3mm plate under the top arm where the bump stop 2A4267 hits to prevent undue strain on the driveshafts."

I simply cannot imagine how to affix such a plate, and I'm running a small amount o'negative camber with 'ordinary' negative camber cast arms.

The link:  C-AJJ3364
- Pave the Bay -

MPlayle

John,

Perhaps it was to raise the bump stop to restrict the downward range of the upper arm and thus the angle on the driveshaft to outer CV joint?

Wouldn't increased negative camber increase the angle of the outer CV joint in relation to the main driveshaft?  Then droop of the wheel crossing a hole would add to it further, possibly reaching the max angle for the joint?

John Gervais

By the way - 21A1307 Spacer between seal and inner bearing 0.229" inches thick isn't needed.  My AKM2 6th Edition manual says it was deleted from production cars and no longer required.
- Pave the Bay -

94touring

Quote from: John Gervais on October 10, 2016, 02:38:34 PM
By the way - 21A1307 Spacer between seal and inner bearing 0.229" inches thick isn't needed.  My AKM2 6th Edition manual says it was deleted from production cars and no longer required.

Correct.  I remember being confused pulling them out of old hubs and not having them in to put back in.