Winter upgrades.

[Gr4H4m]

Well after last year, I decided on some winter mods.. The valve guides were shot, and the engine could do with a better cam.. so the engine was pulled and the head sent to Turbominis member Turbo Phil for new guides and some porting. Phil found an issue with the exhaust valves as morspeed had put 1275 inlets in.... I'm lucky I never blew a hole in them esp running a supercharger.

So after having some 29 mm valves turned down to 27.3mm, I also decided to replace ll of the inlet valves to, so they are all stainless. I also got some of those MRA stem seals, new valve guides and look what I got back.. The springs are shimmed and I will also shim the rockers.

A big thanks to Turbo Phil for his hard work.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q18/Mini_Addicts_Gr4H4m/DSCF5021.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q18/Mini_Addicts_Gr4H4m/DSCF5020.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q18/Mini_Addicts_Gr4H4m/DSCF5019.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q18/Mini_Addicts_Gr4H4m/DSCF5018.jpg

[Deano]

Looks good :D

[minimuff]

Yesvery impressive.

Nice one....

[Gr4H4m]

Well it getting to that winter time of year when the upgrades start again, and looking at anything that needs attention.

There are a couple of upgrades on the cards and I need to sort a couple of issues.. but most of all I'm looking to get the car painted, on this note I had a moment of weakness....

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q18/Mini_Addicts_Gr4H4m/DSC00153.jpg

[Deano]

Ive done a sex wee :eek::):D

[moddinmad]

me 2....:eek::eek: how much were them bad boys?

[Gr4H4m]

too much...

[Deano]

They do make very nice place mats ;)

[RSP]

Love those bad boys!!!! Super :cool::cool:

[Busterb1993]

wow , i thought i got excited when my wheels came but wow mine aint a patch on them babys :) they are nice !!

[Gr4H4m]

Well its that time of year again and the winter mods are starting to grow....

I would love to knowhow many people need to change the clutch oil seal... I seem to do 1 a year? I even have the special tool that makes sure its on square, I think I will try the cheap one this time..

SO what are you all upto?

[English Bully]

doing one a year,sounds like sumert worn or blocked somewhere gezza

[RSP]

Well its that time of year again and the winter mods are starting to grow....

I would love to knowhow many people need to change the clutch oil seal... I seem to do 1 a year? I even have the special tool that makes sure its on square, I think I will try the cheap one this time..

SO what are you all upto?

Have not even looked at mine in 2 years on the clutch seal front:D

The winter mods this time around is a full roll cage, harness bar and lucas rear rev lamp and maybe a works dash. Been collecting all the bits over this year at shows etc. Only thing to get is a dash or tweek on the one we made.

[charlie_mini]

my winter mods will be to the pickup.... it may actually get an MOT Come spring hopefully! :) just got to shift maria out of the carport first! :)

[RSP]

Have you got much on it to do to get it through?

[charlie_mini]

shouldnt be too bad mate, nothing a bit of T-Cut, Chicken Wire, Newspaper and Filler Cant sort! :) (keeping tru to what i found on maria! )

http://i463.photobucket.com/albums/qq359/e_lonsdale/Yvette/IMG_0797.jpg
http://i463.photobucket.com/albums/qq359/e_lonsdale/Yvette/Picture065.jpg
http://i463.photobucket.com/albums/qq359/e_lonsdale/Yvette/Picture012.jpg
http://i463.photobucket.com/albums/qq359/e_lonsdale/Yvette/Picture046.jpg

[Gr4H4m]

Holy moly that's some work there mate

[Deano]

New wheel bearings & ball joints some spit & polish & get it ready to go back on the road i mis driving a mini:(

[charlie_mini]

New wheel bearings & ball joints some spit & polish & get it ready to go back on the road i mis driving a mini:(
me too.. i put a battery on charlie yesterday and just drive her round behind work.... cant beat it! :(

[spNOam]

I'm in the process of fitting MGF hubs & brakes on to Helen in an attempt to eliminate a little torque steer :)

[Gr4H4m]

Interesting upgrade. They do say wheel offset doesnt help with torque steer

[spNOam]

Last years winter upgrade gave me 230bhp which doesn't help either :) If I have time this year I may just get the spiess F3 cylinder head I have under the bench looked at which could give me a liittle more

[RSP]

Good to see that people have plans for this winter to make their mini's even better.:D:D:D

[spNOam]

Anyone else fitted mgf hubs & brakes to thir mini?

[Brumski]

Anyone else fitted mgf hubs & brakes to thir mini?

Nope, just MGF bottom ball joints on the watsons setup...

Will be watching your conversion with interested though matey as a possible future ...

[Gr4H4m]

Geoff get some pics up should be a great bit of work.

[spNOam]

Ok you asked.......

The thinking behing this mod is less leverage less torque steer..
Don't remember if this is mini or metro but theyre much the same in length

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k63/spnoam/a51e5c49.jpg

Compared with the MGF

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k63/spnoam/25a115d3.jpg

Needed to mount the MGF bottom joint to the rosejointed mini bottom arm, made some 5mm plates & sandwiched the bottom joint

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k63/spnoam/e6581838.jpg

This was then welded to the bottom arm

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k63/spnoam/2e3b7a16.jpg

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k63/spnoam/dbf37023.jpg

With a little fettling the tie rod fitted the frontmost bolthole, pic shows trial fit

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k63/spnoam/928a258e.jpg

Mini steering arms compared with the MGF units, I've gone for the S steering arms, hole centres are the same, just needed opening out a smidgin

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k63/spnoam/d4be1874.jpg

Have been roughly setting up the caster, camber & toe, will need to use spitfire track rod ends as they're longer. Drive flanges & discs are away being re-drilled to mini pcd, will post some more pictures when these are assembled.

Nearly forgot, I also needed to swap the top joint for a metro unit, the MGF taper is fatter & won't fit

[spNOam]

Driveshafts are now removed, will need (another) pair of shafts, Vauxhall one end & MGF the other.

[Gr4H4m]

Interesting keep us posted. I did think about using metro hubs in the future to make the ball joint changes easy.

[RSP]

Indeed we all like a good winter upgrade on here.

[spNOam]

Update:
To find out what has been achieved, with the car level I used a straight edge intersecting the top & bottom joint and drew a mark on to the garage floor, I then drew a line from this to the front of the car & fitted the wheel, this is what it looks like. Wheels are ET0 with a 10mm spacer to clear the brake caliper

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k63/spnoam/3f0a0886.jpg

If someone using mini &/or metro hubs could do the same for comparison please?

This drawing shows a little better what I'm trying to find out

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k63/spnoam/pos_scrub_radius1.jpg

Turns out with my new setup I have 2" positive scrub radius - what do you guys have?

[spNOam]

Just found evo's picture, thinking about it, this is where I started.....

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af104/evolotion/photo-1.jpg

[Gr4H4m]

intresting mate had it on the road yet?

[spNOam]

Not yet, I need to go and buy some brake pads, mintex1155 for an mgf arent cheap!
Suspension geometry needs setting up & another set of driveshafts need to be made
Vaux one end and mgf the other, it'll be a while yet.

[spNOam]

Quick update, waiting for driveshafts...

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k63/spnoam/c6a1033a.jpg

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k63/spnoam/c6a1033a.jpg

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k63/spnoam/4f072969.jpg

[Gr4H4m]

Nice brakes..

[spNOam]

Thanks, pad surface is nearly twice the size :)

[spNOam]

Now to play with corner weights :)

[RSP]

Nice set up there:)

[ROADRUNNER]

I don't do Winter upgrades all mine are daily upgrades

[Gr4H4m]

Well Geoff has got me thinking... This winter I will mainly be focusing on geometry. And trying to correct the positive front camber and introduce the car to caster.....

I have also replaced the clutch oil seal again...I have ditched the red super dupers as they ain't that super duper IMO. I checked the end float and polished the primary where the seal fits and then fitted with the correct tool the minispeed super dupe. See how this holds out.

[spNOam]

Still waiting for driveshafts :(

[Gr4H4m]

thats a shame I bet you cant wait, are you doing the snowdon scatter?

I have been messing about with the castersettings but its difficult without all of the kit.. going to take it to Buckley tyres I think now I know what settings I want. I just dont fancy them putting the gauges on the wheels.

[Gr4H4m]

Warning don't go to lunch with geoff... You end up buying new front arms and then spending two. Hours in the garage fitting them....

[spNOam]

:D You'll be able to get your front end geometry spot on now though.
Got bored waiting for the driveshafts, now working on fitting MGF rear discs & calipers to the mini rear hubs & radius arms, progress so far - I have mini rear hubs that fit MGF discs, holes re drilled to 101.6mm & m12 x 1.5 studs, so hubs & discs sorted, caliper brackets to fit the mini radius arms have been laser cut today, all I need now is a spacer (from Mark D) to fit between the radius arm & the rear of the hub to make up for the spacered rear drums. Brake pipes won't be a problem but looks I'll have to get creative to get the handbrake cables to fit/work. Just mocking things up at the mo, will post some pictures soon.

[Gr4H4m]

cant wait to see the finished artical..

[spNOam]

Front sorted, thought I'd have a go at putting the MGF rear discs on too, well it works on an MGF....with a combination of discs & calipers off ebay, caliper plates & Mark D's wheel spacer adapters & a little creativity to get the handbrake linkages it should work.

Fettled the mini rear hubs into the MGF discs & fitted the M12 x 1.5 studs, still keeping the 4" pcd

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k63/spnoam/d68a21c1.jpg

Then set about getting the caliper & disc to fit on to the radius arm, initially just a mock up made out of bits lying around the workshop just to confirm that it will work & get some sizes

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k63/spnoam/94ebfe97.jpg

Looks OK so far :D

[Gr4H4m]

is this a start of GBBK

Geoff's Big Brake Kits?

[spNOam]

GBBK? No, this is a pretty specialist setup, probably not compatible with any of the mini front brake configurations. I'm only having a go to see if it works well with the MGF fronts.