Loose Ends and More POR 15

NEW?  CLICK HERE FOR DAY ONE!

---UPDATES ARE ON MONDAYS---

Click here for a 3 minute video of the entire build.

This week I installed new roller bearings that fit the fat and super strong Cooper S CV joints in place of the old ball bearings that went with the weak and skinny drum brake style CV joins.  Gotta have some meat if you have some power!  It's a long story but both bearings fit in the hub.
I installed the slave cylinder for the clutch, two bolts and BOOM that was done.

I also made a doubler that I will weld into place to support the load of the torque shoe that controls the movement of the engine while under acceleration or deceleration.  With a "toy" of a car and with some power, this thing is going to be abused!  I want to be able to romp on the gas and let off with the utmost confidence.  Most the other frame mounting bolts are under shear or torsional forces that can be handled easily.
I prepped and coated the passenger side floor board with POR 15 under the frame bolts and then everywhere else to protect them from corrosion after the carpet is put back.

Lastly I bought some new fasteners for some suspension components this week and ran into a few friends I haven't see for a while at the hardware store.  I love that!  I have been using Ny-Lock nuts where possible because they are only a few pennies more and will not fall off.  I also bought and installed some star washers to keep my header bolts from backing out from the constant expansion and contraction due to heating and cooling.  I wasn't sure about those but talked to my dad who is also building a car (his Vette powered '33 Ford blog is HERE) and his ceramic header came supplied with star washers so I assume they are OK to use on my delicate ceramic coated surface as well.

Big ID roller on left, small ID ball on right.

OD is the same,  ID is .015 off, no biggie.

Here the hubs are stuffed and ready to go!

Clutch slave installed.

Floor cleaned up at 2:00 in the morning.

Thanks for the forceps Mark!  That tool is about he only thing that could get the nut out of the place it fell and wedged in .  Even a magnet wouldn't get it being stuck and all.

Doubler is upper left, the POR 15 is under the plate and the washers.

Passenger floor is coated with POR 15.

New fasteners for track rod.

New star washers under the header bolts, missing one though...

Making a Suspension Bolt and Some Painting

NEW?  CLICK HERE FOR DAY ONE!

---UPDATES ARE ON MONDAYS---
Click here for a 3 minute video of the entire build.
 

While installing the lower suspension arms I found the right side mounting bolt wouldn't clear the tranny.  So I picked up a grade 8 bolt and a 3 inch long 1/4 inch pipe that I "machined" down to the 1/2 inch diameter that the original bolt is.  I should have installed the lower right suspension arm BEFORE  I mounted the engine.  But now it's easier to just make my own plus now it can be removed later.
Other than that, I was able to prep and paint more parts.

The bolt supplied won't clear the tranny, I should have installed the lower arm before mounting the engine.  No worries, I'll buy a smaller bolt and make a sleeve to slip over it.

Here is the pipe before being "turned down" (one threaded end already cut off).

Here I took some 1/4 inch pipe and chucked it in a drill press, (my "lathe").

 

Almost there.

Done.

Lower arm in place, sleave being inserted.

Next goes in the new bolt, this time from the rear.

I installed a thick washer on the right to support the nut and provide the correct amount of bushing squeeze.

Complete.

Calipers painted.

Hubs and old backing plates painted.  I may need to make new backing plates though.

Painted hubs.

Here is one of the new thicker Cooper S CV joints and flanges to be installed.

One more picture of engine in, I still can't believe it's in there!

And They Said it Wouldn't Fit!

NEW?  CLICK HERE FOR DAY ONE!

---UPDATES ARE ON MONDAYS---
Click here for a 3 minute video of the entire build.
 

This weekend was a fun filled family weekend and I was able to get one major thing done on the mini: MOUNT THE ENGINE!  I stayed up late on Friday and got it in (thank you Red Bull). Oh boy, this is a big milestone for me. So now I'm only faced with shift linkage, electrical, fuel system, radiator, electrical, axles, brake backing plates, electrical, exhaust etc.  It's the little things that take time, can I get it all done by mid June???

Red Bull and car parts, the perfect Friday night.

OK, here it goes.

Dead Elvis is supervising. 

Car starting to lift.

In baby!

Fit's like a glove.

Cone in a Round Socket?

NEW?  CLICK HERE FOR DAY ONE!

---UPDATES ARE ON MONDAYS---
Click here for a 3 minute video of the entire build.
 

The other week as I took apart the upper front suspension arms, I found a nylon cup is used in the ball and socket.  This must add some life to the joint as there isn't a zirk to grease it.  I think Alec Issigonis (Mini Designer) must have looked at the human body as a guide and decided if bone on bone isn't good then metal on metal wouldn't hold up either.  Anyway, the nylon cup is cone shaped on the outside and nests in the upper arm, the inside of the cup is a concave shape that mates with the ball.
On one of the joints the cup has worn through and the ball was grinding away the inside of the socket, so the socket lost it's cone shape and is now too deep and rounded.  I need to either buy a new arm or build up the inside of the socket back to an inverted cone shape, below is how I took care of that.  The cup nests in the socket utilizing a cone shape to keep the cup from moving in the socket and forcing the only movement to be between the ball and the cup.  The cup is filled with grease and then a seal is used to keep it all clean.

Cup pulled out of the socket and you can see it's worn through and the ball has rounded the inside of the socket.

Here this socket still has it's cone shape as does the cup (to be replaced anyway).

Here are the two sockets, rounded one on the left and the other still cone shaped.

Worn socket and ball along with new ball and cap.

Good ball (left) and worn ball (right).

I put JB Weld inside the worn socket.

I then inserted the new cup as a mold and clamped it in place.  This will force the JB Weld to form around the cup and create a supportive base around the cone.  The main force the JB Weld will need to support is compression so I feel this is a permanent fix.  If you have ever used JB Weld, you know what I'm talking about.

After finding the right thrust washers and seals in my box-o-parts, the upper arm is finally in place.  A bit of clean up from the clamping and things will look like they were back in 1967.

Small Stuff

NEW?  CLICK HERE FOR DAY ONE!

---UPDATES ARE ON MONDAYS---
Click here for a 3 minute video of the entire build.
 

One part that interferes with a track rod when the suspension cycles is this bolt on the bottom of the transmission, however this is no ordinary bolt.  It holds a spring that is part of a detent on a shift rod. This week I cut the offending head off the shifter detent bolt, shortened it, then welded on a flat top, clean it up and cut a slot in the top for a flat screwdriver.  I also coated the inside with JB Weld to make sure and seal up any pin hole leaks that may be there as this bolt hangs on the bottom of the transmission and must be fluid tight.  The spring also needed to be shortened accordingly.  Lastly, I used calipers to make sure there was no interference while shifting.
Also, I am ready to assemble the suspension parts but I'm waiting for two little nylon cups from Mini Mania.  Mine are worn out and now is the only chance I have to install new ones.  I did get a chance to clean up the suspension arms and paint them with POR15.

Stock bolt.

Head cut off with a die grinder.

New flat head welded on, bolt is still a bit long at this point and I ground down some length after.

Slot cut in the top.

Test fit with modified bolt in place.  You can see I ground down more of the top, I will use that area to inject silicone sealer.

Yup, flush.  After assembly of the suspension parts, I'll see if I need to grind the case and drop the plug further.

A little lock tight to keep it in place.

 Done, but after a suspension check I hit it with RTV.

Here I'm taking apart the hubs to be cleaned and coated with POR15 (and a new steering knuckle seal installed).

These are the upper and lower suspension arms already cleaned and coated with POR15.