Project Trig - After 18 Months Away, Is Back In Town! by Mini 360

9 minute(s) of a 461 minute read

Friday night my mate Greig and I tried to fix the linkage to no avail.  Even swapped over the entire linkage (I had a spare, as you do.....) but still no first or second.  Open heart surgery time! Fail! So as I had a 998 sitting from the car originally, we set about plucking the box from the block.  So my dad and i set about it!  People say that the flywheel is a nightmare to remove......it came off with two turns with the puller tool.  Ace! Worked fine before rebuild so will still be fine now.  Got all the gaskets etc in stock as I bought a whole engine kit a while back and didnt use it all.  Handy! Standard inner box shot.   Engine in, running fine, just no gears.  Shame as it was SO close!!! Stripped the ancillaries minus the clutch and brakes systems as I didn't want to rebuild them too.  Unbolted the brake servo and managed to get the engine out around it.  One less job to do! And with everything disconnected the engine was pulled out gradually so as not to damage anything and to ensure we werent dragging anything with it that we had forgotten about. We did it without a scratch on either engine or body.  Very happy with that! Empty bay, hopefully filled again soon.... So we tried to take the flywheel off the 1275 but wasn't budging so leaving it overnight under pressure (dum dum dum dum dee dum dum) and sometimes the pop off by morning. Looks a bit of a mess but its sort of organised Was out this evening so didn't get anything else done but pretty sure the above is an acceptable amount of work.... Next up, gearbox swap over and refitting!  Busy weekend!

5-13-2013

Yeh I had a swap around with that before swapping the linkage.  It was the right way round to start with but good to rule it out!

Good and bad. Managed to separate the flywheel etc from the 1275 and got the box off. Shame I didn't have all the required gaskets and seals to reassemble it with the 998 box though! Bits ordered and should be here by Tuesday. Leaving some parts in paint stripper overnight for reprinting as the paint had reacted and bubbled/blistered. Presentations everything! Not ideal but don't want a leaky engine!

No pics of what we did as we were trying to get as much done as possible.  That didnt stop us listening into the grand prix on my iPad though!

Tonight however I got my other door rebuilt to hopefully hang this coming weekend.  Turns out I was having difficulties fitting the glass before as there was the remains of the original window channel seal, about 5" long still stuck in the door which was jamming up the glass!  With this found and removed, it went a lot more smoothly!

Again, protected everything with blue tape.  Its cheap but does the job of stopping scratches well!

On factory doors this channel is filled with a grey putty.  Obviously this was removed before painting but it does act as a good seal.  Instead of this I decided to use clear silicon which wont dry out so easily as the putty did (it was rock hard upon removal)

Little bit messy but dries clear and will be covered by the door cards anyway!

Then went all Karate Kid on the doors.  Wax on....

Wax off!

Still amazed at the finish on them!

Mirror mirror on the door.......

So without the parts I need for the engine, and the engine parts taking up all the floor space in the garage Im stuck for work tonight but Greigs coming by to help again tomorrow and with the new seals etc, should get the engine reassembled again and maybe even reinstalled!  Although tis seemingly more and more unlikely I will make the Thistle Run, Im not going to give up.  Its not over till the MOT man says no!

5-14-2013

Very small bit of progress tonight.  Garage is filled with engines and gearboxs everywhere so no room to work!  Would have got on with the rebuild but not all of the parts arrived......

Did however get an indicator screwed in and a doorcard on. Hopefully get the parts tomorrow and get cracking with the engine again!

beyond happy with how the door looks. Perfect inside and outside. Will mount the mirrors once its in place.



So come on postie....where are you!?

5-15-2013

Evening done!  Mainly spent it prepping the flywheel housing and wok for paint.  Not 100% perfect but I needed to get it done tonight, so if my half moon seal arrives tomorrow, its ready for fitting.  (Kinda...)

Seeing as the car is in the garage unable to move I used the apple trees for hanging the bits. Handy! Masked off the internal piece before doing so though!



As you can see, not perfect but a hell of a lot better than before. Ultimately these will get powdercoated but will leave that for a winter some year.





With those painted and drying on the floor in the garage I got my front indicators screwed in. Ordered clips for them and they werent a good fit at all even though they were sold as genuine from a Mini supplier......but with some modification they were in!



Bought new driveshaft dust seals seeing as I had the diff covers off anyway! Fitted with appropriate socket and hammer



and in



Then decided to shim up my diff! Measured 12thou between plate and bearing so add 4thou to that and you get 16thou overall. Got a 10thou shim, got a 6thou ordered from MiniSport which should be here friday or saturday hopefully! I DID have shims from the 998 box but god knows where they have disappeared to which is a shame as its adding a couple days to getting it all back together!



and then back to minisport for more bits and pieces.....couple diff shims so they are brand new throughout and door shims, just incase the fitment isnt perfect as is just now. Tomorrow should see the flywheel housing back on along with flywheel assembly and wok and then get the gearbox on soon after.

Times run out.  It wont make the Thistle.