Motors [Log] Building a Mini Clubman for stock racing

My first project car! Well, not mine exactly, I'm helping a friend to build up a Mini for stock car racing. My friend has a great love for Minis, unfortunately, I don't share quite the same love for them. Nonetheless, I'm helping where possible.

Today he paid for the engine, gearbox, cylinder head, clutch and bell-housing and a few bits here and there. Once it was all loaded into my little car, we headed for home. Overall, the engine and gearbox is really dirty, but we plan on completely dismantling the gearbox and cleaning out the muck that has settled on the bottom.

We were merely getting excited by test fitting the parts together.

Cylinder head


Engine with gearbox partially assembled


Engine and gearbox with differential visible


Inside the gearbox with sludge at the bottom


We will only be tackling this project full on after final examinations which will end on the 15th of November. Until then, we are only collecting all the necessary parts and manuals.

Sputnik

 

Good luck, what displacement is that engine?

 

It's a 1275 engine, but it is going to be re-bored to 1300 so as to accept new pistons and because the lining of the piston sleeve is slightly (although it can be felt) rough and rusted.

Sputnik

 

Oh interesting stuff!
1275 engine too, good choice, i'll be watching...

 

Hi sputum!

ive come ! ! ! joined bit-tech just this morning so i could join you in making the log of the mini! I AM SO HAPPY!!! cant wait to clean that out and have a clean parts laying before us to assemble. . .

 

just realised the drive shafts are on the wrong direction LOL! look carefully... the diff is slightly offse to the left on that one picture... so the longer shaft should be on the right, not on the left as it currently is also: does anybody out there know if this gearbox is a three speed + reverse? it seems to only have three plus the reverse... dunno...

 

Its an old 4-speed with straight-cut 1st gear. They never made a 3-speed gearbox for the Mini. There should be a short shaft at the bottom with another gear on which gives you reverse. May also be non-synchro on 1st too.

 

ooow old school,

what engine is that, an A or A+, looks like an A mainly due to the lack of ribbing on the block. if your going for alot of power pick up david vizards book on how to tune the A series engine.

Give you a bit more pep, also you running a HIF carb or a pair or twin HS's?

 

I'll be watching this thread intently

 

I wish I had the foggiest idea what you are talking about. I'm not too sure what the regulations are for stock racing. We will have to find out and then depending on that, what carburettor we may fit. Although, I'd just like to make this into our own full-blown racing mini. The problem then comes with the gearbox. How much HP (or is it BHP? I don't know since we use kW) can a mini gearbox withstand? Not a lot I guess.

Yet, you were the noob that started putting stuff together randomly...

Today, I started to clean the exterior of the engine. And it's red. We never knew this as the engine was completely covered in black oily gunk.


The pistons that came with the engine are really terrible. Two of them are completely seized at the gudeon pin (I think that's the name). We will need new pistons anyway since we are going have the engine re-bored.


Those things at the bottom of the connecting rod (I don't know the name of them, yet) aren't exactly worn through, but they do have scratch marks from dirt getting into the engine.


That's it for today...
Sputnik

 

We are forced to use the standard carbs due to the racing regulations in our area. also we cant mod too much because we are limited to.. i think.. 35 kW... not sure, sputnik, back me up here? but thanks anyway!

 

a standard mini gearbox is close to going pop i belive at around 100bhp. althought i could be thingikng of somthing else. only way your getting that close is if you go full on with new cam, crossdrilled and balaced crank.

the things for the crank (last pic) their big end bearings. i mean if you are going for a race engine then i suggest getting new bits and bobs. better than using old and it going pop later on,

finaly i do suggest going SU HIF carb i think a 38 or a bigger 44 (i think its a 44) should be good.

edit

ahh. so your more going to have to go for a fast road engine due to regs. gotcha ya.

edit

another tip for you. on your rockers put a bead of weld down the join. adds strength.

 

Funny how the oil filter location is different to the Minis over here.

 

thats what i was thinking.

normaly its a oil filter near the bottom, then a pipe and a banjo fitting to the top of the block.

strange. ... .. 0_o

 

Thanks for the idea on the rockers man, and also the box, in fact methinks im going to do them rockers this week if i got time, pretty simple to do.

 

yeah. their the old stamped out ones mean to be good. hold on i'll give my tuning book a quick look.

yeah reading here Vizard used pressed rockers for 5 years and they bend before the break normaly so they'll save the engine. heres a little quote for you.

so they should be good. but you got a bigger engine so you might want to change to a 1.5.1 high lift set of rockers with a nice 285 or 286 cam but you are boaring it out so might need to be diffrent. but a 1275, get 70-80 odd BHP, but then good exhaust system and good induction system should help.

what are the rules of the racing your doing?

 

not sure yet, i do know we're limited to the amount of horses, i.e: very limited. I'll find out once i get into contact with someone from our local motorsport assosciation, but right now i know virtually nothing. Kinda decided to do this on the spur of the moment.

 

hmm...so you main convern reall is going to be stipping weight then. if its that small a BHP. so stuff like plex windows should be a life saver.

 

Don't let a bhp limit stop you from tuning that - set the engine up for more low down torque, so the bhp is low enough, but its a quicker car than as standard. As said above the other best way of speeding up the car is to cut the weight down, and if you get the option, a close ratio gearbox with suitable final drive .

 

I decided to remove another component today, the water pump. And oh my freaking hell!!!

Anyone care for a mother load of scale with a side order of rust?! Oh my word that is some aweful crud that has formed in there! I don't think distilled water was ever used!



Also, how do I remove these rods that hold the cylinder head on? A few have come out as they were completely lose and came out by hand.


Next on the list is to buy a larger socket for my wrench set to get the pulley off the end of the crankshaft. Then remove the crankshaft.

Later...
Sputnik