1965 Mk1 road/rally Bitsa, (now supercharged 8 port)

[Mini-geek]

Cheers.. Yeh I thought I'd have to do that to mine.. Not looking forward to it..

[Richspec]

right, updtate time.

So the engine build is progressing to some degrees and as ever its fighting at one step after another.

Got the weber cleaned out, bought new jets, neddles, blah blah so it at least had the sme for each barrel, got a load of spare bits as well so we can go up and down on the numbers and tweak to some extent. Also got the throttle cable switched round and and bodged up a bracket for the throttle position switch.

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Next job was the blancing check and machining mentioned earlier and after that bought some goodies from MED, its nice to get stuff that fits first time.

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the problem with the old duplex vernier was i couldnt get any camshaft endfloat, the step on the back of the gears was undersize and it all was locking up.

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I was then able to get perfect endfloat.

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Did the cam timing, as per the figures that came with it.

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[Richspec]

Got a new tool to ease putting the pistons in, I'd already broken one piston ring before this.

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Cylinder head got a light cleanup.

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Heres a pic of the issue i had with the crownwheel bolts being too big for the lsd, fixed by getting some cap heads.

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I could then crack on with diff build etc and get the back of the box back on. the bought bolts all needed shortening to clear the gearbox casing.

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[Richspec]

nearly up todate now.

I've had a right palaver over the past few days, eased slighly by the fact i'm building the engine out of the car and checking the ancillaries before it goes in.
Changed the timing cover to one with a flattened off breather, which meant finding one on a spare engine, removing, blasting, painting etc etc.
Completely dismantled the crank sensor bracket i had, chopped it around and re fabricated to suit the med pulley, spent three hours turning the workshop and garage inside out looking for one part of it, that i'd left in the house when i went to make a brew the day before...
Faffed on with the radiator cowling to discover i needed the cooper style bottom half and bracket to clear the pulley, ordered that from Minispares with a load of other odds and sods.
Then found that i needed three fan spacers on to get the fan to now clear the cowling? WTF , and also my top rad bracket doesnt even remotely fit, it floats in the air above the thermostat housing.
Retapped the thermostatic switch outlet on the housing to suit my sensor, then found the previously done one in a box.

decided today to fit the Stage 3 Maniflow LCB to check fit, the face isnt quite true across the two ends, one side is twisted in slightly but i think the gasket will seal it ok. but thats small fry against the fitting issue. (see below)

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Really sruggling with getting the Roller drop gears on, the supports into the gearbox and flywheel end casing are interference fits but i can't seem to get either hot enough to get the parts in, despite them coming out of the freezer as well. Its really stopping progress at the moment.

so thats where i am.

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[InimiaD]

I know that feeling of "1 step forward and 2 back" all to well Rich.
The jigsaw pieces will all slot together one day.
Mouthwatering engine spec you have put together.

[Lakeland997]

Really sruggling with getting the Roller drop gears on, the supports into the gearbox and flywheel end casing are interference fits but i can't seem to get either hot enough to get the parts in, despite them coming out of the freezer as well. Its really stopping progress at the moment.

Rich

I had the same problem with my idler gear, but only on the gearbox end. I took the box down to MED and they had it in within 5 minutes (but they did say the remote box was the worst) so may be worth giving them a call.

Andy

[Richspec]

Hi Andy, I was beginning to think the same, but a near enough 400 mile round trip..

[Lakeland997]

Rich

One of the drawbacks of living in Cumbria
I happened to be going there to pick up my engine.

I was really meaning call to ask them how they did it. Unfortunately I didn't watch when they did mine but i think they used an Oxy-acteylene welding torch to get heat in to the casting fast. I was using a blow torch and I think the heat gets conducted away from the bearing area as fast as you can add it. They certainly didn't cool the steel parts.

Andy

[surf-blue-850]

If you have a gas stove, use that to heat it up. Tap the housing on the kitchen table to knock the bearing out.

Ignore the above if you have a missus.

[Richspec]

used that method for the first motion shaft? needle bearing surround in the end casing but even that doesnt get it hot enough for the idler support bush to push in
I had the same issue with the casing, its just a massive heat exchanger and the blow torch doesnt seem up to the job.

[GraemeC]

Maybe find a friendly plumber with a MAPP blow torch - these get more heat in and faster, so the heat sink might not be as much of a problem?
Failing that it'll probably need to be oxy/acetylene.

[surf-blue-850]

Ok, two more methods.

1) Fill bearing with grease and whack in tight fitting wooden dowel, hydraulic action should force it out.
2) Remove rollers and weld in nut, fab puller and pull out.

[Richspec]

Ok, two more methods.

1) Fill bearing with grease and whack in tight fitting wooden dowel, hydraulic action should force it out.
2) Remove rollers and weld in nut, fab puller and pull out.

theres nowt to pull out, its getting the new med parts in that's the bugger
Its literally a bare end casing with the new needle roller outer in place and hole above waiting for the MED 'Top hat' bit to get shoved in.

The gearbox is fully built, it just needs the central pin of the roller idler setup setting in, with is proving harder than you'd think.

I do know of someone with oxy acet but obviously I'd worried in case we cock it up

[Richspec]

solution to the gearbox problem - take it to MED I have to go to Brum with work next week so it'd be rude not to divert a bit...

in the meantime been busy on my brothers clubby estate, now mot'd, taxed and on the road just a bit of a snag list to work through.

on display yesterday for the first time.

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on the mk1 I've started to apply the sticker set, wishing I'd not left them rolled up since I got them

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[Richspec]

Got some more pics of the engine build (but not on this computer) but i do have this one after this weekends efforts.

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I've got a small snag list but all will take resolving.
Gearbox remote and rear bracket dont match up with holes in the cars floor, will need a re fab or some other creative thinking.

maniflow LCB exhaust sits tight against the remote housing, it will need twisting to the the offside to enable fitment of Y piece and clamps, which will then throw the Y piece out of line...

worst one is that getting the gearbox remote to miss the floor tilts the engine back which means the IDA doesnt fit in the hole in the bonnet.

I'm wondering now if that using the hydro subframe (cos thats all I could get at the time) has caused a vertical misalignment?? The enine sits too high, forcing everything to tilt back to fit??

[1071 S]

So are you using a scoop over the IDA???

Mine is sitting on the shelf because I got tired of people reminding me I'd left my lunch box on the bonnet (home made folded ally scoop).

I've seen a low(er) line K&N but mine is the same as yours...

I also had to slightly trim the shift extension so the Maniflow didn't actually touch ... I think there's enough room to insert a cigarette paper (remember those but it doesn't rattle...

Cheers, Ian

[Richspec]

nope no cover, we ran it like that last time (same bonnet) and as a weekend car it'll be fine, last time it was a daily driver

I could trim the extension down a touch, I think theres a good thickness of alloy in the area but not sure yet.
At the moment the whole engine and remote could do with being further forward, the holes in the floor match the holes in the remote support bracket but theres not enough room to get the rubber hanger on the back of the remote
Tempted yet to redrill the engine mount holes in the subby further forward to get the clearance, also looking at a custom inlet to position the carb better in the bonnet hole.

[1071 S]

Snap

Cheers, Ian

[Richspec]

I think that K+N's taller than ours?

I've asked Maniflow for the dimension of the IDA manifold they do to see if it would move the carb closer to where I want it.
failing that I've asked if they can make one to my dimensions.

Still contemplating moving engine forward in subby as well yet.

[1071 S]

You're probably right ... I bought mine in the US so its probably meant for a small block Chevy.

Have a look at this site <http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=87949>.. its supposed to fit under the bonnet with a "thin" filter ..noting that its a small bore...

Cheers, Ian