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Fellas, has anyone ever got a doughnut out without taking out the top arm??

And if not, can you safely modify the tower (cut a bit away) so that you could in future?

YMJ wrote:Fellas, has anyone ever got a doughnut out without taking out the top arm??

And if not, can you safely modify the tower (cut a bit away) so that you could in future?

its not really possible, unless the rubber is well squashed and you are prepared to really go at the subframe with a big pry bar.

its far easier to just slide the pin out the top arm out and pull it out the way.

you would have no chance with a brand new doughnut, even more if it was a red spot - I think you would just end up damaging the rubber or the top metal ring.

I think that you would have to cut so much of the frame away to make it possible for it to slide in that you would weaken the frame.

getting the top arms out is an easy job - there are far worse jobs on a mini!

rich@minispares.com wrote:

YMJ wrote:Fellas, has anyone ever got a doughnut out without taking out the top arm??

And if not, can you safely modify the tower (cut a bit away) so that you could in future?

getting the top arms out is an easy job - there are far worse jobs on a mini!

I would concur with you usually but in this particular case there is a heater intake hose, supplementary radiator, oil catch tank and all manner of obstructions between a spanner and the two 1/4" retaining plate bolts.

YMJ wrote:

rich@minispares.com wrote:

YMJ wrote:Fellas, has anyone ever got a doughnut out without taking out the top arm??

And if not, can you safely modify the tower (cut a bit away) so that you could in future?

getting the top arms out is an easy job - there are far worse jobs on a mini!

I would concur with you usually but in this particular case there is a heater intake hose, supplementary radiator, oil catch tank and all manner of obstructions between a spanner and the two 1/4" retaining plate bolts.

Sometimes you can get at them with a heap of extensions on a 1/4" drive socket set if you remove the grill and go in through the front, or slow as it is, I have done them through the little window in the inner wing.

I still think it would be easier to take the extra bits off and take the top arms out, ive seen people trying to 'flex' doughnuts in and out of frames with sturdy screwdrivers and crowbars and it all looks a bit 'health and safety'

the doughnut is about 20mm wider than the hole (which is why you have to turn them on their sides to get them in), so there is a lot to either bend or cut.......

YMJ wrote:Fellas, has anyone ever got a doughnut out without taking out the top arm??

I did my Marcos a while back and changed the donuts for the "uprated" type
and fitted some Hi-Lo's at the same time...

Once you've compressed the original doughnut and taken out the trumpet,
don't you just take out the lower bump-stops to give a bit more wiggle room
and then rotate the the doughnuts so that they come out?

I don't remember taking out the top arms...

Ian

I have never managed it without taking the top arm out....

I always thought I was doing something wrong!!

ianh1968 wrote:I don't remember taking out the top arms...Ian

... But then again, I don't remember what I did yesterday!

Ian

Just moved top auxiliary rad mounting and got to the 1/4" mounting plate bolts easy peasy with a chubby ratchet - pivot shaft out - doughnut out. Job done.

The reason I asked the question in the first place was I distinctly remember removing said doughnuts on the Mini 7 in the early '90s definitely without removing top arm pivot.

It's only tonight that I remembered that I had had them turned down on the lathe* to weaken them slightly, hence they always came out without top arm removal!!

Doh!

* I'm not sure that mod really worked either!

Job done!