My 1293 clubby turbo build
Turbo Mini Forums

Just thought I'd start a thread seeing as I have been gathering bits for a while and keep asking lots of questions.

At present it's having a lot of parts stripped off. Last time it was in use it looked like this when I took it to the ring with the BH2N bunch. It is currently 1293 making 100hp at the flywheel so hoping for a fair bit more.



I am planning to get the engine out in January to start my turbo build.
The idea so far is to go with the GT17 I've got with one of matty's manifolds a benross head and rts clutch. I've got a sc box and drops. Had the sc drops in for a while now and I think they sound great but did my head in on the way to Germany.

Hoping to have it out built and back in as quick as possible to get it all setup in time for Germany again next year. Although I will be trailering it next time.
Does anyone recommend a RR to write a mega jolt map for the turbo? I struggled around my way for a Na engine.

Lovely looking clubman mate. And where abouts are you from? This will help with RR recommendations.

My build thread: http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=454802

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/85313398@N02/

Thanks. I'm from derby but have tried a few places in the midlands.

Car looks great. There's John sleath between Doncaster and Rotherham.

Well I'm making some progress. I've got myself a benross head, one of matty's high flowing manifolds and had my t3 oil feed pipe altered to suit the larger banjo bolt on the gt17.
I am taking the engine out of the car on Sunday and will be splitting the block from the box and getting as much of it apart as possible.
The plan is to take it up to Benross and get the block skimmed to suit my compression ratio with the new head and pistons and get some new cam bearings put it.
Hopefully will start making up a rts clutch too.

I have been reading the various rts threads but I have a question about the spacers. Are they a standard thickness or do they need to be machined to suit each specific clutch?
Are people building them now still using the Allen head bolts or is there a new solution?

I also need to find a turbo drain cause my gt17 didn't come with one. What size are drains so I know what size hose to use? Also I was going to use the dsn classics drain return to the block would this be the same diameter?

Lots of questions but just trying to clear up some of my thoughts at the moment.

Bit of progress to report but no photos yet. Sorry now for all those hoping for some pictures.

Last weekend I took some bits up to benross for work. When it comes back I'll start assembling the engine.

This morning my car has just gone off on the back of a trailer. Getting a bulkhead box. I know it's not necessary but I just want that extra bit of room and room for expansion should I ever wish.

Hoping to get some brackets made up for my intercooler to fit to as well. It's a big one so the plan is to mount it in the top grill and run one pipe out the right hand side behind the head light and back in at the back down to the turbo.

Last night a bought a nice new corbeau sprint seat to replace my drivers side Monaco. Would quite like a wider harness too so might swap from 3 point to 4 point.

As soon as I get the car back I'm gonna look at sorting my new fuel pipe run. Need a new fuel pump first. I know it needs to be a specific turbo one but what do people recommend for flow?

Got my car back from the body shop tonight. Had a bulkhead box put in for extra turbo clearance and just incase I decide to go bigger later.

Got some brackets made up to take the intercooler and had the hole in the inner wing enlarge to take the intercooler inlet. Need to route my pipe work through the wing and back out.

Beautiful looking clubby, looks quick and mean in that pic.

Life is always a matter of opinion and quite frankly, no ones opinion really matters.

Well I picked up my short engine from Steve (Benross) on Monday night and although it looked lovely and made me want to crack on immediately I've not had the opportunity to get in the garage since.
I am planning on spending most of Saturday working on it to get the engine mounted to the box and all the head, turbo and manifolds on.

A few questions I have is what is the thread size in the back of a turbo carb to bolt through the plenum?

What size nuts are required to mount the GT17 to the manifold?

I'm asking this as I don't have any new nuts or bolts and need to go shopping. I also bet they're metric?

So by Saturday I'm hoping to have all the engine built up and nearly ready to install. I just need to actuator bracket moving and the a pipe welding on the turbo inlet.

So this is where it's at right night. Waiting on my turbo back from having actuator bracket moved and an inlet stump welded on. Everything else is bolted on.

Need to take me alternator off to machine it down so the pulleys line up and the inlet manifold so it is flush to the exhaust.

Also fitted a rose jointed turnbuckle to adjust the alternator. Need to look at lengths and get a belt!

Great looking build. I really like that lower rose jointed alternator bracket! Is it custom made or bought off the shelf?

It's kind of off the shelf I found the shaft on eBay and asked them to make me one up with LH and RH rose joints. It cost me about £15 in total so not bad and loads of lengths available.
Should have lots of adjustability. I got 110 to 140mm. I have heard halfords is a good place for belts so ill have a look there.

lovely looking mini mate!

Be a few of us all local so have to meet up when were all on the road.

998 t2 ongoing project.

Where are you smit360?

In Burton, just down the 38.

998 t2 ongoing project.

I have started posting on Instagram also my name on there is turbomk1golf

Nothing is impossible it just costs more and takes longer.

Are you sure it's that likely? How did it flex the water pump?

What about using a long bolt through the top and an extra bracket like Brett.

Surely if this alternator is mounted by only these two bolts on the original vehicles it should be fine?

Right a bit of progress today.

I got my turbo back. Had an inlet pipe welded on and actuator bracket moved.



Got it fitted to the manifold. Was a hell of a squeeze to get it past the oil drain on the block.





Got a 19-16mm oil resistant hose from Samco for the drain. Got it a bit tighter than this in the end as it would have created a bit of a low point in the hose if I left it like this.





Got my oil feed on too but not sure whether people normally go infront or behind the turbo but it seems easier on the hose this way





And then I built an rts clutch. I need to measure up for the spacers but got it mocked up. I like it.

Looking good mate, I like the whole black and silver colour choice for the engine ( even though you're loosing about 10bhp by it not being red ).

I second the question you asked about flex in a rose jointed alternator bracket, as I've gone the same route on mine due to my clubby not having a lower bracket when I bought it.

Keep up the great work.

Life is always a matter of opinion and quite frankly, no ones opinion really matters.

Thinking about the flex with the rose jointed steady I can see Simons concerns with the problem being that the spherical joints are intended to give a large axis of movement, but providing you put in some of the small spacers that stop the spherical joint moving from side to side and allowing for any lateral flex I can't see a problem. I understand that in the following link, these spacers are intended for misalignment issues, but something similar that holds the outside of the joint in a fixed position could be easily turned out in a lathe and would surely stop any flex? Just my thoughts :)

Build is looking great too.
Is that a metro turbo T3 braided oil feed?

Yes it is. I just had the banjo drilled out for the gt17 banjo bolt and a new oil gallery groove put in.

Hi there mate. First of all I don't want you to think that I am slagging off your work! I did the same thing when I first built mine.


All I can say is what happened to me. Now, when it happened to me I was running with a KAD water pump blanking plate. After it broke the first time, I was thinking it was shit alloy in the plate, so I swapped it for a new plate and it broke at the TM RRday 2 days later. I asked my mate at KAD about this and he said that he had fitted lots like mine, apart from I had the rose joints.

So I went back to the Rover adjuster and it's been fine ever since!

So as you can see I am speaking from my experience here as it cost me, 2 water pump blanking plates and a few wet hours sat on the side of the M25.

I have started posting on Instagram also my name on there is turbomk1golf

Nothing is impossible it just costs more and takes longer.

Thanks for the clarification, I think I'm gonna stick to standard as it's my daily and I really don't want to be sat at the side of the road.

Sorry for the hijack. I really love your car.

Life is always a matter of opinion and quite frankly, no ones opinion really matters.

I will have a look at it then and maybe swap it back. Is the water pump blanking plate thinner than a water pump?

I have measure all my thicknesses for the RTS Clutch today and it came out at 11.25mm so I'm having 10 made at that exact size and another spare 10 made up at 14mm just incase they aren't big enough or I make another.