Turbo Mini Van
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Congratulations, just got to hope for some reasonable weather so you can bring it into work again.

Great results mate!

what seats do you have in that as they look really comphy through the windscreen :)

do you have any more pics of it plz

http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=244510

http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=244512

http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=244515

http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=244517

http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=244518

Thanks Robert, Oli ... yep, I do intend to drag it, even if its just to say been there done that !

I have an Excel dyno graph of the VMax results from Wednesday if someone can load it up for me please (?).

Rob: Many thanks for sorting the pics mate. All in one place on this string at last - sort of 'Rich's van - build thread'. Cheers mate.

Sid: Not sure of the origin of the seats but before I trimmed them, I had to remove the cloth covers and underneath the padding was the word Ford, so likely to be Sierra, Orion, Escort etc. Yes - nice and wide - very very comfy - head rests as std and recline very well (although not far enough forward to get my spare wheel in behind the passenger seat in its standard location hence I've now fitted a box in the load bay behinfd the rear seats. Used a pair of universal runners to mount them which picked up with the exact holes in the seats not a mm out.

Just sorting a rogue HT earth on No 2 pot, jumping from my sili HT leads up through the intercooler pipe. How do I know this ? Broke down on the way back from the dyno at Stonehenge in the pissing rain. Got a lift back on a low loader then discionnected the pipe - all was fine. tried to install the pipe with the engine running and got a bloody great shock of HT off the rubber plug cap. Placed a plastic spatula between it and the pipe and hey presto - ran fine again. Took the spatula out and it misses on No 2. But at least I can sort it. Sounds like a dodgy lead or the rubber cap's too thin on 2.

Richard.

Minivanless, but reluctantly happy living with the decision. There'll be another one day.
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=minimadmotorman#p/u

Just settin up a URL.

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Edited by turbominivanman on 3rd Aug, 2009.

Minivanless, but reluctantly happy living with the decision. There'll be another one day.
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=minimadmotorman#p/u

Got some new pics below of the engine bay in the van having changed the plenum and re-positioned the boost signal lines etc.

However, just when things were going ok .......

I drove the van to work today in the hope of putting some extra miles on the clock before the IMM this coming weekend.

Took Rob H out for a spin this lunchtime and managed to blow the head gasket whilst givin it some beans on the Filton ring road !!!

It was on full song, going like a bastard when we let go a firkin huge cloud of white stuff whilst at full chat at 6500 rpm, around 12.5 psi boost. Me thinks I need to get the Megasquirt reconnected so I can get me a rev limiter !

Got the car home and whipped the head off. Amongst the general managery of coolant down the bores, the AF470 gasket had split at the fire ring on cylinder 4 leading to a glowing piece of red hot metal in the flame path. This had then melted the gasket as far back as the coolant passage between pots 3 and 4. Photo attached. Hey presto, instant cloud machine.

Luckily, no damage to the head which cleaned up fine and is ready to go back on.

The question is, are the AF470 gaskets ok for a turbo setup (Rover MPi gasket I think, Rover p/no. GUG812632HG) OK ? as I'm about to stick it back together. I'll do some research first.

Two frantic evenings just before the drive to Brum for the IMM. Bummer !!

See some of you there, hopefully.

Richard.

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Minivanless, but reluctantly happy living with the decision. There'll be another one day.
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=minimadmotorman#p/u

Right, so from what I've read, there appears to be a dodgy batch of Belgian BK450 and AF470 gaskets out there.

I had a look at the one that failed and it says 'Made in England' on it so I don't think my original was a Belgian sourced job.

Luckily, my spare AF470 was bought at the same time well over a year ago and also says 'Made in England' on it so I'm going to proceed with this one. I think I've just been unlucky, time will tell.

Great to be able to search this and find the results (thanks for the txt Oli with the recommendation).

Richard.

Minivanless, but reluctantly happy living with the decision. There'll be another one day.
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=minimadmotorman#p/u

Very good rite up richard and you make everything seam easy, am sure most people would start stressing when the gasket blew but oh no a day later and youve searched and sorted it.

Good luck for the weekend.

Rick

Richard was quizzing me about A series turbos many years before turbominis!

Great to see the end result.

Immaculate like his other cars.

JF.

Thanks Rick and Jon.

Have been through alot to get this far so a bit more crap isn't going to make a big difference.

Just a bit pissed off that after such great results over the last few days and on its first outing with Rob in the car, the bloody thing goes pop. I could not believe the amount of steam that came out the back - it was a wierd kind of 'reassuring' feeling knowing it was steam and not oil - that would have spelt trouble if you get my drift.

Jon - You've got a bloody good memory mate, I've still got those thoughts of you at Combe, must be 10 - 12 years ago, revving the engine on the yellow un, with the compressor elbow off testing for boost and me asking you a whole shit load of awkward questions just as you were about to let her rip round the track again.

Knowledge is Power, keep it up.

Cheers guys.

Richard.

Minivanless, but reluctantly happy living with the decision. There'll be another one day.
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=minimadmotorman#p/u

Glad you got there in the end!

Won't be the last head gasket you have to change if you run "good" boost!

Jon.

Shame about the head gasket, it was running really nice up till then.

Bugger !

Just punctured by Radtec alloy rad with a 1/4 bolt which has let go from the fan at maxi chat - bloody coolant everywhere !!

Had just changed the actuator, re-postioned the boost signal lines to the plenum, got the Megasquirt fully sorted and the boost controller programming under control. Bummer.

I think I'll get away with a Tig weld repair - I think Arrow Radiators in Melksham are closest.

Sorry about the poor quality shots but the rad's in-situ until I can get to it. You can just make out the gash in the far RH coolant tube (darker grey area).

Richard.

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Minivanless, but reluctantly happy living with the decision. There'll be another one day.
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=minimadmotorman#p/u

what a poo mate, i hope you get it sorted soon. I'm looking at getting an alloy rad, do you have any cooling issues with yours at all?

Best 1/4 mile 13.2 seconds @116 mph
First 5 port miniturbo to make over 200 bhp on a carb?
First 5 port miniturbo to make over 200 bhp on Injection?

http://www.mattwoodsphotography.com

Matt.

No cooling probs at all. It's gotta be one of the best investments I've made mate. Thoroughly recommend it, not cheap but worth it.

If anything it over cools ! I did have a 74 stat but changed this to an 82, even in Summer it only ever got warm sat in traffic when the ECU then cuts in for the fan. This is with a small 998 water pump pulley which drives the pump faster, the larger pulley was ok but a bit slow.

I'm sure I'll get mine Tig'd, looks like an 1/8th hole.

Richard.

Minivanless, but reluctantly happy living with the decision. There'll be another one day.
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=minimadmotorman#p/u

Nice one thanks mate, well i've been doing some work for Pace Products and they have said about doing a rad for me, so i might well take them up on the offer, and i'll keep you all posted.

good luck on getting yours fixed.

Best 1/4 mile 13.2 seconds @116 mph
First 5 port miniturbo to make over 200 bhp on a carb?
First 5 port miniturbo to make over 200 bhp on Injection?

http://www.mattwoodsphotography.com

gosh ,thats bad luck richard .

Medusa + injection = too much torque for the dyno ..https://youtu.be/qg5o0_tJxYM

Bad luck, I had this happen on the Midget a year or so ago. When I refitted the fan bolts I used a bit of locktight on them, what are peoples thoughts on locktight? I know Rod swears by the stuff but other opinions are welcome.

Yep Rob.

I DID use Loctite Thread Lock, but one bolt still worked loose !

Now considering my options - might see if I can get a small Nyloc on the back of the water pump drive flange but it's bloody tight down there.

Hey Ho ......

Minivanless, but reluctantly happy living with the decision. There'll be another one day.
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=minimadmotorman#p/u

That's a bummer!
Always try and use Loctite myself, but there's something to be said for the 'old' locking methods (i.e. peening over the head - won't help you Richard if you can't get the hammer in there though!).
I take it you've got the new alternator set-up sorted?

ETA And was it the actuator which caused your low reading on the RR?

Edited by Cooper1999 on 18th Nov, 2009.

hope it sorted sharpish for you Richard :(

Yes i moved to the darkside

Instagram @jdm_brett

you probably kow this richard , but get the thread absolutely clean of any grease .

Medusa + injection = too much torque for the dyno ..https://youtu.be/qg5o0_tJxYM

Hi guys.

It was great to see some of you again or for the first time at the Bingley Hall Mini Fair in Staffs yesterday and also to talk to the Minimag guys again who told us that we'll have an 8 page TM RR and Santa Pod feature from last October in the March issue of the mag due out 12th Feb. Great result.

Despite the shit weather with an inch of snow in the Bingley showground on arrival, the show turned out to be a great event even though I spent most of my time chatting to you guys stood around the van in the hall !

It was also great to see John K and Co on the SC stand with all the new ali goodies on display including the stunning 7 port billet 8v head conversion - what a great result. And it was a fab birthday cake John - Ta very much !

Oli and I had a fab drive up to Staffs in the van which didn't miss a beat for 135 miles and was definitely better to drive with the mods to the actuator signal lines, dump valve and Megasquirt re-mapping I did over the winter.

Oh, and the damage to the ali rad cost me firkin £80 to get repaired which was a bit steep but cest-la-vis and all that. 9 bloody holes in it !

After speaking at length to apbellamy (Andy) at Stafford yesterday about how you'd go about making your own wiring loom, I thought it would be worth me posting up the wiring diagrams and fusebox map I created for the van along with a few pics of the relay and fuse box assemblies, and the wiring for the Savage engraved blue LED backlit switches which I got from Demon Tweeks.

The links and pics, hosted with thanks to minimadmotorman (John), are attached below.

There was another post somewhere on TM asking about wiring in Toggle Rocker Switches and Hazard Switches, the diagrams for which I've covered entirely in the wiring diagrams. These are in MS Excel format so if you haven't got Excel, well that's tough shit .

The main emphasis for me was to buy a full really good secondhand post 1988 loom, the one that has provision for things like radio, fogs, rev counter, etc. This forms the main part of the loom and you can then use a standard Haynes manual to follow the wiring colours. If you take an A3 photocopy of the main page out of the Haynes, you can then start marking it up with where you want to splice in new ways. I always use soldered joints - no half cock Scotchloks or bodged gaffer tape.

I needed to convert this to a centre binnacle display for the van so I made up a wiring conversion mod kit. I'll post up a file of the loom mods required to do this as soon as I can.

I found one of the worst jobs was the wiring for the Savage engraved hazard switch as instructions supplied are shite.

The full wiring diagram for this is shown in the attached wiring diagram Excel file, complete with 600v diodes to prevent back feeding the indicator circuit when you use a single green indicator bulb as used on the centree binnacle. You don't obviously need these when you have separate LH and RH indicator warning bulbs such as in a triple clock display.

Most materials came from Vehicle Wiring Products, including the relay mounting board, fusebox, micro relays, waterproof connectors (recommended for the engine bay wiring) and Rover standard white multi block connectors.

VWP can be found at:

http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/VWP-...me/homepage.php

Any questions, just ask.

http://www.johnharperltd.co.uk/wiring/FuseMap.xls

http://www.johnharperltd.co.uk/wiring/WiringCircuits.xls















Thanks again to John and Andy.

Richard.

Edited by turbominivanman on 2nd Feb, 2010.

Minivanless, but reluctantly happy living with the decision. There'll be another one day.
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=minimadmotorman#p/u

Thanks for all your help Richard, I kind of understand now...

The van was looking fantastic as always.