Seemingly obvious stuff / tips that not everyone seems to know...
Turbo Mini Forums

As pot_dan mentioned, welding the bolts onto on side of the exhaust clamp is a great idea!!

Again another tip for the clamp, buy these longer brass manifold nuts off minispares, it makes the clamp SUPER easy to put on as theyre long and easy to whack an open ender on, worked a treat for me!!:

One that may apply to some of the K16v people amung us.

Remove all tools from the 'On engine' storage tray (spark Plug Cover) before closing the bonnet

one that may apply to people reading this from TMF/MF, if you don't have the strength to undo the sump plug simply remove the oil filter and run the engine till all the oil comes out.


an old locking tab from the diff cover works a treat round the std turbo downpipe clamp bolts if you don't have access to a welder.

an old bottom hose cut down makes an ideal top hose with an extra take off for a water return if you have ditched your heater.

an M5 caphead and nylock nut in the gear linkage instead of a roll pin makes life a lot easier, just swap for a new one each time you remove it if its wearing down.

You can remove the engine on late cars without touching the servo...

Instead of using a rubber cone tool, just smash the cone with a hammer and remove. piece of pi$$

1/4 Mile 14.3secs 96Mph Terminal 10psi of boost.


Fibreglass Parts? - http://www.tdkracing.co.uk/
Split Rims? - http://www.force-racing.co.uk/

Also of you are converting to cooper s calipers, instead of buying smaller discs just grind them down with an angle grinder

1/4 Mile 14.3secs 96Mph Terminal 10psi of boost.


Fibreglass Parts? - http://www.tdkracing.co.uk/
Split Rims? - http://www.force-racing.co.uk/

The exhaust clamp is a great idea, you didn't I think of that... would have saved me loads of pissing about

if you have bled your brakes or clutch over and over but still have a very low pedal, try pumping the pedal and then chock it with a lump of wood and leave over night. suprising how often this works

turbo 16v k-series 11.9@118.9 :)

Denis O'Brien.

fan belt refitting on side mount rads.

loop belt over top of one blade, and while turning blade away from you at the top, keep belt on the inside of the fan. one full rotation of fan, belt inside fan in 10 seconds. readjust alt and away you go.

But you know this already

don`t fit the bolt in the lower rear of the clutch housing (wok) at all,,, leave it out,,, the one that is at the back & not quite at the bottom,,, you all know the one i`m talking about

& i don`t believe i have ever removed the ball joints to get a potty motor out & yes i leave everything on the engine inc radiator (except carby & exhaust tho, i rip them out first)

& when taking the donk out,,, the clutch slave cyl (once un-done from the engine) sits nicely in the gap between the subframe & the body,,, it just tucks neatly & sits sweet in there well out of the way

A fork with bent prongs works wonders as an engine mount bolt fitting tool

I cut a slot in a socket & welded the socket to a piece of angle to use as a brake pipe lock nut spanner/thing,,, the lock nuts that hold the front hose into the frame

I made up tapered piston ring fitting sleaves for all sizes of mini pistons, so they just slip straight in without stuffing around with those silly stupid clamp up crap things
& yes i have a wall of tapered fitting sleaves but dam i`m quick at fitting pistons & never ever catch a ring

A piece of thin walled 2"x1" RHS with a slot cut into it & a hole in the other side & weld a decent sized nut onto the outer side of the hole & hey presto , one ripper of an out-rigger bearing removal tool

i have heaps more but it`s getting late,,, & besides,,, i thought everyone knew about them already

& Roddy,,, yes you`re getting old & stuck in your ways

www.miniman.com.au

"""LazyGoodForNothingSmartArseKnowItAllBackYardMiniMechanic"""

On 7th Feb, 2009 MadMatt said:

& Roddy,,, yes you`re getting old & stuck in your ways

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

Here is a good one I learned yesterday.

Make sure before pulling away, that the bonnet is well fixed down!

When un seizing an engine with a big hammer. Try and hit the piston and not the edge of the bore... like I did the other day... :(

Yes i moved to the darkside

Instagram @jdm_brett

In stead of split pins use R-Clips makes life so much easier taking things apart.

pot joint ball bearing fit nicely in the oil pressure relief valve bit

Everyone knows that instructions only have to be read if the thing doesn't work....

Roddy,,, you know that`1s just cheating nut i feel for your temp problems,,, swimming in sweat here tho

Ooo,,, Ooo ,,, i`ve remembered another one---> if you`re about to fit your new potty donk in, but forgot you didn`t buy a new gear shift bush for the back of the diff, just use a piece of 5/16ths nylex fuel hose,,, you know that old sh!t that goes hard,,, cut a piece of that off a little bit longer than the length of the sleave & slip it in there,,, it will do for ages till you get a new bush & you`ll probably forget till a few years later anyways

Oh & a little piece of tie wire through the roll pins saves them falling out after they`re rooted & worn out, so you`re not actually stranded, stuck in one gear, walking back along the road trying to find the dam thing

& add a fairly heavy spring from the extrator down pipe to the other side of the collector pipe,,, for when that stupid single bolt in the strap to the diff side cover falls out & your pipe wants to drop onto the road & you drive over it

try to remember to fit the cam followers in before you fit the cam & completely builf the entire engine until you drop the push rods in did that once when i was a little kid,,, never ever have i done it again that was my introduction to building non-side plate blocks back in about 1970-ish

Edited by MadMatt on 10th Feb, 2009.

www.miniman.com.au

"""LazyGoodForNothingSmartArseKnowItAllBackYardMiniMechanic"""

already posted elsewhere, seems appropriate here.

Changing drop gear ratio. The 1:1 and 1:04 have the same first motion shaft gear and idler, but for the 1:1.087 ratio you have to change the input gear too. I must have sat there staring at that nut for 10 minutes trying to remember how to hold the first motion shaft while torquing the nut. Then I realized I had other gears sitting there, one of those would lock the shaft if I set it into the idler and input gear's teeth. Worked fine. Is this how you guys do it?

good one scoop,,, for std gears i made up an old idler & welded a piece of angle iron to it & bolted it to the studs sticking out the box for the primary case works a treat & you can actually use the same tool , remove the bottom gear & use a bearing puller to replace the single row bearing "In the car" yep true

I just love this thread

www.miniman.com.au

"""LazyGoodForNothingSmartArseKnowItAllBackYardMiniMechanic"""

btw Scoop,,, what`s the extra plug welded into your case? are running dry sump system?

www.miniman.com.au

"""LazyGoodForNothingSmartArseKnowItAllBackYardMiniMechanic"""

i reckon it is for an oil temp sender