Tim
1849 posts
Joined: 18/10/2004 09:40:59
Location: Bournemouth United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
Radiator replacement: Any hints for getting the bolts in tight places
Do you mean the little bolts that hold the metal shroud to the radiator frame? Normally, I take the radiator out with the shroud attached. You have to take the fan off first, obviously, but then it's just a case of removing the top bracket, and undoing the bottom mounting bolt (which fixes the bottom of the shroud to the engine mounting) and lifting it out. Reverse the process (as the manual always says!) to refit it.
Posted: Dec 06, 2009 05:08 PM
Roy
261 posts
Joined: 19/09/2005 19:34:20
Location: huntingdon United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
steering lock
If you just want to start her up youshould be able to remove the plastic shrouds around the steering column and hot wire her by unplugging and bridgeing the relavent wires...
Posted: Jan 17, 2007 09:38 PM
Mone
164 posts
Joined: 23/10/2006 12:34:32
Location: Lethbridge, Canada
New 1430 getting hot
Yes, consider speeding up the water pump and look at your fan & shroud. I find the fan to be critical at low speeds. Maybe a second rad?? I'm running two...
Posted: May 02, 2007 01:49 AM
Vin Number
My 63 Cooper has a plate screwed to the top of the radiator shroud on the passenger side inner wing. It says "Chassis No C-A257-293796" and I believe the C- prefix is what denotes a Cooper bodyshell. I've no idea if the same is true of the Cooper S's, though, I'm sure someone else will be able to help.
Posted: May 16, 2007 09:10 AM
taffy1967
1783 posts
Joined: 27/09/2006 18:58:07
Location: Rhondda-Cynon-Taff United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
Re:
Well I didn't need to undo the thermostat housing nuts on my Mini and I didn't need to remove the fan either. No it just slipped up and out once all the bolts were removed. I also left the radiator shroud in position too.
Posted: Dec 07, 2009 02:56 PM
The first thing I'd do is remove the steering column shroud. There's only 2 screws (one either side) and another at the base.
Then with that removed (in 2 halves), you can visually check the actual column stalks, because it's possible that they've shifted position slightly and that's why you're having problems with the indicating right and trying to flash your lights.
Their only held in position by a philips screw and they can work themselves loose or the plastic casing around the screw can crack. But you'd know if the stalks moved from side to side.
With the steering column shroud removed, you may then find that the stalks work fine. If so a little bit of adjustment will be needed so they continue working when the shroud is fitted back in place.
If you do have to remove the steering wheel, then you just need to flip the cover off the centre of the wheel and the black plastic cover from the nut and then undo and remove the nut and it's washer. The steering wheel may be reluctant to shift, but a few taps from underneath with a rubber mallet usually works. Be careful it doesn't spring up and hit you in the face though, so keeping one arm across it should help.
The actual self cancelling ring is actually built into the main shaft of the steering column stalk and if you do have to split them, then you shouldn't have to drill out anything, as their only held together by a couple of small bolts that can easily be undone with the right (small) spanner.
Let us know how you get on Eric?
Posted: Sep 18, 2009 03:01 AM
John
1948 posts
Joined: 28/05/2006 16:49:46
Location: cambridge United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
Pistons
they wont work with standard A+ head the d will hit the bit of the cylinder head that shrouds the valves on the standard small bore heads. you need a 12g295 or a 12g206 head to use those pistons. also compresion will be too high, on cooper it was around 9.5:1 with 28.3cc head with the standard A+ head at 25.5cc your compression ratio will be around 11:1 or 12:1 something too high for a road engine with a standard duration camshaft. ways to overcome this would be to either buy one of the old cooper head casting's mentioned above or possibly you may be able to enlarge the combustion chamber enouth or skim the pistoms to overcome it but this is by no means certain.
Posted: Dec 08, 2007 12:02 AM
998cc Auto Engine to Manual...
iv never heard that the auto's had a larger valve head b4, i dout that as it would reqire a differnt casting to fit the larger valves in without them grinding it which they wouldnt do. if not they wouldnt fit its just they would be too shrouded to give an increase in power, however saying that they could of used the 1100 head that will give u about a 2bhp gain, which does have a slightly larger intake valve. best to cheak casting number, take rocker cover off and look for it. the auto blocks iv heard are a differnt casting, iv never tryied converting them but iv heard u cant. so is ur car a 998 at the mo? auto or manual? why cant u just swop gearbox for 1100 one and ur current engine or is it just they head u wanna use? 1100 casting number was 12g202
Posted: Jan 10, 2007 07:29 PM
Info stage 1
1.5:1 can work ok if a std cam which is low lift is kept, but its better to get a new cam and stick to std rockers or 1.3:1 rockers. with the small valves in the 998 there is no gain in having them open a long way as makes no differnce to the resistance around the valves. Even if larger valves are fitted because of the small bore dont like too much lift still as the bore shrouds them. small bore engines dont like any more valve lift than around .375 of an inch and best stick to cams under 270 duration. with the std 998 cam 230 int 240 exhaust you will get lifts at the valves with 1.5:1 of .375/.360. so the 1.5:1 rockers should work fine, but if you ever change the cam to a longer duration one the lift will be too much. also rember 1.5:1 rockers may cause coil binding of springs so best use uprated onces not too stroung tho or u will loose power around 140- 160lb would be good enouth but not factory springs as these arnt designed for high lift. also u will get increased cam wear and stress on your pushrods. So you can fit the 1.5:1 rockers and they will work ok maybe give anouther 5bhp(not alot for money spent), but a better bet is to stick to std rockers and fit a new cam of around 260-270 duration but the engine will need to come out for this.
Posted: Feb 04, 2007 12:15 PM
Pablo
142 posts
Joined: 28/10/2004 09:04:37
Location: Glossop United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
bushes
Yeah, thats it. Its surprising just how much the column rattles about when the bushes are shot. If you have an early car - before the early 90s i think - then the bottom bush is just a piece of thick felt that you soak in oil over night then wrap around the bottom of the column before sliding it back into the outer column / shroud. The later one is a small nylon job that just slides on. The top one is a large nylon thing that looks like a cotton bobbin. Just make sure you get proper genuine ones because there are some crappy plastic things about.
Posted: Feb 16, 2005 10:04 AM
Starsky
2 posts
Joined: 11/04/2006 10:14:35
Location: United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
Main Beam gone wonky
I flashed my lights to let someone out this morning and heard something crack in the indicator stalk, the indicators are still working but main beam will no longer click into place. When I got to work I took the steering column shroud off, got out my Haynes manual that lives in one of the back pockets, and tried to see if I could fix the problem. Main beam is still working but it will not lock into an on position and when I lift the lever to flash the lights the connectors are making a small spark. My main problem is the small piece of white plastic, which I imagine is the switch mechanism, appears to have snapped and now needs replacing/ fixing. Can anyone tell me if I will have to replace the entire unit and if so where I will get one/ what its called. Ive had a scout but not knowing its technical name makes searching quite difficult. Mr Min needs your help!
Posted: Apr 11, 2006 10:40 AM
1275 coop head on 998 block?
you can use same manifolds as 998 will be fine(im asuming ur using a stage 1 setup), but id thick carefully before converting to 1275 head. if power is ur aim by all means do it but if its ur main car id think again. u can normally do it without recessing bits into block if cam lift is standard, or u can recess valves slightly (40 thousands of an inch if i rember correctly) into the head and shim the valve spring seats. the thing is the valves and ports are large for a 998 engine, this means port velocitys drop ur engine can become very cammy as in its a dog at low revs and flys along at high rpm. to give u an idea. the 970 large bore cooper s had a 1275 head. this produced its peak torque of 55lb/ft at 3500 rpm (quite high for peak torque with a standard cam) the 998 cooper with the same cam produduced slightly more torque 57lb/ft at 3000rpm. with a 1275 head of a small bore it will be even worse as ul have more valve shrouding. so if power is ur aim then by all means go for it, if driveability and a nice torquey car to drive is what ud preffer with almost the same power use a 12g295 or 12g206 head (ported prefferably and get hardened exaust seats fitted)
Posted: Mar 22, 2007 12:52 AM
Indicators wont work
Unfortunately, the plastic ring that fits round the steering column is part of the indicator switch unit - you won't get one separately. Even if you did, chances are it won't last for more than 5 minutes! A very simple fix for this is to drill a couple of very small holes through the plastic ring and into the steering column, then screw in a couple of self-tapping screws.
However, I doubt this is your problem. With the shroud pieces removed, you should be able to operate the indicator switch normally. If nothing happens, and you're absolutely sure the fuses are OK, your next job should be to check the connector block that dangles at the end of the indicator wiring loom near the bottom of the steering column. Take it apart, clean it, apply some vaseline to the connectors and put it back together again. If still no joy, you need to get a voltmeter and see if there's any supply going to the switch (can't remember what colour wire, but your Haynes manual will tell you)
Posted: May 25, 2010 10:01 AM
Barry Brown
511 posts
Joined: 23/06/2008 12:08:31
Location: New Barn United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
very strange ignition issue...
so it still turns over but won't fire due to no spark at plugs. could be the feed to the points shorting out or the coil breaking down under heat. (one anti-theft mechanism is a switch that shorts the coil-to-contact points lead to eath thereby preventing a charge building up in the capacitor for sparking)
check out the black/white cable from the distributor back to the coil. if its all intact then see if you can borrow another coil to eliminate a problem with the windings in yours.
also check the flexible strap that connects the distributor base plate to the housing. they can fracture over time so if the shroud is expanding when hot and causing the broken copper strands to seperate then it too will prevent a spark being generated.
Posted: Sep 08, 2010 10:09 AM
yorkminiman12
11 posts
Joined: 13/09/2004 13:29:03
Location: Goole United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
Steering!!!!
Yep the steering colums changed in 1996 when airbags were introduced. Two options.
Either find a steering column, igniton barrel, stalk, shroud combo of a later mini or get a different wheel!
Steve
Posted: Jul 13, 2008 09:38 AM
Flashing!!
The Mini Spares information (years) on the column stalks is slightly wrong, because the same type of column stalks was fitted to all Mini models from late 1985 (when all models got the side/wing indicator repeaters) up to the Twin-Point/MPi Mini of late 1996.
And that's the type that has the indicators that work on the left and the windscreen wipers on the right. Prior to late 1985 the stalks were slightly different (had more details printed on them) and fitted the other way around.
Anyway yes your flasher should work when the left hand side column stalk is pulled back, so it's probably a fault with the stalk. If it was fuse related then your horn wouldn't work either.
So you can either remove the column shroud by undoing the 3 screws, yes there's one at the base to undo too. Then see if you can adjust the little contacts that touch when you flick that stalk back and forth.
Or you can invest in a replacement, but new stalks are very expensive. But you don't have to replace them both as they come separately, although the one on the left makes up most of the column stalk unit and is generally more expensive.
Posted: Nov 22, 2007 05:38 PM
swoping 998 for 1380
I have had good luck with electric fans. You can hook up a thermostatic switch but I always run mine manually as I like to have some control. The last one I bought was $15 at an auto wreckers- get the biggest that will fit and has a decent shroud. (wire it backwards and it runs the wrong way... careful)
If this is a low speed only problem I would try the electric fan first, cutting a hole would only help when you are moving fast.
--(& yes, front wheel). :(
Posted: May 08, 2007 03:47 AM
C. Barron
332 posts
Joined: 04/05/2006 21:28:31
Location: Mid Calder United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
Good combo??
A Cooper head is always an advantage over a standard shrouded valve head.
Anything you do after that which helps gas flow, in or out, will help get the most from the head's ability to flow better. It may be a stage 1 kit will be beneficial, tht just depends on what exhaust system you have fitted at the moment though....if you have the standard single narrrow downpipe exhaust from a narrow cast manifold any improvement on the exhaust side will be instantly noticeable.
Chris
Posted: Sep 19, 2006 11:15 PM
J. Rolph
33 posts
Joined: 24/08/2005 23:49:02
Location: Ludlow United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
HELP! engine steady won't fit!!
I think its the right one, it came from ebay so im not sure. Its bacsically a big shroud of metal the fits ontop of the thermostat housing, it doesn't have a sandwich plate. the trouble the hole where the rod goes through is directly infron of the top of the breather. Plus i think it will rub slightly on my heater take off pipe. I may hjave to modify the bracket a bit.
My main problem was whether I can transfer the pipe from the carb to going onto the rocker cover take off, rather than from the breather from the tappet chest cover.
thanks,
James
Posted: Dec 18, 2006 02:51 PM
Roobz
223 posts
Joined: 15/12/2005 01:31:36
Location: Redbridge United Kingdom (Excluding channel Islands)
998 Cooper cylinder head.........will it fit?????
Only me people, Just been really interested in getting a 998 cooper head to put on my standard 998 engine, but iv had so many worried about compression, and all the other fitments, logic says it should inprove horsepower because of the bigger less shrouded inlet valves, but i dont really wanna be spending big bucks and loads of time scimming the head or the block to get the compression back.
id love to just bolt one straight on and drive away, the question is,,,,,,Is that possible??????????
Come on people me out, you havnt let me down yet!
Looking farward to a reply. Thank. Richie
Posted: Jul 21, 2006 03:41 AM