radius arm kit and other handling questions!

Post by **bmcecosse** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 10:12 pm

If you fit Traveller rear springs - 7 leaf - there is much less chance of 'tramping'. And I would not bother with uprated torsion bars - just add some decent front telescopic dampers. The head is dead easy to fit yourself - so perhaps better to let the professionals do radius arm kit. What carb are you going to run with this head - I assume it is a 1275 engine ?

Post by **bigginger** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 10:40 pm

It'll still tramp even with LCV 8 leafers on there unless you carry a few bags of cement in the back though.
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Post by **KirstMin** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 10:47 pm

What carb are you going to run with this head - I assume it is a 1275 engine?

Yes mate its a 1275 with a large bore SS exhaust and manifold with an HIF44 carb and minispares inlet manifold. I've got telescopic dampers all round + anti-roll bar and front disk brakes.

I guess I could do the head and leave the radius arm kit to JHL coz I can't weld!

Post by **jonathon** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 11:03 pm

Good idea!!!!!!

Post by **bmcecosse** » Thu Sep 22, 2005 10:05 am

Should go well - what cam are you using ?

Post by **Cam** » Thu Sep 22, 2005 10:59 am

KirstMin wrote:
Cam wrote: I would try out your car first before splashing out on radius arms, as depending on your driving style, you might not feel the need for them.
You mean try it out with the new head and extra power before I decide?

Yes.

There will still be tramp with the traveller springs (as Andrew says) I have experienced this myself as I have those on my saloon, but it really does depend on your driving style as to the amount of annoyance this causes...

Uprated torsion bars are a good idea if you want to firm up the front suspension, but they have to be used in conjunction with the telescopic dampers of course. Some people just use uprated dampers but it depends on what your driving style demands. I personally much prefer stiffer springing on the front as if you JUST uprate your dampers, you will still get body roll as the dampers just do that, they damp out quick changes of direction and oscillation, they allow slow compression whereas the uprated torsion bars will resist this. You have to do 'the package' to get the best out of your suspension and try to design it to meet your needs. The best way of doing this is to drive the car and ask yourself what the problems are, identify what would benifit from an 'upgrade' and alter things depending upon what the final solution should be (according to YOU and YOUR needs).

Post by **KirstMin** » Thu Sep 22, 2005 11:39 am

bmcecosse wrote:Should go well - what cam are you using?

Its standard at the moment - whatever that is.

You guys have advised me (re: metro cam or new kent one) and I think after searching ebay for a while that I am going to go for a new kent cam MD266 just for peace of mind - coz it costs a bob or 2 to have someone swap the cam and I dont have the equipment to do it myself so I really dont want to have to do it twice if the 2nd hand cam is bobbins!

I'm hoping the new head will run with the existing cam for the time being though?

Post by **Cam** » Thu Sep 22, 2005 11:57 am

KirstMin wrote:I'm hoping the new head will run with the existing cam for the time being though?

Yep, it will improve things especially the low-down torque even if used with the standard cam.

Post by **KirstMin** » Thu Sep 22, 2005 12:14 pm

OK, thanks for the help - I have now devised a new cunning plan

1. Get new wheels and tyres (im standard at the moment)

2. get the head and fit it myself

3. run the car, testing things out

4. decide on cam change and/or handling mods depending on testing

One further question - to change the head do I need to buy anything else (other than the head)?

plan is hatched

Post by **Cam** » Thu Sep 22, 2005 1:36 pm

Good plan.

You'll need a good head gasket (get a copper one from a Mini supplier or Morspeed will be able to sell you the right one).

If you change the head, it's a good idea to change the oil & water too, so you'll need some anti-freeze and some fresh oil. Oh and a torque wrench that goes up to 50 lbs-ft.

Also, you'll need a new rocker cover gasket and exhaust/inlet manifold gasket.

Might be a good idea to change the bypass hose too while you are at it. And get a new thermostat housing gasket (or the housing itself if it looks a bit dodgy). Also, a new heater tap gasket...

Post by **KirstMin** » Thu Sep 22, 2005 3:06 pm

Cam wrote: You'll need a good head gasket (get a copper one from a Mini supplier or Morspeed will be able to sell you the right one).

Also, you'll need a new rocker cover gasket and exhaust/inlet manifold gasket.

a lot of gaskets then

. Do I get a large port manifold gasket or a normal one? Also, is it essential to change all the gaskets when your current ones have only done 600 miles

? As has my unleaded cylinder head and all valves etc (bit of a waste really). hmmmm, I wonder if it's worth anything?

Post by **Cam** » Thu Sep 22, 2005 3:30 pm

That depends on if you have large ports or not!

Yes, you might as well get a large port one, if your ports have been opened up.

Ideally, you should never re-use a gasket as it's been compressed. For the price of them, it's not really worth it. Having said that, I have re-used exhaust gaskets and rocker cover gaskets, but no others. Renew them all.

Your unleaded cylinder head will certainly be worth something. Advertise it on here or sell it on eBay. ESM charge £135 + VAT (exchange) for a 1098 unleaded head.

Post by **KirstMin** » Thu Sep 22, 2005 3:53 pm

oh good - i can put the proceeds towards something that makes me go faster

New gaskets, OK, they are pretty cheap so like you say, I might as well.

Thanks again

Post by **bmcecosse** » Thu Sep 22, 2005 9:58 pm

I think you said the car has an anti-roll bar fitted ? If so - roll shouldn't be too much of a problem. To get the best from your new head a better cam could be fitted - but it means engine out, so best to save that till you have the engine out for some other reason.

Post by **KirstMin** » Fri Sep 23, 2005 10:33 am

yep, anti-roll fitted

but it means engine out, so best to save that till you have the engine out for some other reason.

thats a good idea! Didn't think of that and we all know there comes a time...

Post by **KirstMin** » Fri Sep 23, 2005 1:25 pm

Cam wrote:Your unleaded cylinder head will certainly be worth something. Advertise it on here or sell it on eBay. ESM charge £135 + VAT (exchange) for a 1098 unleaded head.

ello, I've just checked and the unleaded head I have (for the 1275 engine) is £150 + VAT (+ £35 surcharge) on ESM

I think C.ware (where i bought it) charge even more but I got it with the re-con A+ engine and fitting too. It's done 600 miles at present but i would assume another 400 by the time ive got the new head and fitted it. I'll post it here B4 ebay.

Post by **6thdude** » Fri Sep 23, 2005 8:05 pm

Hi,
just going back to the original question ......... you said you didn't want the JLH rad arm kit as it wasn't bolt on, right? Just wondering how do you fit a rad kit with out welding a bracket to the axle casting?
Just been thinking about it at work today (nothing interesting to do!!).

Oh I think you should save a tenner back for a couple of pints after fitting the head and taking the first drive!!

Jim

Oh yeah I thought the cam came out the front of the a series? can you not just remove the front panel and rad to get at it?

Post by **bmcecosse** » Fri Sep 23, 2005 8:28 pm

Yes - but on the 1275 the cam followers all fall out - I suppose it would JUST be possible to push them all back in again as someone else feeds in the new cam though - this is obviously not an option on a Mini - but could be a goer on a Minor !! Of course - fit new followers with a new cam anyway. And for the above to work you would need to be sure it was an A+ engine with a peg drive cam. Earlier engine has spider drive cam - and I think it might be tricky trying to get the spider back in place.

Post by **Packedup** » Fri Sep 23, 2005 8:39 pm

How about getting 8 decent magnets down the pushrod holes and pulling the followers right out the way on the 1275?

On the 1098 it should just be a matter of taking the tappet chest covers off, not that I had to do that on the one I did last year, when "somehow" a couple of the followers had gone adrift when the engine was tipped upside down to be worked on, after the head had been pulled...

Post by dp » Sat Sep 24, 2005 5:56 pm

Many years ago in Design & Technology we had to make a lock mechanism. I made a design using ball bearings and electromagnets, anyway I found out the hard way that although the magnets easily lifted the ball bearings in air, once the bearings were in their sockets (think drill holes with a ball bearings sitting at the bottom), the magnet caused the ball bearing and the casing to attract to one another with similar force as the 'key' and the bearing. I.e. the ball couldn't come out.

So you may have a similar problem trying to pull pushrods in contact with metal.