2 door VAE 306H

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kevin s
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by kevin s »

It came out that way Ok so fingers Crossed!

It may be because I fabricated our chassis legs from seam welded tube so there is no spotweld flange on the inside edge.
philthehill
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by philthehill »

Looked back at your previous posts and yes those front legs were fabricated as per your 2014 posts.

kevin s
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by kevin s »

yes doesn't seem that long ago!
jagnut66
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by jagnut66 »

BL did make a 1098cc engine for the Marina with a prefix of 10V.
Well you learn something new everyday, I've never encountered a 1098cc Marina, I tought the engine size started with the 1275.
Best wishes,
Mike.
1954 Series 2: 4 door: "Sally" -- Back on the ground with (slave) wheels and waiting to be resprayed......
1970 Triumph Herald 1200: "Hetty" -- Driven back from Llangollen in Wales (twice.....)
kevin s
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by kevin s »

Bit more progress.

Set valve clearances, to start with I have set them all to 15 thou, I'll do them again once it's run for a while. Then evo-stuck the gasket to the cam cover and fitted it.
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Then started preparring the standard gearbox. Before fitting it I checked the crossmember 10.5 inches further back where it will need to be when we eventually fit the mazda gearbox , a 3/4 inch spacer and plate with nuts or studs welded on placed inside the chassis leg should work fine.
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Finally I went fit the new concenrtic slave cylinder, looks like I should have noted which corsa it came off of...
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Hopefully ordered the right one now.
kevin s
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by kevin s »

Painted the engine.
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Then realised I couldn't use my spanner on the damped crank pulley, fortunately I had a 3/4 whitworth socket .
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To get it go clear the starter dog I cut it in half.
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Then welded it back together with a piece of tube.
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Finally made a flywheel lock and torqued it up to 70lbft.

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Might get it off the stand tomorrow so I can finish the last few bits off, we'll then just be waiting for the slave cylinder.
kevin s
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by kevin s »

After a few weeks of intensive DIY rebuilding our conservatory I have some time for cars again, so the engine and box are together.
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Then managed to start fitting it.
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All the mounts are done so a couple of hours this week should see it fimished.

Also tried the mx5 gearbox conversion first, now has plenty of clearance around the rack.
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It will still need around 25mm more clearance to the tunnel which is easy enough this gives me the confidence to invest in a prop and sort out the clutch release.
philthehill
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by philthehill »

Between the top and bottom photo the gearbox has metamorphized into another make :wink:

kevin s
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by kevin s »

And grown another gear!

Did a bit more today, fitted the distributor, oil pressure line and alternator, afterwards we span it over to set the timing with a strobe (added some marks above) which all went well. Only thing we did notice was almost 100psi of oil pressure when cranking, we fitted one of the ball type plungers from minisport and packed the pump with vaseline not sure if this might be the cause, at the moment, I'm inclined to start it and see what happens.
philthehill
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by philthehill »

You may have to shorten the oil pressure relief valve spring to bring the oil pressure down.

kevin s
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by kevin s »

Yes a bit of research indicates many mini owners have had the same problem with this part, one even blowing a gallery plug out might just put the bullet one back in for now , it never gave any problems.
kevin s
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by kevin s »

Most of the engine install is now done.

Fitted the original relief plunger which fives 65psi when cranking.
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Still needs coolant, gearbox oil and the alternator pulley machining to line up properly.

Thought i'd see if it goes anyway, turned the key and it started instantly ..... on 2 cylinders.

A quick look confirmed I had somehow put 2 and 4 plug leads on the wrong places, swapped them and it starts and idles perfectly, a quick check on the clutch (very light with the new slave cyl) which works fine and turned it off.

Now for the next problem, I want to fit an electric fan, for noise power and safety reasons (a flymo blade on the front of the engine terrifies me!). I've sorted out a 8" fan which will fit but am now pondering where to fit a thermostatic switch, usually I put them in an alloy adaptor in the top hose but the minor hose is too short, what have othet people done?
kevin s
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by kevin s »

Alternator pulley machined and fitted, so I can run it up for longer, seems fine, makes much healthier sucking noises than before! and is idling at a higher speed (the benefit of 4 similar and functioning cylinders!), tappets are a bit noisy (I will re-torque the head and do these after a few miles).

Just need to put some gear oil in it (I use 75w90, with the changes in engine oils and improvement in gear oils over the last 5 years it's a no brainer to me) and then we can take it for a drive after which I will set the mixture and idle speed. Will then just need to sort the fan out when the parts arrive and it's all done.
philthehill
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by philthehill »

If you retain the BMC gearbox and put 75W90 in the gearbox you may find that changing gear is difficult as the synchro cones will not clear of oil as easily. A 25/30-50W grade engine oil should be used with the BMC gearbox.
Looking at your engine bay photo I see that you have a remote heater switch. Therefore you could install an alloy hose adapter between the heater take off from the head and the remote heater switch. The use of reducer hoses may be required. The back of the head usually gets hotter than the front so it is a good place to fit a coolant fan adapter/switch.

kevin s
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by kevin s »

It's had 75w90 in it for the last couple of years and the synchros seemed to work fine, only issue is first / reverse sounds awful but works Ok and hasn't got any worse, I guess it's been crunched more than a few times.

The heater valve shuts the flow off but I could giet a bypass type and do as you say- food for thought.
kevin s
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by kevin s »

The link below compares gear and engine oil viscosity, 90 gear oil is pretty close to 50 engine oil .


http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/viscosity-charts/
philthehill
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by philthehill »

Thank you for the link but I still would not use either 90 or 50 grade oil in a Minor gearbox. Both are too thick and the 90 grade has additives which does not help the synchro cones shed oil.

kevin s
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by kevin s »

The stuff I am using is a Ford oil (75w90 - WSD-M2C200-C) specified for the IB5 transmission the basic design of which goes right back to the B4 developed in the 70's.

Being multigrade means it will only be behaving as a 90 oil when very hot, I would expect in our climate most of the time it will be nearer an 80 or 85.
philthehill
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by philthehill »

Having now read quite a few specification details of Ford WSD-M2C200-C oil I am still not convinced that you need to use a polyalphaolefine based oil in a Minor gearbox but if it works for you all well and good.
Phil

kevin s
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Re: 2 door VAE 306H

Post by kevin s »

I wouldn't have bought anything that fancy for it normally I had a couple of bottles left over from another job. I don't think it will be in there for long anyway I hadn't driven it for some time before the engine went (it's my son's car) with the now quieter and much more refined engine plus the gear stick gaiter missing it's noticeable that there is a lot of noise coming from the input shaft bearing even in neutral, hopefully it will last long enough to sort out the propshaft and clutch slave cylinder on the 5 speed conversion!

Before which I've also got the MX5 to MOT, Lotus wing to paint, and front brakes and hubs to re-build on the Range Rover.
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