What's this part for?

The winter of 2002 found me cleaning and taking things apart.  I would later find out that this was the easy part!  My intentions were to pull the engine, tear it down to determine what needing "re-freshing".  First things first....time to get the gunk off.  A quick FYI, to remove engine grime, oil and other nasties, try using a cleaner like Simple Green or any other degreasing type cleaner.  Spray on liberally and let it sit  for a good 15-20 minutes then rinse with the hottest water you have available.  I hooked a hose to the hot water faucet for my washing machine and it did a great job.  I purchased a few "must have" items that you will need if you are going to do any vehicle restoration work - parts washer, engine hoist, engine stand and a sand blast cabinet.  Each of these proved to be very useful. 

So the engine was out and it was now time for the tear down.  Remember the Haynes manual?  Believe me, you will use it.....a lot!  I did my best to follow the process outlined in the repair manual.  Since I wasn't in a hurry, I was able to take my time and clean and re-paint many of the ancillary items.  The parts washer and sand blast cabinet were a huge help here.  A few more tips...take digital pictures before you remove items, then label and bag all of the parts and hardware that are removed.  You will undoubtedly discover parts you will want/need to replace.  Start your list and keep it updated as you progress.  It is much easier to accumulate a list as things come up, then place one order when you are ready.  Many of the Mini parts suppliers have "wish lists" available to use on their websites.  This is a real handy feature that I have found to be very helpful as my restoration has taken a lot longer than anticipated.

With the engine now out and apart, it was off to the machine shop to have the block inspected for wear.  To my surprise, the cylinder walls were all within spec.  So all that was needed was a re-fresh of the inner wear items -  new rings, oil pump, cam bearing, clutch, various seals and a few other items that were changed out of convenience since the engine was out.  I also took the opportunity to clean up the engine bay.  Here are before and after pictures: 

My re-build took a lot longer than I expected - partly due to work travel and partly due to the fact that it gets cold in Georgia in the winter!  Not fun twisting wrenches in below freezing weather.  As the spring of 2003 approached, I was able to get back to the re-build.  Again, following the Haynes manual, I proceeded to reassemble the trusty 848cc.  In early April, I got the motor back in the car and it was time to fire it up.  The anticipation was overwhelming.  Before actually starting the motor, it is imperative that you confirm you have oil pressure as the motor turns over.  So, I turned the key and.........nothing. No oil pressure on the gauge.  After numerous checks and lots of advice from Mini owners with a lot more experience, it was determined that the engine would have to come out for a deeper look into the problem.  So, out came the motor.  The problem turned out to be a missing camshaft pin the drives the oil pump.  It had fallen out and found it's way to the bottom of the transmission case. 

Now that the mystery of no oil pressure was solved, it was time to put the motor back in. Would there be oil pressure this time?  You betcha.  It did take about 60 seconds (seemed like 5 minutes) to get the oil circulating to the point where pressure registered on the gauge, but sure enough we were in business!  Now for the fun part....time to actually start the motor.  Turned the key to the first position, listen for the click, click, click from the fuel pump then hit it.  After just a few revolutions, we were running!  I remember running inside like a little kid telling my wife "it runs, it runs".  Keep in mind, this was my first engine build, it had been about six months since I started the tear down and re-build and the reality that just a few weeks prior, all those parts were in little zip lock bags.  It was truely one of the most satisfying projects I had ever done.                                         



Freshly painted 848cc going back in!



Clean Install!



I was able to enjoy the car through the summer of 2003.   The "little guy" as I had started to refer to him (most Minis have names) was more than happy to provide the reason for the silly grin.  I did notice that the little guy was "leaving his mark" whereever I parked him and it seemed to be getting progressively worse.  I was a bit frustrated with the oil leak and after spending considerable time under the car, I found the source of the leak.  There is a half moon seal that sits on the front end of the transmission casing.  the cranshft rests right over the seal and it is critical that it sits in place perfectly.  I must have nudged the seal ever so slightly while removing or re-assembling the block to the transmission case. It was leaking to the point that the engine would have to be removed again in order to fix the seal.  By this time, I had had enough and the car was parked in the garage.  Meanwhile a fellow Atlanta Mini friend had just upgraded to a 1275cc engine and he was looking to get rid of his "998".  Do I upgrade........read on!                                                                    



So now I have a Mini - what to do???

After the 5 hour drive back to Atlanta with the Mini in the back of the Uhaul box trailer, it was time to really check the car out.  I was just dying to drive the car so a quick spin around the block and , hey - it drives like a 40 year old Mini.  I really didn't know what to expect, but I must say, it was an experience.  If you have a Mini or have every driven one, then you know about the silly grin you get on your face every time you get behind the wheel. 

So I bought a 40 year old, right hand drive British car that I have very little history on.  Is this thing safe for the highway?  What tools do I need to have on hand?  What condition is the engine in?  For the first few months, I would go out to the garage and tinker on things just to get familiar with the car.  Tip #1 - a Haynes manual is your friend!  In the spring of 2002, my son and I took the car to the annual British Car Day in Atlanta.  We had attended the previous year and I was determined to be at the event the following year in my own Mini.  We made the 2 hour drive with no problems and it was a great day to be able to mingle with other Mini owners and learn from them.

After seeing so many other Minis, I was even more motivated to learn more about the car.  I began thinking about the 40 year old 848cc engine.  What was the condition of the motor? Had this lump every been rebuilt?  Since this was a "weekend toy" I had the luxury of tearing things apart and taking my time putting things back together.  Little did I know what I was getting myself into.........

How it all began......

My fascination with Minis started at the young age of 14.  My dad owned a foreign car parts business and being the youngest of five boys, I was always around foreign cars.  Lancias, Citrroens, VW's, Datsuns, Toyotas just to name a few, but never any Minis.  Then one day, my brother Chris got his first Mini.  Chris and I would go to SCCA autocross events and I had such a great time being there.   Watching my brother tear up the track in his Mk1 was infectious!  I didn't know that much about cars at that age, but I remember thinking....one day I am going to have my own Mini.  Well that thought took many years to materialize. 

I started my search sometime in 1997, then my job transferred me to Atlanta.  Let's see, a new house, a new job, a new life in a new place.....yep, the Mini had to wait a bit longer.  I started the search again sometime in 2001.  There were a few MUSTS in my quest for the perfect (or maybe I should say "acceptable")Mini.  First and foremost, it HAD to be a Mk 1.  Second, minimal rust - I know, a 30+ year old British car with minimal rust?  Who am I kidding?  Third minimal, if any mods - I wanted as original as possible.  Notice engine size was not in my top three requirements.  You may ask why not?  Well, I was more interested in originality than engine size.  To me, whether it had an 850cc or a 1275cc was not as important as how original the rest of the car was.  In addition, a genuine Mk1 Cooper S was not in my budget.

Well, my search led me to a gentleman in Wales that had just what I was looking for.  It was a Mk1, it had about 35K on the clock (never left Wales so probably original miles), very little rust, original interior except the carpets and it had an 850!  OK, so I wasn't ecstatic about the motor, but it was the original motor that came with the car and it was in running condition.  So, after many e-mails, pictures and one long phone call to Wales, we agreed on a price and the seller arranged the shipping.  A few short weeks later and I was off to Charleston to pick up MY Mini!