Home Forum Help Calendar Search Register Login
 Welcome, Guest. Please login or register

  Mini Marcos Forum  >  General Boards  >  Mini Marcos  >  Right - join Part A to Part B etc, etc, etc
0 Members Browsing (11 Guests)
Currently No Active Members

Pages: « ... 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 ... » : All Reply Recommend Print
  Author    Right - join Part A to Part B etc, etc, etc  (currently 14,511 views)
Graham Bichard
Posted on: May 20th, 2013, 19:09:14 Quote Report to Moderator
Maximum Member2







Posts: 751
Steering rack looks tight:

Rack seems to dig into the subframe:

Scratches on subbie from rack bolt:
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 210 - 599
Graham Bichard
Posted on: May 20th, 2013, 19:12:09 Quote Report to Moderator
Maximum Member2







Posts: 751
We tried presenting the subframe at a few angles but this seems to be the culprit:

So before I remove the rack and offer thing up again any thoughts?
I did manage to get an idea of the wheel protrusion with the metro vented disc set up:

Last modified May 20th, 2013, 19:13:37 by Graham Bichard
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 211 - 599
Graham Bichard
Posted on: May 20th, 2013, 19:17:37 Quote Report to Moderator
Maximum Member2







Posts: 751
And how about this - I needed a steering wheel but the MPi column has a different spline set up from previous minis.  But MPi wheels are very expensive on ebay but a little research turned up the MGf wheel which os very similar but crucially has the same spline pattern.  A complete column cost £45, about half what a used MPi wheel costs.  So I get a spare set of stalks to and (look closely) an electric power assist system:

I don't intend to use this but it's nice to know it's a possible option (I'll be so old when I get this finished I might need it!)  
So, any ideas welcome before I attack the steering rack?
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 212 - 599
MPlayle
Posted on: May 21st, 2013, 01:59:39 Quote Report to Moderator
Minimum Member


Posts: 62
The steering box end is supposed to fit into that opening below the scruff marks.  Try loosening the rack mounts and rotating the box down slightly (raising the angle of the column).

Leave the rack a little loose when offering up the subframe to allow rotating the rack a bit to get the steering box to drop into that opening.  only tighten the rack once the column is installed so that you don't get angular stress on the splines.  Such issues are common on Minis when folks install the steering drop brackets.
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 213 - 599
Craig Smith
Posted on: May 21st, 2013, 21:53:15 Quote Report to Moderator
Big Member







Location: Bury
Posts: 256
That power steering column is far smaller than the Corsa "B" one I got for mine; looks likes it's time for plan B (again)..!
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 214 - 599
Graham Bichard
Posted on: May 23rd, 2013, 10:11:05 Quote Report to Moderator
Maximum Member2







Posts: 751
Craig - let me know if you need any more pics or dimension (and won't this make it Plan 'C'?  )
Your own car needs a thread!  It might give me ideas/solutions!
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 215 - 599
Stuart
Posted on: May 23rd, 2013, 10:45:58 Quote Report to Moderator
Big Member







Location: Peak District
Posts: 284

Reputation: 1 (tot: 1)
Quoted from Graham Bichard, posted May 23rd, 2013, 10:11:05 at here

Your own car needs a thread!  It might give me ideas/solutions!



It has one, I've somehow missed recent posts http://www.minimarcos.org.uk/c.....=39,highlight=#num39
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 216 - 599
Graham Bichard
Posted on: June 1st, 2013, 16:44:55 Quote Report to Moderator
Maximum Member2







Posts: 751
Rack loosened off.  Engine now in:

Subframe obviously must be offset to the drivers side:


I'll look to fit some kind of flared arch, perhaps slimmer on the passenger side to balance up the aesthetics.  Has anyone else suffered this?  What did you do to overcome it?  I could fit my wintertyres (135 section) for the IVA  .
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 217 - 599
Graham Bichard
Posted on: June 1st, 2013, 16:48:13 Quote Report to Moderator
Maximum Member2







Posts: 751
I tightened the rack back up and fitted the wheel so I could steer the car (moving the car out of the garage so I could have a tidy up).  Hopefully this picture will illustrate what I meant by the column being offset to the left:

The clock binnacle seems to be directly in front when you sit central to the drivers side but you can see how the wheel rim covers the rev counter.
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 218 - 599
Graham Bichard
Posted on: June 1st, 2013, 16:55:19 Quote Report to Moderator
Maximum Member2







Posts: 751
I'll put the heater pipes through the bulkhead underneath the chassis plate.  There's space on the other side and it lines up quite well with the heater:

I've also offered up the engine harness, working out where all the connections go:

Who's idea was it to use the MPi as a base  
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 219 - 599
Graham Bichard
Posted on: June 1st, 2013, 16:58:49 Quote Report to Moderator
Maximum Member2







Posts: 751
Placing the inlet manifold and throttle body in position shows how much less space there is on the MM compared with the mini bodyshell:

I do have a problem with the fuel lines:

There is some lateral movement but I don't know if physically (permanently) bending them will frcture them.

Last modified June 1st, 2013, 17:03:21 by Graham Bichard
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 220 - 599
Graham Bichard
Posted on: June 1st, 2013, 17:08:26 Quote Report to Moderator
Maximum Member2







Posts: 751
I'll need to find some way of securing the engine relay to the bulkhead too.  It can't fit in the same position as on the mini (where it sits atop the servo):

The main problem at the moment is that the gearbox must be engaged in a gear, as I can't push the car backward/forward.  Is there an easy way of checking this/getting neutral?
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 221 - 599
Neil KilBane
Posted on: June 1st, 2013, 20:39:40 Quote Report to Moderator
Maximum Member2





just a little fine tuning left to do.


Location: Newtown Forbes, Ireland
Posts: 1,420

Reputation: 0 (tot: )
You can manipulate the gear selector with a screwdriver from the back of the gear box, push it through the hole for the roll pin and push/twist the selector to engage neutral.

 
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 222 - 599
Lee Pashley
Posted on: June 2nd, 2013, 20:58:13 Quote Report to Moderator
Baby Member


Posts: 17
Graham ,don"t think you can use a air bag for theIVA so you may have to find another steering wheel.
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 223 - 599
Graham Bichard
Posted on: June 3rd, 2013, 19:25:12 Quote Report to Moderator
Maximum Member2







Posts: 751
Lee - your right, I can't use an airbag wheel.  I am looking eventually to use a nice aftermarket wheel, but as you can't have spoked wheels either (with holes in the spokes) I didn't want to spend a frtune yet.  I discovered a thread (on turbominis I think) where someone had used the airbag as a template to create a mould for a fibreglass copy.  I have some carbon fibre sheet somewhere in the shed I'll look to do something similar.
I will need to use the rotary coupling as this controls the horn also.  I'm not sure if I'll need to use the airbag harness - this'll be a pain if I do, but I've heard that funny things can happy with the ECU if not all the sensors are registered.
I did think about using a LandRover Discovery wheel - no airbag, bigger diameter (so there is a bigger exclusion zone behind the wheel for IVA) and I'm told uses the same spline set up, but I couldn't find absolute confirmation of this (no surprise really).
Neil, I'll have a look at the engine/gearbox in the garage and have a play at engaging/disengaging the box before climbing under the car tomorrow night.  It'd be good to get the car out into the sunlight  
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 224 - 599
Pages: « ... 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 ... » : All Reply Recommend Print

New Thread Mini Marcos Forum  >  Mini Marcos  [ previous | next ] Switch to:

Forum Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post polls
You may not post attachments
HTML is on
Blah Code is on
Smilies are on

Powered by e-blah Platinum 7 Final © 2001-2004   -   July 4th, 2025, 04:09:18

Files opened: 40 | Files closed: 40