A happy Mini owner usually has another vehicle or six in or around the garage. Our 66 Cooper S Resto-mod is more proof-of-concept than practical transportation, so our collection of Classic Survivors together add up to meet my needs for getting around our local area. Half a dozen relics that are only good for certain conditions. As up to half of these are not close to “usable” at any given time, The ones we rely on require attention from time to time. For me, that usually means UPGRADES! Our 1974 Mazda Rotary Engine Pick-up is one such survivor and it has a heater! …And an interior that can be closed off to rain and cold, and we want our cool truck running again. It’s been on the back-burner and the pile of “I’ll get to that when the truck is fixed…” has grown.
Here I show the modification to the 22G1128 gearbox case that allows running a full late A+ Gearset from a Rod-change transmission. The modification allows the case to accept the 3-step layshaft that is needed for the A+ style laygear. This is a viable option as most of the small input bearing mainshafts have passed into oblivion, and finding a good set of gears, particularly second gear in the pre A+ helical pattern is getting difficult… and expensive.
Running A+ (or even the large bearing “intermediate gears prior to the A+, including the close-ratio 1275GT type if you can find these) provides a number of upgrades to address weaknesses. Besides the stronger 3-step layshaft and gear, you get the larger input bearing mainshaft, and the corresponding stronger input gear. The later gears also have a different coating on the synchro cones of the gears which lets the baulk-rings (synchros) work better, and is more durable (it has a black, almost “soft” when oily texture compared to the shiny metal of early gears).
This is a great upgrade, as the early small bearing type were used on tiny engines, and take a real beating when asked to perform with big-bore engines making 4 or 5 times the power and torque.
Next, I’ll be installing the differential, then we’ll confirm our Idler-gear end-float.
https://cooperroadmini.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Cooper-Road-Mini-Logo2-1.png00Jemalhttps://cooperroadmini.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Cooper-Road-Mini-Logo2-1.pngJemal2013-11-20 15:44:552013-11-20 15:44:55A+ Gears in the Older 4-syncho Mini Cooper Gearbox
Well, as the seasons change and the days get awfully short, CooperRoadMini retreats into the R&D basement. We have space to leave half a dozen gearboxes taken apart all over the bench top and parts cleaner while we contemplate the next big improvement!
And here it is! Years ago, I figured out that the 3-synchro remote gearboxes’ 1st/2nd brass shift-fork could be lightly clearanced to work in the 4-synchro 22G1128… probably when I didn’t have a good 22G889 (the “correct” 4-sync shift-fork), and cost of a new one was heading north of $150. I made the mod whenever I could not come up with a good one. I’ve noticed that the 22A611 3-sync shift fork is a much stouter casting and provides about 30% MORE brass in contact with the collar on the 1st/2nd hub slider…. Have a look at the video below.
In this case, I pulled the fork out of the old Moke 3-sync box, and it was in perfect condition, unlike most of the 4-sync versions which are usually knackered! As our Moke is still using the “magic wand” shift linkage, this mod should really tighten up the stick-in-the-mud feeling that people expect with the magic wand! The reader will kindly recall that our first gearbox suffered an idler bearing failure which destroyed the case and flywheel housing after about 750 miles, just when it was breaking in and shifting beautifully. With our new case, we’ll be installing a full set of A+ standard ratio gears, modifying the case to accept the three-step layshaft. We’ll keep the 3.44 final drive as it provided the perfect balance of acceleration and cruising speed for the Moke.
https://cooperroadmini.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Cooper-Road-Mini-Logo2-1.png00Jemalhttps://cooperroadmini.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Cooper-Road-Mini-Logo2-1.pngJemal2013-11-08 14:54:322016-11-22 04:35:03Oh Shift Forks! Back to the MOKE
While CooperRoadMini.com has been mostly dormanat over the summer, a number of interesting things have happened. We’ll have an update on our Moke project soon.
Yet in the meantime, my good friend Dwight Smith’s ’62 Traveler Woody won the Best of Show Award at the recent Portland British Field Meet. This was an astonishing achievement, as there were more than 800 fine British automobiles of MANY makes present. Check out who joined him in this elite group of show cars Click Here.
I’ve known Dwight for many years. Back in ’05 he ordered an engine from MiniMania. One our fabulous supercharged 1380cc units. If a customer was interested, I’d go over all sorts of details and make recommendations on how to best achieve the best power package for the car. Dwight was, and every detail was deliberate. The final drive, and transmission internal ratios, the drop gear options, the cylinder head, the cam, drive, timing, compression ratio, even the color of the engine, all of it well considered. Dwight came down to Nevada City and we ran his engine at the Mini Mania open house in the spring of 2006. The howl from that engine always drew a crowd.
Many of us know the downside of being so detail oriented is that our projects can take FOR EVER! Sometimes years go by as we “decide how to proceed”! By 2009 the bodyshell was as PERFECT as any England-sourced 60s metal object could possibly be! By 2011, the stunning engine had collected some dust, on display in Dwight’s living room.
Late that summer, my technical writing gig at a General Dynamics company screeched to a halt. Dwight said he’d just been unable to start building the car, would I come up and assemble the big parts?
Hmm. I’d built my 66 Cooper S from nuts and bolts. Over many years. Switching projects, slow progress here and there. Could I do it in a week or so?
It took 10 days. A couple spent helping Dwight “organize” his workspace, again this sometimes takes instigation by a third party with no attachment to debris that somehow fills any open space. The car went together nicely. Engine into subframe, body over it, front suspension, assembled rear subframe up to body, top notch brakes all around, dialed in the blower, clutch, radiator, ignition, and enough electrical to start the car with the key before heading home.
Dwight spent nearly two more years tending to details that he enjoys and does very well. The result was the spectacular green Woody seen by so many over the Labor Day weekend at the Portland All British Field Meet.
These are all photos I took at Dwight’s in September 2011 in Lake Oswego, Oregon. You can click on any to see a full size image. Yep, those are my Crocks and I’m the one hanging through the windshield.
Here’s a little compilation of the first test drive with our friend when he met his “new” Moke. He was amazed by the difference with the new power train. Remember, this was a tired old 850.
http://www.vimeo.com/69617357
https://cooperroadmini.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Cooper-Road-Mini-Logo2-1.png00Jemalhttps://cooperroadmini.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Cooper-Road-Mini-Logo2-1.pngJemal2013-07-14 11:49:082016-11-22 04:36:23'67 Mini Moke reintroduced to its owner
This was moments after letting the clutch engage for the first time!
https://cooperroadmini.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Cooper-Road-Mini-Logo2-1.png00Jemalhttps://cooperroadmini.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Cooper-Road-Mini-Logo2-1.pngJemal2013-06-14 12:13:002016-11-22 04:38:2667 Mini Moke: First Drive with new Engine
After a couple of attempts that let me correct the distributor orientation to get the timing in range, and adding dashpot oil to the HIF44, our new 1345cc Mini MOKE roared to life just after noon on Wednesday June 5th 2013.
This short video is the first minute or so of of my smooth-running engine!
https://cooperroadmini.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Cooper-Road-Mini-Logo2-1.png00Jemalhttps://cooperroadmini.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Cooper-Road-Mini-Logo2-1.pngJemal2013-06-05 13:32:122016-11-22 04:38:48Our 67 Mini MOKE fires its new engine for the first time
With about a week to go before the Mini Mania open house “Nevada City Adventure”, our long term Mini MOKE project is going together for real!
This video shows me taking out the front sub-frame after lowering it a bit to get the old steering rack out. It was so easy to remove at that point that I couldn’t resist! I hammer-and-dollied some bumps and bruises, pressure washed, then painted it the next day when I came home for lunch. By Friday evening, the engine went in, and back up into the MOKE it went….. That’s the next post….. Let’s try at least one update per day until we drive it!
https://cooperroadmini.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Cooper-Road-Mini-Logo2-1.png00Jemalhttps://cooperroadmini.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Cooper-Road-Mini-Logo2-1.pngJemal2013-05-25 13:08:162016-11-22 04:39:29Mini MOKE Count-down to Start-up
We’ve made some progress in many directions with our own 66 Cooper S, AND with our long term Mini MOKE rebuild.
Also some changes to the way the site works courtesy of our lovely assistant, who takes care of all the miscellaneous behind the scenes stuff. This should help us post regular updates, and hopefully field some specific questions that are of interest to CooperRoadMini.com followers…. just start writing in the “LEAVE A REPLY” box and ask me!
An example of that now…. I often help my Mini Mania customers with clutch issues. I identify between the early diaphragm spring style and the later “VERTO” design, then provide some troubleshooting to get it properly adjusted.
Proper adjustment is CRITICAL for the Mini, as the clutch pedal has a limited amount of travel. This video clip explains how to minimize the pedal travel lost to freeplay… this is where most people get it wrong, too much of the pedal stroke is wasted on freeplay such that the clutch does not fully disengage, resulting in very difficult shifting. I show how to adjust the mechanical linkage, the travel of the clutch pedal, and demonstrate the short throws of my quick-shift Rod-change.
Here is a short follow-up clip showing the movement of the clutch throw-out arm while I operate the clutch pedal. You can see how little travel is required to disengage the clutch on the pre-Verto style, one of the reasons the early style is still preferred by many owners, but also why it’s so important to get the adjustment right:
https://cooperroadmini.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Cooper-Road-Mini-Logo2-1.png00Jemalhttps://cooperroadmini.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Cooper-Road-Mini-Logo2-1.pngJemal2013-05-06 12:40:102016-11-22 04:41:30By special request: Clutch adjustment
This short video shows our 22G1128 gearbox clamped to a bench with the magic-wand diff cover and all the shift linkage hooked up. I shift it through the “gears” with no gears in the box, so we have a clear look at how the transmission clicks through all the gear positions.
A view like this can help you understand what might be wrong with problems like being unable to select a gear, or stuck in gear… it always helps to know a bit about how things work.
CooperRoadMini’s MAZDA??
/0 Comments/in Classic Mini Cooper /by JemalA happy Mini owner usually has another vehicle or six in or around the garage. Our 66 Cooper S Resto-mod is more proof-of-concept than practical transportation, so our collection of Classic Survivors together add up to meet my needs for getting around our local area. Half a dozen relics that are only good for certain conditions. As up to half of these are not close to “usable” at any given time, The ones we rely on require attention from time to time. For me, that usually means UPGRADES! Our 1974 Mazda Rotary Engine Pick-up is one such survivor and it has a heater! …And an interior that can be closed off to rain and cold, and we want our cool truck running again. It’s been on the back-burner and the pile of “I’ll get to that when the truck is fixed…” has grown.
A+ Gears in the Older 4-syncho Mini Cooper Gearbox
/4 Comments/in Classic Mini Cooper /by JemalHere I show the modification to the 22G1128 gearbox case that allows running a full late A+ Gearset from a Rod-change transmission. The modification allows the case to accept the 3-step layshaft that is needed for the A+ style laygear. This is a viable option as most of the small input bearing mainshafts have passed into oblivion, and finding a good set of gears, particularly second gear in the pre A+ helical pattern is getting difficult… and expensive.
Running A+ (or even the large bearing “intermediate gears prior to the A+, including the close-ratio 1275GT type if you can find these) provides a number of upgrades to address weaknesses. Besides the stronger 3-step layshaft and gear, you get the larger input bearing mainshaft, and the corresponding stronger input gear. The later gears also have a different coating on the synchro cones of the gears which lets the baulk-rings (synchros) work better, and is more durable (it has a black, almost “soft” when oily texture compared to the shiny metal of early gears).
This is a great upgrade, as the early small bearing type were used on tiny engines, and take a real beating when asked to perform with big-bore engines making 4 or 5 times the power and torque.
Next, I’ll be installing the differential, then we’ll confirm our Idler-gear end-float.
Oh Shift Forks! Back to the MOKE
/3 Comments/in Classic Mini Cooper /by JemalWell, as the seasons change and the days get awfully short, CooperRoadMini retreats into the R&D basement. We have space to leave half a dozen gearboxes taken apart all over the bench top and parts cleaner while we contemplate the next big improvement!
And here it is! Years ago, I figured out that the 3-synchro remote gearboxes’ 1st/2nd brass shift-fork could be lightly clearanced to work in the 4-synchro 22G1128… probably when I didn’t have a good 22G889 (the “correct” 4-sync shift-fork), and cost of a new one was heading north of $150. I made the mod whenever I could not come up with a good one. I’ve noticed that the 22A611 3-sync shift fork is a much stouter casting and provides about 30% MORE brass in contact with the collar on the 1st/2nd hub slider…. Have a look at the video below.
In this case, I pulled the fork out of the old Moke 3-sync box, and it was in perfect condition, unlike most of the 4-sync versions which are usually knackered! As our Moke is still using the “magic wand” shift linkage, this mod should really tighten up the stick-in-the-mud feeling that people expect with the magic wand! The reader will kindly recall that our first gearbox suffered an idler bearing failure which destroyed the case and flywheel housing after about 750 miles, just when it was breaking in and shifting beautifully. With our new case, we’ll be installing a full set of A+ standard ratio gears, modifying the case to accept the three-step layshaft. We’ll keep the 3.44 final drive as it provided the perfect balance of acceleration and cruising speed for the Moke.
Dwight’s Winning Woody
/0 Comments/in Classic Mini Cooper /by JemalWhile CooperRoadMini.com has been mostly dormanat over the summer, a number of interesting things have happened. We’ll have an update on our Moke project soon.
Yet in the meantime, my good friend Dwight Smith’s ’62 Traveler Woody won the Best of Show Award at the recent Portland British Field Meet. This was an astonishing achievement, as there were more than 800 fine British automobiles of MANY makes present. Check out who joined him in this elite group of show cars Click Here.
I’ve known Dwight for many years. Back in ’05 he ordered an engine from MiniMania. One our fabulous supercharged 1380cc units. If a customer was interested, I’d go over all sorts of details and make recommendations on how to best achieve the best power package for the car. Dwight was, and every detail was deliberate. The final drive, and transmission internal ratios, the drop gear options, the cylinder head, the cam, drive, timing, compression ratio, even the color of the engine, all of it well considered. Dwight came down to Nevada City and we ran his engine at the Mini Mania open house in the spring of 2006. The howl from that engine always drew a crowd.
Many of us know the downside of being so detail oriented is that our projects can take FOR EVER! Sometimes years go by as we “decide how to proceed”! By 2009 the bodyshell was as PERFECT as any England-sourced 60s metal object could possibly be! By 2011, the stunning engine had collected some dust, on display in Dwight’s living room.
Late that summer, my technical writing gig at a General Dynamics company screeched to a halt. Dwight said he’d just been unable to start building the car, would I come up and assemble the big parts?
Hmm. I’d built my 66 Cooper S from nuts and bolts. Over many years. Switching projects, slow progress here and there. Could I do it in a week or so?
It took 10 days. A couple spent helping Dwight “organize” his workspace, again this sometimes takes instigation by a third party with no attachment to debris that somehow fills any open space. The car went together nicely. Engine into subframe, body over it, front suspension, assembled rear subframe up to body, top notch brakes all around, dialed in the blower, clutch, radiator, ignition, and enough electrical to start the car with the key before heading home.
Dwight spent nearly two more years tending to details that he enjoys and does very well. The result was the spectacular green Woody seen by so many over the Labor Day weekend at the Portland All British Field Meet.
These are all photos I took at Dwight’s in September 2011 in Lake Oswego, Oregon. You can click on any to see a full size image. Yep, those are my Crocks and I’m the one hanging through the windshield.
’67 Mini Moke reintroduced to its owner
/0 Comments/in Classic Mini Cooper /by JemalHere’s a little compilation of the first test drive with our friend when he met his “new” Moke. He was amazed by the difference with the new power train. Remember, this was a tired old 850.
http://www.vimeo.com/69617357
67 Mini Moke: First Drive with new Engine
/0 Comments/in Classic Mini Cooper /by JemalThis was moments after letting the clutch engage for the first time!
Our 67 Mini MOKE fires its new engine for the first time
/0 Comments/in Classic Mini Cooper /by JemalAfter a couple of attempts that let me correct the distributor orientation to get the timing in range, and adding dashpot oil to the HIF44, our new 1345cc Mini MOKE roared to life just after noon on Wednesday June 5th 2013.
This short video is the first minute or so of of my smooth-running engine!
Mini MOKE Count-down to Start-up
/0 Comments/in '67 Moke Mini, Classic Mini Cooper /by JemalWith about a week to go before the Mini Mania open house “Nevada City Adventure”, our long term Mini MOKE project is going together for real!
This video shows me taking out the front sub-frame after lowering it a bit to get the old steering rack out. It was so easy to remove at that point that I couldn’t resist! I hammer-and-dollied some bumps and bruises, pressure washed, then painted it the next day when I came home for lunch. By Friday evening, the engine went in, and back up into the MOKE it went….. That’s the next post….. Let’s try at least one update per day until we drive it!
By special request: Clutch adjustment
/3 Comments/in Classic Mini Cooper /by JemalWe’ve made some progress in many directions with our own 66 Cooper S, AND with our long term Mini MOKE rebuild.
Also some changes to the way the site works courtesy of our lovely assistant, who takes care of all the miscellaneous behind the scenes stuff. This should help us post regular updates, and hopefully field some specific questions that are of interest to CooperRoadMini.com followers…. just start writing in the “LEAVE A REPLY” box and ask me!
An example of that now…. I often help my Mini Mania customers with clutch issues. I identify between the early diaphragm spring style and the later “VERTO” design, then provide some troubleshooting to get it properly adjusted.
Proper adjustment is CRITICAL for the Mini, as the clutch pedal has a limited amount of travel. This video clip explains how to minimize the pedal travel lost to freeplay… this is where most people get it wrong, too much of the pedal stroke is wasted on freeplay such that the clutch does not fully disengage, resulting in very difficult shifting. I show how to adjust the mechanical linkage, the travel of the clutch pedal, and demonstrate the short throws of my quick-shift Rod-change.
Here is a short follow-up clip showing the movement of the clutch throw-out arm while I operate the clutch pedal. You can see how little travel is required to disengage the clutch on the pre-Verto style, one of the reasons the early style is still preferred by many owners, but also why it’s so important to get the adjustment right:
The 4-synchro magic-wand shift linkage revealed
/0 Comments/in Classic Mini Cooper /by JemalThis short video shows our 22G1128 gearbox clamped to a bench with the magic-wand diff cover and all the shift linkage hooked up. I shift it through the “gears” with no gears in the box, so we have a clear look at how the transmission clicks through all the gear positions.
A view like this can help you understand what might be wrong with problems like being unable to select a gear, or stuck in gear… it always helps to know a bit about how things work.