Mk 1 Project Zippy. Looking Like a Car.

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Re: Mk 1 Project Zippy (Picture Heavy!)

Postby MrBounce » Sun Mar 19, 2017 3:13 pm

I went into the Manroom this morning armed with the knowledge that I should have no issues putting the flanges and discs on the car and also torqueing up the hub nuts. Amazingly, it all went according to plan. Almost...

First job was to pop the flanges on to the new discs - these were brand new in box, still in their waxed paper, although there had been a minor ingress of dampness. This won't be a worry as it is only a very small amount of surface rust in localised areas. These were bolted to the flanges, then it was time to pop them on to the car. On went the driver's side, and before anything else, I torqued up the flange bolts as it's easier to do them on the car. Then out came the special washer to correctly seat the wheel bearing and cv - once torqued up correctly, it was undone again and the conical washer popped in correctly, re-torqued and in went the split pin after making sure it was all lined up.

All went exactly according to plan on the nearside as well, until I realised that I had a loose wheel stud. So off came the flange and disc, then I removed the offending stud. It didn't look very healthy and had stripped its splines as well as having rubbish threads. Luckily I had a new one so gave it some gentle taps into place and it's now solid as a stud should be. Once everything was back together it was all torqued up and now needs calipers and wheels. Whoop!

Flanges and new discs in lovely waxed paper.

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Discs attached to flanges

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Hub nut and big washer for seating cv & bearing.

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Re: Mk 1 Project Zippy (Picture Heavy!)

Postby MrBounce » Sun Mar 19, 2017 3:14 pm

Driver's side all done and torqued up.

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Pesky loose stud. It was removed, inspected and unceremoniously binned.

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Nearside all fitted and finally sorted (Take 2!)

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Re: Mk 1 Project Zippy (Picture Heavy!)

Postby MrBounce » Tue Mar 28, 2017 10:18 pm

I have come to a fairly big point in this project - and it's one that will free up a nice bit of space in the garage. No, I haven't decided to sell it on - instead it's time to get the engine out from under the bench and chuck it in engine bay. So, using my amazing muscles (and wheezing like an asthmatic 2 stoke), I "walked" it from one end of the garage to the other, managing to avoid coming even close to touching the bodywork. When you consider there's only just enough room to get my chunky frame past, you'll appreciate that this was some feat. Typically though, I have discovered that I have put a 2-inch scratch on the rear 3/4 which WILL need attention. So the spray gun will come out AGAIN when it gets warmer...

I turned my attention to the radiator and how I was going to mount it. The bottom slotted into holes in the valance and a couple of tie-bar bushes fit nicely on the feet and sit in the holes perfectly so I'll be using those. The top however, was a different story. There were 2 "L" shaped brackets on it with captive nuts which weren't fixed to anything so not ideal. Plus I could only find one now, and the large hole to locate the top radiator pin wasn't quite big enough for the new rad. So I thought a bit laterally - rather that bolt through the bodywork, which I REALLY didn't like the idea of, I could use a similarly sized bracket and build up the fibreglass where it would need to sit before drilling it and popping in a rivnut. It won't be under a huge amount of pressure so should be plenty strong enough. And that way it can be easily removed whilst also negating the need to drill through the existing bodywork. This made me happy.

So I set about the old bracket with the cone cutter, Clyde the Club Hammer and the angry grinder, then made a rough copy using an old "Ultimate Engine Steady" I had kicking about. They're a bit ragged to start with, but they won't be seen and I intend on cleaning them up a bit before painting and fitting properly. I chucked a couple of grommets in and they fit beautifully. Now all I had to do was to build up the bodywork with fibreglass by about 5mm. So I contorted myself into the engine bay and spent the next half an hour cutting, mixing and dabbing until I had a mound of fibreglass that looked like an oversized teenage zit. I will drill it and fit the rivnut once it's dried out. I've only done one side so far but I should be able to get in from the top once the engine's in. I hope...

The Engine. It's a bit dusty, but I can clean it. Oil Cooler removed for now so it will be easier to fit in.

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Original (but re-purposed) bracket to mount the top of the radiator to the side of the engine bay.

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And the one I made from the old Ultimate Engine Steady. Tidying up still to do...

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Re: Mk 1 Project Zippy (Picture Heavy!)

Postby MrBounce » Tue Mar 28, 2017 10:18 pm

Built up fibreglass looking like a zit! :lol:

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Re: Mk 1 Project Zippy (Picture Heavy!)

Postby MrBounce » Sat Apr 01, 2017 9:01 pm

Today, Shaun was over early, so we got cracking after some bacon sarnies. Armed with a good sized engine crane, some rope and some ingenuity, it was time to fill the big hole in the engine bay. Firstly, we needed to move the axle stands from under the floor to subframe so we could get the front of the car to a low enough height. This proved extremely easy. We wrapped a big ratchet strap around the front subframe and lifted the body up using the engine crane. Moving the axle stands was a piece of cake and no need for the jack. Once the stands were in place, I cracked the top ball joints to make the pot joints easily manoeuvrable whilst Shaun wrapped the rope around the engine and clipped it to the hook on the hoist. 10 seconds later the engine was in the air. It was at this point I chucked on the speedo cable.

I have read numerous different reports on how the engine is put into a Midas, but as I did not have the ability to raise it up with the subframe, it would have to be in through the top. I had no idea whether it would fit or not, so simply went for it on a "suck it and see" basis. First thing is first - the design of the bonnet is a pain in the ****. The "wok" end plate with its casting for the starter motor will NOT fit. So off this came. It then became quickly apparent that the clutch pressure plate would also be in the way. More spannering. Finally an extra bit of necessary clearance was found by taking of the nearside engine mount too. So, I was putting in an engine with no engine mounts and half a clutch. Good start...

However, this wasn't too much of a problem. Once we had swung the engine to a strange angle (i.e tipped back by 30 degrees and almost diagonally across the engine bay), we were able to drop the main extremes below the bonnet line. Now all I needed to do was put the clutch pressure plate back on, along with the wok and the nearside engine mount. Once we'd done this, in went the pot joints (surprisingly easy) and then it was time to sort the bolts for the engine mounts. I had made my own captive nut mounts by getting a pair of captive nut mounts from a Mini show, cutting off the really rubbish "nuts" and replacing them with some properly welded UNF nuts. Offside took 35 seconds to get in. Typically the nearside then took about 35 minutes as they just refused to line up. Eventually all was in and there was an engine in my car!

Need to move axle stands? No problem - just lift the car!

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Engine up in the air...

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Speedo Cable. Glad I didn't forget this...

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Re: Mk 1 Project Zippy (Picture Heavy!)

Postby MrBounce » Sat Apr 01, 2017 9:02 pm

We have clearance, Clarence (not by much!)

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Almost there - time to start bolting bits back on...

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Looks right at home doesn't it?

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Re: Mk 1 Project Zippy - Engine is In! 01/04/17

Postby Geoff Butcher » Sat Apr 01, 2017 9:47 pm

Yes, anyone'd think it was meant to be there! :lol:
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Re: Mk 1 Project Zippy - Engine is In! 01/04/17

Postby goldeneye » Mon Apr 03, 2017 9:40 am

congratulations!
Midas Mk II
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Re: Mk 1 Project Zippy - Engine is In! 01/04/17

Postby MrBounce » Sun Apr 09, 2017 8:39 pm

Thank you chaps :D

Not a huge update as I have had a lot on this week. Grabbed a quick hour today and managed to bolt on one beautiful brand new damper, then turned my attention to the radiator mounts I'd knocked up. one of them was a re-used and re-bent bracket that was once attached to the original radiator. This looked a) a bit rubbish, and b) had a huge fatigue point on it where I'd bent it back the other way. This was proved to be a weak point when I knocked the radiator over and it landed on the bracket. It snapped, not entirely unexpectedly.

However, as this was only meant to be a mock up anyway, I grabbed the remains of the old Ultimate Engine Steady I had kicking around and fired up the angry grinder. A brand new cutting disc made short work of the thick steel, then it went under the pillar drill to get a suitably-sized hole or two made. Once this was done I chucked it in the vice and attacked it with a blowtorch until suitably warm, then clouted it with Clyde the Club Hammer until bent to shape. It's now hanging up with its brother having had a coat of primer before paint. More soon.

Brand new sparkly damper. Yeah.

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Radiator brackets (including new one) now in primer.

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Re: Mk 1 Project Zippy - Engine is In! 01/04/17

Postby Geoff Butcher » Mon Apr 10, 2017 8:03 pm

That Gaz damper will want a good slather of Supertrol or Waxoyl to stop it going rusty
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