Topic

Invalid or non-existent item ID.Invalid or non-existent item ID.First some history
One of the key reasons for buying the TF was that my wife would not let me add a super charger to my 1380 A series classic RSP cooper. 100bhp in a mini is good, but another 25-40 would have been better!

After researching the options, it obviously had to be a 160, so after a long search we found a reasonably good example in Cambridge in spring of 2011.


We had a very enjoyable summer in it, but all the time I was researching improvements.

So over that winter I dropped out the front sub-frame and refurbished it as a practice run for the rear when it inevitably became necessary. The planned list of parts included poly bushes, Spax adjustable dampers, upper and lower ball joints, new TREs and braided brake hoses. While I was at it I also fitted stainless coolant pipes and a replacement radiator as the existing one was found to be breaking apart at the bottom.
I also decided to have the cam belts and water pump replaced, by a local garage so that I could be confident that no HGF would be looming on the horizon.

Since then I did very little to it until spring 2013.
I fitted a B&G coolant alarm, and in doing so found early signs of mayo.
I’d taxed it the day before. Bugger!

Russell was called out, confirmed my worst fears, and diagnosed the cause as a leak due to the new wide stainless hose clips not creating a good enough seal. Tightening them up seemed to resolve the leak, so Russell very swiftly replaced the head gasket. £340 gone. Took it for a spin and all seemed good.
Next day I went the garage to find a soaking wet floor, and no coolant in the car.


Looked like the 13th year of this century was going to be a fun one!
I inspected both coolant hoses, and found a nick in one, where it was rubbing against the clutch slave bracket, and decided to replace both, another £55 gone. Russell was called out again to refill the coolant and confirm all leaks were gone. He only charged me for the coolant, another £25.

I don’t mind spending money on cars but nearly £600 had been spent in 3 weeks and I’d only done 10 miles in it. Grrr.
Anyway it was fixed just in time for the MOT, which it then dutifully failed. Aghhh!

Both rear tyres (original Good year GD2s) were breaking up on the inside facing wall, and the brake pipes were corroded.
Well they do say bad things come in three’s!

After a bit of researching I opted for Toyo’s @ £188 for the pair via Black Circles, and replaced the corroded brake pipes, and whilst I was at it replaced the rubber bake hoses with braided ones. Total expenditure was now around £900 including the road tax and MOT. An expensive start to topless motoring in 2013!

But there was one more point on the MOT, an advisory notice of corrosion on the rear sub frame. The guys at the garage I use had asked me, at each MOT since the front sub frame refurbishment, when I was going to make the back one look as good. But this time they put in writing!

So now the summer has ended, and the tax has run out, it’s time to get started.

This is what the corrosion looks like


You can see corrosion is also starting on the floor and heal board

And the underside of the body where the brake pipes are attached


None of this is serious, but addressing it now should ensure the car lasts another 10+ years.

My planned improvements are:-
• Stainless Back box (probably a Daytona)
• Spax dampers
• Poly bushes
• Induction upgrade (not sure which one yet)
• Wheel bearings (because this year the car has been very fidgety at motorway speeds. Neither the new tyres or a 4 wheel alignment fixed this)
• new TREs and upper ball joints

Wish list (if Santa is kind)
• 4 into 1 manifold and sports cat
• Drilled and/or grooved brake discs and uprated pads (probably EBC)

Saturday 26th October
Gave the car a wash, as there is nothing more annoying than extra paint scratches due to dirt being ground in whilst working on the car.

Read through CJJs http://www.the-t-bar.com/en/forum/22-cjj-s-guides/382-engine-rear-subframe-how-to-remove
Attempted to remove bumper, but found both torx bolts to be well and truly stuck. Attempts to apply WD40 and lots of turning force simply resulted in the bumper flexing.

It was difficult to see from underneath but I could tell by touch that the brackets into which the bolts go were bending. So the boot liner came out and I undid the upper bolts. This allowed me to pull the top of the bumper out so I could see what was going on with those torx bolts. Lots of rust, no surprise there then! I doused them in WD40, and resolved to have another go in the morning.

Sunday 27th October
Torx bumper bolts still won’t budge without risk of breaking the brackets off. I could see that it should be possible to undo the bolts that attach the crash cans to the body. 20 minutes later and the bumper was finally off. I was then able to saw through the bolt in-between the crash cans and the bumper, and finally the 3 components were separated.
2x Torx bolts (or stainless equivalent) add to list of parts required
You can see in the picture that the bracket is just folded over at the edges to give some strength, which is probably ok, when the bolts are new.



I will drill the bolts out, and weld in (but need to learn how to weld) some additional strength so when I attend to the rust on the crash cans.
An inspection of the rear if the car that was behind the bumper highlighted and number of arrears of corrosion, the flanges of the crash cans had left a lot crust behind

In case your wondering; I put the masking tape on to protect paint work when I was takingthe bumper off .

There is also some corrosion on the offside



Next I wanted to remove the hub nuts whilst the sub-frame was still in the car, as the front ones had proven impossible to-do without the weight of the car to work against. Surely it would be easier this way!
So the wheels came off and the centre caps were removed, but not before two trolley jacks had failed. One of which decided to squirt it’s contents all over the inside of the hard top, which was stood in it stand on the other side of the garage. Out came the cleaning materials, and 20 minutes of unplanned valeting later, it looked like it still needed another clean. This was shaping up to be another great day.
The hub nuts were un-staked, and the wheels went back on. 32mm impact socket and short extension bar went on to the end of my 600m ½” breaker bar. Then the grunting and heaving started. Crack. Oh shit, what broke?….
.. nothing, the nuts loose, hooray!
That was the near side done.

Confident that it was difficult but not impossible I moved to the off-side. Lots of grunting, heaving and expletives resulted in a knackered back, and a hub nut that was laughing at me. Grrrrr, time to call it a day.

Ordered a longer breaker bar. Expecting it to arrive Tuesday or Wednesday.
Sealey AK7302 Breaker Bar 750mm 1/2"Sq Drive Completed