16v K1380 mini, I just couldn't resist ripping it apart again.

jayme

RMS Regular
Messages
1,338
Location
omagh
Drives
Mini/ A7
Well about a year ago I decided that I was going to keep the mini forever and after thinking for a while I decided it needed a suitable engine to really enjoy it.

All them years of not being able to drive it left me reading magazines and trawling through the internet looking at some awesome cars and engine combinations from vtecs to r1 swaps, but to me it has to have an a series of some description under the bonnet just for the feel and burble noise.

so some pics











Still have alot of parts to collect, what I have so far doesn't scratch the surface.

So first step is to get the car stripped down to the bare basics, 1 saturdays work and it went from this



to this



to this



Expecting progress to be slow with this ideally id like it finished by players classic 2015 but id say a year possibly longer depending on how bonkers and OCD I go. Have had notions for a complete style change so will have to see.

In the mean time I decided to treat myself and buy this to keep me going



Absolutely love it, its nippy, fun to drive and pretty good on fuel. So depending on how much over time I can rack up without student finance getting their hands on it I may have a few updates for this also.

Cheers and thanks for looking

Jayme
 

jayme

RMS Regular
OP
jayme
Messages
1,338
Location
omagh
Drives
Mini/ A7
Dude, I have a set of Omega 73.5mm rings here if you need them.

Aside from that: AWESOME!!!!!

Cheers man, I actually have a set in the box. bought them new from med. if you have anything else during the build speak up im sure il need something eventually.
 

PeteMoore

RMS Regular
Messages
13,430
Location
Co. Down
Have a load of engine bearings, etc sitting here.

Not sure I have anything else that would be much use to you though. Your gearbox, dif and shafts are all in the wrong place :p
 

jayme

RMS Regular
OP
jayme
Messages
1,338
Location
omagh
Drives
Mini/ A7
Someone should do a mini with midget running gear lol. If only someone knew enough about both hmmmmm
 

PeteMoore

RMS Regular
Messages
13,430
Location
Co. Down
Nah, sure that's all a Midget is anyway, same wheel base and everything

Who are you going with for the K head? MED, SC or someone else?

I noticed the other day MED are now doing them. We're still happy with 146hp from a 5-port :laughing:
 

jayme

RMS Regular
OP
jayme
Messages
1,338
Location
omagh
Drives
Mini/ A7
Ive been waiting for MED to bring out their kit, think id like to use that

To me all the sc stuff has a massive brand tax on it. Great stuff but tad expensive when you add everything up, if you look around there are better options. Though the kits are only available from force, SC and MED. My crank will be coming from force so if he offers any discount I may go with his.
 

PeteMoore

RMS Regular
Messages
13,430
Location
Co. Down
Ive been waiting for MED to bring out their kit, think id like to use that

To me all the sc stuff has a massive brand tax on it. Great stuff but tad expensive when you add everything up, if you look around there are better options. Though the kits are only available from force, SC and MED. My crank will be coming from force so if he offers any discount I may go with his.

He hasn't tempted you into titanium subframes yet has he?

I go on their site every now and then to tempt myself out of building a Mini :p
 

cauld1

RMS Regular
Messages
5,325
Drives
BMW E34
Ooooooh new thread and all!

None of this 'may take a year' stuff, Players Classic 2015 has to be done :party:
 

Cess

RMS Staff
Messages
9,192
Awesome. That head is a fantastic bit of engineering.

So basically, current engine with bespoke 16 valve head?

Proper car modifying! I tip my hat to you.
 

jayme

RMS Regular
OP
jayme
Messages
1,338
Location
omagh
Drives
Mini/ A7
Awesome. That head is a fantastic bit of engineering.

So basically, current engine with bespoke 16 valve head?

Proper car modifying! I tip my hat to you.

My current engine is a standard 1275 fuel injected unit.

The new engine will be a bit of a Frankenstein using a 1980's engine block (because of emissions),

Internals it will be running some 73.5mm pistons with a 7cc dish and valve cutouts, a fully modified and nitrated 1275cc crank, and some lightened and balanced rods., Gearbox is going to be mini aswell with some straight cut drop gears, a stronger diff with shorter fd to get some more acceleration and a complete overhaul of everything else.

The head is from a bmw k1100lt motorbike. the centers of the bores line up pretty well hence why it is used so much.

there is alot of modification required to the engine block which involves filling all but 3 existing head studs with threaded bar, then its skimmed and redrilled to match the head.
the head also requires some modifications, there are 2 oil ways on the rear need welded and redrilled for some bsp fittings, the end needs welded at the bottom to seal it and then there is a belt drive conversion bolted on to accept pulleys instead of gears for the chain.

Id aslo like to do some porting with the head and fit some k1200 rs cams. that would get around 150 on the dyno. Obviously there are alot of detail ive missed but I dont have all night to type it out lol.
 

mthompo

RMS Regular
Messages
3,549
Drives
Too much...
Awesome!

Would be keen on a wee project like that myself if the caterham ever goes but going to do next season and then I'll see :grinning:
 

jayme

RMS Regular
OP
jayme
Messages
1,338
Location
omagh
Drives
Mini/ A7
Cheers guys.

The plan is to run a standard looking bonnet. Wether it be fibreglass or steel. It's going to be tight so will doing a dry build. Worse case scenario I will lift the bonnet at the rear
 

jayme

RMS Regular
OP
jayme
Messages
1,338
Location
omagh
Drives
Mini/ A7
Well got some time at the weekend and a lend of an engine crane so got the engine out.



Kind of scary how ive ripped apart a perfectly good car, looks really sorry for itself in the corner of the garage :worried:

With the engine out I decided to set the new engine in and roughly position it, plenty of room on the bulkhead its gona look pretty sweet all smoothed and tucked, but feck all room upfront. using a later mini means the engine sits further forward to account for the old fuel injection system. Will give me some extra clearance for the 4 branch but will leave quite a tight gap up front where the throttle bodies will sit, other issue that will probably arise will be clearance between the alternator and the rad, so going to be some fettling and modifying to do there





Thats it for another wile, next update should have some shinny bits.

Cheers for looking

Jayme
 

natogreen16v

RMS Regular
Messages
8,726
Location
Space
Drives
Stuff
Haha I keep hoping its finished myself. Hopefully some time next year funds providing (esp for paint). Im just happy to be back at it.
 

HWW

RMS Regular
Messages
708
Drives
Fiesta, Mini
Love the work. I've been thinking about selling my Rover Cooper with 1380 twin carb but due to timewasters and nearly everyone I tell about selling it, they convince me into keeping it.

I was looking for new a project and this conversion could be for me. I see Force racing do conversion kits. http://www.force-racing.co.uk/bmw-k-100-conversion-kits

Can you buy wiring loom adaptors?

My Cooper was a MPI but the wiring loom has been butchered for carb.
 

stevieturbo

RMS Regular
Messages
21,096
Location
Antrim
Drives
Old Ford
My crank will be coming from force so if he offers any discount I may go with his.

Swiftune do a superb crank/rotating assembly package, although probably overkill for most setups.

Basically a 5 main bearing journal crank, that then allows for a straight conrod. But 2 of the main journals are just dummies and floating.
 

jayme

RMS Regular
OP
jayme
Messages
1,338
Location
omagh
Drives
Mini/ A7
Swiftune do a superb crank/rotating assembly package, although probably overkill for most setups.

Basically a 5 main bearing journal crank, that then allows for a straight conrod. But 2 of the main journals are just dummies and floating.

Yea but its like 2 grand, for what im building a heavily modified cast crank will b more than enough.

@HWW you can but a look kit for the engine sc sell it, I was going for it but have decided to go for a tucked hidden loom so it will be a custom build. id also go as far as saying that loom choice would be 1 of the lesser head aches of this kind of build. Ive done hours of reading and research and keep finding things that i need to take into account.
 
Top