We race old, small cars.
Flavor: Alfa Romeo GTA, Hillman Imp, Mini Cooper S, Lancia Abarth etc.
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Looking good: The motor seems to have taken 3 seasons of thrashing rather well.
[ click images for large version & more info ]

A new season looms

By: Birger Knutsen - 4.1.2010
Finally, after spending the holidays in freezing conditions with a snotty & coughing family, I got some time to get dirty. Objective: to pull the Mini motor. I met up with Doc & Vegar for a full day in the shop. Vegar started looking at the Green Imp, Doc continued on the Bevan Imp replica, and I got to the familiar task of pulling the Mini plant out.

The blue Imp looks absolutely super. Attention to detail is great, so if this car goes half as good as it looks the competition need to watch out.

Pulling the Mini motor was no problem. The impressive part was how well we had been able to put it back in during the rather hairy conditions at the Classic & Sportscar meeting. I couldn't find anything bodged, and everything came off with a minimum of cussing & bleeding.

Of course I'd managed to forget my flywheel puller at home, so I only got as far as removing the cylinder head. Everything looks normal; it's apparent that some oil has found its way past the piston rings lately, but there was no smoke from the exhaust, and I suspect that this might have to do with the pottering about this car did before I pulled the motor. Valves etc looked fine. Bore wear looked fine - so hopefully it's a matter of a hone & new rings.

Next time by I'll bring my flywheel puller and begin the stripdown proper. The engine & box is due to be sent off to Ski Motorverksted for the rebuild, so we'll see how it all turns out.