Milwaukee Midget

[Stan Back]

Do it now -- and save all the anxiety.

[Milwaukee Midget]

Do it now -- and save all the anxiety.

I ordered it, and I confirmed with APT that if I need to, I can have it drop shipped.

It's just that E V E R Y  T I M E  I've needed a specialty part, there has been no example of it showing up in the time line I've been quoted.

Today, I was told 6 weeks.  That puts it on the 15th of July.  Let's add a week for the 4th of July holiday - July 22nd.  Let's assume the provider needs a minimum order to get a shipping break - 2 weeks.

If I'm lucky, I'll be able to pick it up at the desk at the Rainbow on my way home . . .

APT is really better than most, so I do have hope there.

Grumble, grumble, grumble . . .

Actually, I'm kicking myself for not getting the dyno work done earlier. 

[Dean Los Angeles]

Hey, hey, hey, none of this crying in the beer, it makes it flat.
You couldn't borrow the manifold for longer? It is rather famous you know. 

And as far as dyno time sooner . . . you did do it earlier. Or have you forgotten . . .

[Stan Back]

Tell you what -- If you don't get it in time, I'll push you to the one fast enuf to beat the 22 MPH.  At least you'll be showing progress.

[salt27]

Here we go again –

So the borrowed manifold we tested that gave us the best horsepower, the Maniflow 3.75 unit, is not in stock – it’s built to order.  Okay.  So I ask what the time frame is.  6 weeks. 

I have these scary visions of the deal that happened to my wheels – and my flywheel – and my crankshaft.

I do have a manifold that’s down ~ 3hp from the one we tested with, so I’m still racing.  But if I get close and that new piece isn’t in Wendover, I’m going to shoot myself.

Could you use the borrowed manifold and have the new one shipped to its owner?

 Don

[Milwaukee Midget]

Could you use the borrowed manifold and have the new one shipped to its owner?

 Don

Possible, but I know that he's going to be doing some dyno work, and hopefully get his Mini out on the track before the end of the summer.

Dean, sorry for the whining.  There are times that I think I could work on this thing 24/7 and not have it right.  But what's frustrating is that next to the Small Block Chevy and the Small Block Ford, the A-series engine is among the most common engines in the world.  They made it for 49 years, it has a racing history that predates either of the aforementioned engines, but do you think I can find a welded up piece of steel with 3 flanges on it in the United States?

I've got parts that work, but now that I KNOW they don't work as WELL, I'm loathe to settle, especially at this point in the game.

And maybe it won't be an issue - maybe I'll see it in 6 weeks, I'll put it in, and be done.  Unfortunately, my past history with this type of product has been negative.

So tonight was "Serenity Prayer" night. 

I changed the things I could.

After putting in the engine and transmission this last weekend, I pushed the car back into the spot, and I heard this "clunk, ka-klunk".  Of course, the transmission was my first suspect - I just spent Winter putting that together, but further investigation uncovered an oversized screw on a fabricated plate I made to access the yolk in the driveshaft tunnel.  It was too long and catching on the grease zerk on the universal joint.   

I wasn't particularly happy with the plate I had originally made - it was made out of a snow shovel blade that had a nice contour that worked well with the transmission tunnel - but it was aluminum and cheesey, so I pounded out a steel piece.  A few new properly located holes, some fire block, and it cinched up really nice.

I also whipped up a nomex shift boot.

The tunnel is closed off from the factory on the bottom side.  Makes for a nice, flat bottom, but there's a long column of air that is susceptible to the same fire potential as under the hood.

I need to treat that tunnel almost as if it were a firewall. 

The more I thought about it, the less I liked the idea of an aluminum snow shovel.

Tell you what -- If you don't get it in time, I'll push you to the one fast enuf to beat the 22 MPH.  At least you'll be showing progress.

First, he pushes my buttons - then he pushes my car.   

Keep it up, Stan, and I'll make YOU drive the damned thing! 

[wisdonm]

Hey Chris, I know that you are playing with 100hp , but real racers use grease fitting less U joints. The fitting is a stress riser and is where the cross will break. With synthetic grease, new U joints are greased for their lifetime.

Always something...never good.

[Peter Jack]

And if it turns out you must use the cross with the grease fitting, be sure you install it so the hole for the grease fitting is in compression, not tension.

Pete

[SPARKY]

Geez guys--y'all keep it up and he may wait until Nov to post again

[Captthundarr]

Sparky, not likely as Master Chris doth have the gift of gab. Thats not a bad thing.

[fordboy628]

Here we go again –

So the borrowed manifold we tested that gave us the best horsepower, the Maniflow 3.75 unit, is not in stock – it’s built to order.  Okay.  So I ask what the time frame is.  6 weeks. 

I have these scary visions of the deal that happened to my wheels – and my flywheel – and my crankshaft.

I do have a manifold that’s down ~ 3hp from the one we tested with, so I’m still racing.  But if I get close and that new piece isn’t in Wendover, I’m going to shoot myself.

Careful with that shootin' iron, Kemo Sabe.    We've already established your need for further target practice . . . . .
 
Tonto

[fordboy628]

Could you use the borrowed manifold and have the new one shipped to its owner?

 Don

Possible, but I know that he's going to be doing some dyno work, and hopefully get his Mini out on the track before the end of the summer.

Midget,

Not to dash your hopes, but Mini-Maven & Friends are planning to dyno on 6/7 or 6/10 AND then are off to the races on 6/14 & 6/21.   So the possibility of an extended loan is zero.    Plan accordingly.

I'm glad to have had it to test.

More Weber carb info later, Dyno data dump later, when I get these da** tribbles off my ship!!
 
Busyboy

[Milwaukee Midget]

Midget,

Not to dash your hopes, but Mini-Maven & Friends are planning to dyno on 6/7 or 6/10 AND then are off to the races on 6/14 & 6/21.   So the possibility of an extended loan is zero.    Plan accordingly.

I'm glad to have had it to test.

As am I.  I'll keep the E-bay search up and do some digging.  The Sussex Car show is coming up, and usually there are a large number of Mini guys there, so I'll ask around there, too.

Once you've tasted (tested) the good stuff, it's tough to go back to Miller Genuine Draft . . .

[wisdonm]

Hey, I represent that.

[Milwaukee Midget]

Tidied up the wiring under the hood and got all but one hoses hooked up - I need to pick up a section for a minor re-plumb.  It's all very easy to turn it into a rat's nest.

Also, good news on the manifold front.  I contacted the manufacturer, and Maniflow has one in stock.  I would have preferred to have dealt with my normal source - you want to maintain those sources stateside with antique euro-trash parts - but their need for a minimum order and cheap, bulk shipping was throwing me too close to deadline for my constitution.  It was probably a few bucks more, but that's the cost of peace of mind.  It could be here as early as next week.