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The Mini FAQ is a list of frequently              asked questions (plus answers) about maintenance and mechanical              work on Minis and Mini Coopers. The answers are mostly derived from              the archives of the Mini-List mailing list and are the work of contributors              to the list, edited for presentation in the FAQ.              See Mini FAQ              Part 2                                                                                                                                                                                      General                           5 Speed                 gearboxes for Minis              Adding                 central locking/keyless entry/electric windows              Converting                 to/from Left Hand Drive              Importing                 a Mini into the USA              Is my                 car a Mini Cooper?              Is my car                 a Mk1, Mk2, Mk3, ... ?              How                 can I find out more about my Mini/obtain a Heritage Certificate?              How                 to tell if a mechanical part is worn              MG Metro                 alloy wheels - can I use them?              Rod                 change gear shift removal              Stripped                 thread on gearbox drain plug hole/spark plug hole              Socket                 size needed for (xyz) bolt?              Turbocharging                 your Mini              What                 are the dimensions of a Mini?              What does                 MOWOG mean?              Why                 are Minis notorious for overheating?                                     Body                           Checking                 for rust (pre-purchase)              Chrome                 side trim installation              Door does                 not shut properly (fouls on body shell)              Is it                 safe to drill holes in the rear parcel shelf to install speakers?              Mark                 1/2 (external hinge) doors are sagging              Mark                 1/2 door glass - fitting              Mark                 1/2 window channel removal              Riley Elf/Wolseley                 Hornet - which panels are the same/different?              Where/How                 can I get matching paint for my old Mini?                                     Brakes                           All you                 need to know about brake upgrades              Brake                 bleeding advice              Brake                 system won't bleed              Disc                 brake calipers won't bleed              Vibration                 felt through brake pedal              Silicone                 versus standard brake fluid                                     Clutch                           Clutch                 does not fully disengage              Clutch                 pedal slow to release                                     Diagnostics                           Brake Shoes-                 rear - uneven wear and/or binding              Car                 interior smells of petrol              Clicking/clunking                 noise when turning sharply              Engine                 oil smells of petrol              Exhaust                 - testing for leaks              Ignition                 system              Removed                 distributor to work on it, now car won't start              Shaking                 or vibration at certain speeds              Squeaking                 noise when going over bumps              Water temperature                 gauge reads low              Voltage                 regulator diagnostics                                     Electrical                           Dynamo                 to alternator conversion              Type of wire                 to use when re-wiring              Positive Earth                 vs. Negative Earth                                                                        &nb General                        5              Speed gearboxes for Minis                           Several companies sell 5 speed gearboxes for                 Minis (at a price), for road or race use. A 6 speed racing gearbox                 is also available from Special Tuning agents.              No Mini-compatible A-series engine has ever                 been fitted with a 5 speed gearbox at the factory.                           Adding              central locking/keyless entry/electric windows                           Mini Mania part numbers MSSK2001                 and MSSK2002 are a pair of kits that enable any Mark 3-on                 Mini (with wind-up windows) to be fitted with central locking,                 keyless entry and/or electric windows. These kits are specifically                 designed for the Mini - other kits are available but many are                 generic and will not fit Mini doors well.                           Converting to/from              Left Hand Drive                           To convert from Right Hand Drive to Left Hand                 Drive or vice-versa, you need:                              The appropriate RHD or LHD steering rack                   (remember to use the correct steering arms for the rack - Mark                   1 or Mark 2-on, depending on the spec. of the supplied rack).                 Appropriate RHD/LHD throttle pedal.                 New brake/clutch lines (these can be easily                   made with a brake pipe kit if shipping is a problem), to match                   the new location of the master cylinder.                           Follow the procedures in a manual for changing                 a steering rack, bleeding the hydraulic system, dismantling/reassembling                 the pedal box, etc - with these parts it is a "bolt on" conversion.                 On a Mk1/2 Mini, it may be advisable to install a locking door                 handle on the driver's side, to avoid having to get in through                 the passenger's side when the car is locked. It may also be desirable                 to swap over the location of the windscreen wiper arms to their                 alternate mounting holes (on a Mark 1, these need to be drilled,                 on later cars, there are rubber bungs in these holes).              Back to Top                                                                     How can              I find out more about my Mini/obtain a Heritage Certificate?                           British Motor Heritage holds the build records                 for many of the BMC/BL/Rover-affiliated marques: Austin, Morris.                 MG, Wolseley, Riley, Triumph, etc. For a free (approximately 25                 pounds) they can trace the production record of your Mini and                 issue a Heritage Certificate listing the car's original specification                 (including paint color, bodywork, options), delivery destination                 and production dates.              To obtain a Heritage Certificate, you need                 the chassis number of your car and/or the engine number. (Note                 that a Heritage Certificate does not mean you own the actual car,                 just that you have the details of a particular car that was built).              Send the details, along with your credit card                 number and expiry date to:                              The Archivist                   British Motor Heritage                   Range Road                   Cotswold Business Park                   Whitney, Oxon OX8 5YB                   England                 Fax: +44-1993-707222 (Outside UK), 0-1993-707222                   (Inside UK)                   Phone +44-1993-707200                           British Motor Heritage also manufacturers                 or sells many parts for old Minis, including body panels unique                 to the Mark 1 and Clubman that were no longer officially available.                 As BMH is a subsidiary of Rover, these panels are the closest                 anyone can get to genuine and many are made on the original presses.              Back to Top                           How              to tell if a mechanical part is worn                           If you are not used to spotting mechanical                 wear (a common problem of novice DIY mechanics), most metal parts                 that are worn can be told by:                              Scuffing marks on the surface of a part                   as if it had been sanded.                 Any "ledges" worn into a part such as a                   shaft that runs in a bearing, that you can see or feel with                   your fingernail.                 Cracks, chips or pitting in a metal surface.                 Shafts, bars, beams, pushrods, etc can                   be checked for straightness by rolling them along a flat surface.                   If they tend to rotate in a circle, they are bent.                 Bearing races with grooves worn into them,                   that are either visible or can be felt with a fingernail.                 Signs of melting or burning.                 Surfaces that are meant to be flat can                   be checked by placing a straight edge (e.g. metal ruler) on                   them or placing them on a known flat surface - if a feeler gauge                   can fit under the straight edge at any point it is warped.                                                        Importing              a Mini into the USA                           Here are the basic facts about importing a                 Mini into the USA. To find more details, consult the Mini                 Mania web site.                              The Mini must be at least 25 years old.                   The only way round this is legally dubious: the car must be                   dismantled and shipped as separate lots, then reassembled on                   arrival. The car must be registered using the identity of an                   older car, and the owner must hope that no authorities know                   what a newer Mini looks like. This has been done successfully.                   Anyone importing a complete, newer Mini risks severe penalties:                   six-figure fines, imprisonment and/or crushing of the car.                 The details of arranging shipping are best                   left to car shipping specialists.                 It is common for Minis to look good in                   photographs but be terminally rusty, particularly those in the                   UK where rust is severe by the standards of much of the USA                   - take care.                                        Is              my car a Mini Cooper?                           See the Mini                 Cooper Identification Guide.              Back to Top                           Is              my car a Mk1, Mk2, Mk3, ... ?                           The table below shows which "Mark" your car                 is. It does not include Australian or continental European variations                 (Innocenti, Authi) which often had features of later cars. Vans                 had external hinges and sliding windows throughout production                 (except Australian production), Elfs/Hornets had a separate Mark                 sequence, and Clubmans are all Mk3 or Mk4.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Mark 1 (1959-67) Small rounded, taillights,                    sliding windows, external door hinges. Mark 2 (1967-69) Square taillights, sliding                    windows, external door hinges. Mark 3 (1970-77) Square taillights, wind-up                    windows, internal door hinges. Mark 4 (1977-85) Large square taillights with                    reversing lights, wind-up windows, single bolt top subframe                    mounts.                    Mark 5 (1985-)                    As for Mark 4                    but with 12 inch wheels and disc brakes.              From Mark 5 on, there is some debate about                 the era of each "Mark". It is better to refer to cars after this                 by Model Year. E.g. the 1997 MY (Model Year) Mini has twin point                 fuel injection and this refers to cars built to the same spec                 after 1997.                           MG              Metro alloy wheels - can I use them?                           No - they will bolt on to Mini hubs but the                 offset is not correct for the Mini, the wheels being offset too                 far inwards towards the center of the car.                                                     Rod change              gear shift removal                           To disconnect the rod change gear shift from                 the back of the gearbox:                              Put the car in first or third gear.                 Drift out the roll pin in the sleeve that                   connects the gear change rod to the gearbox, using a 5mm drift                   or 5mm by 4cm bolt.                 Unbolt the upper rod from the back of the                   gearbox. This may necessitate removal of the exhaust mounting                   clamp.                                        Socket              size needed for (xyz) bolt?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Bolt Socket Size Crankshaft pulley 1 5/16 in Steering wheel 1 5/16 in              Back to Top                           Stripped              thread on gearbox drain plug hole/spark plug hole                           These can be repaired using Helicoil threaded                 inserts. The stripped thread is first drilled out, then a special                 thread is cut that accepts the helicoil insert which is then inserted.                 It forms a new thread for the drain plug or spark plug. This job                 can be done by most engineering workshops or good mechanics and                 should be around 30 minutes labor plus a few (your currency units)                 for the insert. Tell them what you want helicoiled and they will                 understand you.              The gearbox casing is made of soft aluminum                 alloy - the drain plug does not need to be as tight as most people                 think, hence the risk of stripping the thread.                           Turbocharging              your Mini                           If you need to ask how to turbocharge your                 Mini, you probably don't need to know. Having said that, everyone                 has to start somewhere. You will know if you are capable of this                 project if you are confident you can solve the problems described                 below.              The MG Metro Turbo provides the donor engine                 and ancillaries for the conversion. This engine is a 1275cc A-plus                 series engine, with a low compression ratio and relatively small,                 sodium-cooled valves to withstand the high combustion temperatures.                 The turbocharger unit is the Garrett T-3, and a boost modulator                 is used to reduce mid-range torque, prolonging the life of the                 gearbox.              The engine develops a claimed 93bhp and more                 is available by increasing the turbo pressure. To learn more of                 the details about this engine consult the Haynes Metro manual                 and Tuning British Leyland's A-Series Engine by David Vizard.                           The basic modifications required to fit this                 engine to a Mini are broadly outlined below:                              Bodyshell. The bulkhead must have a hole                   cut in it and a box welded into it, to accommodate the turbo                   unit which occupies much space behind the engine. Some specialists                   also recommend reinforcing the front subframe. Extra engine                   steady bars and heat proofing for the bulkhead are needed.                 Exhaust. A custom exhaust system must be                   fabricated to interface with the turbo. Specialists such as                   Avonbar can help with this too.                 Fuel. A high-pressure (Metro Turbo) fuel                   pump, fuel regulator and fuel return line to the tank must be                   installed, requiring modification to the fuel tank. (Fuel injected                   Minis already have a return line built into the tank, plus an                   integral fuel pump which may be able to supply adequate pressure).                 Electrical. The Metro ancillaries must                   be interfaced with the Mini wiring loom.                 Brakes. Vented 4-pot brakes are the order                   of the day - these can be robbed from the same Metro as the                   engine.                 Cooling. An improved radiator is required.                           The details of the fuel and electrical requirements                 are found in the Haynes Metro manual.              Back to Top                           What              are the dimensions of a Mini?                           See              >Body                 Dimensions.                           What              does MOWOG mean?                           This mysterious inscription is found on many                 Mini parts.              MOWOG stands for Morris Wolseley Garages,                 a company set up to supply parts to BMC (the original name of                 British Leyland, later Austin-Rover/Rover/etc).                           Why              are Minis notorious for overheating?                           Overheating can be caused by many problems:                 blocked radiator, incorrect ignition timing, lean mixture, blown                 head gasket, fitting a more powerful engine, water leaks, and/or                 rusted water pump.              Most of these are caused by old age and lack                 of maintenance. A well sorted Mini in standard trim should not                 overheat (except in rare circumstances, such as a Cooper S forced                 to idle in traffic for a long time on a hot day). If any mechanic                 tells you "they all overheat" they do not have good enough diagnostic                 abilities to be allowed to work on your car.              If your Mini does overheat, there is something                 wrong - have it fixed.                        Hamish Hubbard Article Date: Jun 21, 2000 Car Accociations: MINI Hits: 12812