I am of the belief that old parts get envious when one of their fellows gets replaced. You fix one thing and other things, often unrelated, decide to give up. This summer, I was replacing carpet and the heater core decided to leak, luckily a small amount and only onto the underlay. Thankfully it was a later style core with the plastic ends and O-rings at the hose connections. This was as a result of road-side failures - chugging to a halt and refusing to start - the cause being a electric fuel pump fuse that had worked fine for years and suddenly decided it was undersized. 

An update: I just spent  4 1/2 days last  week,  replacing the  all the rubber cones, trumpets, knuckles and cups, shocks with the smootha

ride kit. CV Boots inner and outer, only one side. Can't wait to do the other. But It will have to wait till 2019.

Of course, the cleaning and painting of various parts while out. 


And  this week, replaced  the fan belt one more time.

  

So far,   4  days   of driving   without  a   care.

all cars need maintenance Jim.  You've used it as a daily driver for years with no major repairs. Now it needs taking care of. That's all. It just seems to be coming apart all at once.

My battery failed friday. Lucky some guys push started me. The saga of the water pump and alternator failure, caused by me, is hopefully coming to an end with the purchase of a new battery.

Uh, I think your Mini is only 24 yrs old. Won't be 25 until next summer...Just a thought!

Hopefully the little bits of wire will move you in the right direction. Hope they work out.

Big Al, I'm not sure what you mean by that. Jesus is my L&S. I am grateful that I have a mini that is my only car. And that I'm  grateful that I still remember & able to do the repairs.

Better find Jesus, fast


Big AL

This year my mini has demanded alot of love. In the spring, I was trying to diagnose play in the front wheels. Removed the wheel bearings both sides. Repacked with grease or replaced bearings completely. Play was still there. Replaced the ball joints and or reshimed. Play gone.
Replaced the steering rack gaiters again.
In the summer, I bought new front tires and restored the two front wheels before mounting. Aligned the front tires myself with a tape measure.
The turn signal were acting intermittent. Went through everything. Finally replace main fuse block. 
I had developed a squeal from the alternator. Tried to tighten the belt. Pulled so hard the alternator bearing went. I knew the water pump was next.

In the fall, I was taking a mini lump in my mini to a mini enthusiast. While the lump was in where the front passenger seat was, the water pump failed. Replaced the water pump. Because I was transporting the lump, my mini over heated. I lucked out that I did not blow the head gasket. The engine was so hot it melted the poly engine steady.
After my trip I replace all six front subframe mounts with solid ones and/ or poly.
I also added L & R trans steadies.

 Just this week I broke a suspension spring. I removed the broken spring and the one on other side and replaced with John Koo's Blue springs. Finished up the repair with replacing the ferrules in the oil line from block to oil filter. Replaced the rod change seal and aluminum spacer.

It's been some year for this mini. I am surprised how much love this mini requires because it only has 53K. But after all it is 25 years old and I'm sure I was responsible for causing some of it. My penance is doing the work myself.

My next project will be putting in a new secondary fuse block, thanks to a board member offer of wire.

Hopefully, winter will be uneventful. I forgot, I need to replace both windshield and rear glass rubber.