gearbox nut and roll pin
Turbo Mini Forums

Vertical just holds the sleeve to the linkage back to the stick - you are wasting your time with this one as the linkage rods just spring when you hit the pin.

The horizontal one is the one to do, (a) because you can swing the hammer at your parallel punch and, (b) because the shaft out of the gearbox doesn't spring so your hitting against something solid.

There is one particular gear to select (can't remember if it's 1st or reverse) that puts the roll pin in the ideal position.

Make sure the end of your punch (or whatever you're using) is FLAT and ever so slightly smaller than the pin.... too small, or rounded/pointed at the end and it WILL just spread the roll pin and lock it.

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

Own the day

Own the day

When I was knocking at it last night, the selecter rod (i think?) turns very slightly making life that little bit harder, as it turns, so your not knocking straight at it but sometimes at an angle???
The rod also moves side to side? and the pin sticks out slightly as a result? I get the impression this acts like a shock absorber effect??

Own the day

On 29th Oct, 2008 Mr Joshua said:



Blasphemy never use a parallel punch to start to drift out pins you will only fubar the punch! If you dont have a tappered punch grind the tip off of a centre punch and use that first, once it starts to move then go to a parallel punch if you have to.

You are making my OCD WORSE!

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

On 29th Oct, 2008 Rod S said:

On 29th Oct, 2008 Mr Joshua said:



Blasphemy never use a parallel punch to start to drift out pins you will only fubar the punch! If you dont have a tappered punch grind the tip off of a centre punch and use that first, once it starts to move then go to a parallel punch if you have to.

You are making my OCD WORSE!

Rubbish !!! What are your punches made of

Cheese ??? :)

Use a tapered punch and you'll just jam it in the hole as it follows the pin through.....

Own the day

drill it out, and replace it with a bolt and nylock!

Own the day

rod change is a pita remote box's are the way forward!

Whats the difference???

Doing a major conversion so anything to make my life easier when I come to take my engine out again!

sorry i'm dragging this off topic,

the remote change has a big alloy housing that bolts on, bit of an inpracticality to swap to that type for you.
here's som pics of mine anyway....

http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=165426

what may help a fair bit is jacking up just on side REALLY high so you can get a better swing, make sure you have lots of sup[port under the car though.

Good news! Managed to get the pin out and undo the fork nut.

But where i got the nut off, I cant slide the bolt out to release the fork because it hits the bottom of the exhaust manifold!

Is this normal???

Well, yes and no....

Nothing is "normal" on a Mini :)

You must mean the downpipe (not the cast manifold), but it depends on which type it is, they are all very close to the bolt in the fork end, but some are closer than others......

HOWEVER, if you're doing this work to take the engine out, it would be "normal", AGAIN depending on the make and configuration, to disconnect the downpipe from the manifold before attempting to lift the engine....

If you disconnect it, it will easily push out of the way of the fork-end bolt.

I hope that makes sense...

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

Yeah makes sense,

I shone a torch down the back, and I couldnt see a join between the manifold and the part where the pipe clamps to the diff. So i assumed it to be in one piece. is this wrong???

depends on the manifold,

Yes, as Joe (mini13) says, from your description of "no join" it sounds like an after-market manifold (ie, LCB, etc) where the original short cast iron manifold and attached downpipe(s) have been replaced by a single fabricated unit....

In which case it depends (again) on what make, and how flexible it is....

Try releasing the clamp to the diff housing at the bottom and putting a simple wooden wedge in there to push your downpipe a little bit away from the diff housing.

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

Yeah tried doing that but no good.

I think im gonna have to undo the whole unit. Such a pain is the backside. Nothings ever easy is it.

In which case, if the manifold/downpipe assembly won't push sideways, and the fork-end bolt won't move far enough to get it out (now it's loose), I would simply push it as far as it will go and put a diamond disc through the remainder....... out in 30 seconds

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

Jeeez its just a continous expense atm...tools, cleaning stuff...angle grinder!!!

Well you could use a hacksaw blade.... very slowly.... but you need to realise that working on these "antiques" is NOT going to be easy !!!!

Welcome to the world of Minis (or any other classic car of that age...)

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

For what its worth il buy a grinder. Dont fancy wasting my time with a hacksaw blade.

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/...2-grinder/path/

This looks ideal. And not expensive. Mni magazine awarded it.

Put a diamond disc on it for this type of cutting...

And do not risk your eyes, especially when working close-up as you will be if you chop the bolt with one of these... I have a small scar on my left eye to prove how foolish I was - my left eye vision will never recover which makes it really hard soldering PCBs, so having to look close up - for my project.

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???