I know from other builds which used the 4EFTE Starlet engine that to the fit the engine in the standard Mini subframe, the subframe will have the front section (forward of the towers) removed and replaced with a custom frame. The complication with this is how to ensure the tie rods mount holes remain in the same locations as the factory, ones once the front section has been cut off.
While the subframe is in my jig, I made up a couple of templates for this.
The factory tie rod mount hole (~19mm diameter) has a small lip underneath it...
...which I trimmed off to have a flat section to work with.
I used some flat bar and clamped it over the tie rod mount hole.
Then welded a few bits of square tube and flat together to get this. There are some tabs on the back side of it as well so the piece sits over the square tube of the jig.
Once it's placed over the jig frame, it does not move and shows the exact location and angle of the original mount. Once the custom frame has been bent up and welded in place, there is NO guess work on where the tie rod mounts should be. I of course, made one for the the other side too. Note that in the pic below, a hole has been drilled in the flat bar to indicate the centre of the tie rod mount hole.
While the subframe is in my jig, I made up a couple of templates for this.
The factory tie rod mount hole (~19mm diameter) has a small lip underneath it...
...which I trimmed off to have a flat section to work with.
I used some flat bar and clamped it over the tie rod mount hole.
Then welded a few bits of square tube and flat together to get this. There are some tabs on the back side of it as well so the piece sits over the square tube of the jig.
Once it's placed over the jig frame, it does not move and shows the exact location and angle of the original mount. Once the custom frame has been bent up and welded in place, there is NO guess work on where the tie rod mounts should be. I of course, made one for the the other side too. Note that in the pic below, a hole has been drilled in the flat bar to indicate the centre of the tie rod mount hole.
Hey Allan,
ReplyDeleteGreat blog!!! I have spent the last hour or two reading your entries.
That engine has come up great. I have a gt starlet and will soon be changing the timing belt. Thanks for all of the photos and info, it will definitely come in handy. I'll be keeping a keen eye on your progress, would love to do something similar one day. But until then I'll have to live that dream vicariously through your blog.
What do you think the empty weight when finnished will be?
Regards
Hayden - NZ
Thanks very much for the positive feedback. I’m happy that it’s helped you out with your Starlet as it’s the main reason I started the blog – to help anybody else out in internet “ether” and to show people that a lot of things aren’t really as hard as they look and the satisfaction of fabrication or repairs performed by yourself is very rewarding.
ReplyDeleteThe 4EFTE is about 20kgs lighter than the standard Mini A-Series engine but given the extra weight with subframe mods plus a heap of Dynamat I plan to use, the end product dry weight should be around the 730kg mark - it should make for an impressive package.
-Alan