Classic Mini Race Engine Strip, Diagnostic & Troubleshooting

Follow along in this video as I strip down a customers engine from their classic race mini.
As you will see I came across some issues with the engine showing how important it is to familiarize yourself with something you have not worked on before.
If you are looking to support the Hickey Race Engineering channel you can make a donation at ko-fi.com/hreirl
Please follow us on our other platforms
Website: www.hre.ie/
Facebook: / hreirl
Instagram: / hre_irl
Tiktok: vm.tiktok.com/...
Twitter / hickeyraceeng

[@gavinivers8941]

Great tech video. It gives a good insight into missing a basic thing early, that could have had an engine fail.... I have watch several top engine builders, and they all measure, clean and measure again before putting the engine together.

[@HREIRL]

Great point Gavin. Engine failures are 99.9% down to a number of very small simple to sort problems at the build stage that lead to massive expensive problems in short order.

[@willgrime]

Such a useful video, loads of practical analysis and discussion. These videos are invaluable! You clearly have a great deal of learning and experience under your belt, but the main thing I’m learning from you is that there is no magic or necromancy involved: just a lot of careful examination, measurement and simple, rational thinking about what you’ve found. You’re a fantastic guide to the way in which engine work should be conducted. Thank you so much for sharing. (PS. I’d also really enjoy a video on head modification...)

[@HREIRL]

thanks Will, head modification will be on the cards, mean while check out Turbo Phills channel he dose great videos on head mod

[@lesconnet2581]

I'm going back 50 years ago, reminds me of the time when I replaced the thrust washers. I threw out the old ones without checking the sizes and replaced with standard. Didn't take long for the oil pressure to disappear!! Only found out about this fairly recently. Schoolboy error!!

[@HREIRL]

ouch such a simple one to fix at the time awful to find out with the engine in the car and running. I got caught like that before with a cam that had it centre bearing journal ground 0.020" under size felt fine going it as the front and rear where perfect. learned when oil pressure was down to 10 pound hot at idle. Took a while to work that one out :/

[@lesconnet2581]

@@HREIRL I was only about 16 at the time, engine out at least 5 times in two weeks! So, an 1100 engine and box went in.......very undergeared so 12" wheels and hubs on the front only was the way ahead, 1" steel bar welded into lower arms to fix the positive camber. Oil pressure problem sorted!! Happy days. I'm really enjoying the videos, great work!

[@russell5790]

Love the way you go into such detail, these vids will be invaluable if I ever get the body finished and start on the engine. I have not long started my first ever car restoration a 1275 Cooper that seems to have more rust then good metal lol

[@HREIRL]

I am delighted that you are finding the videos helpful and thanks for watching and commenting. best of look with the new restoration hope you start finding solid metal soon 👍

[@garydempsey3332]

Another Excellent Video lads delving deep into investigation, diagnosing of an engine and its hidden secrets fault finding at it's best. Particularly liked the the explanation of the conrod oval shape due to wear not to mention the block/head studs not being counter sunk, I suspect stretched studs would also cause problems in ensuring corect seating of the head and gasket also. Love the videos keep up the stellar work 👍

[@HREIRL]

Hay man, thanks man. We will be most definitely measuring the studs for stretch and replacing where needs be. I see con-rod oval a-lot it often goes unchecked !

[@tobymiddleton6763]

Wow that was great. Very informative. I hope you find time to do more videos of this type.

[@HREIRL]

Thanks so much Toby, we have just shot some more engine building videos this week so they will be airing shortly on the channel 👍👍

[@Conor.Twomey]

Great video. So important to measure everything. For my current A-Series build, I bought 3 x Mitutoyo micrometres, a dial gauge and telescopic gauges to check everything during assembly.

[@HREIRL]

A very worth while investment you will have a much better engine for it 👍

[@aussiebloke609]

If you can spare the time, using hand tools is probably always going to be ideal. After all, I've seen pro drag racing teams doing a quick rebuild between runs, and even F1 and Le Mans teams reassembling engines - and all with a speed brace and socket - so they certainly find it worthwhile in spite of time restraints. :-)

[@HREIRL]

I just love to feel whats happening, It tells so much and really helps to get a sense of what the engine is telling you. Power tools are great but they have there place 👍👍👍

[@geek9642]

Great video and the deeper insight into engine failure is very useful 👍

[@HREIRL]

Thank you Gavin thanks for stoping by your most welcome 👍

[@clivegordon1822]

Great video, very timely for me as to what to check as I am about to reassemble an A Series engine, just returned from the machine shop.

[@HREIRL]

Glad you enjoyed it Clive. Thanks for stopping my the channel best of look with the engine build

[@patrickcallaghan1714]

That was a great video, lot of excellent information !!!

[@HREIRL]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@luismeixner2125]

Great to see you show this process! I have an old friend who owns quite a few minis and hes been teaching me how to rebuild engines - just like you explain. One bolt at a time, analyse everything! Its nice to see the difference to some Instagram engine builders that use air guns to strip their engine and then rebuild without knowing any of the history... Sad cases.... Keep this up! P.s do you do any cylinder head modifications? Would be interesting to see the whole process for porting/grinding and finishing the head!

[@HREIRL]

Thanks for the nice comments Lius, Im delighted that came across in the video. Engines tell you a story if you cant read that story or understand it then the outcome is not going to be on the mark.That fried that is teaching is exactly right. A very good friend of mine made a great comment about air guns in engine shops, He said they are the equivalent to a surgeon using a stanly knife(box cutter) 😁. Regarding Cylinder heads I Definitely do head modification. But as yet I have not come up with a methodology for filming it that I'm happy with when I do I will deffo release a video on the topic 👍

[@peterconway8803]

Another excellent video. I loved the content and it is clear to see your expertise in this field. Looking forward to seeing more.

[@HREIRL]

Hay Peter thanks brother 👍

[@ukminis]

Another fantastic video and so much detail 😁🤩

[@HREIRL]

Thanks man delighted you enjoyed

[@CooperSTraveller]

Another interesting and informative video there sir ... keep them coming 👍🏻

[@HREIRL]

Thanks, will do!

[@nevhath]

Great video, well explained. Just subscribed. Look forward to more.

[@HREIRL]

Thanks buddy thanks for swinging by 👍

[@paulp96275]

Fantastic very well explained and informative 👍👨🏻‍🏭🇬🇧

[@HREIRL]

Glad you enjoyed it Paul thanks for stoping by 👍

[@janurbanczyk5832]

Just watched this one absolutely great video, so informative and well presented i will catch up with your other videos brilliant.

[@HREIRL]

Thanks Jan great to have you glad you enjoyed it 👍👍

[@classicminiworkshop]

Very informative, great video.

[@HREIRL]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@glensweeting9408]

Great Video, your channel looks really good, I found it via one of Keith Millers videos 👍

[@HREIRL]

Your most welcome Glen glad you found us and hope you enjoy our content 👍

[@classicminidiy]

Yay a new video!

[@HREIRL]

Hay buddy thanks for watching loved your recent gearbox tear down 👍

[@1380flip]

Great video..... keep up the good work.! 👍

[@HREIRL]

Thanks Pal, hope you guys are keeping well chat to you soon 👍

[@minimanshed8910]

Class ! Bosco 👍

[@HREIRL]

Thanks buddy

[@darrendean21]

Brilliant video, great clear info and really enjoyed watching, got you flat and wide on the conrod backwards tho, might want to check that :)

[@HREIRL]

Hi Darren, glad you enjoyed it and thank for dropping by, Just checked back on that part of the video and I think i understand whats confusing you. The reason I say flat in the longitudinal direction is because the bore is smaller than it should be so it is almost for all the world like the big end has been squished. The reason I say they are wide across the split like is because they measure a bigger opening here than they should which falls in line with the con-rod big end being out of round. It might not be very clear in the video which orientation I'm taking the measurements in. Hope that helps 👍👍

[@darrendean21]

@@HREIRL Lol, not coming up to zero is oversize, going past the zero is undersize ... you have it backwards ..... I'm certain you understand this, others may not ... cheers

[@adrianburghard6779]

Just recently discovered your channel, and I love your videos! Would also love seeing a video on repairing those conrods:) You guys also use the metric system in Ireland, right? I also measure everything in mm, and I tend to get a little confused sometimes when switching between imperial and metric while working on a-series engines:D

[@HREIRL]

Hi Adrian, Delighted to have you on the channel and you are most welcome. I will try do a video in the near future on re-boring connecting rods and honing them to size. Yes we do use the metric system here but I grew up in the country side where a lot of the people still used the imperial system so I ended up knowing both forms. But I most definitely get mixed up from time to time and have to check my self 👍

[@adrianburghard6779]

@@HREIRL I'm definitely looking forward to your future videos! Being in Germany we're not too much involved with the imperial system, but you get used to it after a while👌🏼

[@DannyTipple]

This is great, will there be a part 2?

[@HREIRL]

Hay Danny. Just waiting on a few parts and then we will be geting it back together

[@specdel]

Hi again, are you able to do a video on correcting the conrod big ends please?

[@HREIRL]

I have already sorted these ones out, but next time I have a set in the shop to be sorted I will make a video showing how I do it 👍

[@flundran]

Is a timing chain tensioner really needed when using a duplex timing chain?

[@HREIRL]

It all depends on the Youse Rikard, If the engine is intended for mostly traditional on road driving with traffic then I would be inclined to say yes and it keeps the valve train a bit quieter and helps.

[@fabiopapa2819]

hello what's the name of that key to tighten the prisoners .. I can not find it

[@HREIRL]

Im not 100 precent sure what your asking Fabio, at what point of the video are you referring to and I should be able to work it out from there ?

[@healey100austin]

What county are you in? I am from Belfast,now in England.

[@HREIRL]

Hay man Im in Dublin 👍

[@healey100austin]

@@HREIRL he he I know a guy from Swords.Nige. 😎