Historic Mini Cooper Race Engine build - Explained by master engine builders

[@BrundleBTW]

We are nearly there. The car is going to be an "art car" what do you think the livery is going to be?

[@flyingphoenix113]

It's an iconic 60s car, so probably something psychedelic like the period 917 livery.

[@titan3603]

Should be like the hulk car from fast 3. Lol

[@bernardwarr4187]

F1 grid walk

[@brucewaterworth3873]

Flower Power

[@malcolmwhite6588]

@@brucewaterworth3873 Austin Powers😂

[@philtucker1224]

Being a race rally apprentice with Piper Cams back in the early seventies, I remember the Swiftune minis really well ! Still brilliant now !👌🏁🚘

[@elephantdave854]

Do you remember David Vizard and his tuning of a series back in the day

[@willbeasy2898]

DV is guru. I’ve read some of his books and watch his KZbin channel. Excellent wisdom to be found in there.

[@HD2512DK]

David Vizard is still activ

[@philtucker1224]

I was race/rally apprentice back in the early seventies and David Vizard, with his books, tuning tips and articles in “Cars and car conversions” was like a god to me back then! 😁

[@Mpower-hz4gk]

I’ve got a Dave Vizard book indoors somewhere

[@GTE_Channel]

Only book I've read more than once. The man is still making videos today. A real legend. Just like the Swift's

[@chrisgarside7974]

Great content which only serves to reaffirm that I need a Cooper S back in my life !

[@BrundleBTW]

Good luck!

[@markbrennan4693]

remember my old 1275 GT ,bored out to 1400 cc , single hif6 su carb etc. Bright orange with a matt black bonnet. Loved it.

[@BitcoinandGold]

I did the same. What a blast.

[@usernamesreprise4068]

Nearly ten minutes spent describing all the gearbox upgrades and yet never once mentioned it was now a complete straight cut set up from the idler gear (drop gear to some) to the diff, gearboxes are traditionally made using helical cut gears simply for the quietness they bring........the downside is the sideways lash they produce as the gears assert a sideways pressure robs about seven horse for each gear...........plus it has one of the most iconic sounds in road rallying, you would never mistake a straight cut mini approaching in the dark with carbs roaring and the box making a beautifull screaming howl........it still sends shivers down my spine even today 50 years later.

[@V8Lenny]

Helical gears are used because they are stronger.

[@usernamesreprise4068]

@@V8Lenny Helical gears are used for their noise suppression values alone - period, Its easy to see you are not an engineer since you dont even seem to understand polar moments of exerted stress, helical gears cut at forty five degrees to the moment of force exert over a quarter of their power imput to imparting sideways or lateral loads which in simple terms equates to a frictional power loss, any gear acting 180 degrees to its moment of force transmits 100% of its imputted force with no lateral losses, the downside being higher transmitted noise levels through chatter. which in competion cars is basically irrelevent

[@V8Lenny]

@@usernamesreprise4068 ask those engineers who know. Helical gears are stronger.

[@usernamesreprise4068]

@@V8Lenny I have BEEN one for over fifty years thank you very much.

[@V8Lenny]

@@usernamesreprise4068 too bad for the industry.

[@jagracershoestring609]

I built a 1380cc Mini Clubman tuned car in 1990 for the road. A rocket, three radiators to stop it boiling in the hot summer of 1990, four big spotlights, a real Porsche chaser. All good fun, and no speed cameras in those days cross country. 115mph behind a Porsche 911 up the A1 at 5 in the morning.

[@steven1000000000]

I'm such a big fan of Nick. Been watching his racing for years and have a SW cam in my engine. Great to learn a bit more on the build side.

[@podd372]

Thats a great video. Im a car guy, race historic stuff, know the ins and outs of an engine but I found that fascinating and full of info. Cant wait to see it in action.

[@SharonD369]

My first car in 1986 after passing my test was a MK1 1964 mini copper s 1275 in red brought for £2100, drove it for 2 years and sold it for £2000. God i wish i had that car now.

[@philtucker1224]

Wow! Getting insurance back then was clearly still possible. Those were the days! 👍👌

[@PeterMenzies-t4r]

Excellent, amazing how much power from one of these old engines built to comply with historic racing restrictions.

[@MelioraESGJamesAlexanderOMA]

Superb content. I’m running a 1450 A-Series in my Historic trials car. This is a lesson in BMC tuning. Thanks Mr Swift.

[@KayJblue]

Absolute gem of a channel

[@ButtonBrand]

These mini engines have been tuned to 100bhp per litre since the 1970s. Just shows how good the engineers were way back then. I can remember my dad building racing Minis. He even had one with a cross-flow cylinder head.

[@VauxhallViva1975]

Pretty amazing power output for a tiny little 3-bearing crankshaft engine! The Amazing A-series!

[@gothicpagan.666]

Now if Nick had of made an exact reproduction of the 12g940 head without trying to get extra power past the homologation guys, his life would have been so much easier. Indeed he may well now look much closer to 23. Alround top chap who puts more into his products than a humble mini can honestly justify

[@pete292]

I didn't realise Swifttune was still operating. Great to see a great iconic British business going from strength to strength

[@leeedwards7721]

Jeez i remember Building My Mini back when i was just 16 and working at a local Garage and paying off my 1st Mini at £25 a week [No Finance] Then Buying an MG Metro 1300 Engine and thinking i was as fast as a F1 Driver. Jeez the 80s WERE the Best Years.

[@blxtothis]

The Misters Swift are an absolute legend in motor racing circles. On a tangent, back in the day I used to fantasise about a twin OHC Mini engine. Every time I listen to AlexI hear his dad.

[@The888Redlich]

Great work Alex and Nick, can’t wait to see you and Martin mixing it up on track with mini legends such as Nick Swift. Good luck with that😁

[@BrundleBTW]

Fingers crossed!

[@waltdisnenycopyright8048]

I'm in my 70s now, but these are such great little engines, I wish I had a pound for everyone that I built lol, only to watch them hammer round a track and pray nothing let go lol, keep it up

[@63melvyn]

Amazing what this company can do with such an ironic engine .love their outlook

[@Fearnstein]

Think you mean iconic don’t you?

[@jahseantenn4574]

Totally in awe. It so cool to Mr Swiftune son carrying on daddy legacy 👊🏼

[@russellclement2058]

I had a Mini Clubman in 1972,, loved it,,

[@TheNecromancer6666]

Its pretty impressive to see just how much you can get from a Mini. Though I have to say, I would like to take one of their engines and fit it with modern electronics and EFI just to see what it can really do.

[@pete292]

9000rpm 😮. I'd be surprised if it was still making power after 7-7500. Work of art that engine. Got to appreciate good engineering

[@carlneville2088]

Completely brilliant from both of you. Thank you.

[@andrewmcewan8081]

they offered a dog box from factory in some years in the 60s i think 67 was one of them. someone i know had one a few years ago and it surprised us when we found out it was a standard factory setup he'd bought not custom as we thought initially

[@saifassam2324]

fantastic 30min of geekery...loved it well done

[@BrundleBTW]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@Shaun.Stephens]

Thank for the video Alex, very interesting.

[@klesmer]

Wow, does that bring back memories. Not so much the Mini, but the engine and the SU carburetor. I cut my teeth on those two and cannot understand why SU's confuse so many folks.

[@jakemurphy9536]

My all time favourite car, the Mini. I have owned and driven a good many cars, some of which were high performance, but to me, a Mini Cooper was more fun and practical. To help withe the throttle tending to be either On or Off, I fitted a Bell Crank to the carb linkage, which smoothed out the action considerably. In order to help with longevity, oil was changed evry 1500 miles, without failure. The three main bearing A Series was an incredible motor. Way better than a Ford of that period in terms of what power increases it could handle, before expiring.

[@curran429]

Love this. I'd love to have seen more about the head, fuelling, ports and timing though.

[@BrundleBTW]

Much of this contains commercially sensitive info for swiftune.

[@philtucker1224]

Swiftune do a great series of tuning books with all the info you need, (also look up David Vizard “ tuning your Mini” series of books) - They are brilliant.

[@douglasmitchinson1936]

Glyn (the old man) built my full-race 1380 in the early 1980 at his workshop off the A127. Used a Longman head. Very powerful!

[@ukwan]

100hp per litre is better than some 00's super car engines 😮 My 911 had 88hp per litre. 😮

[@BrundleBTW]

Wild isn’t it

[@flyingphoenix113]

Well, it is a racing engine, so it isn't designed for longevity or emissions like a road car engine. Still, it's doubly impressive for a traditional 2-valve pushrod engine.

[@SmallBlogV8]

@@flyingphoenix113 The K20A in a Honda Integra-R (DC5) managed 110hp/l from the factory (in 2001-06), just for a more modern road-car context - but as you say, for an engine design as old as a Mini A-series, getting 100hp/l is remarkable any which way.

[@flyingphoenix113]

@@SmallBlogV8, precisely. The K and F-series had VTEC, DOHC, 4-valves per cylinder, and a number of other modern advancements of which a Morris A-series engine could only dream.

[@willbeasy2898]

I’ve seen a mini head and 100hp per litre is nothing short of a miracle 😂

[@markgadsby5568]

I can’t afford Swiftune nowadays but so glad I got them to do a 1380 / 286 / 5sp sccr drive in screech away conversion for me in the early 90s… happy days

[@markgadsby5568]

And was insured by Adrian Flux 😂

[@justinelliott293]

Please post more videos like this!!

[@eddieMurphy11111]

I had a mini van with a cooper s engine in it and i was king of the road

[@mandst5466]

Thanks Alex, subscribed as soon as I saw this, bloody marvellous. I am a total F1 and WEC nerd and my son has a classic Mini Cooper…. How ideal is that 👍🏻

[@bobbythompson3544]

Loved this video!

[@stargazertycho11]

Nice to see where my engine from swiftune came from, in the 80's, for my ADO 16, a reliable engine ,but a gearbox eater! regards derek.

[@nigelpowton9509]

I run Swiftune components in my modified ADO16 too.

[@davidgreenwood5241]

Ye the a series engine good little engine very simple and easy to work on unlike modern cars were you half to take the body to bits to get the engine out

[@gbcautoworks]

I had a 1300 A series in my first B reg Austin Montego

[@AndyKing-x5h]

Surprised not to see a duple timing chain. Perhaps regs don't allow?

[@whylie74]

It's a shame he dosn't make his multi-web crank's anymore they were a thing of beauty.

[@ianphillips973]

12G295 cylinder head? If memory serves me right that was the head we used to use. Some 1100 also had this head. So we used to spend hours down the scrap yard😂

[@JACB006]

I like the mini’s colour …. What colour is it?

[@FrederickBowdler]

Rebuild my own engine its quite a lot of work/time.

[@alro2434]

Thanks. Are H carbs required instead of HS, seems a little dumb compared to ALL the other newer internals, also not using DCOE's as a single anymore?

[@mickwest7918]

I was at Mossport outside of Toronto and the Minis blew the Porches of the track. The wee wheels gave a much better acceleration out of the curves, and by the time the Porches caught up they were onto another curve, sweet.

[@bigbird2100]

Great video 👍 Surprised a low friction coating isn't used on cam rocker components 😊

[@philtucker1224]

The very small bearing surface on rockers is designed to help the valve stems gradually rotate whilst the engine is running this aids the valve seats to seal. You might be confusing the “rockers” with the oil-fed buckets that follow the cams and cradle the pushrods that ultimately push up the rockers. (These are also designed slightly off centre to provide a similar “ revolving” nature to help distribute wear evenly over the life of the engine) I hope that helps!

[@andyjames2082]

Are the race diffs locked, or is there a limited slip arrangement?

[@lawrencegatt4515]

❤ love your videos guys more please 💚💛🇦🇺🏁🥂🍾

[@magnusdanielsson2749]

Thats 100 hp/l including the gearbox? Even more impressive

[@BrundleBTW]

It’s actually more like 120 but a safe claim is 100+

[@vindigby4597]

Twenty years ago you guys did a migit head 12g295 king brisket!!!

[@philtucker1224]

A great favourite will the young lads when tuning the smaller A series engines.

[@JoachimSadan]

So there are no airfilters? What abt clean clear air feed?

[@m1northreat]

Such a cool vid! learned a lot about the mini engine! i had no clue it was built like that! one question tho. with the trans basically being the oil pan, the engine and trans just run engine oil? no gear oil? just never heard of a trans not using gear oil.

[@BrundleBTW]

Correct!!

[@m1northreat]

@@BrundleBTW one more question. due to this, does the oil temp run on the high side? what weight oil is used? haha that was 2 sorry

[@BrundleBTW]

@@m1northreat they run hot generally, and no idea. Swiftune blend their own

[@ferrumignis]

@@m1northreat 20W50 is the normal oil viscosity for the Mini, though I don't know what Nick uses. Millers make some oil blends especially for the mini with the required additives to cope with the gearbox.

[@m1northreat]

@@ferrumignis very cool! thnx for the replies!! that little motor is so interesting!!

[@johnwilliams-sc1vf]

Where is the duplex chain ?

[@philtucker1224]

It actually sits at the “front” of the engine ( behind the timing chain cover) but in this transfer layout can be seen on the very left of the block looking from the front of the car.

[@johnwilliams-sc1vf]

@@philtucker1224 what are you talking about there should be a duplex timing chain in a high performance A series engine

[@philtucker1224]

Naturally but not allowed in the regs for this particular racing series that this engine is for. To be fair John, you asked where the chain was, not why they hadn’t fitted a Duplex..

[@Alastair_cox]

They run a simplex chain for less drag & weight.

[@tonycamplin8607]

Very interesting, however they're not really mini engines any more. Back in the very early 1960s I successfully aced a gp5 mini. However after 1963 we gave up because of the Ss coming in. Also the professional tuning firms took over. John Whitmore's Broadspeed mini was our particular nemesis. At the time I was at BMC's/special tuning department so that helped.

[@MrAdopado]

These engines for the historic racing are, in some ways, closer (in design) to real mini engines than some of the high level racing engine options that took over in later years (crossflow etc). The execution of the build looks very impressive indeed and in that respect I agree "they are not really mini engines any more"! Interesting that they are back using simplex timing chains. I was very proud of the duplex gear on my 1380!

[@tonycamplin8607]

@@MrAdopado I completely agree with you. However crossflow heads have been around since the 1960s. All early Ss had duplex chains, didn't know that the modern racing engines didn't use them. I, like you, proudly fitted one onto my racing Sprite in the late 1960s. Incidentally I still own it nearly 60 years later.

[@MrAdopado]

@@tonycamplin8607 Yes, I presume it's all down to how they decide to set the regs for Historic Racing. It seems a bit arbitrary really but then all racing classes have their rules which limit what you can develop. (I did a couple of seasons hill climbing, sharing an old cheap Porsche 924, which put us in a ridiculous class mismatch so we were never ever going to win anything!) In respect of the duplex chain thing it's probably just that they've found a way to make the single chain strong and reliable enough such that it becomes a positive advantage due to running less rotational mass. So perhaps they can use duplex chains under their regs but they can use the single if they choose.

[@tonycamplin8607]

@@MrAdopado Thanks for replying. Yes I know what you mean about being outclassed. When Porsche 911s were introduced they were classed as saloon cars because of their number of seats!!

[@unigateman]

1293cc standard overbore, what happened to 1340 ?

[@bleachyberserko4191]

Properly good video that 👌

[@markchisholm2657]

Whilst the engine might hypothetically be a 'classic' in reality its a brand new race engine just maintained within the constraints of an old sized block.

[@gegwen7440]

Lots of umm’s & ahhh’s and nice and shiny and this is where we spend a lot of time in development (@9:00 talking about the cam) Master engine builder LOL

[@BrundleBTW]

Well a Swiftune engine makes more Power and torque for more hours between rebuilds than any other engine build to the same spec/regs so… I’m not saying you ‘can’t’ do better, just that nobody does… in the world.

[@jakemurphy9536]

​@@BrundleBTW True, dat!

[@russellcollins5692]

Pre MOWOG these engines were designed to be used as a starter engine for some larger industrial engine. Someone might know more details.

[@exotica550]

Morris Minor 748cc Side Valve still powers the Spit Bridge in Mosman,Sydney today,opening to let Yachts through....

[@neilbardsley]

Interesting you don't see the chamber

[@CS_247]

course not, big secret. plenty development hours gone in there to be sure

[@philtucker1224]

They want you to buy their tuning books first!

[@bobz1736]

Very enjoyable video, but Issigonis didn't design the Mini A Series engine / gearbox set up...

[@martinhow121]

So who did.? Issigonis was lead designer. The accountants mandated the use of an existing gear cluster set (Morris Minor I think) to save tooling costs. In early power units this lead to early failure of a (2nd/3rd gear?) thrust washer which was under full load as a result the end forces from the helical cut gear cluster turning the opposite way to that originally designed. The transfer gear from the clutch to the gear box reversed the motion which was again corrected by the crown wheel being driven off the output shaft.. I believe the Coopers S gear box was always straight cut, but still with synchromesh, but I never got inside one. I had an 850 Mini in flame red and later a Metro MG 1300 in Cinnabar red, other family members had a 1963 850 mini and two Austin 1100s, oh and later a Mk1 Maxi 1500, but that was a much more modern if still conceptually similar power train.

[@philtucker1224]

True. (it was already a very well established engine by then). - Issigonis fame was through his brilliant space management designs.

[@alro2434]

@@martinhow121 Thanks, never gave a thought that it was turning opposite.

[@sideshowbob5237]

The periphery of the crank is spinning at about 140 mph through oil mist. No sign of streamlining the crank or of polishing the inside of the block. I did both on my FF2000 engine and won most of the FF2000 races I competed in. Was I cheating?

[@ldnwholesale8552]

So when you build a modern Mini engine how much power does it have. Things like roller valve train and bigger capacity and Webers,, more so with a X flow head.

[@MrAdopado]

This is not an ultimate power mini engine with no holds barred. This is built for historic racing where there is very tight control over what you are allowed to change from the original specification. An unrestricted build would be capable of double the power output.

[@alro2434]

@@MrAdopado Still, it shoulda had HS carbs.

[@walsakaluk1584]

Historically correct? Wouldn't period accurate engineering mods be historically correct too? If a mod was fitted and raced with back then why is it excluded now? Bunch of jobsworths... Make sure you use leaded paint and lead wiped body work applied without any protection and released into the neighbourhood to make sure it's historically correct.

[@iancourtney2983]

1275 s had double timing chains

[@davidsinclair6425]

That's a nasty little brush used to preoil/grease - looks like its has been picked out the bin..........

[@sixdegrees6434]

Since when did Brits start using Lambda as a term instead of AFR?

[@iainball2023]

I always used AFR. But I worked with other UK tuners that used lamda back in the early 2000's. I think it depended on which software and management systems you used. I did jap and ford stuff. If I recall it was more the people doing euro stuff that worked in lambda.

[@philtucker1224]

Roughly 10/15 years ago (mainly due to formalising the jargon used in modern emissions regulations legislation - MOTs etc ( I believe))..

[@flatboat67]

The filets are glistening

[@neilpattison8029]

Pretty good - but not quite as good as Tom Bell’s engines at TBR……..😉

[@buggerlugz6753]

Really SU carbs in 2024 is the best they do?? :/ Honestly were they ever that good?

[@MrAdopado]

I think you may have missed the point here ... this is an engine for historic racing. If the originals had SU carbs then that's what it has to have.

[@dancockydan1589]

why dont you remanufacture an Arden 8 port cylinder head, the siamese ported cylinder heads are alright When the excesss material from around the valve guides is removed they flow quite well but they aint in the same league as an 8 port... which i might add are as old of a design as the A series its self... il bet your remanufactured cylinder heads a no better than a than a ported 12g940 casting made 50 years ago.

[@vanislandsteve]

👍🏻🇨🇦

[@Sandhoeflyerhome]

He's no public speaker

[@philtucker1224]

(Good with his hands)

[@PhillipAlcock]

Who cares as long as he’s good at building the engines - and pretty good at driving Minis!

[@Sandhoeflyerhome]

@@PhillipAlcock Me !! - he just needs to practice and to use a crib sheet, this will add the authority he deserves, it is so easy to forget this is a very polished program and he clearly needs a helping hand.

[@barryphillips7098]

The A series engine is a very old design, being non crossflow cylinder head with 3 exhaust ports 2 inlet limits what can be done with them!! SU= Skinners Union; started around 1930s. Not ideal the engine sharing oil with the gearbox, some Lamborghini,s had the gearbox sharing with the engine. They changed that idea. I do NOT like the young guy bit of an idiot, other man knows his stuff!!

[@johnnyrvf]

Not exactly a Cosworth DFV 3 litre F1 engine.

[@philtucker1224]

Having worked on both I can assure you the mini engine can be just as thrilling! - try one! 😁

[@forestranger312]

It will be such a shame when the woke Labour government make all these people redundant when they ban all non standard changes to original manufactures vehicles. A huge industry will die in this country. By stopping people modifying their cars (making it illegal) these people will become out of work over night. Tragic. All you Labour voters bravo, god forgive you, as you know not, what you have done. No car parts shops, no Halfords, all the go faster boys will be very sad. Tyres, exhausts, etc etc all gone.

[@ferrumignis]

The left _always_ destroys the countries they get power in.

[@yodab.at1746]

🤡😂😂😂

[@mrhillclimber]

Never going to happen with the tax and vat generated from it...7 billion a year industry in the classic sector alone.

[@Fearnstein]

Where on earth did you dream that up

[@philtucker1224]

False news actually. ( revisions to Vehicle legislation can only apply to new production standards and cannot be retrospective).

[@k.kristianjonsson1537]

If you are making a Swiftune video it is unnecessary to explain what a "bore" is. Engine viewer know this.

[@BrundleBTW]

Apologies for not acknowledging your genius, I’m sure you can tolorate 5 seconds of content to allow ‘the mortals’ to keep up with you. 😂

[@philtucker1224]

You are the perfect example of one mate 😂🤣

[@keithfarrell3370]

It was 3 SECONDS matey. Good grief

[@Bumbaclot213]

Bore off

[@markholroyde9412]

You should all have to use factory equipment, its simple to build power with a different cylinder head, cam, , they are not the the engines they are portrayed to be. None of that Goodwood crap is.