He was of the old school, where tolerance was a virtue not a measurement

So a complete engine strip down is not necessary.
Engine out.
Head off.
Timing cover and gears off.
Remove cam followers.
Remove cam.
Pullout bearing and replace and reassemble.
Or is it more complicated than this ?

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There's a couple of challenges here.

The followers will need to stay put unless you are going to crack the gearbox off. Your engine after all is solid back and the followers can't be accessed outside the engine like of small bore and cooper s.
If you pull the cam out, the followers will drop out of place, make it difficult to remove the cam, and eventually all eight will all just drop into the sump.

Not insurmountable, you can lay the engine on its back so the cam followers stay in place as they drop down into their journals with gravity. You can then just pull the camshaft out normally. A bit messy as the oil runs out of the top of the engine onto the ground, but there you go.

The next risk is that you have may have a spider drive camshaft. At this point you just don't know. You may withdraw the camshaft, but the spider drive gubbin will drop into the sump. So you may just need to crack the gearbox off regardless once this happens.

You may be able to take you chance with laying the engine down on its back, but then be prepared to pull the gearbox off anyway if you pull the camshaft out to find it is a spider drive and you've dropped the part. Keep the gaskets and seals to hand for a few extra dollars to ensure the best outcome.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

As Mick said, cam comes out before the lifters, (with block upside down) on a 1275 non-S block. There are no side covers to get the lifters out.
If you have a spider drive 1100S cam, it can fall out of the cam and into the gearbox area as you remove it.
It's safer to pull the clutch & flywheel housing off, then remove the oil pump and spider before withdrawing the camshaft.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Thanks guy's, at least I know what I am in for.

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The slippery slope !
If I am going to pull the engine out, I don't want to do it on a regular basis.
So while it is out I should do all the necessary things before putting it back.
The clutch judders a bit on take up so I suppose a new clutch plate is in order! Do I fit a lightened flywheel at the same time as the engine already has a "bit of a cam", LCB and RC40 exhaust. Grieg suggested it also needs a 1-3/4" SU in place of the 1-1/2.
Should I also change the final drive to all taller one for freeway cruising although I don't know what ratio it is currently !

Any ideas

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Taking the engine out is a great opportunity to do all kinds of good things along with the clutch plate.

Definitely change all the shaft seals (Drive, timing cover and crank shaft)! Clean the radiator out, paint the block, make the engine bay look spiffy, a GREAT time to do brake and clutch hoses cos you have unfettered access both sides, grommet all the through bulkhead holes and neaten up/re-tape the wiring

I dunno about that other stuff, you have to paint a genuine picture of what you would like to do with the car in the long run.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

As far as the engine is concerned I just want a good strong reliable unit that pulls well.
I don't want a high revving temperamental race engine.
For the gearbox I just want something that will cruse down the freeway (110 - 120 kph) without it screaming. I'm running 10x4.5" wheels without flairs (standard 850 styling) so it maintains it's mundane appearance.
I guess it's "Grandads 850" styling but with some "spirit" if that makes sense.

I'm yet to weld up the holes where the flairs were screwed on and then fit the chrome trim along the wheel arches and sill.

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For freeway cruising I'd put a 3.1 diff in it.
If you keep std (assuming 4 synchro remote, or rodchange) gears in the box, this diff change will raise the gearing on 1, 2 & 3 to be about the same as those in a Cooper S with a 3.4 diff.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Not wishing to harp on about this cam bearing issue but !
Does anyone have a phot of what it the correct way the bearing should be installed.
I'd hate to have a new bearing installed the wrong way again

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No pic, but..
There are only 2 holes, a round one and an oval one.
The oval hole goes to the main bearing oilway.
The round hole goes to the rocker feed oilway ^.

Use a marker pen to mark the bush, and the block adjacent to the main bearing's oilway, so the bush aligns with the hole when pressed in.
Use a shouldered mandrel to press the bush in straight.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

If you don't want to pull apart half your engine at this stage, a piece of feeler guage with a tiny hole in it placed under the number 1 rocket post will restrict the oil flow and stop the filling the rocker cover issue.

I considered something like this. How tiny is tiny ?

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I'd start with a 1.0mm drill and work up if needed.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

So as long as I see oil running down pushrods and dripping off rockers that should mean the flow is enough ?

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