Yes anyone can build an engine with a shop manual & tools but an engine build is only as good as the machine work done prior. If that isnt done correctly & you dont check & recheck tolerences/measurements on assembly the end product will go pear shaped & thats only a matter of time.

oh yeah, plenty of engine builds have gone pear-shaped , that goes with any make or model & it`s been pretty consistent through the ages hey?

lots of money down the drain

lots of heart ache

you can just "Feel" the pain in a few peoples typing here hey???

so,,, hence why i said--> "IF" you go to build it yourself--> have someone experienced with you while you do it, helps to lessen the chances of a problem (or few)

if you don`t "KNOW" what to look for in the first place, if you hadn`t seen & done it quite a few times already,,, if you havn`t got any engine builds under your belt, then how do you fix what is already broken before you ignorantly put it all together, just because you didn`t have the experience (or anyone with any experience) with you while you`re doing it???

even the very best have engine blow-ups & i won`t name names, this is not about that,,, but it is about helping to save the dramas/time/money/pain/heartache , or at least attempt to lessen the chances of problems for other people... Not Just JC

you can all keep putting up instance where a new engine from a "so-called" experienced builder, has gone bang in a short period of time,,, it only helps to affirm my earlier statements

some obviously are not as experienced as others, or maybe not as experienced as they said they were

& yes , things can just break too,,, the older these engines become, the more chances of things breaking comes into play, so yeah sh!t happens i spose,,, BUT!!! if you`ve re-built hundreds & hundreds of them, then you`re "Obviously" in a FAR better situation to know what to look out for hey?

i can`t say how many engines Coatsie has built, or Dave (sitnlo62) or Ken nelson or GR or GT Mowog etc etc etc,,, but i know that if you can build mini engines that pull out well over 200hp & they hang together for quite a few years & only need a re-ring & bearing job & slap em back in the engine bay again for another few years of hard thrashing at 200hp... it still doesn`t mean that the next simple easy std-issue 60hp roady engine that you build will last 50 years either... a crank can still break even after you had it crack tested,,, & main-shaft can still break in half just puttering along... i can tell you piles & piles of stories of wild & weired things that i`ve seen break inside these little engines, & i can assure you all that some of them would make you squirm,,, some are just hard to believe,,, but others are just very very typical.

i havn`t seen it all ,,,yet... but i`ve seen a fair bit in the last 49 years,,, """"That"""" is why i`m saying all this

i just hate seeing the pain that people feel after it all goes wrong,,, let alone all the wasted time & money.

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

After all the huffing and puffing , In the end It really all comes down to whether or not you are mechanically minded , and can work out how things work and go back together,do measurements ,calculations,get parts machined to correct tolerances etc etc , if you are in this group ,then I believe you have a reasonably good chance of building a reliable engine ,without much experience ,and just using a good workshop manual and advice from others who are more experienced .

However If you are in the other group ,where you don't have any mechanical aptitude or knowledge at all,then you should not even attempt to re-build your own engine ,or perform any mechanical work whatsoever ,leave it to the experts ,you probably will never be able to re-build an engine no matter how many times you watch someone do it,unless of course you were to do a course or an apprenticeship ( hmmm even then !!!!!!)

So if you be honest with yourself ,you will know your capabilities

If in Melbourne and you want good quality workmanship and no spin go and see Len Read at Racepoint delevelopments. 0408 548 133. Len builds more Group N motors in Victoria than anyone else. Take a look at the results from Historic Winton this year by Pete Melick, Anthony Ramadge (me), Ian Pringle and Len Read himself. He also prepares the engines for Girt P on here.

Len has been working on Minis since the 1960's and actually did his apprenticeship at a BMC dealer!! Apart from being a really nice guy he was also a trade teacher for many years so can explain the complexity of a Mini engine even to an IT geek like me

He does Gearboxes, suspension setups and specialises in Dyno tuning of Weber carburettors and rebuilds. He doesn't only do race engines and is happy to do as much or as little to an engine as you require or that suits your budget.

He is based in his home workshop in Somerville (behind Frankston). Highly recommended.

hee hee,,, must be in the name then

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

A mate of mine has a centrifugal blower on a low-km modern 4 cylinder. It has had many variations to the set-up as it is a kit-developmnet mule. A little while ago the motor put a leg out of bed. Nearly cut the block in half and set the car on fire with oil on the cat.

Point is that the rod let go while cruising at low speed, sub 4000 rpm and well below the motor's torque peak. Who knows why it chose to let go when it did? Why didn't it go the day before when the weather was dry and it got more of a flogging?

Why do some parts in a fresh build suddenly let go when they looked ok before they went in?

m

the beauty of a forum like this is you will always get offers of assistance. Have a go, ask plenty of questions and take your time. We have plenty of good businesses here in SEQ that can help you along the way, good machine shops, people to do your balance work etc. Just ask and you will find people very willing to help.

Mat is correct in that many of these parts are now old and fatigued (bit like some of us) and you cant always account for these types of failures but if you are careful about every part that goes in you lessen your chance of something going wrong. Start with the basics, keep it simple and have a go. Pull your finger out though.....sprints start in 4 weeks.
G.

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1970 Cooper S ex-Bathurst & ATCC
1964 Austin Cooper S ex-Group C race car
1967 Morris Cooper S ex-Group B
1962 Mini Speed sports sedan
1968-71 ex-Peter Manton Shell car

All very interesting reading , my new motor just went in , fingers crossed.
Which workshop manual is the best for a rebuild?
Cheers
Mike

If I may ask whom did you choose in the end?