hello to everyone. I am a big fan on mini's and have just bought my first one.

I have a few problems with the car and need some help.

1. the car is overheating temp gauge is hitting the top. I have checked the thermostat and there is no thermostat in there however water is flowing and radiator is not blocked. I have read some post on this site and timing issues were discussed can someone please explain to me how to get the timing correct please from the very basics. could it be anything else the car is not blowing any smoke and runs ok apart from the overheating. oh and the coolant dissapears from the radiator but there are no leaks in the radiator or hoses that i can see.

2. not a problem but what would be the cheapest disc brake conversion ive heard about the camira one and is this an easy task how long will it take and do you need good mechanical knowledge I currently have 13's on the car.

thanks to those who have taken their time to help.

Put a thermostat in there. It will slow the flow down so the radiator has a chance to cool the water. Flush the radiator and the engine water jackets. Use coolant.

That would be your first step.

Does the car run fine other than that? ie doesn't ping, have any flatspots, etc?

In regards to discs, get a set of 8.4" from a Rover Mini. Saves any engineering cert hastles and it's all factory equip.

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yeh I was thinking about putting in the thermostat but was told be someone that shouldn't stop the car from overheating and the car should reamin cold as water is constantly flowing.

yes the car on occasion does skip a beat and it has backfired once

it had problems idleing however i adjusted the idle and its fine noe

oh how much would i be looking at getting a thermostat for and where would you recommend ( i havn't looked for parts yet ) and how much would i be looking at for the rover brakes and is it an eazy job..?

minis do tend to get warm but shouldnt overheat. Also, bear in mind that temp gauges are notoriously unreliable when they are 30+ years old.

Where abouts in Australia/the world are you Micky?

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oh im located in sydney if you know any good place.

and the person who gave me the advice about not worrying about the thermostat is no mini expert and Im not sure whether what he said is correct at all.

im pretty sure about the temp gauge is somewhat accurate as the water is bursts out when i open the radiator cap and im pretty sure it is boiling

i would definitely install a thermostat. Apart from that, there are several good mini places around Sydney if you would like expert opinion or if you are not the best at working on your own car (i'm not very handy with a spanner ).
http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=10543 - has a good list

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lol fair enough. Just thought i'd check.

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do you think it could be the timing and how would i get the timing correct for the car..?

A thermostat will cost you around $10. Also replace the radiator cap, again at about $10. Replace the top and bottom hoses if they look daggy, cracked, or bulging. As I said before, also flush your radiator and engine water jackets.

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thanks i'll check that out. if its the thermostat i'll be cheering i got no money for any big work to be done

Thermostat, radiator cap, and hoses are all service items, so even if the issues are greater than those small items, atleast you will have those items replaced already. It doesn't cost you much at all, and if it fixes the problem then great!

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cheers poeee and have you got any idea what the disc brakes would cost and is it an easy job..?

It's not a difficult job, but it has it's challenges. You can pick up a set of 8.4's (everything you need to swap) for as little as $800. You will need at least 12" rims though.

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