I attempted to remove the trumpet & cone from my Clubman today (front suspension) and once the cone was wound right up, the trumpet just wouldn't budge at all. I gave the bottom of the trumpet a few good smacks with the BFH but to no avail. It seems that the trumpet is stuck in the cone! I used the Imperial thread of the Cone Coompression Tool so god knows how old the cones are!

Has anyone got any suggestion on how to get the trumpet out?? Maybe remove the upper suspension arm? The engine is out if that helps suggestions.

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-Alan
I blame my dad for my love of minis. I think I was conceived in the back seat of one
I also blame my Dad for me being 6' 1" - not really the optimum height for driving a Mini.

yep, remove the top suspension arm, pull the whole lot out....

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

.. which if you plan on replacing the rubber cone you're going to have to do anyway. You can't get the cone out with the top arm in place without a lot of sodding around. Much easier to just remove the arm.

I had exactly this problem on my van a month or so ago, the trumpet was fused into the cone and wasn't coming out no matter what. I was fitting hilo's so I just taught it a lesson with Messrs BFH and Cold Chisel, it came out in little pieces

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Simon

The adventures of an owner builder in the Tallarook Ranges

All Oz Minis had the 1/2" UNF threaded cones, right to the end (late 1978).

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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.

Update: I end up pulling the subframe out completely (since there was no engine anyway and nothing in the brake lines) and pulled out the top suspension arm and even then it was a hassle getting the trumpet & cone out. But after a lot of (BFH) coercion, they finally came out. The cones were very old and very compressed but haven't had a chance to compare new ones to the height of these old ones.

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-Alan
I blame my dad for my love of minis. I think I was conceived in the back seat of one
I also blame my Dad for me being 6' 1" - not really the optimum height for driving a Mini.

The rubber spring has a metal inner where it contacts with the trumpet. You can tap a big screwdriver between them till it bottoms out and give it a bit of a wiggle it may move it a little. Then work around the spring and it will hopefully move. You need to be careful not to prise on the rubber as it may separate. They can stick real good.

Pete

hehe - I DID try that and started putting big gouges in the trumpet to. Hi-Los are going back in anyway so don't care. Once the cones were out, it took one heckof a whack to seperate the trumpet & cone with BFH

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-Alan
I blame my dad for my love of minis. I think I was conceived in the back seat of one
I also blame my Dad for me being 6' 1" - not really the optimum height for driving a Mini.

There'll be a big difference. I did the cones on my van recently after one of them collapsed, and there was probably 20mm difference between old and new, although the new one will settle down a bit.

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Simon

The adventures of an owner builder in the Tallarook Ranges