Sodablast is great, I had one done recently. Got 45 years of Castrol black sludge stain out...

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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.

How does Sodablasting compare with chemical cleaning?

It takes off all paint, sludge, stains etc without hurting the alloy.
It will be back to clean bare metal all over.
Give it a quick blast with a water hose or Karcher and it's ready to build.

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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.

You can also glass bead blast, but will spend a hours chasing glass grit out of the thread holes and passages!

Looks great though after...

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

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

Cheers, now to find a Sodablaster in Perth

Everything I read so far on rebuilding gearboxes suggest replacing the Baulk Rings, they are cheap enough so it's not an issue but is this because of heat stress rather than wear?






Do these look normal for a used gearbox?

I stuck it in the dishwasher in a pots and pans cycle - she indoors suggested it I wouldn't have dared otherwise

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David L


My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell my Mini and tools for the price I told her I paid for them!

The heat marks are where the 3 ears are hardened. If they weren't the baulk rings wouldn't last 5 mins.

To see how worn they are, sit them on the gear and measure the gap. New ones are around .040".
Some folks me included surface grind or linish .020" off that flat face, this gives them extra life.

If buying new ones, try them on a gear, they should not rock about. If they do, buy elsewhere.

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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.

Tip for cleaning. 5 Star 3 in 1 degreaser. I go through about 4 cans and at $3 each it's cheap. I just spray it on and scrub it with a brush, repeated several times. Now this is no ordinary degreaser, very strong. It's available at Woolworths.

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The bitterness of poor quality (or Crappy Workmanship) remains LONG AFTER the Sweet Taste of Low Price is forgotten.