Hoping somebody can help me out here, there are two tapped holes in the clutch cover as shown below. These go right through, so before I block them up I thought I'd check if they're open for a reason?
Also, anyone know what thread it is? I can't work it out.

Thanks.

starter soloniod is mounted there on some models

or coil bracket. 5/16 Course

_________________
Stop Licking the Dog...I Don't Care Who Started It

yep thats where the coil is on my 1100

Not 5/16 any more. I tried to run a tap through it and stripped it back to a bare hole.
Should I be worried about a little bit of swarf in the clutch housing?

no.

_________________
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.

I was just about to add it's 5/16 UNC, but your goddamned tap has beaten me to it.

I wouldn't feel comfortable with the swarf in there.
Undoing the engine mount and opening the clutch cover to blow it out is simpler than doing all that and removing the clutch and flywheel to replace an engine seal.

All threads which bite into aluminium on a mini I believe you will find are UNC because the ally is softer and needs a larger bite from the bolt to hold the same tension reliably.

_________________
SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

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

I have three of these covers in my shed and none of them go right through, Maybe somebodys modified yours.

Looked like it was UNF to me, definitely not a course thread.
An M7 tap went in okay but it didn't seem like anything that BMC would use, thats why I tried next one up.
Doesn't matter, I don't actually need the hole, i just wanted to put some screws in there to block the holes up.

Being as late as yours is, it could (have) be(en) M8.

I stick my neck out and say I wouldn't worry about a little swarf in there are the rotation of the flywheel will tend to fling it away from anything that matters and there is (or should be) the extra protector in there, but likely as not, someone will quote me on this and then carry on with something abusive.

The original Set Screws were 1/2" (12mm) long. If you've got longer ones, screw them in with the engine reving hard so that the ring gear can grind them down

_________________

Yeeeeeah... I can safely say that having a sheered stud rattle around in there for ewwwwwww 6months did nothing more than cosmetic damage So a little tiny bit of soft aluminium swarf in there is proooooobbbbbaably not going to hurt anyone ....

(bad helicoil incase anyones wondering... the stud rattled right out of the transfer housing... made a pretty ""interesting"" noise from time to time )

By all means though, get it out if it makes you uncomfortable.... I hate having swarf in places where it shouldn't be

I broke a Lucas starter pinion tooth off at Wakefield Pk, it got hammered around in there by the ring gear, and finally broke into the breather hole casting at the top.
I drove it home with a VERY wet clutch (1L or so of oil in there)
No, it didn't slip- but felt soggy on takeup.

But a wee bit of alloy swarf will do nothing in there.

_________________
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.

(After my last post is this a bad time to say I've done almost the same thing?)

Except I was on the Putty road, I had just broken another rocker shaft and was trying to limp intoo Singleton when I let the car stall... I tried to start it, but as I had lost the exhaust valve on number 1 it had some pretty bad compression lock and I ended up taking teeth of the pinion trying to get it started!!

I didn't realise till after I got it home, put on a new set of rockers and went to start it and thought "ahh funny noise? " and a little while later I was hearing something reminisent of a chain saw trying to cut through colourbond ...... pulled it appart new starter motor, pressed the ring gear back on and bob was my aunty

<edit... spelling,, dear god I've got to do something about that! >