Your videos provide great instructions and information. My Mini just decided to spill out its coolant - equipped with a Hayes manual and your videos I was able to replace the pump and check the cooling system. Thank you so much and keep up the great work.
I’ve actually ended up undoing the top stabiliser bar to rock the engine forward to get more room to undo redo that bottom hose. Well done on doing it with stabiliser in situation 👍
Quick question, i did all this, but when I removed the drain plug from the block (near cyl 4), nothing came out. Poked and prodded and still couldnt get fluid to come out. Any advice on how to unclog, or better yet, to have the whole water system cleaned to remove any blockages?
My dad owns two minis one a 1275gt and one a mini clubman estate and he also owns an mk2 Austin metro which all have the a series engine its an amazingly easy engine to work on you could even say its so easy its fun to work on these engines theres still many off these speedy go carts in the uk how often do you see classic minis in America? great video by the way not many UA-cam channels that specialize in classic minis your channel is one of a kind sir and your rocker cover rocks
***** oh that's such a shame! as the mini is such a nice thing to see on the road the amount of passion some people have for the mini here in the UK is amazing they have a massive celebration for the mini every year called the pride of long bride which starts off a gigantic car show next to the factory they were built in then hundreds of minis descend on the town of longbridge. I am hoping to get a mini soon im saving up as they are quit costly over here now
After installing a new 76 degree Celsius thermostat on my 1275cc, my temp gauge goes up and down. However, when I run my car without a thermostat temp stay consistent in the middle… I live in a tropical climate. What could be the problem?
I do indeed! I am in progress filming a full clutch replacement video currently. Should be ready in a couple weeks. I won’t be changing the master cylinder though. Not right now at least hahaha.
Really helpful mate! You should definitely do more videos :D though I might suggest a tripod or something so we can get a better look at some things you're doing as you're doing them. Keep it up!
I do not need anti freeze in my coolant, temperature here in Malaysia is higher then 32 degrees Celcius almost the whole year round with some exceptions when it rains where it goes down to about 26 degrees the the least, I have removed the thermostat as there is no point getting the engine heated any more then it does, but I sill have this boiling problem. I have added an extension to my radiator by way of plastic bottle for overflow still does not solve my problem. I use about 500 ml of coolant it is British type coolant and all of the come with aniti freeze. I am thinking of changing to local types but what is the amount of coolant I should use.
Hey Thanks for the message. You cannot remove the thermostat entirely on these cars as the coolant system will never operate properly. If you want to run the engine without a thermostat you need to install a "thermostat blanking sleeve" linked at the bottom of this comment. It ensures correct coolant circulation to the cylinder head to avoid overheating cylinders three and four. However it sounds like your engine still might not be cooling properly. Have you noticed any sort of excessive rust in your coolant? Blanking Sleeve: www.med-engineering.co.uk/thermostat-blanking-sleeve
Thanks for the vid! What should I do when I have oil in my cooling system? Its an old leak I think, engine is running fine (don't think my head gasket is blown) And I have a small oil leak at the timing cover seal, so losing a bit of oil there but not much..
Hey glad you liked it. If you have oil in your cooling system 9 times out of 10 its the head gasket. Even if the car is running ok there still could be a blow by going in from an oil channel to water channel. Before you drive it any more go pull the dipstick and check the oil. If the oil itself is milky or looks like pudding/chocolate milk, or is not normal black oil, DO NOT drive the car any more until you change the head gasket. Otherwise you risk damaging your internal engine bearings. I have another video on how to replace the head gasket which should help you replace yours. On the subject of the timing cover leak, you will need to drain the oil in your motor(which you will need to do anyways if you have coolant in your oil). Once you do that you will need to remove the radiator(after draining) and then you can get to the timing cover. Its a long pretty challenging job. So if you decide to head down that route shoot me an email at minis@ccmu.us and I will try to explain it in more detail there. Good luck!
Great vid. You used far less sealant than I thought you would. Somebody told me that when you put the thermostat housing back on and screw it down....that you should be able to see some of the sealant squeezing out through as it tightens down. But apparently not the way you did it - any thoughts?
I used to be of the mindset that you should put boatloads of gasket sealer on everything but at the end of the day, it doesn't add much/any benefit and only serves to make a mess. Just a solid uniform coating has been more than adequate for me in the years I have spent working on cars and the mini.
The mini is actually a bit unique in this respect. It’s quite good at self bleeding itself after a heat cycle or two. Pushing the excess air out of the radiator overflow valve. However if you would like to you can bleed the system manually
What would you recommend for catching the overflow ? I know the old minis just left the fluid drip to the ground but is there a bottle or container that you use to catch the fluid ? I know its rare for the overflow to happen but still
I would recommend adding a catch container. Avoiding spilling radiator fluid into the road or environment is definitely more desirable. It can be as simple as a old water bottle with the overflow fed into it or you can make something more fancy. Just make sure to check it regularly to empty it!
I just use the pre-diluted universal stuff at your local parts store. In the winter I use a perfect 50/50 mix but in the summer I get closer to 80/20 favoring water because the mini stinks at cooling itself in the southern US.
Just added a new radiator and heater. Having difficulties "burping" the system. Engine doesn't appear to be getting hot enough, gauge won't pass the middle line even with choke on for 30 mins, yet coolant in radiator is boiling. Could something else be going wrong?
The middle line on your gauge is the ideal temp usually. You don’t want it getting up to the hottest end of the gauge. Also when you say boiling is it actually boiling over or just really really hot?
@@classicminidiy I haven't measured it but it looks like it's boiling, maybe just a lot of movement. I'm worried the coolant isn't moving through the system, mostly because I can't get any heat out of the heater. Where exactly is the temperature being measured?
Generally speaking I dont change out parts unless they start to have problems or I am looking for an increase in performance. (If it aint broke, dont fix it) That said if you are having cooling problems, or you are noticing leaks in your system it might be time to start troubleshooting and seeing if the radiator is the culprit.
Yes, as long as your lower radiator hose is disconnected it will come out the back of the block. If you drained the radiator using a drain plug on the front it will come out of that hole. For some reason, it's super satisfying watching all that gunk pour out when it's dirty.
Worked great for me until removing the thermostat and never leaked at all. This is a pretty controversial topic though everyone does it a bit differently.
That thermostat gasket replacement was painful to watch & I wonder if the head was cracked after you left that stud hole full of water before replacing the stud. No need to flush the rad as the coolant was fine, when it starts to go brown then time to change. Never remove that bottom hose unless you really have to. What was that bit about summer / winter coolant mix ?, think you are wrong there
3 years later no problems with a cracked head! :-) The summer/winter mix is a trick we use in the southern US because water has the best heat transfer coefficient. Anti-freeze doesn't cool as effectively as straight distilled water. The drawback is if you don't have that 50/50 mix in non-summer months when it gets below freezing you can crack your block/head. You're right about the coolant in the engine at the time though, I was flushing it to show folks how to do it on their cars even though mine was fine.
Your videos provide great instructions and information. My Mini just decided to spill out its coolant - equipped with a Hayes manual and your videos I was able to replace the pump and check the cooling system. Thank you so much and keep up the great work.
I’ve actually ended up undoing the top stabiliser bar to rock the engine forward to get more room to undo redo that bottom hose.
Well done on doing it with stabiliser in situation 👍
Solid plan. And thinking back would have been considerably easier if I had gone your route. :-)
Start to helicoter
Great vids. I have a 97 Mini Rover and your vids have helped me a lot. Thank you.
Quick question, i did all this, but when I removed the drain plug from the block (near cyl 4), nothing came out. Poked and prodded and still couldnt get fluid to come out. Any advice on how to unclog, or better yet, to have the whole water system cleaned to remove any blockages?
My dad owns two minis one a 1275gt and one a mini clubman estate and he also owns an mk2 Austin metro which all have the a series engine its an amazingly easy engine to work on you could even say its so easy its fun to work on these engines
theres still many off these speedy go carts in the uk how often do you see classic minis in America? great video by the way not many UA-cam channels that specialize in classic minis your channel is one of a kind sir and your rocker cover rocks
***** oh that's such a shame! as the mini is such a nice thing to see on the road the amount of passion some people have for the mini here in the UK is amazing they have a massive celebration for the mini every year called the pride of long bride which starts off a gigantic car show next to the factory they were built in then hundreds of minis descend on the town of longbridge.
I am hoping to get a mini soon im saving up as they are quit costly over here now
I have a fairly new thermostat. Is it still necessary to remove the thermostat do do a proper flush?
Yes I would remove it even if it’s new. You can reuse the thermostat after you flush though. You won’t need to replace it
After installing a new 76 degree Celsius thermostat on my 1275cc, my temp gauge goes up and down. However, when I run my car without a thermostat temp stay consistent in the middle… I live in a tropical climate. What could be the problem?
How did you "empty the fluid from the car"?
I didn't see any step between the thermostat removal and the gasket scraping.
I forgot to film it in this video but I cover it in this video here:
ua-cam.com/video/F3wNYaIjAZ8/v-deo.html
Great videos, Would you have any plans for creating a clutch master cylinder replacement video or a full clutch replacement video?
I do indeed! I am in progress filming a full clutch replacement video currently. Should be ready in a couple weeks. I won’t be changing the master cylinder though. Not right now at least hahaha.
Really helpful mate! You should definitely do more videos :D though I might suggest a tripod or something so we can get a better look at some things you're doing as you're doing them. Keep it up!
did you bleed the heater pipes to get the heater back to working ?
what do you have attached to the end of your hose during the flush? good video!
Thank you! It's just a cheap hose end that allowed me to turn the water on and off.
I do not need anti freeze in my coolant, temperature here in Malaysia is higher then 32 degrees Celcius almost the whole year round with some exceptions when it rains where it goes down to about 26 degrees the the least, I have removed the thermostat as there is no point getting the engine heated any more then it does, but I sill have this boiling problem. I have added an extension to my radiator by way of plastic bottle for overflow still does not solve my problem. I use about 500 ml of coolant it is British type coolant and all of the come with aniti freeze. I am thinking of changing to local types but what is the amount of coolant I should use.
Hey Thanks for the message. You cannot remove the thermostat entirely on these cars as the coolant system will never operate properly. If you want to run the engine without a thermostat you need to install a "thermostat blanking sleeve" linked at the bottom of this comment. It ensures correct coolant circulation to the cylinder head to avoid overheating cylinders three and four. However it sounds like your engine still might not be cooling properly. Have you noticed any sort of excessive rust in your coolant?
Blanking Sleeve: www.med-engineering.co.uk/thermostat-blanking-sleeve
i Know its seven years passed allready. Well done. hopefully you welded your radiator bracket allready ;)
Thanks for the vid! What should I do when I have oil in my cooling system? Its an old leak I think, engine is running fine (don't think my head gasket is blown) And I have a small oil leak at the timing cover seal, so losing a bit of oil there but not much..
Hey glad you liked it. If you have oil in your cooling system 9 times out of 10 its the head gasket. Even if the car is running ok there still could be a blow by going in from an oil channel to water channel. Before you drive it any more go pull the dipstick and check the oil. If the oil itself is milky or looks like pudding/chocolate milk, or is not normal black oil, DO NOT drive the car any more until you change the head gasket. Otherwise you risk damaging your internal engine bearings.
I have another video on how to replace the head gasket which should help you replace yours. On the subject of the timing cover leak, you will need to drain the oil in your motor(which you will need to do anyways if you have coolant in your oil). Once you do that you will need to remove the radiator(after draining) and then you can get to the timing cover. Its a long pretty challenging job. So if you decide to head down that route shoot me an email at minis@ccmu.us and I will try to explain it in more detail there.
Good luck!
I went to do mine today and the clamp for my bottom hose is in a terrible position and the bolt for it is rusted. Suck sto be me. Any tips??
Great vid. You used far less sealant than I thought you would. Somebody told me that when you put the thermostat housing back on and screw it down....that you should be able to see some of the sealant squeezing out through as it tightens down. But apparently not the way you did it - any thoughts?
I used to be of the mindset that you should put boatloads of gasket sealer on everything but at the end of the day, it doesn't add much/any benefit and only serves to make a mess. Just a solid uniform coating has been more than adequate for me in the years I have spent working on cars and the mini.
Would it need to bleed the air out of the system?
The mini is actually a bit unique in this respect. It’s quite good at self bleeding itself after a heat cycle or two. Pushing the excess air out of the radiator overflow valve. However if you would like to you can bleed the system manually
What would you recommend for catching the overflow ? I know the old minis just left the fluid drip to the ground but is there a bottle or container that you use to catch the fluid ? I know its rare for the overflow to happen but still
I would recommend adding a catch container. Avoiding spilling radiator fluid into the road or environment is definitely more desirable. It can be as simple as a old water bottle with the overflow fed into it or you can make something more fancy. Just make sure to check it regularly to empty it!
Cole, it seems you put the tie-rod bushes in the opposite way :) (purple bush should be outside)
Great video!
is there a specific type of coolant fluid that must be used? or would any universal coolant be fine?
I just use the pre-diluted universal stuff at your local parts store. In the winter I use a perfect 50/50 mix but in the summer I get closer to 80/20 favoring water because the mini stinks at cooling itself in the southern US.
Just added a new radiator and heater. Having difficulties "burping" the system. Engine doesn't appear to be getting hot enough, gauge won't pass the middle line even with choke on for 30 mins, yet coolant in radiator is boiling. Could something else be going wrong?
The middle line on your gauge is the ideal temp usually. You don’t want it getting up to the hottest end of the gauge. Also when you say boiling is it actually boiling over or just really really hot?
@@classicminidiy I haven't measured it but it looks like it's boiling, maybe just a lot of movement. I'm worried the coolant isn't moving through the system, mostly because I can't get any heat out of the heater. Where exactly is the temperature being measured?
How do you know if your radiator needs to be replaced? Is it just about age?? Its original from 1979
Generally speaking I dont change out parts unless they start to have problems or I am looking for an increase in performance. (If it aint broke, dont fix it) That said if you are having cooling problems, or you are noticing leaks in your system it might be time to start troubleshooting and seeing if the radiator is the culprit.
@@classicminidiy radiator overflows during warm up and I checked the flow with cap off and it's very good. Maybe I put too much water vs antifreeze?
Also to note that the heat works well so I assume the heater exchanger is not blocked
When you do the flush through with the hose in the thermostat hole, where does the water come out? The back of the block?
Yes, as long as your lower radiator hose is disconnected it will come out the back of the block. If you drained the radiator using a drain plug on the front it will come out of that hole. For some reason, it's super satisfying watching all that gunk pour out when it's dirty.
Mine after flushing coolant now is brown and sludgy after adding coolant as used to just have rusty water. Also now wont get to temp
Oooooo, twin carb, very nice😊
Hahaa, but drinks alot of fuel
you dont undo the bottom hose . save yourself a hour and undo the pump hose
I think you put waaay too much sealant on gasket 😧
Worked great for me until removing the thermostat and never leaked at all. This is a pretty controversial topic though everyone does it a bit differently.
That thermostat gasket replacement was painful to watch & I wonder if the head was cracked after you left that stud hole full of water before replacing the stud.
No need to flush the rad as the coolant was fine, when it starts to go brown then time to change. Never remove that bottom hose unless you really have to.
What was that bit about summer / winter coolant mix ?, think you are wrong there
3 years later no problems with a cracked head! :-) The summer/winter mix is a trick we use in the southern US because water has the best heat transfer coefficient. Anti-freeze doesn't cool as effectively as straight distilled water. The drawback is if you don't have that 50/50 mix in non-summer months when it gets below freezing you can crack your block/head. You're right about the coolant in the engine at the time though, I was flushing it to show folks how to do it on their cars even though mine was fine.
@@classicminidiy As they say "all's well that ends well"