Greetings, I recently took my mini in for work. it hasnt moved in about 5 years. Engine runs great, but 1st and 2nd gear dont engage. 3rd 4th and R in theory work well. It's a 998, imported as a 77 morris, is likely a mid-eighties model.

The guys at the classic-import-car shop told me (under heavy accent) that it would take about 4 hours to haul out the engine and tranny just to look at the thing. Would run me about $350. They said this because i guess you need to take out both to look at the transmission? Does that make sense?

I asked if his "professional experience" thought that it would be a relatively easy find, since it's only 2 gears. He responded by saying that the entire transmission would likely have to be replaced. Then he stated that the Engine and tranny are all 1 piece, and i will then have to replace both. He said i was looking at like 7 thousand dollars. does ANY of that make sense?

At that point wouldnt it make a lot more sense to just get a 1275? I'm only 21 and dont have a whole lot of money. Am i better off just selling the car as it is now? the body isnt too bad, and i would spruce up the interior with new OEM-type/style parts, and a walnut dash, etc.

any comments are greatly appreciated! please help me out as i dont want to get sucked in and have nothing to show for it! ive never even be able to drive the mini since my dad bought it, save for when i rode it the 12 miles we tow-roped it!

- nick

 

well as a one part - but by no means a COMPLETE answer - the Mini IS unique in that the transmission also functions as the engine oil pan / sump. They DO come apart but are much closer to one unit than any vehicle I can think of.

 

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^ thanks to both replies! i cant see spending much more than 1500, now.

 

$895 for a professionally rebuilt transmission at Minimania. That leaves $500 for labor...

Where are you located? Maybe we can link you with a more reasonable/knowledgeable mechanic or enthusiast...

 

Buffalo, NY. SO close to mini mania, too. which, i believe is centralized in rochester. though i would hate to even pay the towing fee to get it that far... but for the money i might save in parts/labor, who knows?

good idea though, minimad. i appreciate the responses.

 

Minimania is in Nevada City CA. You're thinking of www.MiniCityLtd.com

Look on Minimania.com message threads. Email Cranium who is in your area. Also Big AL who is quite nearby in Wainfleet, ON Canada. http://www.big-al-minimover.com/ They can help with advice on local/nearby resources.

As far as towing, if it has wheels & rolls use a towbar (Harbor Freight has cheap ones) or rent a tow dolly. Look on Minimania threads on how to do it/what to watch out for.

 

First and second not engaging but 3rd and 4th engaging could very well mean just a simply hydraulics problem. If the mini has been sitting for 5 years, the master and/or slave cylinders could have had the rubber erode in them. This would be even more likely if DOT3 fluid was used and not the required DOT4 (the rubber erodes fast with DOT3 fluid).

First thing I would recommend is that you bleed the clutch hydraulics yourself (with a helper). Push down on clutch pedal then have someone take a 7/16" wrench and crack open the bleed nipple letting the clutch spring push the clutch arm back into the slave cylinder and push out fluid and air. Close the nipple, then lift your foot off the clutch pedal and push it back down, have helper crack the nipple again-- repeat until no air bubbles come out (be sure to keep clutch master topped off).

If you have the pre-verto clutch (long lever clutch arm) then also adjust the stop bolt. (about halfway up the arm-- looks like a bolt half threaded into the "chinese wok". Have helper just start to push on the clutch pedal until he/she can just feel the pedal take up the mechanical slop or slack in the linkage (arm in engine bay moves just a tiny bit)-- the other way to do this is to pull on the arm as hard as you can from inside the engine bay as you likely can't pull on it hard enough to do much more than take up the slack... Then unthread that stop bolt out until it just makes contact with the long clutch arm, then thread it back in 3 or 4 flats (to give just a hair of clearance).

These two procedures allow the clutch to disengage it's fullest and will allow full movement of the shift linkage when the engine is running. 1st and 2nd are the 2 gears that require this in order to engage the syncros when the engine is running. If there's some surface rust/ corrosion on the clutch friction surfaces, it means the full travel is even more important until you've been able to drive the car a couple times and scuff it off (riding/slipping the clutch 2 or 3 times should do it).

If the rubber is bad this bleeding procedure should still maybe allow you to get signs of improvement but maybe not full engagement (second may work but not 1st). This would mean you could need a new slave and master cylinder. Look for evidence of leaking fluid-- look at clutch pedal and see if paint has blistered off the end that goes up to the pushrod of the master cylinder. If it's wet inside there, then it's obviously a current leak. If blistered paint and rust/corrosion there, then it's leaked at some point. Same for the runoff area of the slave cylinder (might need a mirror). If it's wet going down the back side of that wok, then current leak. White stains/corrosion/powdery aluminum streak then previous leak and it'll be wet likely soon enough.

FWIW: Engine and transmission are 2 separate units but do indeed need to be pulled out as a single unit. Clutch / flywheel removal and replacement can be done with the engine in the engine bay, but it's not super easy...