Mini Van Homemade Subframe

[86Alexp]

Finaly I have made a start to the swift conversion, I'm not a big fan of words so hear goes some pictures. Basikly my aim is to try and avoid cutting the origional shell at all. I'm using my sump gaurd as a structural member and will relocate the dampers.

[miniswift]

Hey Alex,

Good to see you have started.
Did you get CD I sent you long time ago?
I see you got donor car behind you.
When you break it up, let me know if you have any parts going spare.
Using sump guard as structual is very good idea!
Also, I like tha idea of using farming equipment as a jig!

Good luck,
Atchi

[speedy]

yeah..... thats a really ridged jig....:cool:

[86Alexp]

Thanx for the support, havn't got on so well today as been in town all morning however hear are some more pics...... Anny bits of the donor are up for grabs, inc the ss exhaust. Once I have got it running though!

I have managed to get it starting, but it just fires up and dies. I'm going to rig up an oil pressure gauge to check for fuel starvation. But I susspect its going to be harder than that, As I had to put on a mk1 MAF and TPS and bits like dizzy were off when I got the engine.

Hope my Dad isn't too upset when he gets back from holiday and his welder is missing, along with part of the old JCB!!

Atchi unfortunatly the CD has never arrived, thankyou for sending it all the same. If I send you some money and my new address Would you be willing to try again? Sorry for the hassle.

[kcchan]

Thats ingenious! I love the use of some of a mini to mock everything up. Is it a mk2 engine? Looking through the innerwing, it looks like it.

King

[miniswift]

Hi Alex,

Sending is no probs mate.
Just give me address to send it to.
I'm telling you now, you are not going to finish before me!

Keep going though as you are doing good job and using sump guard is good idea!
Why did I not come up with that idea:confused:!?

Cheers
Atchi

[86Alexp]

Some more pictures for you all, I am now happy with the engines posittioning, I sort of just dropped it in the hole!! It was touching everywhere so I jiggled it about with jacks and wooden wedjes, as you can see I leveld the subframe as one referance, and stretched a wire accross the shell as another, and just generrally took loads of measurements everywhere to make sure it was squre.

For now I have just welded the engine to the subframe in quite a crude manner so I can finish the lower tubes etc, The main structure is in place now it's just the fiddilly bits like gussets etc to do.

kcchan, Its a mk1 engine with a mk2 gearbox in the pictures, however the actual engine I'm going to use will be a mk2 with mk2 box. It looks like I will need to retain the mk1 cam drive as it is slightly narrower.

[86Alexp]

I can only do five uploads so hear goes some more....

Today has been all about compromise really. My crank pulley is so close!! the waterpump pulley is actually touching, thhough I have a cunning plan for that bit. And I can't get the brake M/S i want in quite right so will have to rethink that. Appart from that I am really chuffed with how the engine is sitting Drive shafts are going to be pretty straight too, though nearside pot joint clearance is serriously tight, I hope it won't start eating cv boots??

[miniswift]

Hi Alex,

You might have problem with an alternator drive belt(fan belt) clearance.
Are you keeing inner wings? I'm happy to see parts you have bought from me are used!

Good build, keep it up!

Cheers
Atchi

[86Alexp]

Yes a big thankyou for those parts there spot on, its all going nicely to plan. unfortunatly there will be very little progres for a few days. can't wait to crack on with it. As for the alternator I have a plan up my sleeve, if it works. The pulley is actually touching the tower and even worse with the cone in place!! I'm not sure how well i can moddiffy the waterpump to turn the other way? I also like the idea of an electric pump for the benefits they offer, however it looks like things could get over complicated quick.

Alex

[miniswift]

Hi Alex,

I know a guy who is building Hillma Imp with G13B...(he bought few bits from me , too;-))
Anyway, in Imp engine bay the water pump is getting in the way. So he just made oem pump to be just water pick up point. He will be either adding extarnal pump or leccy pump. I don't think water pump will work going around in wrong direction as imperor are design to work on 1 direction. It might suck water out!

Alternator wise, do tell. I like most of your ideas so far!

I'm thinking of dry sump system now! I think I need to stop going onto internet!

Cheers
Atchi

[86Alexp]

Yes I agree its unlikely to work, I'm going to look today to see how it opperates if its just a centrapugal pump i may be able to modify the impellor - I'll have a look anyhow.

As for the alternator i was thinking of mounting it under the dizzy sollidly and shaft driving it under the manni to a bearing mounted at the front, Smoothing of the waterpump pulley and snaking a belt round the lot with a cam belt tensioner or such. Although I'd be loosing the v belt effect on the water pump the belt would be in contact for nearly 180 degrees I need to calculate how that compares, My main concern would be the inertia of the shaft I havn't quantified that either. Or an electric pump and a simmilar setup. Sound complicated or what??

[86Alexp]

Hear are some more pics again. I've sort of been plodding on doing little bits hear and there. Still struggling to get my engine going, I have had it running a few times now but it is backfiring badly, injectors are flowing correctly and the timing appears to be good, compression values are 210,180, 200, 210psi so not catastrophic. all I can guess is I have No2 inlet stuck a little open, as the engine has been sat for 3 years. Any other sugestions???

[86Alexp]

Well the engine is running much better now, compression values are now reading 210, 200, 210, 210, So That must be cos there is a bit more oil about in the bores. Turns out my engine has an adjustable AFR knob which I had been fiddling with when I ripped the loom apart. Think there a bit unusual,http://www.teamswift.net/album_page.php?pic_id=6943. Fount out about them in team swift.

The bit that is confusing is it runs with the MK2 maf ducktaped onto the MK1 manni and connected however if I use the MK1 MAF it runs horribly whatever I do with AFR. As far as I can tell I it should just work!! but it doesn't??

Never mind I'm sure I'll get to the bottom of this eventually. I have found some more picture of things I did back in the summer which may be of interest!

Just spotted the numberplate out the corner on my eye one day, bit strange.

[Purtsi]

OMG, that licence plate :D :D :D :D

[86Alexp]

Some pictures from today, I'm verry satisfied how straight the drive shafts will be at normal ride height, they point forwards slightly as you can see in the pictures. I am supprised how little movement the inner cv's need. My driveshaft measurements between the insides of both spiders were 265 and 295mm, If thats of intrest to anyone elses?? I should probably add there just broom handles at the moment.

[DVO]

Your subframe looks incredibly strong with a lot of bracing. Compared to mine, mine looks vulnarable, but will do some bracing also. You are just a few steps ahead of me, but it is nice to compare the progress that is made. Keep up the good work.

Dennis

[86Alexp]

Thankyou very much, I was looking at your frame just yesterday, I wreckon you must have started a few weeks after me. I was actually thinking how stong your's looked. I see you have a similar design on the front bar so it doesn't need to be removable. My general aproach has been not to leave any bend or corner without a support - much easier said than done.

[DVO]

That low front I stole from your design ;). Later on I want to fit a turbo and then I need the extra space. Dont know why that front bar should be removable because you loose strenght in that way.

I have the same idea, no corner without support. Better put some extra effort in that now than regret it later.

Dennis

[86Alexp]

I'm glad to have helped, thats exactly what this forum is for in my opinion. It's a challanging conversion and we need all the inspiration we can get. It's hardly like I havn't taken ideas from other builds!!

[Spiyda]

Yes I agree its unlikely to work, I'm going to look today to see how it opperates if its just a centrapugal pump i may be able to modify the impellor - I'll have a look anyhow.

As for the alternator i was thinking of mounting it under the dizzy sollidly and shaft driving it under the manni to a bearing mounted at the front, Smoothing of the waterpump pulley and snaking a belt round the lot with a cam belt tensioner or such. Although I'd be loosing the v belt effect on the water pump the belt would be in contact for nearly 180 degrees I need to calculate how that compares, My main concern would be the inertia of the shaft I havn't quantified that either. Or an electric pump and a simmilar setup. Sound complicated or what??

What would you tension the belt with ?

[DVO]

You say it yourself already...why make things so complicated?

Dennis

[86Alexp]

It is sounding long winded,i need to stop an think if it's worth it. I still have the option of cutting the inner wing and fliping the altenator round. I'm definatly not running the pump backwards - it just won't work. As for the electric pumps I've not found any that can flow sufficiently for the application. So back to the drawing board, I'm probably going to use undersize pulleys. Then Spiyda I'll be tentioning it with a cam belt idler.

[86Alexp]

Well I've done quite a bit since the last update, I'll load some pics of how I did the driveshafts but for now hear is the almost finished subframe, with the strengthend sump gaurd sections and the rear engine mount.

[86Alexp]

And hear is what I have done with the driveshafts. Also I quite like this picture of where I got my pattern front end from this summer. I even took it home in the van!

[bhphunter]

Whos yard is this?

Never thought places like this existed anymore with proper cars in them!

[86Alexp]

It's in a village called Blyth just south of Sheffield

[bobjonah]

Hi Alex: been following your build - great job in so little time. Re your MAF problem, have you tried cleaning it? Just remove the sensor from the body and VERY gently scrape all of the residue from the two small wires. This should do the trick as there is not much else that can go wrong, go wrong, go wrong---. Also, your intake manifold seems to have the throttle body on the left hand side - mine is on the right and I could really use one like yours - what model Swift used the LH manifold? And where can I get one? Bob Jonah

[miniswift]

Hi Bob Jonah,

That manifold is from Mk1 Ph2 Cultus Gti.
It is a hens teeth item.
I sold it to Alex as I didn't need it any more.
You will need to get in touch with NewZeland boys to help you on this one.
Or if you feeling lucky, Yahoo auction Japan will be the best bet.

Cheers
Atchi

[DVO]

On a Dutch site I saw pictures of a Mk2 inlet where they changed the throttlebody from right to left by closing it at one end and opening and machining it at the other end. Maybe that is an option?

I am also thinking of that later because I want a turbo in the end and it makes all the trajectory of the pipes shorter and simpler.

Dennis

[bobjonah]

Please excuse me for stealing your build thread Alex.
I have an extra manifold that I will cut and weld to reverse it - I will post it in my build when it is done.

[86Alexp]

No need to appologise bob your welcome! I have been away a few days so I apologise for not answering your question, though Atchi knows much more than me on this one anyhow. Thankyou for you kind coments and I have not tried cleaning the MAF so no harm in me doing that either. I was admiring your driveshafts this week, nice job!!

[minidream94]

Hi anymore progress on this.

[bobjonah]

Should have some pics up in the next week or so. Some cutting is done and it looks positive. The end with all of the vacuum fittings is probably trashed, so we will just weld in a flat plate and thread in new vacuum fittings. The throttle plate came off well, so just needs welding at the other end, and set up the throttle cable.

[DVO]

I think you are posting in the wrong thread Bob ;)

Dennis

[bobjonah]

Oops!! The question came to my e-mail, so I assumed it was for me.

Sorry, Bob

[86Alexp]

Hello all, not much to report for a long while now, I've sort of gone off the boil a little and driving an A series through yet another british winter is proving a bit of a frustation.

Anyhow having dented my petrol tank on the farm track I was loosing a lot of petrol each week so I'm in the process of fixing it. I have converted it to take the swift pump, the strainer now sits perfectly in the bottom of the well. For now I've put it back with the normal intake for the A series, but it is just a matter of plumbing in the pump when the swift engine is ready. I should probably mention I had it profesionaly made safe before starting. With a big hole in the top I could then beat the dent out nicely. Pics say 1000 words................

[86Alexp]

So time for an update then. I have mainly doing an mi16 conversion in my new toy, a 205 Gti :p Mini conversion wise I have been building the engine and gearbox so nothing unsual to see there.

I have lightly ported the head, I havn't gone mad with it, but there are obvious bits that suposedly respond well to improvement.

Gerabox wise I have put a 1.3 gl final drive on a shimmed mk1 diff (Thanx Atchi)

Since my last post, I have had to stop using my van:( anyway after a diesel for a month I couldn't resist a mk3 swift for sale localy. What an engine, they are incredible. So smooth, so powerfull and totaly reliable. Made me grin all the time, just a shame they don't handle better. Anyway this engine and a mini are perfect for eachother.

I did manage to sort the altenator in the end, I have also made a smaller waterpump pulley, and an even smaller crank pulley this gives about a 20% underdrive. I have left an upstand on the crank pulley so later I can notch it for a crank sensor. Hoping to lay a bearing in the end of the altenator pulley shortly

Does anyone know where I can get a tom's11 chip? and a moddest cam? anyhow some pic's for all

[miniswift]

Hi Alex,

Looking good but I have a question....
Did you managed to mount your alternator in the current poistion?

So you got mk3 Gti? nice!
If you change buses to Polyurethane, it will handle better. You have to remember they are already over 15 years old. Tom's chip... you need to get in touch with Bigbearzuki in Teamswift, iirc.

Cheers
Atchi

[DVO]

Like Atchi says, does that alternator really fit there with everything in place, because where do you fit your third enginemount? Usually it is put where is now your alternator. It looks very nice, but is it practical? When you have a breakdown on the alternator you have to remove the whole engine I think.

Dennis

[86Alexp]

Ah thankyou for the contact Atchi, and thankyou for the comments. I have actually sold the swift now, its interesting what you say about bushes, I can see that could help, you drive a swift don't you?

DVO I was so impressed by how quickly you were on the road. Regards the engine mount it is low down at the back of the frame between altenator and starter. The altenator should be no harder to change than a starter motor. If only I was nearer finishing this bit I could show you the complete solution.

I have tried to make the important bits easy like the oil filter easy to do. but a cambelt is going to be an engine out job :( With the inlet off the I hope engine and subframe should be able to pop in and out quite easily.

Hopefully have more pics soon

[86Alexp]

So I have finaly finished the alternator :) Here is a few pictures of my setup. The bearing in the end is a special type which allows a slight angular missalignment, so if it puled slightly when I welded it, it would not matter. The spiggot can be unbolted with the two bolts and slides into the bearing a little to allow the belt to be changed. You can probabbly also see there is a small concentric register in the spigot so it will always go back in the same place. I am also going to makeup a tab plate like on an A series bell housing to stop the two bolts working loose. You can also see I have cut the subframe tower slightly to allow the pulley to pass. My only thing now is to make a tensioning plate just like the cam tensioner, as I am relying on just the pinch bolt at the moment.

The other picture is an exhaust adapter I have had made by Maniflow. I made a jig of an the old a series in its subframe and engine with an LCB on it, and I have used that so the swift setup just bolts in where the origional would have. I am also thinking that as the engine setup is so nearly finished and I'm not ready with my van yet, I'm thinking of sticking it in the clubman I restored last year, then I can drive it :)

Regards to all

Alex

[86Alexp]

Some more pictures, you can see the rear mount a bit better, quite similar to how it is in the swift.

I just wondering if it will fit in a clubman front now, because the brace bars run outside the inner wings

[86Alexp]

Some more pictures, you can see the rear mount a bit better, quite similar to how it is in the swift.

I'm unsure it will fit im the clubman as the bracebars run outside the inner wings

[Spiyda]

The mount we had the most trouble with is the front one

it was fine driving around normally, the problems didn't show up til the drag strip..

the force is trying to tear the mount in half instead of compress it.. which is what happened..

eventually I drilled the studs out and fitted a bolt all the way through...

with a bit of one of the damaged mounts under the mounting

it seems to work.....

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s48/Iamcabaged/DSCF1212.jpg

[86Alexp]

That is really interesting, I did a similar thing to a fiesta that I used to abuse arround the fields as a kid, and fixed it in the same way. I hope these mounts aren't weak? Do you have a head steady on the engine? I have fabricated one out of a spare tie rod, hopefully this means the mounts should not have to cope with much tension.

Build wise, I got it in the clubman! It rattles arround in there, loads of room. I am however thinking of tilting the inlet manifold up slightly as this type of brake master cylinder is a different shape to the one in my van. I made something similar to put an Mi16 in my Peugeot 205 last summer. This was for the exhaust manifold to clear the bulkhead. Six months later it still appears to have worked.

Oh and my housemate has bought a new turbo to replace the TD04 in his Scooby, it would be rude not to at least look how it fits :)

[traz_23]

I like the cross brace idea at the bottom for the sump guard.
spiyda i used these mount for my build, http://www.jegs.com/p/Energy-Suspension/Energy-Suspension-Universal-Body-Mount-Bushings/942834/10002/-1

[86Alexp]

They look like neat mounts. I think the best type to go for would be ones like the origional swift ones like a big rubber bush. this is because they would never be in tension.

As for the cross brace, on its own I dont think it would be very strong, in the event of a belly smack. The small gussets add a lot, however it is the extension peice at the back of the sump gaurd where the strength comes from. What the cross does do however, is transfer the subframe torsion from the wishbones.

I decided not to make a wedge plate for the manifold in the end, as I thought it would be really tricky to port match it all with the head nicely. Instead I made a wedge plate for the brake master cylinder using a leftover offcut from my mi16 exhaust plate.

And for the clutch master cylinder, I have gently dished in the side of the reservoir.