Introduction

The Plan: To convert an SPi engined Mini to Carburettor, then back to tuned Injection.

Hopefully this diary will aid anyone who reads it and is thinking of doing a similar conversion to his or her mini. In the process of doing my engine change I read many a book and consulted many an expert on the matter before I embarked on the trial ahead. If you are new to the scene, like I was, you should take at least one thing away with you when reading this diary. That is, you can never know enough about your subject. In reading all the books available I still got stumped by many a confusing line and even the occasional misprint. Experience would be a fine thing, if it were not for the mistakes it takes to get it.

Setting the scene

About half way through my placement and without a missus to be spending money on I seemed to have cash coming out of my ears. Of course students plus money, although a rare combination, is something to be feared as it almost always leads to disaster.

Earlier in the year I had surmised that I really needed a car where I was down in London. Trips home and to the shops were becoming a nuisance and began to take up much of my time, being the lazy sod that I am I decided that I needed a car. In buying the Mini I managed to buy one of the only cars that doesn't do either of the jobs well. In that it's uncomfortable for driving long distances, i.e. home, and its difficult to get more than two peoples groceries in.

With the car going reasonably well, apart from a random 4th gear sync problem, I decided that it maybe worth thinking about spending a little money on the car. At this point, one of my work colleagues suggested that I hadn't done anything silly to my mini and that I should supercharge it. Apparently he had found a supercharger kit someone was selling for £150, although it wasn't exactly what I was looking for it did bring up the idea of tuning my Mini, something I hadn't previously considered. The same colleague had brought up the idea before at a house party. Why do all the worst ideas sound like the best ideas when beer and suggestion are mixed, seems its always the way. Following many other conversations at work on the subject, tuning of the mini began to materialise into a real project.

It was quickly decided that the mix of a MG Metro engine and some small tweaks a 80Bhp engine could be on the cards. Other engines and kits were considered from many suppliers, but turned out to be far too expensive. The diary begins with me looking for an engine….