Classic Mini (90) Oil Sump plug query

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evanmarchant
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Classic Mini (90) Oil Sump plug query

#1 Post by evanmarchant » Sun Jun 17, 2018 8:40 pm

Hi,
I've got a classic mini could do with its oil being changed, first time attempting this job. But i'm being a little cautious as the plug doesn't look like any picture on the internet I can find nor like the Haynes manual. As it's square. I tried with a spanner and with a gator universal socket (without jacking up the car to gain more leverage) but its quite tight, so before I try to really push it, I wondered if any knew why its square and not hexagonal like all the pictures/spare parts?

I see lots of repair kits for stripped threads, so don't want to accidentally do something stupid (plus the misses won't be happy if she can't drive it)!

Image

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JPB
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Re: Classic Mini (90) Oil Sump plug query

#2 Post by JPB » Mon Jun 18, 2018 8:36 pm

A 1990 mini should have a hexagonal head to its sump plug just as old minis did, this is located at the offside front corner of the gearbox casing, on the vertical surface facing the driver's side of the car.


Edited as your image didn't work, but this is the picture you'd tried to post:

Image

That doesn't look like the right location, but it's impossible to be sure when the image is so tightly focused around that one area, it may be easier to see what's happened if the whole front right corner of the gearbox casing could be seen.
:)
J
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evanmarchant
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Re: Classic Mini (90) Oil Sump plug query

#3 Post by evanmarchant » Tue Jun 19, 2018 5:37 pm

Thanks, yep doesn't seem the right plug (or the wrong location.) My previous A-Series car was an austin 1100 (although this was quite a few years back) and it had a square drain plug as well, however it had clearly been rounded over and cut square. This one is cast square and has 08 on it.

Here's a couple more shots of the area:

Image
Image

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gazza82
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Re: Classic Mini (90) Oil Sump plug query

#4 Post by gazza82 » Wed Jun 20, 2018 12:46 pm

Well I think you have realised that is non-standard .. I posted one of the images on The Mini Forum and they have confirmed it ..

Most likely it's been screwed in to solve the common lack of thread problem on these where the threads have been stripped. I would hope that if it came out it would go back but I wouldn't like to bet on it.

That plug is probably a gearbox filler plug off another car and could also be tapered ... and probably a metric thread too! I'd be very wary of removing it!
gearbox_square.jpg
gearbox_square.jpg (3.45 KiB) Viewed 26917 times
:cry:
"If you're driving on the edge ... you're leaving too much room!"

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evanmarchant
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Re: Classic Mini (90) Oil Sump plug query

#5 Post by evanmarchant » Wed Jun 20, 2018 8:36 pm

Oh dear :(

Well that's the fun of a classic I guess, lots of things to sort out. Will line up a mobile thread repairer first before attempting to remove it, i'm loath to take it to any old garage as the'll just bodge it like what's happened here.

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gazza82
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Re: Classic Mini (90) Oil Sump plug query

#6 Post by gazza82 » Thu Jun 21, 2018 3:23 pm

I've seen worse!! We've even got a classic Austin in one of our member's sheds where someone thought it a good idea to replace the sills in wood!

The Mini Forum is a great source of help and advise .. focussing entirely on the classic mini!

And for £5 a year you can join TMF+ and get discounts on spares, etc. Although I don't have a Mini [my A-series engine is the right orientation ... ;) ], I used this to get 7.5% discount on a big Minispares order of engine parts and saved a packet! :thumbs:
"If you're driving on the edge ... you're leaving too much room!"

Retirement Project: '59 Austin A35 2-door with 1330cc Midget engine and many upgrades
Said goodbye: got '98 Alfa Romeo 156 2.0 TSpark to 210K miles before tin worm struck

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Re: Classic Mini (90) Oil Sump plug query

#7 Post by gazza82 » Fri Jun 22, 2018 8:20 am

You could try one of those suction pumps that pull the oil via the dipstick tube. I'm not sure how good they are as you can't see where the hose ends up but it would get most of the old oil out and you don't have to disturb the drain plug for now.

Plenty to choose from on ebay!
"If you're driving on the edge ... you're leaving too much room!"

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Said goodbye: got '98 Alfa Romeo 156 2.0 TSpark to 210K miles before tin worm struck

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Zelandeth
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Re: Classic Mini (90) Oil Sump plug query

#8 Post by Zelandeth » Sat Aug 04, 2018 2:31 pm

They're a lot more effective than you'd think, so long as you make sure the pipe is all the way to the bottom of the sump.

I was sceptical at first, but removing the drain plug in several vehicles after draining them with the vacuum pump (Pela P6000 in my case), and there was never more than a couple of drips left - nor any gunk (demonstrated by pouring a bit of fresh oil in and observing what ran out).

I rarely bother removing the sump plugs these days, this way is so much cleaner, and doesn't involve getting eaten alive by the ever present ants who consider my driveway their territory.
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