My Mini Project: windscreen washers, welding and handbrake fixes
My Mini Project
Fixing washer jets, patching rust and sorting the handbrake on a 1990 Mini for MOT
The owner, Dave, describes getting his 1990 Mini through a re-test after an MOT failure for bodywork, washer jets and handbrake faults. He repairs the windscreen washer pipework, welds three rust holes in the sills and rear wheel arch, and works out why the handbrake was locking one rear wheel before the other. It is a hands-on, DIY account of solving each fault himself, including a cautionary note on welding alone with no one to hold the mask.
Specs
As stated in the original write-up.
- Handbrake
- Single cable at the front, operating drum adjusters at each rear wheel hub
- Rear brakes
- Drum brakes with square-head pyramid adjusters at the top of each hub
Parts used
Parts named as used in the original write-up, grouped the way the Parts page groups them. Where one of the shops we index lists the same thing for this car, it is shown underneath with a link to the shop.
Other 2
- Windscreen washer jet heads (D-type)Mini Spares
Replaced a worn jet head causing poor washer spray; sealed to the new pipe and fitted through the scuttle panel
In the shops
Windscreen Washer Jet ↗
Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $96.50 USD - Windscreen washer pipe, 4mm internal diameterMini Spares
Replaced a pipe that had been crushed behind the air filter casing; glued to the jet heads to stop leaks
In the shopsWindscreen Washer Hose (4mm Bore, 5m Roll) ↗Motaclan Limited· £10.43 GBP
Photos
6 pictures collected from the write-up, in the order they were posted, shown from My Mini Project. A picture opens larger here, with the way through to the page it is on.
How it was done
MOT failure
The Mini failed its December MOT on five points: two small holes near a seatbelt mounting area (actually on the outer sill), a hole near a subframe mounting (actually in the rear wheel arch lip), poor windscreen washer spray, and an ineffective, uneven handbrake. The tester's station did not do welding, leaving the owner ten days to fix everything himself before a free re-test.
Windscreen washers
The washer fault was traced to a pipe crushed behind the air filter casing and a worn jet head. New jet heads and pipe were ordered from Mini Spares. The new pipe leaked at the jet heads, so the owner glued the joints to seal them in time for the test. Mini Spares later admitted the pipe diameter was imperfect and offered a hot-water fitting tip plus replacement parts.
Welding repairs
After stripping trim and wire-brushing back to bare metal, the owner cut away rust and welded in new sheet steel patches over three holes: two in the outer sill and one in the rear wheel arch lip, the latter shaped using a cardboard template. Welding was done solo with a MIG welder, with safety precautions taken including a disconnected battery and alternator, fire extinguisher and no flammable trim nearby. Welds were finished with filler, primer, paint, hammerite and underseal.
Handbrake cable and adjusters
Routine cable tightening was straightforward, but one rear wheel was locking before the other. The owner found the drum brake adjusters had seized and freed them with WD40 left overnight and a borrowed square spanner. After reassembling the shoes, he balanced the adjustment by spinning each wheel by hand at each handbrake click until both locked evenly, checking the pedal brake balance too.
Outcome
With the welding, washers and handbrake all addressed, the Mini was taken back for its re-test and passed.
A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is in the original write-up: read it at My Mini Project ↗
Worth knowing
- Submerging washer pipe ends in hot water before fitting helps form a watertight seal over the jet heads.
- Handbrake drum adjusters must be left set at the 3, 6, 9 or 12 o'clock position or they can be damaged.
- Seized drum adjusters can often be freed with WD40 left to soak overnight rather than force.
- Balance a handbrake by spinning each rear wheel by hand at each click of the lever until both lock evenly.
- Scheduling an MOT for December makes outdoor welding and bodywork harder due to cold weather.