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What is the purpose of this hole?
https://ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=96343		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  winabbey [ Tue Nov 21, 2017 7:11 pm ]
Post subject:  What is the purpose of this hole?
There's a small hole in the firewall between the heater hooks in my Cooper S that exits into the engine compartment below the crossmember. I think it is normally plugged with a rubber grommet so not used, but I'm curious as to why it was there in the first place. Looking from inside it's quite close to the driver's side heater hook.

Interestingly both the Mark 1 and the Mark 2 Cooper S carpet and underlay makes provision for the hole.

Attachment:
Hole behind heater 1.jpg


Attachment:
Hole behind heater 2.jpg


Attachment:
Hole behind heater 3.jpg


Attachment:
Hole behind heater 4.jpg


Attachment:
dsc00433.jpg
Author:  Bill B [ Tue Nov 21, 2017 7:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What is the purpose of this hole?
My '66 S has neither hole; '70 S has both.
Author:  gtogreen1969 [ Tue Nov 21, 2017 8:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What is the purpose of this hole?
I always thought that hole was a generic hole used on other models. Maybe for the underbonnet heater cable.

Looking forward to hearing the correct answer.

Here are 2 more. One is slightly different because it has a hole either side of the drivers side J bracket.

Attachment:
heater J brackets.jpg


Attachment:
Heater J brackets (2).jpg
Author:  timmy201 [ Tue Nov 21, 2017 8:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What is the purpose of this hole?
My earlyish 1964 850 has the hole there with a rubber plug in it. I can have a look through the 850 parts book tomorrow to see if there are any clues

Assuming you mean this one:
Attachment:
Hole%20behind%20heater%201.jpg
Author:  gtogreen1969 [ Tue Nov 21, 2017 8:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What is the purpose of this hole?
Maybe someone with a 997 cooper could have a look at their setup. The interior heater looks like it bolts up to the bottom of the parcel shelf therefore the heater cable may need to go beside it and out that hole.

Attachment:
(BM3-2'1).jpg
Author:  winabbey [ Tue Nov 21, 2017 8:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What is the purpose of this hole?
Bill B wrote:
My '66 S has neither hole; '70 S has both.

Bill - does your '66 S have the original carpet? If so, does it have a hole in that spot, like the red carpet pictured above?
Author:  winabbey [ Tue Nov 21, 2017 8:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What is the purpose of this hole?
timmy201 wrote:
My earlyish 1964 850 has the hole there with a rubber plug in it. I can have a look through the 850 parts book tomorrow to see if there are any clues

Assuming you mean this one:
Attachment:
Hole%20behind%20heater%201.jpg

Yep, that's the hole I'm talking about.
Author:  miniresto [ Tue Nov 21, 2017 9:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What is the purpose of this hole?
A Cooper I restored back in 2000 used the heater assembly shown in GTO Green's post. Thinking back and looking at some of the photos the two holes for cables in the switch panel had the Control Cable for the Water Valve on the left and the cable for the Air Intake Control on the right. These two cables came out of the two holes in the cross member just below the speedo housing. The Choke cable from memory came out of the mystery hole in question.

I am not sure about the carpet but we did not have the original and had a set made. I can only assume that we put a hole in it.

Looking at a Morris Mini Minor parts book it shows the choke cable coming up from the bottom add to my theory. ????

John
Author:  miniresto [ Tue Nov 21, 2017 10:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What is the purpose of this hole?
I found a page in the Cooper Parts Book showing the said heater cables.
Author:  gtogreen1969 [ Tue Nov 21, 2017 10:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What is the purpose of this hole?
miniresto wrote:
A Cooper I restored back in 2000 used the heater assembly shown in GTO Green's post. Thinking back and looking at some of the photos the two holes for cables in the switch panel had the Control Cable for the Water Valve on the left and the cable for the Air Intake Control on the right. These two cables came out of the two holes in the cross member just below the speedo housing. The Choke cable from memory came out of the mystery hole in question.

I am not sure about the carpet but we did not have the original and had a set made. I can only assume that we put a hole in it.

Looking at a Morris Mini Minor parts book it shows the choke cable coming up from the bottom add to my theory. ????

John


Here are 2 early Coopers with that heater. The washer pump moved to the passenger side and the choke cable was next to the steering column. It would make sense that the choke cable used that hole .

Attachment:
YKA2S1 1632 dash.jpg


Attachment:
YKA2S1 1900 Dash.jpg
Author:  rodmac [ Tue Nov 21, 2017 10:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What is the purpose of this hole?
My 67 mk1 has the hole as well as hole in the original Westminster carpet and felt
Pretty sure my mk 2 has the same but will have to check.
Would also like to know if it was used
Cheers
Rod
Author:  miniresto [ Tue Nov 21, 2017 10:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What is the purpose of this hole?
I think that it would be a safe bet that the hole was used for the choke cable on the early cars and the Cooper as discussed above.

BUT... what about the hole in the carpet? My theory is that the cars that were ordered by the Police utilised that hole for whatever reason (Police Speedo maybe?) and instead of having to put a hole in the carpet every time they had an order the carpet sets were made with the hole already cut in. You would not see it as the heater covered it. Makes sense to me.

John
Author:  winabbey [ Wed Nov 22, 2017 6:47 am ]
Post subject:  Re: What is the purpose of this hole?
miniresto wrote:
My theory is that the cars that were ordered by the Police utilised that hole for whatever reason (Police Speedo maybe?) and instead of having to put a hole in the carpet every time they had an order the carpet sets were made with the hole already cut in. You would not see it as the heater covered it. Makes sense to me.

John

Nice try but no cigar. :cry:

The cable for the NSW Police speedometer came through a hole hacked in the side of the instrument binnacle and across to the speedo mounted on top of the steering column. This was done at the NSW Govt Motor Garage during installation of all Police equipment, not at BMC. I've seen several ex-Police cars with this hole, including mine.

In any case the hole is not big enough for a speedo cable. The other cables for driving lights, siren and tachometer came through holes drilled (roughly) near and in the round blanking plate in the firewall on the driver's side.
Author:  winabbey [ Wed Nov 22, 2017 7:18 am ]
Post subject:  Re: What is the purpose of this hole?
miniresto - do your Downton Cooper S and Clubman GT have that hole?
Author:  miniresto [ Wed Nov 22, 2017 8:21 am ]
Post subject:  Re: What is the purpose of this hole?
Winabbey,

The English Cooper S does have a hole near the heater J hook but it is to the left of the passenger side J hook. I am sure that hole is for the left hand drive pedal box though.

The GT does not have any holes there.

Cheers
John
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