I've noticed a few cars featured in Mini Mag recently are dry decked with big hoses protruding out of the side of the head and into the block (above the clutch housing).

What does dry decking entail, and what are its advantages?

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Slide
1965 Mini Van (1360)
1970 Mk2 Cooper S (1310)
1978 Rover SD1 V8 (4.6)
1996 Land Rover Discovery V8 (4.0)

You plug all the water holes in the face of the block and head.
If the head gasket blows, you don't get water in the cylinders.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

as the good doctor stated, the water passages between head and block are plugged so that the only way for water to travel from block to head is through the big hose that you described. The purpose is to try to provide better, more equal cooling for cylinder #4 (closest to clutch). This is only necessary for racing engines and VERY FEW road engines.

The machining required to attach the inlet on the head where the hose attaches is non-trivial and there are quite a number of passages to be plugged in the head and block. Depending upon how the plugging job is conducted and how well it is conducted, the head may or may not be suitable for future use in the more normal configuration where water is allowed to pass between block and head through the normal passages.

Mini Miglia(1275 cc) race engines in England raced for several decades before it was decided that dry decking was necessary(if, in fact, it really is necessary).

Dry decking is probably one of the very most useless tweaks that one can do to an A-series engine, based upon the cost/performance ratio.

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"it's always better to be uninformed than ill-informed"

My Nb goes to 9000rpm and has over 12:1 compression ratio and cops a flogging when I take her out to the track - no dry decking. I think it would be a bit over the top to do it.

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1964 Nb Race Car - big bore short stroke & lots of revs - Sold
1969 Mk2 Cooper S - First Car

9000RPM! LET ME KNOW the next brisbane race, i need to feel, hear this

kuzzy,

as I said....

Mini Miglia(1275 cc) race engines in England raced for several decades before it was decided that dry decking was necessary(if, in fact, it really is necessary).

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"it's always better to be uninformed than ill-informed"

mini7boy,

was not having a go at you or anyone - was backing up what you said.

NG,

with straiught cut drop gears and gear box - sounds really nice

Hoping to get to the TTT day at Morgan Park & at least one race this coming year - only fired it up in my shed a few times this year - very time poor

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1964 Nb Race Car - big bore short stroke & lots of revs - Sold
1969 Mk2 Cooper S - First Car

Check out Turbo minis at : http://www.turbo-mini.com/49348.html
He has just added a section on dry decking.

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1969 Cooper "S"
1967 Mini Deluxe
1973 Clubman Van (the fleet spare)
1978 ex 1275 LS ("Wizard" Eaton Supercharged)
2015 HSV GenF GTS(occasional drive & tow car)
2019 MINI F55 Cooper S

If anything it looks way cool too

I saw a dry decked mini engine for sale today 14000 00 yen Cheap as chips 1400 cc though

I dry-decked my 970 S engine;check out the pics.


https://plus.google.com/photos/11743283 ... banner=pwa

Engine has a blanked-off bypass on the head and water pump, and a blanking sleev instead of a thermostat, and I have fitted a Mini Moke header tank. Engine runs at 80 degrees C all day long , even in traffic. I also have a new 3 core radiator.

Now only have to worry about compression leak with blown head gaskets, not combustion in cooling system, or water in the gearbox.
I run the car on the street: a worthwhile mod I reckon. I tapped all the water holes with BSP threads and screwed in Allen headed taper plugs, then machined off the excess to make them flush with the head/block.

You don't need to plug the holes in the head or block. Just buy the gasket without the water holes.

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The bitterness of poor quality (or Crappy Workmanship) remains LONG AFTER the Sweet Taste of Low Price is forgotten.

Bectha it hauls at Morgan Park Kuzzy,

I love the back end of the circuit there. Would love to see yours going round. Let us know when you are going next and I will try get down there.

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"Beware the lollipop of mediocrity: lick it once and you'll suck forever" Brian Wilson

Hi Kuzzy
If you only run one meeting next year make it the historic meeting 12th/13th of july i have already got 9 minis coming up from NSW trying to get more ken thinks he can get us an all mini race if we get enough minis, so how many can you find.
Graham Russell

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"It's better to be not informed than ill-informed"

Sorry i forgot to say that the cooper S un like the small bores was not designed to have the water flow to the back of the block and back along the head to the radiator it was desinged to try and flow the water across the head as well thats why they put the water passage between the inlet and exhaust valve on the Mk2 S and force the water between the valaes to try and stop the cracking between the inlet and exhaust valve,as was the problem on the MK 1 S that's why they blocked off one hole in the back of the head and reduced the size,i don'nt like dry decking i think it works well the way it is.
Graham Rusell

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"It's better to be not informed than ill-informed"