WOODSTOCK, CT, May 29 — For the past six years our British Open Classic Mini has been losing a bit of brake fluid each time we drove it. Since it was so little and since we knew it was the rear cylinders, it didn’t bother us too much. More than 80% of the stopping power of a classic Mini is in the front disc brakes anyhow.

(For those of you with all-wheel drum brakes, it’s about the same percentage, but since drums in front only hint of stopping it’s a different situation. Our 1978 Mini with all-wheel drums really makes you think about places to swerve into if there is going to be a panic stop. Issigonis would have said to slow down!)

We really noticed the leak problem when loading the Mini onto the trailer to travel to Mini Meet East in Maine in 2008. Nothing like putting the Mini on a lift, even if it’s the back end of a trailer, to see things. So of course we waited almost two years to fix it. You could say we lacked a “sense of urgency.” So, off to The Barn at Dave Black’s home as he has the expert know-how and all the proper tools. He also has the ability to form a brake line if I had broken one, so that made more sense than doing it at my home garage and then having to order parts or drag it to Dave afterwards. Also, it is always pleasant to work with Dave Black and we hadn’t seen him in a while, so Barbara and I went for a drive.

I won’t go into great detail on how to change the cylinders and shoes on your Mini, but perhaps tell a short story on what we did that day. Dave Black did all the professional work, and I did parts washing, bearing packing, oil pouring and wheel nut twirling. Barbara took a bunch of pictures.

Before starting, Dave loosened the lug nuts and opened the bonnet, then jacked up the front of the car under the sump with jack and padding of a two-by-four. Opening the bonnet eliminates finding that the engine mounts have broken and the engine is now imprinted into the bottom of the bonnet, which can be nasty. Dave then placed two jack stands under the front of the car just behind the wheels. After that, it was around to the rear, jacking up the rear and placing another two jack stands under the rear subframe. A quick wiggle of the car before the jack removal showed that now the car was about 14 inches off the floor and stable to work on.

While Dave removed the oil filter, I removed all the wheels. Our car has the grille riveted in place, making changing the oil filter a pain and a knuckle scraper. After the new filter was installed, five quarts of Castrol were installed. This is not the oil Dave Black recommends, but since I’ve been using it for 40 years in our Minis, I stuck with it. It’s very important to change your classic Mini’s oil at least once each year, even if you only drive a few thousand miles in the show season. I prefer the spring. More frequent changes are better. But never let sludge build up in any engine by thinking all that oil leaking out on your garage floor results in a pro bono change.

After taking off the wheels and then the screws holding on the drum, Dave slackened the brake adjusters and we gently tapped the drums and they came right off. This is not usual. But if your cylinders are leaking, everything is a bit wet inside with fluid and they come off easier. Then off came the springs and the old shoes.

I was sent to the parts washer to clean the springs and drums to be squeaky clean. After that, they were sprayed with brake cleaner solution and let dry. The drums were not scored or out of round and amazingly the adjusters on both sides worked easily. We pulled the bearings and these too were cleaned and greased. They looked almost new. Why keep old grease when you have everything apart?

Dave then fitted the new cylinders. No brake lines broke and they went on easily. Now the tricky part — fitting the new shoes and getting those springs onto the shoes. Having done that, Dave re-assembled the drums and worked the adjusters.

It was time to bleed the brakes. I had brought two huge bottles of DOT 3 from Auto Zone. Starting at the rear, Dave worked the bleeders and looked for bubbles in the jar and I pumped and filled the reservoir. The backs done, we did the fronts, finding a bit of air in the left front, which explained the tendency to pull right on panic stops.

After a check of the front steering and suspension, the road wheels were refitted and the car lowered. Another great day in The Barn with Dave Black.

Reserve this date: Saturday, August 14th. Bring yourself and your classic Mini or modern MINI to our Top Gear-themed barbeque and day of games!

The location is Barbara and Dave Newman’s home garage, 7 Chestnut St., Kingston, MA. The festivities will be held from 12 noon to 5 p.m. This event is especially for NEMO members who love the BBC show Top Gear. We will have a barbeque, so please bring something for the barby or desserts or beverages to share, along with a folding chair to sit on. This event will be held inside the garage, so come rain or shine.

It’s optional, but feel free to dress like your favorite Top Gear presenter or Star in the Reasonably Priced Car. We’ve invited the Stig, so no dressing like him. If the Stig does appear, don’t confuse him with questions.

Activities will consist of a DVD-based team game based on car knowledge presented on screen by Richard Hammond, and a slot car track based on the actual Top Gear track, where you will attempt to set a lap time like the guests — only since this track is small, it will be based on a 10-lap time. There will be a Cool Wall participation game, a Top Gear trivia game, and plenty of time to talk with other NEMO members, enjoy the barbeque and a beverage, and admire all the cool Minis and MINIs attending. (Lots of parking on the flat lawn area.)

If you love NEMO and Top Gear, then this is the event to attend! If you have no idea what Top Gear is, then come with an open mind and be prepared for some fun. Questions? E-mail Dave Newman at Dave@airportworld.com.

Rain or shine, it’s a Top Gear time! BTW: some say the Stig knows two things about ducks. And both of them are wrong.

PEABODY, MA — There were 85 MINIs and Minis pre-registered for the 5th Annual MINI of Peabody (MOP) Poker Run.

This was the first year without rain, and several first-timers took credit for that. The weather was perfect and the route laid out by MOP was scenic and challenging. Many Minis took wrong turns but, no matter where they went, the scenery was great.

The entrants left MOP at 10 a.m. as traffic on Rt. 1 would allow. The back roads of Topsfield and Beverly and the coastal roads of Manchester-by-the-Sea were the highlights.

Of the 85 cars, only two classic Minis were entered, my ’64 van and the 1973 of Joe and Brenda Darisse, NEMO members from Topsfield.

Stops to pick up a card included the home of NEMO President and MOP salesman Hrach Chekijian, and the future home of MOP, 209 Andover Street (Exit 25B off Route 128) in Peabody.

The winning hand — a royal flush! — was awarded a pair of Red Sox tickets. Everyone got MOP hats and other items.

The event was organized by MOP staff, including Lori Connolly, Marketing Director, Molly Waugh, Corporate Partners Manager, and Brig Currie, Sales Manager. They made everyone feel welcome and invited us all back next year to their new site.

A wee bit short on news this month — only two projects in The Barn and very little member news.

Dave Icaza brought over his Woody to let me take a look — beautiful — and for once Jo-Ann agreed that this is one pretty Mini. (She thinks it’s neat because it has heated seats.) Dave wanted a hand in final tuning and front end alignment and it was soon sorted out and ready for action. You may wonder why a fellow who works on British cars for a living (Dave owns D&J Motors in Manchester, CT) looks for help on his own car. I wondered the same thing and can only explain it by thinking of the carpenter living in a trailer or the plumber with leaky pipes — no time for his own projects! We’re looking forward to seeing his Mini in Waterford this month.

Al and Linda DeArroyo called last weekend to say they were on the way to The Barn with an engine and would arrive at 5:30 (no further details). It’s been months since I heard from them and the last news was the report of yet another head gasket problem. Al was understandably disgusted as this was gasket #3. We discussed pulling the lump and skimming both head and block and I guess I offered to do this last fall. But now it’s spring and time to be outside! Oh, well, we’ll work on it after dark — ’course this time of year it gets dark about bedtime and who feels like working on an engine after spending time in the garden? Anyway, the grass is long and weeds are getting a leg up, but Al’s lump will be on the test stand later today! Just a matter of setting priorities, right?

Remember to do your spring tune-up: adjust valves, inspect and clean spark plugs, top-up the piston oil on your SU carbs, adjust or change points, change oil and filter, check condition of wiring (primary 12v to and from solenoid, coil, dizzy, and secondary high voltage plug and coil wires). Jack up the car and grease the two rear swing arms, top and bottom ball joints, and upper A-arm. Shake some things around to check bearing condition, ball joint and tie rod end tightness, and rear swing arm bushing condition. A few minutes spent early in the season on preventive maintenance can avoid an embarrassing, and costly, breakdown when you least expect it!

Now that the driving season has arrived and plans are made for a pilgrimage to MME, I thought it wise to give you my list of spares to carry on those journeys past the limits of free towing: fan belt, wheel bearings (front and rear), water pump, spare tire (with appropriate lug nuts for the rim), bottom rad hose, flashlight, top rad hose, 3/8” socket set, bypass hose, 1/4” socket set, head gasket, torque wrench, manifold gasket, 3/4” breaker bar with 1 1/8” and 1 5/16” sockets, rocker assembly, pickle fork, points and condenser, sledge hammer (that’s right!), rotor, 11/16” wrench, cap, wheel puller, throttle cable, water, starter, oil, alternator or generator, grease.

Last time I drove to Ohio, I used everything on this list except the starter! If you carry all these items, chances are you will have what’s needed to effect a repair on almost any foreseeable breakdown. Even if you’re not able to do the repair yourself, there’s lots of help available at MME.

Happy motoring!