31 replies to this topic

[mark moyz]

[mark moyz]

[mark moyz]

The cassette was brittle and had cracked also some of the plastic had broken off.

[oakmere]

These breakages are usually because the tensioner had started to fail allowing the chain to slap into guides. BMW upgraded the guides and tensioner and this sort of failure is much less common on the later engines. They are very good engines but it is a shame they have quite a few issues. My advice would be to buy as late a model as possible.

[vocky]

they go brittle with age, just like the z22se chain guides.

 

I replaced the last chain kit in my R56, not too difficult with the correct locking tool kit

 

HPFP takes twenty minutes to swap and Neo Brothers now sell genuine MINI pumps for £485, a good saving over the dealers £1200

[mark moyz]

I bought the locking tool off ebay for about 35 quid and i replaced the vanos cog on the intake cam and the exhaust cam cog too. With the chain it was 200 quid. Just was not happy adding a new chain on old cogs ! Overkill but piece of mind.

Edited by mark moyz, 14 September 2016 - 06:50 PM.

[2GOOD]

Good info thanks Steve. The wife would love a mini but the potential issues have made me put a halt on it so far...perhaps there is still hope for her!

My other half is on her fourth! We tend to buy nearly new & sell when they are only a year or so out of warranty though so no nasty surprises yet apart from tyres & brakes, they do eat pads & discs. We started with an R50 Mini One, followed by two R56 Cooper's & now have an F56 Cooper SD, which is my favourite by far. Despite being a 170hp 2.0d it averages 50+mpg on her commute & will easily crack 60mpg on a run. We've had it a year & it already needs front tyres now (17k) & rear pads shortly 🙄

[Tibbles Stryker]

So looking at a 10 plate this afternoon, high pressure fuel pump has been done and the car seems to have a decent level of spec and a good history, mileage is slightly higher than I'd like but you can't have everything. Mark perhaps now your an expert you can fit a new tensioner to mine. Looks tricky.

[mark moyz]

Ha ha i don't intend on doing one again but its a mini so who knows maybe in 20k to 30k !

[Tibbles Stryker]

Looked at the one on Friday, great car, went well but no coolant in it....jesus these are less reliable than the vx!!!!

[vocky]

they also don't have an engine temperature gauge on the dash, just a light for when things go wrong

[Tibbles Stryker]

To be half honest I'm at a loss with them, all bags of sh*t but just such a great stear 😂 think I'll just buy the wifes golf from the lease company and run that 👍