Hey guys,

bought a Mini cooper cheap as a project with suspected bottom end failure. Mechanic isn't convinced at the minute that it actually is bottom end at the moment and wonder if someone in the know could listen to the video and give their opinion....

Have had the rocker cover off to check it wasn't tappets or rocker arms and all seemed fine and noise wasn't coming from there.

any hep greatly appreciated as just want to get it sorted no matter how big a job it may become.

 

Bad rod?

 

Hey,

yeah perhaps. So meaning the crank is bad anyway?

 

We had an old Merc coming to the shop sounded just like it, turn out the timing chain guide broke and the chain jumped a tooth on one bank and the Pistons clashed with the exhaust valves, but no white smoke from the pipes. But of course might be just a leaky exhaust manifold and blown head gasket.

 

With a sound like that, I would just do a motor swap...
Guess you could drop the oil pan and look at the bottom end...
But if anything is bad, as the prior owner suspected, the crank will likely be junk...so a different motor is usually a better choicr $$ wise...mini motor parts are just too $$$$ to do a rebuild unless only one or two specific parts are bad...and you are running it...so bet the damage has spread...metal flakes, etc...
I know that in the R50 cooper motors are cheap...so many CVT cars get junked for a bad tranny...so lots of good motors are around...

 

Thanks guys, yeah going to take the engine out in the next couple of days. Inspect and go from there. If it was just a case of getting the crank machined and oversized shells it might be the cheapest option as labour is cheap (retired mechanic neighbour) but yeah anything else like a bad bore etc then swaps it will be.

I'll keep it updated for anyone's interest or future reference.

 

Just for giggles - does the check engine light come on it sounds that bad? What codes is it throwing?

Thanks

 

Hey,

No engine lights or oil warning. Wouldn't know about codes have haven't had it plugged in.

How come... Other ideas?

Cheers.

 

It was just a curiosity question. I would have thought something that unhealthy would have a check engine light. If there is no check engine light than there probably aren't any codes stored.

The low oil indicator only comes on when it is at an already catastrophic level. You checked the oil level I am assuming.

No other ideas..

 

Ohh OK, I just thought with bad crank you'd get low oil pressure and the light might come on.

Yeah there's plenty of oil in it though as when I went to see it and it was advertised as noisy tappets I was looking at it and seemed to be fresh oil around the cap. When asking 'no no haven't filled it for a while' so I got the picture it had been ran low on oil then last ditch effort after the noise was to fill the crap out of it haha.

Got it for £700 delivered so there's room the move on it whatever I do.

 

Sorry - to be 100% clear you pulled the dipstick though and checked that it's at the correct level right? And not that I think there is some easy fix waiting for you but - did you drain the oil to a) see how much metal comes out? B) Make sure the correct weight and level of oil is on there?

Did you run a compression test?


700 GBP sounds a bit high...but it's probably worth that much in spares if nothing else. Not sure what used motors are going for over there but you are looking at about 20 hours in labor to pull and replace motor. Even if the hours are free (DIY) people never factor them in when doing work like this. They say I bought the car for X and only had to replace the clutch for Y...which means the car only cost me X+Y. There's also Z of what else you could have been doing or earning.

 

Yeah checked the oil and at correct level but was clear to me it had been ran with low oil and they'd filled it after the noise to try and fix/cover it.

No compression test as was more concerned about the noise

Well quick search just on autotrader and cheapest coopers are on at 1800. So 400 for a motor and time and I'm good to go. Learn a bit at the same time and least I'll know it relatively sound. Do the clutch at the same time which is mega bucks so all relative.

I had a ONE last year that had the dreaded gearbox scrape, luckily the specialist is the next town over and recon box fitted for 500. Bought for 1400 sold for 2300 but not about making money. I missed that car though, just didn't like the ONE badge So this is for me and next step play with plasti dip

 

Pick up the latest Modern MINI at this point just swap in an S motor and be done with it...not sure how that affects MOT...but the car in there made quite a transformation.

You will need various other bits but might as well. Plasti-Dip - focus on the car running first.

Compression test is one of the most basic and first tests performed and could tell you a measure of how bad rings, pistons etc are...

 

Me, stick an S motor in it? Don't you need new ECU as well? Don't know about the MOT, but its insurance that's the issue when you tell them you've done an engine upgrade. Then when coming to sell on etc.

Yeah sure, I'm not getting ahead of myself, just the mini is for keeps as would be a good car to bother doing stuff like that on.

Well you mention costs... I don't have a compression tester or diagnostics. Taking to dealer is hard work from the town where I live. It was bought with an engine swap in mind and either way the engine has to come out, sump off... Check crank n pistons. Easy right haha?

 

Okay...I wouldn't even waste the time on tearing down the bottom end.

I listened to your second video That valve train is completely trashed -- stop revving it. Pull the head off in anything and inspect the top of the pistons....the head is toast for sure..all that rattling around is not good.

Maybe you could get super lucky with just a head and gasket. White smoke is usually a sign if coolant leaking into parts it should not...is the oil a milky color? What color is the coolant?

 

Not sure if the mechanics at it now tbh as the weathers a bit brighter here for a change.

Coolant and oil did seem fine.

The head gasket is causing that noise though hey? Yeah I'm thinking as they're revving it that can't be good but damage already been done I guess.

Well I'll get it all looked at when it comes out and let you know.

 

No head gasket is not causing that noise the entire valve train a causing that noise...probably bent a few valves messed up a lot of lifters etc... Revving it more crashes those bits into the top of the cylinder which does MORE damage so definitely stop. Whenever you remove a head you MUST replace a bunch of gaskets including the one between the block and the head which is what I meant by head gasket...

You sure you know what you got into....

 

Ohh so you're thinking its head gasket failure then mashed valves rather than on rod knock?

Haha I know what you're saying and yup I'm no mechanic, this is all based on maybe fixing a bad engine. If not then as expected a replacement decent engine which my mechanic will have no issue with.

 

No I think the whole motor is trashed the least of which is rod knock but I think your order of operations is wrong. Tearing apart the bottom end when there is clearly a valve train problem seems out of order. I would want to assess as much as possible with the least amount of labor possible.

My honest opinion is that you bought a mechanics special but you aren't a mechanic which might get costly. I am concerned you are going to burn well over 1000 GBP in labor and parts.

I also worry about a car that suffered real neglect in the engine area will have suffered more neglect elsewhere...brakes, lower control arm bushings, etc etc it all adds up.

I like projects but I also know when I am in too deep...your money your choices but I feel like this might be better broken apart and sold in pieces....but I'm just one guy with one POV from way across the pond.

Good luck

 

If that thing were in here with that sound, I would start by removing the head and oil pan: you'll get a pretty good window into what's wrong without removing the crank case. Based upon the sound in the video, I think you're going to end up yanking the crank case as well, but it's not a lot more work at that point. With the head and oil pan off, you can remove pistons and inspect the crank, rods and cylinder bores. Good luck.

 

Helix,

Don't you think with that much bad going on -- it would be cheaper just to not diagnose any further and just find a used engine? I mean -- this is not one of those -- the flux capacitor wasn't grounded properly moments I don't think...

That MINI is seriously un-healthy.

 

Perhaps, but my point is, cracking the motor open in the car won't add a bunch of labor to removing it, and you might get lucky and be able to replace bad parts without removing/replacing the motor. It's worth a shot.

 

OK update after a while.

Decided to just change the engine out for a used one as suggested. Got one complete with 60k on it for £360. So like $550.

Old engine is out and having just bought a new clutch, fan belt, exhaust mani etc for it. The mechanic comes round and says the fan belt is too long. Now I know there was only a choice of two for this really, with air con and without. I always assumed I had air con as on the heater panel it has the button not blanked off like my old ONE. I wasn't involved with the removal but yeah taking a look, there's no compressor/condenser to be found and total news to me :O

So... here's the question... did the car have air con but something failed and the previous owner removed everything... or did simply the heater panel fail and they replaced it with one having the air con button :s If it was the former then surely it's all setup for me to get a system off an old breaking car and fit back as it should be... easier than a retrofit which I wouldn't bother with.

Is there a way to tell from the existing pipes going to the firewall or anything else... Like I think the switch was getting power on the panel.

 

is that first picture of the new engine or the old? I don't see an AC compressor on there -- it would be mounted just below the alternator. You would also have an AC condensor mounted right in front of the cooling fan..looks like another radiator in front of the radiator.

Take a look at this site -- and see what I mean -- would be to the left of the intake manifold. As to why you have the button but no AC -- probably your first theory is correct that its a replacement heater controls from a car that had it.

I wouldn't be surprised if your car in the UK did not have it -- it never gets cold enough in your country to need AC -- I am here right now in Bedfordshire -- even at the end of August when I've been here its not that warm.


http://turningwrench.com/mini-cooper...eplacement/159

 

Hey, thanks for the reply. Yeah that's the original engine and yeah sure I was aware that it currently didn't have the compressor and condenser but was wondering they might have previously packed in and the owner returned to running without to save money maybe. Anyway, I went to BMW yesterday to go get some MTF-94 gearbox oil and whilst there got them to get the original spec of that car. As thought and you suggest it was never spec'd with air con to begin with.
haha even in the UK air cons pretty common and it is nice to have, when it finally is warm here we're not used to it and its like a sweaty kinda heat

Anyway carrying on from that... apparently the MTF-94 has been super seeded by a MTF-2 oil. At £22 a litre from that dealership I was like no thanks. I carried onto up to Land Rover and got some 94 at a still quite pricey £11 a litre but wasn't going to get any better than that.