I know this seems like it’s something that should be obvious but where on earth is the oil drain plug? My Haynes manual is missing the first 43 pages so that’s no help, and neither is the internet. I was wondering if any of you guys have seen any good diagrams or the like....

Sorry, I know I'm digressing in my own post but how hard do you think it would be for a person with some mechanical know how to change a passenger side CV Joint?

 

I believe that the drain plug is on the right hand side of the engine on the side. I'll have to check to be sure though.

 

Trying to figure a simle way of explaining...chaned my oil a couple of weeks back, can't find an image....
Lay on your back slide under from the front and if you reach up with your right hand it is toward the bottom of the transmission case closer to the front of the car. Or for a RHD car it is on the driver side.

 

You probably looked right at the plug and didn't even know it.

 

correct me if i'm wrong but...

 

Haynes for Mini in PDF .... don't worry, it prints in english

http://www.coopermania.it/manuale_haynes.html

 

That is correct. Should also have a magnet attached, so clean off the inevitable metal shavings before replacing. Use 20W50 oil that has ZDDP in it. Valvoline R racing oil does, for one.

Regarding the CV. It replaces like any CV. If you've done one before you can do a Mini. Biggest effort is taking the spring pressure off the upper arm as you'll need to remove the hub assembly from the upper & lower arms to get the axle shaft/CV out of the hub...

 

What is ZDDP?

 

Zinc dialkyl dithio phosphate (ZDDP, ZnDTP, or ZDP)

http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/e...ech/index.html


"Engines with flat-tappet cams haveextremely high pressure loading at the contact point between the liftercrown and the cam lobe. According to Mark Ferner, team leader for QuakerState Motor Oil Research and Development, "Even stock passenger cars cansee pressure in excess of 200,000 psi at the point of flat-tappet/camlobe contact." To prevent excess wear, traditional motor oil included agenerous dose of antiwear additives, primarily zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP). "The chemistry is such that the additive is acombination of zinc and phosphorous," says Rockett Racing Fuel's TimWusz. "Typically the phosphate amounts are about 75 percent of the zincamounts. For example, if there was 0.100 percent zinc by weight in themotor oil, then the phosphate is about 0.075."
Ferner adds, "The zincreacts with the cam lobe's iron surface. That creates a sacrificialchemical coating strong enough to keep parts separated to reduce thewear." Although great for keeping a flat tappet alive, as an engine agesand develops blow-by, some of the additives flow out the exhaust wherethey can degrade oxygen sensor and catalytic converter performance.Faced with ever more stringent emissions standards and the governmentalmandate for extended emissions-control- system warranties, the OEMs gottogether with the motor oil makers and decided to reduce the amount ofZDDP in street-legal, gasoline-engine motor oils. After all, theyweren't needed with modern roller lifters and overhead-cam followers.The reduction first started in the mid-'80s, and it has been a gradualprocess, but the latest API SM and GF-4 specs have reduced ZDDP contentto such an extent that the new oils may not provide adequate protectionfor older, flat-tappet-equipped vehicles running nonstock, performancecams and valvetrains. And it will only get worse; projected future oilspec revisions will likely reduce ZDDP content even more."

 

This is also why some motorcycle-specific oils will skip the API certification in order to use higher levels of zinc diphosphate than the API specs will allow. For bikes that don't have oxygen sensors or catalytic converters, there's no problem with high levels of ZDP.

There's some debate about *when* the ZDP is actually useful, though. Some people claim that it's an "extreme pressure additive", and doesn't really come into play except as a "last line of defense" against metal-to-metal contact. That is, if the oil hasn't already broken down, or you're not running at abnormally-high temperatures or engine speeds, the oil film by itself should be enough to keep metal parts from contacting each other, so the ZDP shouldn't be necessary.

 

I think what has been common take on this is oil with ZDDP is absolutely necessary in a freshly built flat tappet engine for at least the first 500 miles or so. Many are experiencing cam lobe and lifter failure in that scenario. This is especially critical when using non-stock cams and higher spring pressures. If you explore more on the web you'll find additional articles and discussions. It appears to be a common problem.

For safety's sake and because the Mini's engine get's oil dirty in a hurry and subjects oils to non-standard (gearbox) stresses, I've been running Valvoline R 20W50. Cheap insurance, imho.

 

I know where my oil drain plug is, but I'd like to replace it with a Fumoto valve at my next change. Can anyone tell me which Fumoto I need?

 

I'm a fan of the Fumoto valve but wonder if it is a good idea in this case. As you know the oil bung has a magnet to pick-up shavings and since the sump is also the tranny there seems to be a higher number of shavings to be found... If you put in the Fumoto you loose the magnet...

I imagine u looked but they don't list older cars....http://www.fumotousa.com/ but they do have a size chart if anyone knows the specific size of a Mini's


But if you wanna ask them:

For any questions you may have, please contact us at:

FUMOTO ENGINEERING OF AMERICA
12328 Northup Way
Bellevue, WA 98005
USA
Tel: (425) 869-7771
Fax: (425) 869-2558
fumotousa@msn.com

 

Honestly you guys are brilliant! I looked at that bolt, but wasn't sure it was the right one.... Thank you.

 

LOVE the Fumoto valves on other vehicles, but, am not sure about on the Mini. Missing the magnet and the too close to the ground......2c

 

LBCarco.com - Little British Car Co has ones to suit Brit cars, give them a ring...
(Put a magnet around your oil filter?)
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