I could use some advice with a couple of things I noticed in checking out a potential classic Mini buy ( a modded clone built circa 2004): Current owner not a mechanical type.

Significant oil leakage from bottom of a modified motor professionally built 4K miles ago. Current owner is very conservative; tools around-no track or autocross. Looks like a lot of it is coming from around where the shift linkage enters engine. I see that MiniMania sells a kit for this so may I assume this is the likely cause and a common classic mini ailment? Current owner said he "had some seals replaced" and that fixed the problem for a while but it came back.

Whirring sound when clutch pedal in, silent when out. Current owner says he had the throw out bearing changed about 3K miles back and showed me the reciept. Says sound was there after bearing replaced. Are the clutches noisy by nature? Shifting is smooth and positive and pedal engagement position is good.

Loud mechanical whining from engine/tranny area while driving, especially when off the accelerator. In other words when driving in gear and you let off the gas you hear a sound like loud gears engaged, then it drops off when on the gas. Like an old Jeep might sound. The tranny was regeared by the original builder 4 k miles ago when car was built according to current owner's records. Pitch doesn't change with differnet gears. If I had to guess I'd say differential. Are these diffs noisy or could original builder have put in a hotter diff? Or is diff possibly in trouble? The engine is pretty well modded, from carb/intake to head, through pistons and header/exhaust systems so maybe diff was modded or swapped. Normal RPM in 4th gear at 50mph is what?

Otherwise this ground up build, circa 2004, is very nice, if you like highly modded clones of course. Engine pulls hard, shifts well, brakes strong, suspension true and straight, body solid with decent paint, new interior and everything underneath is new, just a little bit of surface dust-rust here or there.

Thanks for any thoughts or tips for classic Mini newbie.

 

SOUNDS like it may have straight-cut gears.

 

Good point. Given the amount of mods done to the car for HP perhaps the original builder would have done that. Not being a transmission guy, I looked up straight-cut and that makes sense. The car sounds like a normal car sounds in reverse and it would make sense that stronger,. more efficient gearing would be in keeping with the alleged 100HP engine.

I've posed the question to the seller to look through all his communications and data from prior owner to see if there are gearbox rebuild references. Wil let you know if you nailed it.

Thanks

 

Cut gears it is, professor! With hi-pef clutch and 13lb lightened flywheel as it turns out. Noisy but I guess strong and better transfer of HP to wheels.

Anyone have thoughts on my oil leak question?

Thanks

 

Clean it off first so you can see. Likely the rod change oil seals. Install a new kit. Or, could be Diff cover axle seals. Neither job is too hard for a DIY.

Make sure there's enough crankcase ventilation on the motor because it'll push oil out, too.

Stright cut trans gears or drop gears? Or both?

 

degrease and pressure wash the egine for source of leak.

I was too lazy to fix a couple of seals so I used a "Main seal Sealer" from my local parts store for 10 bucks and it provided a temporary fix.

Always keep an eye on the oil level.

 

Thanks. Might not have the time luxury to be able to do a throrough clean and observation but it seems to me that what you said is probably the case-oil from a seal or seals but all can be fixed. I'm not finding anyone saying there is a generic problem with the blocks that renders oil that can't be fixed in a fairly straightforward way. Oil seems to be forming when parked in hsi garage, not after I was running it, so it is likely from lower part of engine.

Original engine builder says in his write-up "new 4 speed straight cut gearbox with center oil pickup and 13 lb lightened flywheel". Whining does not change pitch however, which logic would say its at least the drop gears but I suppose from the write-up it could be everything. Not much was held back on this engine build from the description. Current owner even less educated in these matters than I.

 

Hi..give area a good degrease and then remove linkage from Box use a sharp pointed object to remove old oil sealthen refit TWO new oil seals in place of 1 and then refit linkage..........job done problem solved..............

 

Great tip-like the two head gasket trick on my TR6.
Thanks! Looks like I may take the plunge today and buy it!

 

While noise could be any number of things, I would suggest this for your oiling problem: http://www.minimania.com/web/Item/MSSK050/InvDetail.cfm

 

The hardest part will be removing the roll-pin from the shifter linkage.

Spray the roll pin and connector with PB Blaster ahead of time to let it soak & loosen.
Put the car in Reverse to get access at the pin.
Then get a 5/16" punch (don't use a center punch, anything pointed, or a "something or other" you have laying around the shop. The roll pin has tapered ends and you'll just frustrate yourself under there. Get a correct sized, flat-ended punch. You'll be able to hammer it out in a jiff.
You can find a cheap set of oil seal puller/picks at any parts store to hook the old seals & pull them out.
Install Don's (Minimania's) kit and Bob's your uncle!

 

With a flat-end punch my pin drifted right out after like 4 hits - 10 seconds tops. I had to buy the tool, but it was like $8 IIRC. If you put the car up on ramps you'll have plenty of room to work, and work safely. I used the MiniMania kit and it fit like a charm - not a drop of oil has leaked out since (more than a year since I did the repair). They're so cheap, I'd just buy a second kit as a spare set and keep it in your bits box.

Just be sure to really seat the new metal O-ring piece - when I pulled mine out, I found that someone had actually replaced it at some point in the past with the Minimania kit, but for some reason they didn't use the rubber garter and they hadn't seated the O-ring in the block very well, so it just pulled right out. Doh!

 

Stick to two oil seals as there has been problems with tha ally with O-ring as If the surfaces outter surfaces of box is damaged then this will damage O-ring so with the two seal way you will be safer..........Now as for the whirring whinning this could your drop gears or sc/cr gears........you will not find this out unless you put a small camra down dip stick hole............good luck..........

 

Thanks for the ideas, as well as everyone else that has jumped in. Indeed there was no gaiter when I looked under there when I examined the car-just the rod going into a hole with oil coming back out. Though not being yet intimitely familiar with the classics, I still thought WTF?

So first thing when I get the car is to get under there and change that seal out, double up as a couple of you have said ( and Don gets paid twice!). I'll keep this message string for my reference guide. As for grabbing and pulling out the existing seal what sounds like is needed is a stiff long thingie that has a bit of a hook on the end to grap the o-ring et al and pull it back out, right? Can these get shoved all the way into the sump by mistake?