Heck I'll sell you a used 6spd trans, shift cables, trans mount, clutch line, clutch pedad kit for $1600, and I took it out of the car so I can tell you history of the part. I've got 5 MINI's we are parting out.

 

Excuse Kalvin...He shouldnt even be in this thread....he doesnt own a R53....he THINKS he does.... I got my 06 S tranny with 2k miles on it off of ebay for 1050 shipped.....

 

How much for a complete S motor Way? Dont MSRP me either...

 

Do you happen to still have those cables, or another set? I'm doing the swap and need cables still. Do I need a different shift lug or am I fine with the non S part?

 

Way motor works, you have me smitten. The company headquarters i work for is in ATL and sooner or later me and my lady plan on heading out there for business. When that day comes i plan on paying you guys a visit! wishing you good & steady business til that day comes!

 

You just need both cables....

 

Awesome, thanks I can't tell you how disappointed I was when we hooked the cables up and neutral position was 3rd for the shifter and we couldn't move it out very far before the head on the larger cable hit a radiator line.

Well I guess it's off to my local BMW/Mini dealer I go

 

Any advice on getting the old bowden cables off of the shift lug? We're having a heck of a time getting them off.

 

Got the cables off using a 12mm and a 13mm wrench, thx for the advice UKSUV!

Found that I will need a new shift lug though :(

 

Anytime. Its been awhile since I did that but I thought it was a 12mm. Why do you need a new shift lug? You dont need one....

 

I am in the process of changing out my trany. What is the trick to getting the cable loose from the shift levers. I made a tool like the tool mentioned in the Bently manual, and the BMW TIS instruction, and it worked on the transmission end just fine. There does not seem to be much to pry against on the lever end. I don't know how much force to use without breaking something.

 

I'll post some pics tonight after work, maybe I'm just doing something wrong :P and MiniMacster, refer to my previous post

 

Sounds like it might be worth doing if on one's own dime. Glad mine was covered under the extended warranty. I drove it in on Monday and the car was ready to go on Friday.

 

So we bled the slave cylinder tonight and there's barely enough pressure to get the pedal back up :( and definitely not enough to actuate the lever (slave piston moves maybe a cm)

The pedal is soft but not spongy, no bubbles are coming out while bleeding and fluid comes out immediately when pushing down the pedal and stops as soon as the pedal hits the floor. Any thoughts?

 

I was able to get them off using a 13mm wrench and my home made tool. Got everything back together except the battery box, airbox, and front trim. I should have it back on the road this weekend.

 

Everything is in and my Mini is back on the road! Thank you very much for your help UKSUV! Last thing I need to complete it is getting the new shift boot on (waiting on shipping) my old one was damaged anyway, so this was a good excuse for a new one

I've gotta say that the ACT flywheel, clutch, and pressure plate I put in are amazing!

 

Anytime homey! Lmk if you ever have any other questions...I know this damn car inside and out...

 

My 54,000 mile 2003 R50 seemed great for the first month I owned it, then the transmission started clicking, and it got worse by the day. Uh oh!

I ordered a minigearboxes.co.uk/minitransmission.com rebuild kit from eBay ($420 + $100 shipping) and spent a few hours every other day or so for a few weeks on it. It's big, time consuming job, but no part of it is particularly hard. Mostly it takes lots of planning to make sure you've got all the tools and parts lined up. The actual rebuild of the transmission is fairly simple, since the kit is a total replacement of everything in the case. Make sure you find and download the Rover R65 manual (Google r65ue.pdf). Total cost was about $750 in parts and about $250 in new tools.

I got it all put back together and took it to Fat City to get the alignment done, and now it seems fine. Should I have bagged the Midlands and gone straight for a 6 speed? Time will tell. So far so good...

 

YES....YOU SHOULD HAVE. You could have done the swap for 1500 bucks searching around for all the parts. Yes, its double but 1500 bucks is well worth it. I absolutely love the 6 speed and gearing and its the best mod I have done....hands down.

 

1500 is highly optimistic. Possibly if you only installed used parts: used axles, used starter, and a non-rebuilt 6 speed. There's a used 6 speed on eBay at the moment for $1045, and that's with 100,000 miles. If your 6 speed is rebulit, or you're buying a rebuild kit with it, and you put in fresh axles, at least, it comes out to more like $2,000 to $2,500.

Even at that price, it's a worthy upgrade, and maybe I should have gone ahead and done it. I just didn't want to go that far. Oh, and it makes your car about 150 pounds heavier, which is not something the non-supercharged engine can easily carry around.

 

There's an extra 33# for the 6 speed (106# vs. 73# midlands)
and 10# for the MCS flywheel if you use that instead of a lightened one (28# vs 18#).
Not sure where the other 107 # increase would come from, although there could be
some small difference in weight in the starters, axles, transmission mounts, clutch disc,
shifter components, and clutch hydraulics. I don't have any weights handy on those items.

 

The transmission is heavier in the order of what Cristo says. I weighed mine dry on a bathroom scale (the new one) and I remember 105# I weighed my Excedy single mass conversion flywheel at 21# bare. Obviously the pressure plate and friction disk are heavier, but we are talking ounces. The starter is basically the same, but with a different pinion gear and offset. The transmission mount bracket was larger, but is cast aluminum. I didn't weigh it but would say we are talking ounces again. I believe the 6 speed actually uses LESS fluid, but I don't have my Bentley in front of me now. The axles are heavier, though, and I have no idea how much, but that, like the flywheel, is rotating mass. I think the big difference is in the fact that the R53 has the battery relocated to the rear, balancing out the extra weight of the transmission somewhat, although that's partially offset by the supercharger setup. None of this really mattered to me, as my car is a commuter, pure and simple.

I really do wish I took the time to measure all of the components, so I could answer with authority. But the overall difference could not possibly be more than 45 pounds with the flywheel I used. Probably closer to 40. Better snow traction :-D

 

OK, my bad. One fifty is closer to the overall difference in curb weight between the R50 and R53 , ~160 lbs,which isn't really relevant.

 

My '06 non-LSD 6-speed I installed had only 2500 original miles on it and I found it for $1000 shipped. I found the axles, starter, cables, trans adapter for $200. My clutch and flywheel was a free gimme and I have been rockin it with no slip for 35k miles. Although the starter finally went out which only cost me $100 for a new one. So yeah....$1200. And I did the swap years ago.

 

Rest assured that if I see a bona fide 6 speed with 2500 miles for sale for $1000 shipped, I will buy it on sight.