Mine has gone out 4 times, 1st was differential. the second time and third time was shifter. Now the fourth time the final gear drive dlew up and shot pieces put the tranny on the freeway going 65....fun times. Also Mini Cooper refused to any more warranty services, and this all happened within 7 thousand miles... Great times. Now I rebuilt it and I haven't had 1 issue since. I'm buying a 6 speed soon and a fatty turbo kit so hopefully the getrag can take the hp

 

Hi, Isellem, don't know if you are still on here, but my '03 Justa made it 158,233 miles before Midlands blew up. Fluid loss doesn't appear to be the cause, it was full when I removed the Fill Plug. The Fill and Drain Plugs are magnetic and each had about an inch of fine metal shavings stuck to them in crazy radiating pattern. I found large pieces of metal in the pan that holds the differential. My only mods were a cold air intake, sport suspension and upgraded brakes.

 

I just finished rebuilding the Midlands from my newly-acquired R50 with 96,000 miles. I have been driving a BMW 318ti for 10 years and have always wanted a MINI, so I snatched this one up at a pretty good deal - knowing it had a bad trans. It had what sounded like bad bearings (scraping noises) in 1st and 2nd gear. Here's some of my notes:

• I replaced all the bearings except the needle bearings. Also did new output shaft seals, cover seal, input shaft seal and clutch arm pivots (only the lower, read-on)

• I purchased the parts from TheMINIpartStore.com, but any good online MINI dealer will do. No offense if they're a sponsor, but the MINImania kit is horribly overpriced. I paid about half of what they charge - for the same parts.

• I'd add to their kit's parts list:
- The shifter shaft seal (07131493755).
- The input shaft lock nut (23201037014). I reused mine, but as long as you're in there...
- The output shaft lock nut (23201037013)
I reused all the "roll pins" the rebuild manual says to replace. They tapped back in as tight as can be.

• I was not able to remove the upper clutch fork pivot bushing (#10) becuase the "anti rattle pin" (#12) was rusted into its bore so badly that I could not remove it. You can remove the lower bushing though once the input shaft and inpt shaft seal/guide is removed.
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...87&hg=23&fg=15

• For special tools I used:
- Harbor Freight 20 ton "H" shop press. This thing worked wonders!
- Harbor Freight 14 piece gear puller. You need a bearing splittler/seperator and this has one. I also used the silver colored arms in this kit to pull of the 5th gear gear wheel. I did need to grind down the silver arms a bit to make it fit under the 5th gear gear.
http://www.harborfreight.com/14-piec...set-30305.html
- Harbor Freight 10 piece bearing race and seal driver. Used it on various tasks, but I think you could get by without it.
http://www.harborfreight.com/10-piec...set-95853.html

If nothing else this project was a great excuse to buy more tools

• I followed the instructions in the R65U rebuild pdf floating around. It's quite accurate to the MINI unit with a few small exceptions. One, is that the MINI box doesn't have the speedo gear seen in steps 5-9 of disassembly. Two, is doesnt have the seperate 1st gear selector lever as seen in steps 16 and 53-56 of disassembly (and 41-46 of the reassembly section).

• None of the bearings I took off felt bad. They all seemed to roll smoothly and quietly with little to no play. I was hoping to find an actual problem. Something I could pinpoint the noise to, but no luck.

• Other special tools:
- #18G1593 (the segment ring remover). I used a needle nose vice grip, adjusted to the correct span.
- #18G1399A-1. (steps 79-84, reassembly) I raised my transmission housing on a few more blocks of wood and put a small bottle jack under there to support the input shaft as you tap on the 5th speed gear.

• Another reasembly note. On step #22-25 of the reassembly section, they show pressing the bearing on while it's on the bottom of the "stack" of gears. I highly disagree. There a few other gears and synchro assembly that want to fall down while you do that since they are not held to the shaft with a segment ring. I first tried it this way and my 3rd and 4th speed gears were jammed when I pressed the bearing on. I had to remove the bearing, order a new one (just in case it was comprimised pulling it off) and start all over. I suggest putting the 27mm socket (you can use many other sizes, I didn't have 27mm) on the press bed and pressing the bearing down from the top. Let gravity help you, not hurt you. The second time was a success.

• There was no need to disassemble the differential. All my gears looked good and turned smoothly. I did replace the diff output bearings.

• Watch those syncro assemblies! I had one "explode" on me twice. Those three ball bearings and three springs go flying. Only play with them in the box as the rebuild manual suggests to keep parts from flying into places where you'll never find them again. Thankfully if it does explode, it's not too hard to reassemble.

• I sealed the intermediate plate with Permatex Anaerobic sealant.

• I sealed my case halves with Permatex Ultra Gray.

• Filled it with a Redline MTL - same stuff I use in my E36 BMW. Found it at my local CarQuest for about $11/quart which was reasonable.

• Installed a new Victor Reinz rear main seal while I was in there. I think it was $17 from the AutoZone down the street. As a note, the old one didn't show any signs of leaking and had the Chrysler logo on it.

• I also installed a new Sachs clutch kit - purchased at RockAuto. The kit was made in the UK and the disc and pressure plate had the AP Racing logo printed on it, so we know who really makes it...

• Once all back together the transmission works perfectly! No noises at all. I do have to get used to the clutch though. The Sachs clutch I installed in my BMW has WAY more resistance. This isn't bad necessarily, just different.

• The gear shifter on the other hand is a mess in the MINI. It just has so much slop and gear selections have very little "notch". It's very smooth, it just has no feel. I'll need to address that for sure. I have a shorter OE M3 lever in the BMW and that gives a very firm, direct and notchy feel (in addition to strong spring resistance and centering from the Getrag transmission). There's no mistaking where you are moving the lever or where you have just put it. There must just be too many components in the cable system. They all add up to slop. I might try a short shfter - sounds like that helps.

• I should add that when I got my car one of the shifter cable end links was torn and jammed on crooked to keep it in place. I took it all apart, trimmed some of the rubber away, sanded the rubber surfaces and reset the end link in JB Weld epoxy. A few hundred miles in and it shows no signs of failure. This might be a part of a whole rebuild eventually of the shifter system. Too bad the shifter box and cable set is so damn expensive. :(

 

A bunch of pictures. Nothing instructional, just reference.

 

 

 

 

ME!!!! I did twice!!!!! They gave me a defective one at the dealer, and went out in one week! Ive had the car for less then a year it was very disappointing...

 

Just replaced the bearings in my wife's 2003 R50 at 52,000 miles. Like they said on the Mini Mania site, it sounded like a lolly stick in the spokes when driving. The culprit bearing seemed to be the roller bearing at the output end of the secondary shaft. One of the differential bearings also seemed a bit noisy when giving it a spin. 300 miles down now and no noises.

Also replaced the clutch/throwout bearing (Sachs), driveshaft and input shaft seals, shifter forks (badly worn second gear fork. Don't rest your hand on the gearshift lever), shaft retainers and shaft end nuts.

When the car was relatively new, we had an output shaft seal replaced due to leaking. I wonder if there is a connection. If the case is filled until oil comes out of the fill hole, there are only 1.5 qts in the tranny. The Bentley manual says capacity is 2 liters. A previous post says that when filled, the shaft bearings are barely in the oil.

Parts were sourced from ECSTuning (clutch), John Tee (bearings) and Sewell (seals, forks and other parts) Great service from all of them.

 

Mine just went at 125k, but I beat the living hell out of it!

Always look for the twistiest roads and absolutely love shifting through the gears.

1/8th Million! by jimmy_racoon, on Flickr

My dealer installed a new tranny and clutch wholesale so I dropped almost $5k.

Don't care since these R50's are classics to me...Motor on!

9 Minnesota Winters-still a beauty! by jimmy_racoon, on Flickr

 

I think my Midlands is dying after 80K miles and 11 years (2003 R50).

My trans has always had a "marbles in a can" rattle at cold temps since new, but the last week or so I've
noticed a mild to moderate fluttering (card in the spokes) sound mostly from 1500 - 3000 rpm in 2nd through 5th gears
related to engine speed, fading away at higher rpms, and louder in each higher gear and absent in 1st and reverse.
It dissappears at mid throttle (no load) but is there if I push on the gas or let off the gas. I'm guessing the input shaft
bearing at the 5th gear side is probably going, but that's just my guess. The oil level is full and in fact was flushed with
new MTF-94 at about 50K. There's no abnormal noise or friction just raising the front wheels off the ground and turning
them by hand in any gear, though.


I'm going to have someone local take a look and listen soon, but am seriously considering taking the plunge
and getting a 6-speed swap done, with a post 7/04 BKE remanufactured Getrag and probably a Quaife LSD as well.
I figure it'll cost a little more than twice as much as simply replacing the Midlands with another Midlands,
but it'll probably last more than twice as long and open up some other possibilities (header, aftermarket
head and cam) later on.

My only power mods so far are a Bluefin remap, a Milltek cat back exhaust, and a MiniMania cold air intake
(no longer made, but at least it's a true CAI, it doesn't pull air from the engine compartment).
I'm pretty sure that the combined hp from all three can easily be counted on your fingers.

 

Cristo, I would highly recommend the getrag swap along with the quaife lsd. It's pretty amazing! If you want a parts list or anything I can probably dig one up (my R50 was an '02, so I had to replace more parts than other R50s and I'm sure you probably will too.)

 

Thanks. I have the "fixing the weak link" article which goes over the vast majority of
parts needed.

I also just came back from my local MINI knowledgeble service place. The diagnosis
by sound while driving is failing differential bearings, which was confirmed by checking
it out on the lift and scoping it (I assume they meant stethoscope).

Next step is to get a little firmer estimate on the whole swap, including all the extra bits
and estimated labor and a quaife, using the Valeo flywheel rather than the dual mass,
unless someone convinces me of a better aftermarket option. Some "while we're doing
this" items will include the crank seal on the transmission side, and the water pump,
since it's the original 11 year old one. Also, I'd like to put in a header - anyone have
experience with the Milltek header on an R50, but I'm not sure yet if it's worth it?
Is there any noticeable improvement?
I just have a standard head and a Milltek cat back and a CAI intake.
What about durability, sound, and likelihood of setting off a CEL with the Milltek?
I do need to pass yearly emissions (visual and OBDII check in PA, no smog pipe test).

 

Well, I'm taking my MINI in late next week, and ordered over 40 parts for the
swap including a Quaife LSD and bushings, a Milltek header, and a water pump.
The Valeo clutch and flywheel kit may be almost as heavy as the stock
dual mass setup, but it's cheap and people say it works well and is durable.
No one could confidently tell me the same about any of the lightweight
flywheels and performance clutches.

 

My midlands died yesterday, third gear went out with a bang on the highway, so I'm looking into putting in a 6-speed.

Since you're ready to have it done do you have a list of parts I'll need that aren't included in the fixing the weak link article?

 

It depends on your model year. The older it is the more parts you'll need. Fixing the Weak Link is a fairly thorough list though.

 

I've got an 04 that was built in February, so close to the getrag 5-speed but so so far.

 

I don't know what you'll need, but on top of what this guide called for I also needed a new shift lug and new bowden cables. Also be sure to get 2 axle nuts, not just one. I'd suggest using a normal backup switch instead of rigging one up yourself, I found it was a lot easier.

 

Thanks for the reply, I'll make a note of those. Did you reuse your backup switch or does the 6-speed require a new one?

As far as tools go did you use the BMW special tools the article references?

 

It requires a new backup switch. I only used the special tool for centering the clutch since there's no pilot bearing. It depends on your budget too, the more money you spend on special tools the more time you'll save. There's probably diminishing returns in there somewhere, but I'm not sure where

 

Good to know, I'll add that to the list. I'll probably go the same route as far as special tools go and just take my time on everything (plenty of vacation time to use on this since my vacation money is going here too).
The article talks about air tools which, obviously, make things a lot easier but did you find them to be a necessity? I don't have access to any and I suppose I could rent some but I'd like to not do that if I don't have too.

 

Also thanks for taking the time to reply, I just want to be as thorough in my prep for this as I can be.

 

I did it with hand tools, again takes more time, but still completely doable.

 

Finally got my MINI back yesterday. I like the feel of the Valeo clutch.
The pedal is a smidge lighter than the one for the Midlands, but it engages
smoothly and firmly. It's really easy to launch (probably because it's heavier).
It revs in neutral just a little slower with the heavier flywheel, but with the
Milltek header, I do notice more oomph near the redline and only a little bit
more volume. The exhaust note is not objectionable or buzzy at all. I already
have a Milltek cat-back.
The firmer, notchier nature of the 6-speed in shifting is noticeable compared
to the Midlands, and I have to make sure I use a firm hand in first to second
shifts especially. I like the gear ratios. I'm glad I went for the later model
Getrag that is geared a bit shorter than the earlier ones. I haven't done much to
really test the Quaife's potential, but it's certainly daily-driver friendly and
unobtrusive in normal driving. I did end up with a few extra parts and the
modified list below reflects what I did and didn't really need.

Many thanks to Swedish Motors in Marietta, PA for handling this job, especially
Eric and Ryan. It took a while but they did a thourough and excellent job.

Many thanks to Way at Way Motor Works, from whom I got the header and
Quaife and bearings, and for his sage advice and knowledge.

Many thanks to Eric at Helix, who shared his time, knowledge, and good advice.

Also many thanks to Dave at ECS Tuning. They helped me through the order of the
vast majority of the parts and answered many questions and inquiries along the way.

Also many thanks to Otto's MINI near Phila, PA - they helped me find the
couple hard to find backordered parts in other dealerships' inventories,
namely Orlando MINI and The BMW Store in Cincinnati, Oh.



Part list for Midlands to 6-speed Getrag Swap:

23007574849 (post 7/04 G50-85B6TBKE 6-speed Getrag)
22316754422 transmission mount
07119904576 x 4 bolts for above
23117527716 reverse switch *
Wire to extend reverse switch harness
12527511315 rev switch connector
31607574850KT passenger side axle
31607574852KT driver side axle
31106773005 x 2 hex nuts
31607518264 lock ring *
23117509737 transmission bowden bracket *
23117572706 x 3 screws for above *
25117548431 shift cable
25117547371 other shift cable
21516777428 output clutch slave cylinder
21526759854 clutch pipe
21526774286 other clutch pipe *
21526759855 bracket
25117542693 shifter box
25117542272 ****
25117527267 base plate
25117527282 profile gasket
25117527283 x 4 screws for above
25117527266 x 2 clips
25117527285 x 2 clips *
25117527287 x 2 seals
ECS#2016305 valeo clutch/flywheel DM conversion
ECS#2650525 powerflex transmission mount inserts (optional)
11111492244 rear crank seal (optional but recommended)
12417570488 starter
23117551719 guide tube for trans/clutch *
24007513345 cover plate fror trans. near shaft seal *
Redline D6 gear oil (2 liters)

QDF38Z Quaife differential (optional)
SKF differential bearings x 2 (if using above)

* the parts marked by an asterisk were ordered but found to be redundant.
The transmission related ones came on the reman trans kit, the two clips
came with the shifter cables, the lock ring came with the reman axle kits and
the other clutch line was not necessary.

 

Speaking of clutch kit, I went with an ACT kit with a lightweight flywheel (got them from maperformance.com), and it was amazing. The pedal feel was a lot heavier than the Midlands but I liked it, I could tell EXACTLY where it bit.