can the main bearing ladder be removed without pulling the tranny? say yes pls.

 

Technically, yes. But,

 

yeah ; just got a good lesson from kheuvo . in short "don't do it"! let the bearings wither on the vine . then spend the money down the road on a machine shop capable of lining all up perfect . yes the factory has put pins to align it ;but he 's got the experience , so i'm gonna listen . i'll go as far as rod bearings if needed .

 

To remove the crankshaft with the transmission case in place the flywheel must be removed from the crankshaft’s rear end but because the transmission’s input shaft inserts within the clutch fingers there is no wiggle room. Even without the input shaft to hang-up on there is sill no room to cant the flywheel & pressure plate combo without separating the gear case from the cylinder block.

One of my cautions is this, without meticulous treatment of the support ladder and cylinder case mating surfaces there is a risk of inducing leaks, case sealer has its limitations and can increase bearing tolerances if not done correctly.

If the support ladder is to be separated it would be advantageous to address oil return and feeder passages on both halves of the case. While the crankshaft is out, the oil feeds on the MINI crankshaft (crank pins) have inconsistencies that can be cleaned-up to ensure proper lubrication for the rod bearings; these are things better left to a professional engine assembly shop.

I don’t know herbie’s skill level so I may been off base with my recommendation but my advice for herbie hind was to “keep things simple”, hone the cylinder wall, replace the rings, and connecting rod bolts. I wouldn’t replace the rod bearings (plain bearing shells) either, unless they were completely shot, because these have worn-in. An added tip, our connecting rods are “cracked” so the rod end has to be returned exactly as it was removed.

 

you gotta love a v8 .

 

they should make a really small v8 for these . that would be power .