@cjv2 thanks so much for the fast and very detailed response.
I am about to order but undecided on the Powerflex bushings.
Anything that introduces vibration of any sort will definitely be noticed and upsetting to me
I may settle on the GP3 mount ONLY which I believe is a slightly harder durometer.
Horrible to say but I will be selling the car within the next couple of years. I'd rather not sacrifice driving pleasure for a lifespan increase!
Where did you buy your parts from, if you don't mind sharing?
Also, I have loosened all headlight bolts after soaking with some WD-40. I will buy replacement bolts only.
Would you agree I only need to remove headlight, no RF wheel off, no raising of vehicle other than to support engine/sump?
Thank you.

 

A thought -- if you are using the auto stop/start, you aren't going to notice much in the way of vibration, because at many stops the engine is, well, stopped. That said, totally your call. In my case to be clear the vibration has not been "why is the car shaking?" so much as "something feels different -- oh yeah I changed the thing" and by the time the thought is complete the light has gone from red to green and off I go.

I have NOT noticed any additional vibration when in motion -- if there is any (physics says there must be), it's imperceptible when moving.

The GP3 mount purchase: I got smart and bought it locally, at a BMW dealership. Got it for just over $150 (and it is apparently still selling for about the same price). No shipping fees because I drove over there and picked it up.

The Powerflex mount original purchase: I bought the kit (PFF5-1321) at ECS Tuning.

General purchase thoughts:

• As I look around today, minipartsdirect.com is selling it for about $145, but will certainly add shipping/handling. Similar at Seattle MINI, selling for about $147 but shipping/handling will be added.
• If I were you I would buy both the mount and (if you choose to install them) the Powerflex bushings at an online shop that offers lifetime replacement warranty on both -- meaning if it goes kaput, you can order a new one, return the old, and they will issue store credit at original purchase price for the old. If you are not installing the Powerflex bushings this approach makes even more sense. Both ECS Tuning and FCP Euro do this, and both sell the mount. FCP Euro does not sell the Powerflex bushing kit. Pricing on the mount is a smidge lower at ECS Tuning.
• At the time I made my purchases, ECS did not have the lifetime replacement warranty program; if they had had it, I probably would have bought the mount from them on the same order as the Powerflex kit.

Installation thoughts and info:

• I believe there is a post in the forum about doing the upper engine mount replacement without removing the RF wheel. Though I appreciate it I would not take that approach. Clearances are very tight in that area and when I do things to my car -- any car -- I want as full access as I can get, as well as full visibility. At absolute minimum, not removing the RF wheel and fender liner leaves you with a visual blind spot in the one place where you otherwise have the BEST view. Just my take. I have popped the RF wheel and fender liner off and on so many times at this point I think of it like tire rotation (which I also do myself) -- a little annoying but has very specific benefits that make it worth doing.
  
• The factory headlight bolts are installed with Red Loctite. I believe I read that the WD-40 approach will cut through it enough; if I am recalling that properly, you're on a good track. I did not use WD-40 or anything else but I had vise-grips on those square nuts so I didn't wreck them, Regardless, I had purchased replacement bolts and replacement headlamp alignment units as part of the plan, and I used them. Replacing fasteners on a BMW is a best practice "thing" due to limits on the longevity of the originals (whether the result of re-use or not). I have no regrets about taking the approach I did. Speaking of which, if you haven't made plans to replace the bolts that hold the engine mount itself in place, plan to replace them. They are torque-to-yield bolts, aka "stretch bolts" -- meaning you don't just torque them to a spec, you then turn them an additional amount further (specified by BMW), stretching and distorting the metal of the bolts to obtain a specific kind/level of friction. The bolts are not cheap. Do it anyway; they hold your entire engine to the car.
  
• There are always shortcuts and better ways. I have learned the hard way with MINIs that shortcuts are generally not great. But if you land a shortcut that is, in fact, a *better* way (vs simply being *faster* or *easier*), all good stuff. Just bear in mind that BMWs have a way of letting you know -- later -- that you should have "done it the other way" and when that happens it is REALLY annoying

 

@cjv2 thanks as always, very good info and much appreciated!
I do not use the auto stop/start so engine keeps running at lights.
I will take your advice and pull off the RF wheel and liner.
I am ordering the (5) etorx bolts. I need to buy sockets, can you confirm they are the regular 'star' (E) sockets and not the 'Torx Plus (EP) please?
I'm with you on the tire/wheel rotations, makes a lot of sense due to the way the tires naturally wear. I do the rotations too.
Finally, I see conflicting info on the 90° rotation after torquing the bolts. Is it just the (3) that require this or the other (2) also?
Cheers

 

Re the etorx bolts/sockets -- I purchased the regular "star" (E) sockets. Have never used Torx Plus (EP).

Re the 90-degree rotation after torquing: good catch. Looks like it's just the 3 bolts that hold the mount to the cylinder head that have a post-torque rotation specified after turning.

 

That is perfect, thank you.
GP3 mount, bolts, clips, headlight screws, ordered, from Seattle Mini.
Order is flagged for mount not matching my VIN and unable to get hold of anyone.
Also unsure of when to expect delivery.
I kept (4) other items off the order and will request them separately to minimize holding this order up for possible out of stock parts.
Fingers crossed!

 

+1 to the above.

My added 2 cents: I am fortunate to have a BMW/MINI tech who attends the BMW track events I attend. He goes just so he can learn about problems that occur in these car. Track days can be very stressful on cars, BMWs/MINIs included and some unusual problems can come up. In talking about an issue (unrelated to this discussion) I was having with my JCW he interjected a comment about using the PowerFlex bushings and that they will be beneficial as they cut down on the flexing of the engine mount and it is that flexing that kills them. I expect even the best of these mounts will fail over time and the PowerFlex bushings will extend the life of of any of the mounts.

PS - No, I have not yet installed the PowerFlex bushings. I plan to get that done before spring when the JCW goes back on the road and hits the track. Still on the original one

 

Horrendous! I go through mounts every 6mo or so, even with bracing, inserts etc.

I am about to launch a completely redesigned motor mount which will solve everyone’s motor mount issues with these cars b/c there was nothing on the market that could address this sufficiently. Can’t wait to show you guys what I came up with

 

Replacing mine after 45k miles. Bought a GP3 one cause I'm stage 1. Hopefully it lasts.

I thought my CV axle broke. The upper engine mount tore off the rubber and the car is violently vibrating now.

 

With 400bhp, you probably trashed the mounts of at least two our regular everyday MINIs every time you started the engine on yours

Been conversing with a couple of folks in otherforumspace about how long these last after replacement. You actually just provided a big piece of the answer. Very interested to see what you've concocted!

 

As a follow up to all of the above, here are some of my thoughts:
- FR wheel and liner MUST come off, I couldn’t get the rear of the liner disconnected so flexed front and pulled it out of the way. Buy 4x replacement clips for where this reattaches to lower plastic deflector, nightmare to get old ones back in and yet to figure out how they’re supposed to function.
- Even after soaking in WD40 and loosening headlight screws, they were difficult as they lock up when the Loctite engages. Bottom one was a nightmare to get out, 2-1/2 hours. Had to undo washer bottle and force it out of way and struggle getting small vise grips on back side of square nut housing. Fortunately I have metric taps and dies. Instead of using the new screws when replacing light, I ran die nut down the old ones, tapped the old clips, and used my own red Loctite. This will allow the next person to remove them as it is not the same Permanent Thread Lock that was used by Mini.
- The headlight clips are a work of art, including a center bushing with left hand thread, which allows for headlight alignment. As I don’t have a PhD I never figured out how these were intended to work. I modified mine so as they are all now bottomed out (not Mini’s intention) but alignment appears good.
- DO remove underside engine cover as you need jacking access. I placed my jack directly under the sump (with wooden packer) but this was too far forward. Engine tilted backwards when I removed the mount so I then needed an additional jack further back.
- DO tap all required holes in new mount, but only 3 full threads or so. I used the GP3 mount. All standard metric threads are what is required, M6 as I recall.
- Engine mount is one heck of a struggle to get out, goes out from the side.
- DO buy the 2x clips with the plastic retainers, I guarantee you’ll not be able to re use the old ones, they disintegrate.
- Re-assembly was surprisingly easy (except 4x lower plastic trim rivets/clips). As previously stated, only the 3x bolts that go in the engine mount directly from the top need the extra 90 degree torque.
- DO NOT attempt this job if you do not have a very good selection of 3/8 drive tools, including a selection of extensions, and good technical knowledge. It is at an absolute minimum 5+ hours. The girl who does it on YouTube in 2 hours is an absolute megastar, my hat is off to her! Maybe it’s a full on track car with no lights, no A/C, no underskirts etc. If so 2 hours is possible.
- Good luck.

 

This is because the 4x lower plastic trim rivets/clips are not supposed to come out. The "lower plastic deflector" and the wheel liner are a single part as sold by BMW. Google up part number 51717319760 for visuals. To remove the entire part you have to remove ALL of the 8mm hex bolts anchoring the "feet" (aka "lower plastic deflectors" or whatever term one might choose). And even then, getting the whole thing out is a bit of art thrown in with the science. It's not intuitive.

I pulled those 4x plastic rivets the first time I removed the RF liner. Thankfully I did it in a way that let me put things back together -- after realizing that they weren't supposed to come out in the first place. FYI for folks who have run up against this and wondered. It isn't your imagination or lack of understanding that makes it seem like the rivets aren't supposed to come out in any sensible way. You can get them to, but that isn't the design intent.

 

That’s very informative, thanks for posting. I did remove the clips without destroying them and enlisted the help of my wife to get them back in. I obviously needed access to the back side in order to pull them through both parts, with a small pair of needle nose pliers. Makes a lot of sense what you are saying.

 

Thanks for the info, i figured on car with high HP and TQ and actually tracked you would go through them. Two MINIs that came in for R&D were both shot, but they had a ton of miles.

 

I installed the powerflex inserts to my upper engine mount. About 15k miles later I was looking at something in the area of the engine mount and noticed only one of the inserts was still in place. I had just been driving so the engine was hot, and when I touched the only insert it was soft and gummy. I looked closer and found out the mount was torn. I found pieces of the other inserts had fallen lower in the engine bay.

When I replaced the mount I filled the voids with polyurethane. I found a website called suspension.com that sells kits specifically for that. The kits have enough to the upper mount with a little left over, and they have different durometers to choose from. I used a medium durometer and it added quite a bit of vibration, so I would recommend the softer kit. I took a bunch of pictures when I was filling mine, so I could post a how-to if anyone thinks it would be useful.

 

Yep, same thing on the VW side, when people do our full poly VW HD mounts they do get a little steering wheel vibration.

 

About to be on my fourth one, third in the past three years haha -- any progress or timeline for this? I'd love to buy!

 

I am in testing phases right now, setup on the development car. Figure summer sometime, which isn't that far off. I will probably do a Group Buy for the initial run since there are a lot of people that have expressed interest in these when they release, more than I can afford to lay out for the initial run right now anyways. Anyone interested in jumping on the initial list for these, just send me a DM, I will collect the names and put up a group buy page on the website.

 

I just finished this job. I agree with these tips plus the earlier tutorial by CJV2. I bought 1/4" push pins at the home improvement store and used these to re-install the lower front of the fender liner. I would pay $50 to watch the MINI tech who did this job in 2 hours while the customer waited as posted much earlier in this thread! Working from home with a floor jack and hand tools, this was an all day event for me. BTW, I was quoted $1420 by the MINI dealer.

 

Guys - honestly I have never once had to remove a headlamp to replace the upper motor mount and I have done this job 4 times on my vehicle and uncountable times on others. Why are we making this more difficult than it needs to be? Just support the engine, take the right wheel liner out and begin clearing everything away as much as possible with regard to the mount itself. Then twist and move the mount around until it slips out the wheel well. You are welcome.

 

I have a theory as to what is contributing to this upper engine mount failing. It is related to this part (thank you FPC Euro for the picture):

The “dog bone” - the engine stabilizer link

This part controls the rotation of the engine under hard acceleration. Any rotation engine allowed by this part is going to go into twisting the rubber of the upper engine mount and this cannot be good. That mount already has to deal with multiple directions of movement (up/down, left/right, back/forth, etc). However, those movements are likely much smaller than the twisting motion of the engine under hard acceleration.

I was able to take under the hood video of the engine movement while driving, accelerating and stopping. You will notice that there is a noticeable amount of rotation of the engine when accelerating. A bit of a warning… I did no editing on this so it is a bit long and parts, like the beginning, look like nothing is going on. But in doing so it shows everything that happens when the car is being driven. This drive includes corners, stop signs, stop lights, hard 3rd gear accelerations, hard braking. You will notice that the engine hardly moves except for the hard acceleration.


Clearly the biggest movement of the engine under normal driving conditions that has to be accommodated by the upper engine mount is rotation. From this it seems that the failure of this mount has less to do with being a poor design than it has to do with the allowed amount of engine rotation and this is controlled by that dog bone.

A disclaimer: I have not yet checked whether that link on my car has failed or not. However, even if it has not failed I am going to buy a replacement and install the stiffer PowerFlex bushing in it.

PowerFlex bushing installed in the dog bone

That is my theory. Think about it. Replacing the bushing in the dog bone can’t hurt. But if it helps ….

 

Yep that lower could contribute to the flex, it was like that on Gen 1 MINIs also with their leaking passenger side mounts and 3 point FWD high engine movement motors.

 

I have a 2018, S convertible with 79k miles and I needed to replace the upper motor mount that had gone bad. The local Mini/BMW dealer quoted $1900. There is a Mini, Mercedes, BMW, Porsche service and repair shop fairly close there quote was $1100 and the manager showed me what would be involved to do the job and after his explanation I was happy to have them do the job.If I were younger and had a garage to work in I might have been tempted to try it myself but at 76s yr old and 90 degree weather ,it was worth it to have Factory trained mechanics handle the job.

 

Yep you can have a local euro place do it, nothing fancy, if you cant physically do it. Its not a really big job but a little hard to get into that location. I dont have an avrg time/ price for local shops to diy, so i dont know what people are quoting.

 

I don't know what angle you twisty-moved the mount around to get it out of there, but I tried that approach at length, convinced I didn't need to pull the headlight; finally gave up and removed the headlight. 2017 F56 S, FWIW.

Next time I'm going to do this, I will invite you over and feed you beer, and you can tell the MINI to more nicely cooperate with me.

 

I got this as a YouTube recommendation:

I suspect that you know most of this already, but I thought it might be helpful to others who might be thinking of DIYing this thing. It is interesting that the guy notes the same thing you did. The twist-move-stand-on-your-head etc to get the engine mount out worked on a prior job, but not on the MINI featured in the video. So, he does give an idea of loosening the headlight but not removing it that worked.

On a side note - I am a huge fan of the PowerFlex bushing for the lower engine mount. It has been in a while now and can find no downside to it. The improvement to drive ability is well worth and there may well be a benefit of improving the life of the upper engine mount.