Hello All. I am new to the NAM forums, but over the past few weeks of lurking on these boards, I have learned a great deal of quality information.

Last month, I bought a ’08 MCS with 58k miles on it. Crazy, I know, but I got it for a song and the car is in great shape (and I have always wanted a MCS!) After research here at NAM, I knew the Inspection II was due and I wanted to do most, if not all, the work myself. Thus far, I have been able to change the oil and filter, replace the fuel filter (which I will have to make a new post about), put in new spark plugs, change the manual transmission fluid, complete a SeaFoam treatment, and install the BSH oil catch. According to what I have read, the serpentine belt is replaced as well during the Inspection II service. This past weekend, I took off the front-passenger wheel, pulled out the wheel-well cover and was all set to replace the belt, but…

I had printed Gerldoc’s great serpentine replacement How to guide, but I soon discovered the belt tensioner for the 1st gen mini’s are vastly different from the 2nd gen mini’s. Sooo… after searching the ‘nets and the forums here, I haven’t found a lot of information about anyone who has replaced their own belt and, what, if any, tools they used to lift the tensioner to slide the old belt off.

Thus my question: has anyone had experience with this that could offer some guidance?

The end nut on the tensioner, at what I assume is the fulcrum point, sort of looks like the ratchet in this tool (http://www.amazon.com/Lisle-59000-Ra.../dp/B0019CQL2E).

Thanks.

 

figure it out?

 

No, but I think it is just a matter of finding the right tool to leverage the arm up.

 

Any update? lol

Im trying to get sockets before i get it up on jacks lol

still looks like a giant 12pt

also looks like a good amount of stuff like the wheel well will need to come out i assume

 

take a 21mm wrench, using the 12pt side, place on bolt and using a bigger wrench for leverage, I used a 23mm. put the 12pt side of the 23mm over the open face of the 21mm closest to you and pull back, push the retainer pin in and no tension. GOOD LUCK!

 

the lower tensioner has a tab that needs to be pulled out of it to release,this tab does not fully come out. It just hangs from the housing. With using your hands you can push this back and release the belt and install the new on

 

Please post the "Gerldoc’s great serpentine replacement How to guide"

 

please post the Gerldoc’s great serpentine replacement How to guide

 

I think this is what you are looking for: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...tine-belt.html

 

That seems to be for a 1st generation...

 

Has anyone seen a writeup for an R56 with pictures on how to change the serpentine belt?

 

To change the serpentine belt on my 2007 R56 mini S turbo, I did the following :
1. Remove Passenger front tire.
2. Remove inner fender ( see pix from previous posts on different fastener types for inner fender)
3a. Using some sort of heavy screw driver or pry bar, push up on Upper tensioner pulley ( see photo named "1PushUpTensiopully.JPG"
It will be difficult to push up at first, once it starts to move, it will go with less effort.
3b. While the upper tensioner pully is being pushed up, have someone else engage the locking pin to keep it in place (see photo titled "2PinEngaged.JPG")
4. Once the locking pin is engaged, the belt will have no tension on it, but will still be held on place by the lower friction pulley. ( see photo titled "3frictionPulley releaseTab.JPG"
5. Pull the release tab straight out, it will sort of flop out on a little cable. As you pull the cable, it will allow the friction pulley to pull away from the crank pulley, and you will now be able to remove and replace the belt.
6. Once the new belt is in place, put the friction pulley release tab back into place, the friction pulley should just reposition itself against the belt.
7. Using pry bar, push up on the upper tensioner pulley. As you do this, the spring loaded locking pin will retract, and the tensioner pulley will return to its original position against the belt.
8. Replace inner fender and tire.
(note on the plastic expanding anchors, these can easily strip out. As you are turning the inner screw with the philips screw driver, you can use another straight blade screw driver to keep the outer portion from turning. You will have better luck extracting them in one piece.

I am rarely on this forum, but if you send a message to me, it should come through on my email, and I can try and answer any questions.
Good luck, take your time, and if possible have a few extra new plastic anchors to replace the ones you strip out.

 

by any chance, do you(or anybody) know if 07rider's procedure differs much on a non-turbo 56?

 

I have non constant foreign noise like knoking after belt replacement. what is it?
Maybe it is noise of tensioner till belt is new and hard? if I right understood the water pump drive wheel have coating like belt material. maybe I have any problem with it?

 

I am currently having the same issue. If i can find the problem i will let you know.

 

after belt replacement?

I was install not original belt - Bosch , because only it will available.

mayby problem with water pump pulley (rubber coating).
I was check coating - it is not smooth.

but noise isn`t constant(

PS: sorry for my english - I am Russian)

 

I was fix problem, reason was in coating of water pump pulley.

 

I replaced my belt today. The instructions above discuss pushing on the tensioner from the wheel well, which may work on a lift but I was only using a jack. I needed to remove the right headlight and loosen the hood lock carrier. At that point I was able to get the box end of a 30 mm wrench on the belt tensioner to move it and lock it to remove the belt. Other than that 07RIDER's instructions worked well for me.

I believe I had the original belt and replaced it @ 67,800 miles.

 

Palemud, I would suggest, if you plan on doing work on your MINI, you get yourself a service manual. The proper procedure for replacing the belt is spelled right out. You will need some basic tools, like a ratchet set, and a 30 mm open end wrench, to do the job. I did it in less than two hours, and, I am new at this stuff. I would also buy the new belt from a dealer. That way, you will know you are getting the right part. You would find it a bit upsetting to go through all the prep work, just to find that the aftermarket replacement belt did not fit correctly.

 

Did you remove the front headlight? I'm looking at replacing mine but don't want to touch my xenon's.

fyi, I would hope Palemud got his belt replaced by now....it's been two years since the op. :P

 

I removed my front headlight, yes. I had to loosen the hood lock carrier to move the belt tensioner.

Palemud probably sold his MINI by now.

 

Well, I just finished mine up a about an hour and a half ago. I was able to push the tensioner up with my pry bar and my wife pushed in the pin. I have a 12" pry bar and pushed up in the spot referenced in the 1st pic of post 12. I had my passenger side up on jack stands. I didn't have to remove the whole inner fender either, I was able to pull the front half back enough to give me plenty of room.

Nice easy DIY. I got the Dayco belt off Amazon for $14.58, and to my surprise that was the belt(original) that came off it too. The stealership quoted me $170 plus tax.

 

Oops. I guess I should look at posting dates. Lol. I did not remove the headlights. I just loosened them up a bit.

 

This is probably overkill since lots of posts on this topic but I thought I would add my $0.02. My procedure:

Parts needed:
- Serpentine belt
- Plastic expanding fasteners for wheel well cover

Procedure:
- Loosen right front wheel lug nuts
- Jack up right front & place jack stand, remove right front wheel
- Remove the wheel well cover (or bend it out of the way)
- Remove small metal plate in front (3 phillips head screws - one was removed for wheel well cover)
- Cut the old belt
- Release the AC compressor friction wheel
- Lift tensioner with floor jack and a pickle fork
- Push in the locking pin
- Install new belt ($10-$20 on Amazon), wheel cover, wheel (with expanding plastic fasteners as needed - I used antiseize to increase probability of reuse), lower the car and torque the wheel lug nuts.

I did this without using the Mini serpentine belt tool, or removing headlights and without an assistant to push in the locking pin. This can be done in less than an hour.

I'm posting this since I checked with various posts and procedures and this is an endorsement and only a slight variation of the "use a 2x4 to lift the tensioner with a floor jack" method.

Thanks to others who have posted on this topic previously.

 

I'm going to give it a shot with a 2X4 since I don't have a pickle fork (whatever that is).