Drivetrain :: Change Your Own Chain Tensioner
 

Just thought I would share a little.

background: I have an 07 MCS with about 64,000 miles. I had the cold start rattle originally checked out at 20,000 miles. They purged the oil and a few other things but not much. at 35,000 I took it in again. They preformed what was then the current SIM and got a measurement of 67mm. They swapped the chain tensioner only for PN 11317597895. The noise slowly came back though. A Month or so ago at 62,000 miles I took it back to the dealership hoping to get it taken care of with the updated fix. NO GO. They said the 2 year warranty was for the part they changed only and the rest was up to me. Mini no longer does good will repairs either.

So Here we are today. I ordered PN 11317607551, the updated part for measurements below 68mm. It was $32 shipped from Parts.com. I don't have the special tool to take a new chain stretch measurement. I don't have the ability to do the full chain and guides anyway so I took a gamble.

Here we go:

You only really need a few flat head screw drivers for the hose clamps, a 27mm socket and ratchet, a torque wrench, a torx driver for the air box and some muscle.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_n...0/DSC_0011.JPG
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink
Here I have moved the air box out of the way and removed some of the tubes. There is one last tube there at the bottom that needs to be removed.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_n...0/DSC_0010.JPG
The oily hole is where the chain tensioner was. It has a 27mm head on it.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_n...2/DSC_0008.JPG

11-31-7-597-895 on the left, new11-31-7-607-551 on the right.

Installing the new tensioner is a real pain. It took me about 20 minutes and I wasn't sure I was going to be able to do it. You have to compress it about 1/2" and turn it at the same time. I don't know if MINI has a special tool or what. I finally got very lucky and the threads caught. It come's down to hand strength pretty much.

Torqued the tensioner to 65nm and put everything back together.

I didn't realize how loud the old tensioner was even when warm. Hopefully I didn't do any damage driving with the rattling. It kind of crept up and I didn't notice it when the engine was warm.

nice job. Keep us posted on if you start to hear the rattle again.

Eric0919, thanks for posting your tensioner change. It takes some of the mystery out of exactly what the thing looks like and what it takes to change it out.

Very awesome, maybe even I can do this! MINI told me the same thing and said I was on my own for this. They were going to charge me $1600 to do this, looks like I can do it on my own for WAY less. Let us know if it fixes everything. :thumbsup:

I'm guessing the quote you received included the chain guide, chain, and other components that are replaced with the "full monty" fix -- a much more intrusive and complex procedure.

As the OP mentions in passing, if the chain is out of tolerance then the new tensioner on its own likely improves the situation but may or may not mitigate the latent issues. Some level of damage/wear to the associated components might still have occurred along the way. Whether or not that abnormal wear (if it exists) devolves into more serious problems down the road, even in the presence of the new tensioner, is anyone's guess.

BTW, the pics are great and most appreciated. :thumbsup:

Changed my own chain tensioner
 

Great post. I have an 05 MCS with 65K that is just starting to make chain slapping noises when cold, but only for a second. It ain't gonna fixe itself. This is incredibly timely.
Thanks,
WeaverNH
Nashua, NH

You are correct that I really have no idea of what condition the chain and guides are in.

As much as I would like to belive MINI when they say the sounds isn't causing damage I think it probably is. If the noise come back a year from now I'll have to get the full thing done. For now I'm very satisfied for $32 and 2 hours of my time.

This morning it was 37 degrees(though probably about 50 in the garage) and it sounded real good. Previously on a day like today I would have got the rattle 95% of the time for the first 2 min.

WeaverNH, being that yours is an 05 i'm pretty sure it has a different chain tensioner.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but from I see in the image at realoem.com(http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...24&hg=11&fg=25) this part simply pushes against something else (like a chain tensioner rail, whatever it's called). Is the problem that the old part is losing tension against that rail and this new part, which is obviously longer, is able to keep tension on the rail even when the engine is cold?

Either way, for under $50 this seems like a worthwhile fix for my rattle, as I'm at 75K miles and nowhere near having this covered under warranty.

How did you know to order PN-11-31-7-607-551? Parts.com lists that as a BMW number and realOEM doesn't list that part at all, they still list the old part number.

how come this isnt in the how tos

Any updates Eric ? I'm getting ready to swap one out on my wife's 07 Mini S with 38,000 miles on it. Its pretty loud especially when cold started and has sat for several days.

Thanks for the info, otherwise I to would have been at the dealer's mercy.

Changed mine out last week. Was very easy to do. I actually had no problem getting it back in, which probably means my chain was stretched more than the OP. Really, this is as easy as removing a hose, take out a bolt and insert new bolt. My car runs like butter now.

This is what the chain, tensioner, guides and sprockets look like removed from the engine.

Attachment 170405

This is merely a simulation, for visual reference only.

The next image shows the location of the dipstick in relation to it's passage through the chain guide.

Attachment 170407

[QUOTE=eric0919;3275804]Just thought I would share a little.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_n...2/DSC_0008.JPG

11-31-7-597-895 on the left, new11-31-7-607-551 on the right.

Installing the new tensioner is a real pain. It took me about 20 minutes and I wasn't sure I was going to be able to do it. You have to compress it about 1/2" and turn it at the same time. I don't know if MINI has a special tool or what. I finally got very lucky and the threads caught. It come's down to hand strength pretty much.=QUOTE]

<<<< Replaced mine today. The new updated tensioner caught the threads with no problem or any pressure at all required to get it started. No rattle at start up, after sitting over night / cold. Idle sounds like the normal Mini. The clickity clack of direct injection.
Word of advise. Have a six point 27mm socket before starting. 12 pointers won't work. And preferrable not a deep well. Its a very tight area to work in. If your socket is a thick walled one, it will not clear the sensor next to it.>>>>

Can't find P/N 11317607551 on parts.com OR realoem...??
Anybody? OP said he got this from parts.com, but it doesn't seem to exist.


Edit...
Just found P/N 11317607551, but under BMW instead of MINI....
ITEM...........MSRP... CORE.. PRICE
11317607551 $22.79 $0.00 $19.14
CHAIN TENSIONER

Is this it? It is indeed a chain tensioner.. but curious to OP where he found 11317607551 from...

Yes, that is it! Not sure how he found it. So far OP has not revisited thread for answering questions. Should total around 32 bucks after shipping. Cheers...

Need to check with another dealer. My dealer told me it was only 1.5 hours labor and the parts were about 300 bucks.

Perhaps they were doing something else also?


Mark

^^That still is not that terrible considering that if you don't fix this problem it will cost you thousands to fix the engine when it craps out. With that logic it is completely worth it regardless.

Good point!

I am VERY interested in this post, as I'm hoping to do the same thing for my 09 Clubie, however I have searched for the tensioner on Parts.com and BMW sites and cannot find it. What am I doing wrong??
Also, has anyone heard back from eric 0919 as to the outcome? is all well? My car has started this noise and IF I can fix this issue I'd sleep better.

read my post from a few days ago, i just went through this. its listed under BMW and not MINI on parts.com

Thanks Eric, I did read your post, and tried to find it as stated, this is what i found:

"No Parts Found"
This was for the P/N11317607551 under BMW on parts.com. But thanks for the reply, hows your fix working for you?
I'm not a newbie on the computer or around cars, however I was hoping for some direction with what I might be doing wrong in my search for this part.

Thanks for your reply.

changed mine the other day in like 15 mins in an autozone parking lot. Super easy and super straight forward.

Car sounds so much quieter throughout the power band and in shifts.

tensioner replacement
 

I just want to thank Eric again for posting this thread, it's excellent and will save a lot of us time and money for the first step of the rattle issue.

I found the part at Parts.Com, but had to go though their BMW warehouse, just to confirm they still carried them. And then though the online customer service people to find, then order the tensioner. It's a quite a process, but with help I did it.

I feel it's important to also point out that the TSB for cold start rattle states that the tensioner P?N 11 31 7 607 551, is NOT to be installed with a NEW timing chain. There is a different one if the whole works is being changed out. So again, Eric is spot on with the part and type of fix he has led us to! Well done!

Final note I also agree this should be in the How To section, it's a great post.

I had my mechanic friend change out the tensioner for part number 11317607551 from parts.com... $19.14 plus shipping.

The rattle is completely gone now. A few days later the check engine light came on for code P0012, which is A camshaft possition, timing over-retard. I cleared the code to see if it would come back and it hasn't. Maybe the mechanic nocked the sensor or something, because the car is running great, even at idle. If the timing was over-retarded, I think the idle would be messed up.

We'll see what happens in the long run.