I was real glad to have picked one up a few years ago, it only had 30 K on it, but i wanted it all re done. It was worth it, I had lost the oil on the PTO side on the unit in the car. The engine now runs so much smoother and is quite with the new unit and water pump, temps stay around 188 to 194 on the highway in 90 plus heat

 

Just got mine serviced at Greasy's Garage. They took out the SC, replaced the water pump and check the oil in it. Mine still had oil but it was really dirty. H then dumped and cleaned it putting new oil back in and sealed it up. It runs like new now and as you said, the temps look better. I highly recommend getting the SC serviced if you are high mileage. I know my SC will last a lot longer now!

 

Red plastic grommet/retainer for PCV vacuum line source.

My clip was damaged and did not survive removal. As stated in this thread, MINI sells it as part of the charger unit only, which makes it rather expensive. Digging around, I found that Dustin at Auto X Cooper has found a good replacement on a Rover. Watch the video:

http://autoxcooper.com/mini_cooper_s...ld_service.php

 

Daflake what was the cost?

 

Holy crap. Thanks for that. I broke one of those goddamn red clips the last time I did the S/C oil change, and I called the local dealer to ask for a replacement, since I was able to take out the whole clip (even the part that goes into the intake pipe). They charged me the price of a new intake pipe, so I said "screw it."

I just mickey moused it with a glob of RTV and let it dry overnight. This is still pretty damn expensive for a little piece of red plastic, but I'm willing to spend the cash to make it right.

It's at least better than paying $100 for the intake pipe.

 

My take on this is don't get too paranoid. I got scared after reading all of the horror stories on this and was very close to getting a replacement Supercharcher since my car had 98000 miles on it. I took apart everything to get to a leaking seal on the block ( where the water pump is on a standard cooper). I took off the SC and looked inside. As far as I can tell, all the oil from the day the car was made was in there, and the gears were pristine. I changed it since i was there.
All this to say, my guess is 90,000 miles might be a reasonable time to change the oil, but may not even be nessisary then. I think this forum may bias one to think there is a high chance of the oil seepage and thus failure.

 

Got mine done in conjunction with a lot of other items like my transmission and a new fan module so I can't remember the actual cost. That being said, you could call Pete to find out.

 

Any suggestions on who's the best in the Orlando / Gainesville area to have their SC serviced?

I'm about to hit 90k, and the SC never crapped out or crapped up enough to get it swapped or serviced under warranty. Reckon that's a good thing

Side question, any downside to a lower temp thermostat? Ive heard of 150 degree, anything between that and stock? Any reason to go to 150 vs say, 170?

 

The reason why such practice is considered obsolete these days is that systems like the ignition system are wired so that they will only work at their best if the engine stays at a specified temperature range. This means that if a different thermostat is used, fuel efficiency could deteriorate. Apart from that, there are other things that could seriously go wrong.
In today's car, the temperature of the coolant is being used as a sort of a trigger for different processes. For example, when the engine is not yet warm enough, the thermostat will not open up to allow the entry of coolant from the radiator. When the temperature reaches the normal operating temperature that would be the time when the coolant will be circulated through the radiator.
Apart from that, the temperature of the coolant also tells the onboard computer when the engine has reached the normal operating temperature. The computer then adjusts the amount of fuel fed into the engine or how lean or how rich it is. Operation of the EGR valve is also controlled by the ECM with depending on the temperature of the coolant. Firing the spark plug is also another computer-controlled operation dependent on the temperature of the coolant.

If you replaced the proper thermostat with a cooler one during summer, the coolant level might not reach that temperature when the computer would tell the ignition system to adjust the amount of fuel fed into the combustion chamber.
On the other hand, if a hotter thermostat, it could trigger operations prematurely which could negatively affect the operation of the engine. For instance, the engine might not be hot enough but the thermostat already opened up to allow extra coolant from the radiator and the fuel injected is too lean; one might have trouble starting the vehicle.

 

I've got 192 on mine with the original SC oil. Wonder what the inside of mine looks like.

I do have 2 bottles of GM SC oil that have been sitting on a shelf in my garage since I cracked 100k. Thanks for the how-to when I finally get around to changing it out.

 

Is the AC Delco SC oil comparable or the same as the GM SC Oil, part # 12345982? It appears to be, but I'd thought I check with the experts here. I just received my order from Ebay...

thanks

 

Yes it is. No worries.

 

Going through my engine right now and it's much easier just to take the front of the car apart to access everything; great write up.

 

I broke that red clip, what's that kit it
Comes in?

 

You should really read through the thread. Lots of good info if you are doing this job. Check post 53.

 

Here is the part on eBay

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LAND-ROVER-F...WNASIF:US:1123

 

For future reference http://www.roverparts.com/Parts/LZN100220LG.cfm has the part at a lower price and offers way faster shipping if needed

 

So how concerned should I be. In the middle if this project as we speak and It looks like the water pump side was bone dry. The car has 79000 miles on it. I hadn't noticed any noises prior to doing this, just thought it was a good idea.

What do u guys think? Anything I should look at to determine if there is any damage?

Btw - awesome write up. Lots of work but relatively easy.

 

Do the gears look damaged? If not, you might have caught it in time saving yourself some serious coin.

If it looks anything like this, you have an issue.

 

I was concerned about opening that part of the sc since I don't have a replacement gasket. Is the one that goes there reusable?

 

The mech (Greasy's Garage) that did mine used grey RTV (very thin) to seal it back up. If it is empty you are going to have to open it anyway as the seal has probably failed.

Not sure where you are in CT, but Greasy's Garage is up in Worcester Mass and many folks travel from your area up to see him. Worth the drive if you need MINI stuff done.

 

Eaton calls for an anaerobic sealant for the casing. I recall someone here recommending a product from Yamaha, but I can't find the post/part number.

As others have said, if it's out, best to pull it and check/refill it.

 

Thanks guys. I opened it up and fortunately everything looked in good condition, just with VERY little oil. Consider me the poster child for this maintanence. My mini is now 10 years old with 79000 miles and I was just about bone dry. Figure some point this motoring season I would have been stuck on the side of the road. I strongly recommend this project if you're up for it.
While I was at it I changed the water pump,thermostat, radiator hoses, and added a Detroit tuned bypass valve. My theory is that if you are in there, you may as well address other common failure parts given the age of the car. Total cost was barely $200. Well worth it.

Btw - I'm thinking the oil issue has just as much to do with the age of the car as it does the miles.

 

Yep, at 92000 miles I decided to have mine done. It was full, but the oil looked dirty so it was still a good idea to change it.

 

Thank you for this excellent write up. Once the weather is really nice on one of theses weekends I think I will be doing this. I will for sure hold off on installing my new pulley until after I change the oil.