The only way I see of changing that bonded on gasket would be to replace the drain plug. Not something I've done unless the hex is getting borked.

Now I believe the R56 uses a crush washer that has to be replaced at every change.

 

That is good news. Hopefully that is all it is. I take it in on Wednesday morning, so I should know something shortly thereafter. This will be my last trip to the dealer under warranty, so I'm hoping they look it over for any additional problems. The service advisor is a nice guy and goes out of his way to make people happy. Hope this hasn't changed since my last visit

 

I buy an oil filter and a drain plug for every oil change at Classic. Its only a $3 part.

Ive always been told to replace the gasket or washer on the drain plug with every oil change, and I still do it either way.

 

The mini drain plug is crap. The integral rubber washer can swell after time, and a 13mm head gets "borked" (love that word) very easily, especially if the rubber washer swells and/or the plug ends up gorilla-tight.

I replaced mine with a VW plug - the kind used from 1980-1996 or so (same threading, a whopping-big 19mm head that's about impossible to "bork", and a replaceable copper crush washer). I ground the VW plug down to the same length as the Mini plug just to be overly cautious, and super-cleaned it after grinding. I may use an oil-resistant rubber washer next time - we'll see. I had borked up the Mini 13mm head, even carefully using a 6-point Craftsman socket/handle after the previous mechanic (not me) overtighened the plug.

MAKE SURE NOT TO OVERTIGHTEN! 25 ft-lb (or 19) isn't much - it's tight-but-not-gorilla-tight with a 6" wrench, but if you're using an 8" wrench you're overtightening. You do NOT want to mess up the threads in that painfully-expensive ribbed aluminum oil pan.

Other than that issue, it's a relative pleasure to change oil in the Mini. The canister filter means about zero for the "messiness quotient" (if you break vacuum, then let it drain 5 minutes, then remove), and I can get at the drain plug even with the skidplate on. I use a small piece of "just-in-case" aluminum foil, shaped to direct oil away from the skidplate, but have never really even gotten foil oily. (say that 5 times fast). May go to a Fumoto drain valve sometime, but with the VW plug installed it's likely unnecessary. I can undo a 19mm plug every 5k and put the $25 toward Motoring fuel.

 

I'm thinking the rubber gasket gets squeezed & acts as a lock washer. I believe this compounds the bork factor.

That's a good tip on the VW drain plug. Now if one uses an R32 drain plug is it better than a GTI one.

 

You know, Autozone sells a replacement drain plugs that use a replaceable plastic washer.

I bet the have one for a MINI, its a rather common drain plug thread size.

 

Maybe when I run out of my supply of oem ones I'll get one.

 

The VW plug was maybe 1/8" longer and, having never seen the innards of the Mini's oil drain pan, I opted to grind 'er down to length. Most probably not necessary - and if not, there are VW drain plugs with really strong little magnets in 'em - a neat little add-on that's likely not necessary, but cool to think about. That's how I got the spare, there's a magnet in my wife's cabrio's sump plug, and the mini has the old one.

Good tip on the Autozone replacement - but both they and PepBoys don't carry a Mini replacement due to the integrated washer, and wouldn't match to thread size. A little research (basically, finding out both the VW and Mini use the same Fumoto plug SKU number) led me to the VW plug.

 

I got a 14x1.5 drain plug, with plastic washer, at NAPA when my $(#^% OEM oil temp sender stripped the (first three) threads out of my oil pan.

 

The Fumoto F-106 is a very common size .... implying the MINI is too

for complete list see

http://www.fumotousa.com/

IMPORTS PART #
Audi 80/80 Quattro('88-'92), 90/90 Quattro('88-'91), 100/100 Quattro('89-'91), 200/200 Quattro('89-'91) F-106
90/90 Quattro('90-'91 20 valve), 100/100 Quattro('92-'94), 200 Quattro('90-'91 20 valve) T-207
V8 Quattro('90-'94), A8/A8 Quattro('97-on) FG-8
S4('92-'94), S6('95-''97), Cabriolet('94-'98), A4/A4 Quattro(4 cyl.-upto '96), A6/A6 Quattro('95-'96) T-207
'97 & on, A4/A4 Quattro(4 cyl.) & TT(1.8L Turbo)--- *Require adapter ADP-207 due to recessed plug T-207*
S4('00-on), S6('01-on), A4/A4 Quattro(V6), A6/A6 Quattro('97-on), Allroad('01 & on) F-106
All other models F-106
Acura All V6 engines('96 & on oil pans with recessed plug require adapter ADL-106) F-106
All 4cyl. engines('99 & on oil pans with recessed plug require adapter ADP-106) F-106
Honda All models up to 1983 F-105
'98 & on, Accord(4cyl.), Prelude, S2000 require adapter ADP-106) F-106
'96 & on V6 engines require adapter ADL-106 F-106
All other models from '84 & on F-106
Hyundai All models F-106
Isuzu 2x4 Pup engines & 4BD1 truck engines F-105
89 - '91 Trooper II F-107
All other engines F-106
Jaguar '98 & on, V8 engines F-106
'00 & on, V6 engines F-107
Kia All models. ('00 - on models require adapter ADP-106) F-106
Lexus All models F-103
Mazda All models except '95 & on Pickups (see Ford applications for '95 & on pickups) F-106
Mercedes 560SEL, 560SEC, 500SEL, 500SEC, 450SEL, 420SEL, 400E, 380SE, 300SD, 300D(up to '85) F-109
300TD(up to '85), 300CD, 240D, 280E, 280CE, 280SE, 190D(2.2-up to '84), 190E(2.3-up to '84) F-109
560SL, 450SL, 450SLC, 380SL, 380SLC T-207
350 SDL, 300TE, 300SDL, 300SE, 300SEL, 300D('87), 300TD('87), 300CE, 300E, C280, 260E F-106
190E(2.6 & 2.3 - 16), 190E(2.3 - '85 to '93), 190D(2.5), 190D(2.2 - '85 to '89) F-106
All other modesl from '86 & on F-106
Mini Cooper '02 & on, all models F-106
Mitsubishi All models('01 & on Montero requires adapter ADL-106) F-106
Nissan All models from 1990 & on F-103
Peugeot 505 Gas Turbo F-105
307XS F-106
All other models F-108
Suzuki All models F-106
VW Eurovan('92 - '99 4cyl., 5cyl. Gas/Diesel engines) T-207
'98-'99 1.8L Turbo(Passat)--- *Requires adapter ADP-207 due to recessed plug T-207*
All other water cooled engines('99 & on oil pans with recessed plug require adapter ADP-106) F-106

Adapter required for oil pans with recessed oil plug.

 

Good call, Captain! Using my little Powerbook's "find" function, I see 21 other F-106 Fumoto entries in the above.

(Crashton: The preferred VW plug is from the 1990-92 2.0 liter 16V engine... that's what I had in my '91 GTI and 1990 small-bumper GLI. The plug from a 2.slow won't work. Oh, it'll fit and seal up just fine, but it makes the motor slower just by being there! )

Actually, some VW motors use a different plug (see above), don't know about the R32, but if it fits that plug WOULD make the car go faster. Add some vinyl and blingin' rims and NOBODY would catch you.

 

and 17 more on the US car page...some models of each of the big 3

 

It was the thermostat housing. Replaced and all is well. The oil leak was the valve cover gasket.

All replaced under warranty

 

All you guys are on the right track! Just wanted to mention we manufacture and sell the strongest drain plugs made specific for minis, check us out. We are here to help. We ship every Dimple plug with 2 new copper reusable washers which should last you for years. Put a dab of anti seize out of the tube onto the drain plug threads and torque or use common sense with a six inch wrench and life is good!! Good luck.

 

Randy, I wish I could send you a photo of how much oil spilled all over my garage floor after reading your directions. You would clearly see NOT A DROP!

Dude your oil change primer was perfect! I also appreciated the "lessons learned" from the others. Paricularly helpful was allowing the filter canister to come out 1/4 inch, and then wait 5 minutes. No spill whatsoever!

Thanks for your effort on this one.

JD

 

Yet another case where 1/4 inch made ALL the difference!

 

ok, i did all this hahah i had a lot of trouble putting the filter back on i put back on with my hands and i thought it already was tight so i turned the car on and the oil started comming out $@#% so i took it out i saw that the rubber band that was new was thinner so i had to put the old one back and use a wrench to put back the filter which was really hard to take out and to put back in because the lack of space in the automoatic

 

Hate to sound like a noob but when wrenching the oil filter canister OFF from the top of the engine bay, do you swing the handle towards the front of the car or towards the back? (I know the saying "lefty loosey, righty tighty" but I am completely stuck since the filter won't budge either way (guess I'm weak, heh))

 

test your wrench in your hand and the "lefty loosy" is correct ....

the canister CAN be tight and lefty loosy means you're turning toward the firewall if I'm visualizing/remembering correctly. (but once I do a lefty loosy wrench test I just GO with the FLOW)

Unlike any other car I've changed oil on...be prepared to use a wrench to tighten the filter canister as well

 

Counter clockwise. You may have to slip a piece of pipe over the ratchet handle to gain enough leverage.

I've found that the jack handle of my Harbor freight racing jack works well for that. Last oil change on a friends MINI I had to use it.

 

'toward the firewall' only if the wrench is on the right side of the canister. IIRC when facing the engine the wrench tends to be at 120-140 degrees, so I'm pulling away from the firewall...

 

"5 minutes" is the key. I waited about 1 minute and spilled all over the place!!

 

hey if someone need this info, I found it very helpful after changing oil yourself. "How to reset Oil change interval"
If someone else has post it again, well, twice don't hurt.

http://new.minimania.com/web/SCatago...0/ArticleV.cfm

 

Randy,
Big thank you on help with the oil and filter change, with your help made the change very simple.
Thanks again.

Dubee

 

I've had my "Winnie" ('05 MCSc) for about a year, so decided it was time to do an oil change. Had a discount code from Mini Mania so I ordered the Mann oil filter, replacement drain plug and air filter, which arrived quickly and went out Saturday morning expecting to spend an hour or so under/over/around Winnie.

Got her up on the jack stands and crawled underneath to pull the drain plug - and of course it wouldn't budge with the 3/8" ratchet handle, so I got out the breaker bar and proceeded to "bork" (what a wonderfully descriptive word) the head. Tried everything I had in the garage to get it loose, and came back in the house to search NAM for a solution.

10 minutes later I was headed to Home Depot to pick up a set of Irwin Bolt-Grips. Drove the 1/2" tool onto the now-round plug head, grabbed the hex on the bolt-grip with the biggest (18") crescent wrench I had, and finally broke the sucker loose.

Everything was uneventful after that, thanks to the instructions in this thread - thanks Randy.

This was the first time I have tried to get into the air filter, it was easy too - once I figured out that the cover just needed to be slid back toward the firewall to release the clips on the back...

I struggled a little trying to get the cover up high enough to pull the filter, until I decided to remove the intercooler cover, which gave enough room to raise the air box lid and slide the filter out, without having to remove the air hose from the front.

Great forum - I'd never get anything accomplished without you guys