Hey NAM!

So I've been thinking of selling my R53 recently.....just teetering on the edge of pulling the trigger and getting rid of it. I've had it since '07, and had a ton of fun with it but feel that maybe it's time to let it go. As you can see in my signature it's got a TON of work done to it. Recently the thing that's been driving me over the edge is the clutch slave. It seems that nothing on these German made MINIs is easy to work on. I've worked on American muscle my whole life and never had the struggles that I have with this.

What are some thoughts out there from the SPHERE? Should I pull the trigger and sell or just take it to a shop, get the slave fixed and keep it?

BTW, owned outright since '09 also if that's a consideration I feel like I've gotten my money worth.

 

Looks like a nice car, but if you're ready to move on, you're ready to move on.

Having wrenched on a Jeep Grand Cherokee for some time, I am not sure it is any simpler, but it certainly was more frequent (focus on "was" cuz it's gone...) Food for thought.

 

Usually the lower slave is the culprit. The "input" slave at the firewall is the more difficult one to replace.

And it looks like you've done a ton of good modding/work so far.

Be a shame to let that all go.

 

Fredoin - I've got a Jeep SRT, a '70 olds cutlass, '93 yukon, and a '77 chevy k10 and I can say that by far that the mini is the biggest pain to work on out of all of them.

Raven - I have done a ton of work to it, that I can confirm. I'm about ready to just drop it off at a shop and say fix it....if I can even drive it there. Any tricks on bleeding the lower? I feel like I've tried it all and get nothing.

I think my wife said it best when I couldn't drive the car for almost a year due to an ankle injury, and she thought that it sounded like I kind of lost interest. I've always told myself that I'll never sell a car but the frustrations that I've had with my MINI recently are driving me up a wall.

Seems like one little problem after another for some reason.

 

Hi here is my 2cents. I have owned a ton of cars including 14 porsches of different models, and NSX and a bunch of other stuff. I had a R53 and an R56. I now have an R52 with 86k on it. I have done a ton of work to it. The thought has crossed my mind once or twice to sell it but out of all the cars I have owned, the mini and esp the R52/53 have always been the best bang for the buck. If you own it clear and it isn't going to break the bank to fix it and (a BIG if) if you don't have an itch for something else, I would say repair it and give it a bit to see how you feel. The worst that will happen is you list it as another item fixed when you sell it an keep with sale price up so you get the money back. Every car is eventually going to need work just like a relationship. (wife just slapped me) Out of all the cars that I have had the mini has been the one I always wanted back. Now that I own my out right I will run it until I replace the engine then run it some more. It really comes down to a love vs cost with the mini.

 

Yeah I hear you....bang for buck it's not a bad car. And owning classic cars as I do I understand upkeep and what it takes to keep older vehicles on the road. But the German parts on these things aren't cheap, and don't seem to have the longevity of parts that I'm used to.

 

I'm having issues with my slave cylinder as well. I had a shop replace it and they can't bleed the system right so it grinds trying to downshift. Now it is leaking the fluid and I am afraid to drive it at all. It is going to Schomp Saturday (I live the Denver area also) since they are the experts. Well I hope they are! I am frustrated as well! Good luck with yours!

 

Milehi - I'm trying the method of using a 2x4 to leave the clutch pedel compressed and see if it will bleed itself out that way. If it's not better when I go home I'm going to limp it to German Import Car Care near my office in Centennial. I wouldn't go to a MINI dealer. Go to a place that works on MINI's.

Problem with my car is that I'm up to about 107000 miles and now know that I'm going to get nickled and dimed for all sorts of little things that go bad.

 

I didn't know German Import worked on MINI's? You are talking about the place on Jordan just south of Arapahoe, correct? My MINI only has 38K miles and has been a lot of trouble so far :(

 

Yeah....thats the place. Spoke with him this morning. One of the other guys in my office gets all of his German cars worked on there....from BMW, Porche, and VW. He's really good and well respected in the area for his work.

 

Funny thing is I have had him do work on previous cars that were VW and BMW. Never thought he did MINI also! Thanks for the tip!

 

So what issues have you had on your car at 30k already?

 

I think resale value will be higher after you fix the clutch.

I plan to keep mine forever, but that's me.

I think it was pelican parts that had a good write up of how to properly bleed it, compressing the slave piston, etc. You might mention that detail to your German Import shop -in my experience it's one of the things that makes working on MINI's a little different.

 

I bought the car a few months ago with 37K on it. Since then I have had to replace the slave cylinder, clutch, all rotors/brakes/sensors, third brake light, passenger seat sensor, and did fluids since I wasn't sure when they were last changed. I think someone before me didn't take care of it properly. I was told at the last shop that since I couldn't downshift into second only (all other ways work properly) that I need a new transmission as a synchro is out. This issue started once he replaced the slave cylinder and not before. I suspect there is air in the line still which is why he couldn't bleed it. I now have a puddle of what I think is hydrolic fluid under the car in the same area so I am hoping that it is either a bad slave cylinder or a cracked line somewhere but I don't know these German cars very well! I do know my older German car well (a '62 VW) but that one is much easier. If it is the transmission I might be giving up on the car. What do you think since you have worked on yours?

 

Yeah I had to do the 2x4 method too. Total BS IMO as it should / could have been done right first time before I drove off. It's not a 4o yr old damn John Deere tractor....

Next time dealer will do this repair since it would seem they have the proper tools/fix for this job.

 

Yes, leaking hydraulic fluid is definitely either a cracked line, or leaking cylinder. No way to tell from here.

I had an early water-cooled VW Scirocco once -replaced virtually every part of it. Sold it after I lost much more fuel economy than I expected after putting a different cam and throttle body on it. Wish I still had it today, if for nothing more than weekend drives. MINI is the only car I've ever had that's equally if not more fun -I'm not letting it go! Even if it comes to spending $5 to $8k on a whole new engine.

I would hope that the 2nd gear synchro would last more than 37k miles, but if it has been beat on by a previous owner, or driven a lot with a clutch that doesn't disengage completely then.... Who knows. Fix clutch leak first, it's cheaper.

Be sure to keep an eye on fluid level, the reservoir is shared for the brakes too.

 

So if the 2x4 method didn't work what was this trick that finally got it fixed for you?

 

Man.....sounds like you've had quite the deal of work that you've had to do to your set of wheels there. I agree that older German cars are much easier to work on....I mean, 20 min to change the engine in a VW bug. Try that in a MINI and watch things expode

 

I didn't know it shared the brake fluid so will certainly check that out before driving it again. The throwout bearing was toast when the clutch was replaced so could that have masked a bad synchro? The issue of not being able to downshift into second only started after the cylinder went out (near the top of a 14K foot mountain which was not fun getting home!).

I agree though. The car is a blast to drive and it's been really hard to deal with all of the issues since it is a lot of fun. There is a picture of it in my gallery now. Thanks for the help.

 

Yes, I've had a bad few months with this car!

Maybe, just maybe, it only needs bleeding or a line replaced and the synchro issue is resolved. Not sure what I will do if it is the transmission.

Sorry to hijack your thread. Since mine has only 38K miles and yours 107K I would think we would be talking about your car, not mine!

 

No worries....hijack away! I joked with my wife that I was going to leave it up by 5 points. It'd be nice if things would just work as planned sometimes thats for sure.

 

Maybe I'll join you on a trip to 5 points! I might need a tow there though

 

Well interestingly enough....the 2x4 holding down the clutch overnight and gravity bleeding the system worked like a charm. So may not be a John Deere tractor, but at the end of the day all clutch systems work on the same principals.

Top tip: redneck technology really DOES work!

Now as hard as it may be....I think it's time to take some pictures and post it up for sale.

 

Good to know about the clutch bleeding. Maybe next time I will do it myself.

Will you buy another MINI?

 

Prob not. I'm working right now a lot on my 77 Chevy k10 that I bought and getting that back to fully road worthy. I've got to put a new exhaust, seat belts, and fix power windows and it'll be good to go. Once I get that on the road I'll start keeping my eye out for another toy.

I'd like to get an old Buick to match my Olds. I originally bought the MINI because I was living in Los Angeles and driving in traffic for 3 hours a day...big V-8's get very thirsty in that kind of an environment. And now that I don't have to do that I feel like it served it's purpose for me, and then some. My drive is 10 minutes from my house so fuel milage isn't important.....i.e. my other vehicles are a Jeep SRT-8 with the 6.2 hemi, a Yukon with a 350, and the 77 chevy k10 with a 400.

But I think that the wife is going to make me hold off until at least next summer....we'll see about that though.