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I noticed a couple of oil drops today around the middle of the engine and noticed a nasty leak coming from around the crankshaft bolt. Below are some pics I took of the leak. This is coming from a 2007 Mini R56 - 52K miles.
After I had my timing chain / tensioner replaced, I noticed a similar leak --- not as bad, but from the crank bolt. Turned out to be the crank seal. Dealers tool to replace this seal is "problematic" at best, but they stood behind it and fixed the leak with a new seal. My dealer has a 2 year workmanship warranty, so there was no cost to me.
Whether or not you have a similar warranty, you should get a professional opinion --- either a Mini dealer or a knowledgeable mechanic.
It is probably the oil filter housing, my car was leaking and looked very similar. There are rubber molded gaskets between the engine block and the oil filter housing. After a while, the gaskets become hard and are unable to maintain a leak free seal.
I did a how to in the modifications section. Its quite a bit of work to get there, you need to remove the heat shields, downpipe, and work in tight spaces a bit. The worst part is the heat shields.
While you are doing this, it would be a good time to replace the turbo oil lines (the feed line tends to leak at the turbo), and plan on getting a dowpipe exhaust clamp as well, unless yours has been off. Detroit Tuned, ECS, and Way Motor works have the gasket kit that you will need.
I was quoted $520 from the dealer to fix this, but I did it in about 4 hours.
Thanks for the mention. Cant tell if you have a R56 Cooper or Cooper S. Looks like the oil filter housing which leak right down the front between the engine and transmission onto the exhaust/.
Yes it does take some time to get up to the seal between the block and the Oil filter housing. The top seal of filter housing is coolant while the bottom is oil. Just make sure everything is clean when you replace it.
The Cooper ( Non Turbo ) & Cooper S/ JCW is the same part, but the Cooper does not have the heat ex-changer on the other side. Also does not have all those lines for the turbo and such. Doing an oil change/ coolant change at the end is what I did.
Cooper S / JCW
Cooper
#5 in the diagram Gasket Set Part # 11427557009 Cooper S / JCW
#4 in the diagram Gasket Set Part # 11427557009 Cooper
#9 Turbo Oil Return Pipe is located at the very bottom of the turbo and is the hardest one to see. It will leak oil from the top of that part sometimes.
Would this be the same leak as you had? The oil filter housing and heat exchanger seals were changed 32k miles ago by the last owner. Makes me second guess the cause but then again it sure seems like its coming down from the oil filter housing and hey this is a Mini.
Make sure that you check the oil filter housing for flatness. I have read that some guys had a warped housing where it bolts to the block.
Make sure that your turbo oil lines have been replaced, you are directly in the area where you can get to them if it hasn't been done yet.
You are also removing the downpipe, so I would get a new gasket for the turbo side and you may want to get a new exhaust clamp rather than fight with the old one. If you have been thinking about an aftermarket DP, now is the time to put one on.....
Make sure that you check the oil filter housing for flatness. I have read that some guys had a warped housing where it bolts to the block.
Make sure that your turbo oil lines have been replaced, you are directly in the area where you can get to them if it hasn't been done yet.
You are also removing the downpipe, so I would get a new gasket for the turbo side and you may want to get a new exhaust clamp rather than fight with the old one. If you have been thinking about an aftermarket DP, now is the time to put one on.....
Mike
Mike, thanks for your input. Much appreciated.
What do you mean by the oil filter housing?
The oil feed and return lines were replaced by the last owner via the dealer less than 20k miles ago.
You mean this gasket (#2) of the downpipe?
Why am I going to be removing that? For access to get the oil filter housing and heat exchanger off?
Man I may need to use gasket maker...dont know if I can get that by Saturday. This is my girl's car...she drives slooooooooooooow. She doesnt car about DPs...
How'd you know I'd fought with the exhaust clamp!!!
In post #4, item #8 is the oil filter housing. The picture that you posted is for the non-turbo car, it doesn't show the oil cooler (#4).
The exhaust gasket is the triangle part #2 in the pic you posted. You need to remove the downpipe to get to the heat shield, which hides the bolts for the oil filter housing.
Check out to see if your valve cover is leaking, since you seem to have every other leak on that thing! The vacuum pump tends to leak, but there are internal and external leaks. The external one is an o-ring, if you have an internal leak the vacuum pump must be replaced. I don't remember the difference, search for 'vacuum pump'.
Turbo oil lines were both changed Feb 2014 by dealer. The hot line was changed with an old part #...according to the invoice. My question is: if I change them AGAIN, does the downpipe need to come off? I dont have the car in front of me to see.
Point is Id rather not change the turbo oil lines again if they dont absolutely need it. But I dont wanna have to mess with it all again once I have it apart.
Valve cover and gasket was replaced already 32k miles ago (has 140k miles now)
If the oil line was replaced at the dealer, the original line will eventually leak. It will likely be a couple of years before there is an issue. There are several aftermarket companies that make a line with different style of fitting that is very durable.
If the oil line was replaced at the dealer, the original line will eventually leak. It will likely be a couple of years before there is an issue. There are several aftermarket companies that make a line with different style of fitting that is very durable.
Mike
Do I need to remove the downpipe to change both those lines?
Oh and thanks for the tip Mike. I ordered a Way Motor Works "WMW Stainless Turbo Oil Line Kit" in lieu of more OEM garbage. Since Ill be in there changing the other gaskets now is the time to do both turbo lines.
Hello NAM:
You might be lucky to solve this nasty leak by just replacing the gaskets. I just did mine; I replaced both gaskets, inspected the oil cooler for warpage/pits, replaced with new oil feed line and return line with Detroit Tuned great stuff, and many one time use components with new along the way. Pelican parts has great write up in procedures. you may need to pay attention to the service loop of the washer fluid pump to wash the head lights as you pull out the radiator service support. I almost ripped that off of mine.
Yes, I did all the obvious replacements but oil still leaked to the same spot in the same amount. I suspect the inner crank seal (outer crank is by the pulley on the water pump side).
Someone here is absolutely right, very fun car to drive but just a POS when come to fixing things like this. It is not reliability; they work but they don't last! My mustang cobra (with GR40 suspension!) and Toyota tundra V6/mamual both have 130000 miles on them without a single drop of oil/fluid anywhere.
I did not like the Detroit Tuned kit, the banjo bolts were soft and one broke off in the block. Just about gave me a heart attack. Thats been posted elsewhere with pics.
