2008 R56 cooper mini s engine rebuild
 

Hi all!
Please excuse me if I’m recovering ground in the forum I sincerely don’t mean to start threads already posted elsewhere but I have found in other non related forums members know where to send one for the answers.

I recently purchased a 2008 Cooper S hatchback with a non running R56. The car I believe in general is a good investment, however the mechanical issues with the motor were far worse than I estimated. I had a relative confidence the issue resulted from a poorly executed timing chain swap. On this I was right. However the extent of damage was far worse than I had hoped for. Now I knowingly got into this with the worst case scenario in mind - engine replacement/ rebuild. But I was not prepared for a head with melted elements.

Found a broken piston as disassembly progressed and after cleanup #2 cylinder wall scored too deeply by wrist pin to have bored .020 over. Also damage to the cylinder liner at base.

So I started weighing my options located a shop that has knowledge and experience with the R56 etc. So I’m looking for a “rebuildable complete” core. Which I’m on the track with.

So so now the dumb question of the day. In order to expand my pool of available cores / engines (with a rebuild in mind) Can the base block and head of a “non turbo” R56 be used to build a replacement that will become a Turbo R56 using what came off the original engine?

Now keep in mind I do have a lot of mechanical / practical machining and automotive experience, just not with a cooper mini engine. I know there will be differences in pistons etc. And fortunately I have a very good undamaged crank, cams etc. , Just a dead block.

So so any help guidance to other threads or shared experiences would be of great assistance. The shop I have located has “sleeved” these engines before and advised because (no surprise) that all cylinders would need bored after to ensure alignment. So you can see where I’m going if I’m going to have machine time I want to maximize the benefit.

Thanks😊

Sorry to hear that you need an engine. I did the same buying a non-runner but I lucked out with just a head rebuild.

I looked up the blocks for the R56 on realoem and they are different part numbers. I also remember a thread about someone buying a non turbo head gasket for a turbo engine. The differnce was the cylinders do not have the water jackets like the turbo engine does.

Check out realoem.com and newtis.info. They will hep a lot.

Look at Car Part (www.car-part.com) and you can find blocks for sale for a pretty reasonable. Keep an eye to Craigslist too for engines. I was able to pick up a block/head combo nearby for a good price, just have to be patient.

Did you get a price on repairing the existing block?

Thanks for your replies guys! MiniTobe I have been eyeballing that bare block and it’s head for several days now. I have been communication with the seller checking numbers etc.

As of yesterday I was going to make him an offer for block and head but noticed what appeared to be degraded aluminum in the dome of #4 between noticeably burnt valves and requested additional photos. As luck would have it sold as I am told. (Head that is)

The block is still for sale and I’m going to make an offer on it. Quite unnerving to buy a separated block since I don’t know how much care was taken during disassembly compounded by the fact it’s coming from the west coast and I live in south central pa.

If I get it I send pics and let you know how it goes. Hopefully it’s not going to increase my scrap aluminum pile 🤣

Might be worth while getting it checked for flatness and have new bearing and rings done. Depending on how much yoj can afford get the cylinders rehoned. Then you basically have a new block.

Where in PA are you? I’m in Delaware.

Im located in Chambersburg pa. And yes your spot on with your machine shop suggestions. Will most likely have it align bored as well. During my research on what to do with my blunder I did locate reasonably local to me a machine shop/ owner that was very knowledgeable when it came to Coopers. He told me he had the ability to sleeve the original (1 cylinder only) and of course bore all 4 to maintain alignment.

So so as long as it doesn’t get destroyed on a shipping dock it may be worthwhile. Don’t like to be put money but have spent more on lesser losing endeavors🤣

Ignore my typos my iPhone insists on poor grammer.

Hope it all works out. My parents used to live in Newville.

🤣 small world I got the car from a kid in Newburg.

So, whilst I wait my and engine block to arrive I’ve been going through and repairing everything I can and cleaned the tranny up and dropped it on my foot while heaving on a stand to drain atf. Changing screen and gasket and am replacing shaft seals while there.

Thinking of refilling with Castrol Transmax High Mileage. Supposed to meet JWS 3309 anybody using? Comments?

I will throw up some pics soon , but I did receive my eBay bare R56 N14 block. Anyhow, off eBay, cross country and after a cleanup I was presently surprised. Still need to get it magnafluxed but looks like it’s going to work. Someone took care of the mini this came out of not thrashed.

Machine shop
 

You have contact info for the machinist you mentioned? Just moved to Lancaster and still searching for a machinist as I start my venture into an N14 rebuild. If I have to drive to Chambersburg for coooper knowledge, no biggie!

Actually no. My best suggestion to you not knowing how bad off your motor is, just tired or swallowed valves after timing failure is to find a bare block and build.
I got lucky and found a bare block and head for around $650 total. Installed new valves, lapped in by hand and yes you can do this squared the head and block by hand. Do a search for suggested emery grits for aluminum blocks to get the proper finish on both for the head gasket.
Been going on two years, car screams put on step bigger turbo no leaks no head gasket problems etc.
if you go this route and need pistons there’s a company in Seattle that repairs Mercedes sprinters, however owner is a BMW /mini enthusiast and sells piston sets far cheaper than anywhere else. Why you ask he’s selling you Peugeot pistons same as stock and actually really nice since the n14 was a collaboration between BMW and Peugeot made sense when I recieved the box with the brand named on it.
So the net of it is most machine shops won’t touch them, costs a fortune just to get them sleeved if you can find anyone to do it and recycled motors are pretty pricey you can do it for less than that and have a motor you know all about. I don’t regret one moment of it. And main bearings, - king racing bearings. No mix and matching hideously expensive coded halves. No joke this motor has been run and been to pretty high rpms and runs well.