On Canton install, remove plug wires 3&4 from the coil pack. Protect the finish w/ some cling wrap to avoid scratches upon fitting. Yes, it's tight but way better than any out there using the stock cap. Placebo or not, he has observed running a coupla degrees lower temp on the Scangauge.

 

Bookmarked

 

Like the Canton...
But the fact it used a higher PSI cap makes me nervous...
An old trick to mask a leaking headgasket is to run a higher PSI cap....
Makes me wonder about any negatives about the HIGHER than stock PSI cap...

 

You could always get a lower psi cap if that made you feel more comfortable.

 

I never thought of that, I would think it would make the head gasket leak worse. I guess it depends on how/where the leak is. Maybe if you had exhaust gasses getting into the coolant then a higher PSI cap would mask that.

I remember reading in the Bently manual the amount of pressure to not exceed durring a coolant system leak-down test,... Can't remember the number exactly now, but it made me glad that I steered away from the cheapo aluminum radiator I saw on eBay -it would have likely popped a seam under such a test.

 

I ordered the Canton with the 16psi pressure relief cap. I believe putting a 30psi cap on a system designed for 16psi would be like putting a 30amp electrical breaker on a piece of equipment rated at 15amps. The equipment would be up in smoke long before the breaker, intended to protect it, tripped. I want any excess pressure to be released at the cap before it starts blowing hard to get to hoses or worse yet, coils. I say this knowing that a lot more of you know way more about this than me. For what it's worth.

 

Remember Physics? Charles & Boyles Laws? The relationship between pressure & temperature is inversely proportional. Increase the pressure to get coolant molecules closer together, lower the temp. That's also the purpose of a compressor in the A/C system.
The Canton & RMW both have pressure relief nipples below the cap. Anyone can opt to run lower rated caps.

 

Noticed mine is leaking. Ordered a forged. As far as install goes, do I just swap it out and fill the new one with coolant, or is a flush involved?

 

You could do either. How old is your coolant? I'm not sure of the MINI spec, but I've always changed coolant every 2 years in my other cars.

 

I had it changed last year.

 

You'll be fine just to top it up. If you're good you won't even loose much. In fact, if you don't want to buy a whole gallon of antifreeze, and find that you only need a a few ounces to refill it, -you could opt instead to put in a bottle of Water Wetter

http://www.redlineoil.com/Products.aspx?pcid=10

 

Sweet thanks for the tip!

 

Water wetter has no freeze protection whatsoever, so I don't think this is a very good recommendation if you live in a cold climate. Freeze the coolant and your new tank is going to fail.

And despite the marketing literature, I don't think water wetter provides adequate corrosion protection either, although it a plastic tank, this is probably unimportant. WW was developed mainly as an additive to improve the cooling properties of pure water where AF is not allowed to be run, as is the case with many types of racing. It's not an AF substitute and I would never use it in a street car.

- Mark

 

Are there any special tools required for this swap or can anyone do it?

 

Pretty simple swap, no special tools needed.

 

Thanks for everyone's help!

 

Good point Mark, I forget that in other parts of the country it can get very cold,

I ran the math on it. The 6qt system is 192 fluid ounces. Assuming we replace about 12 oz of the existing 50/50 mix that's in the system, you'd end up at a fraction under 47% of the system being antifreeze. Here in the mild climate I'm in, that would be enough freeze protection.