My R53 has been in pieces for almost a month while I slowly and methodically installed the Valeo clutch/SMF kit, serviced my SC with new oil and gaskets, installed an ATI 2% crank pulley, and replaced my shot passenger side CV axle (from Amazon? IRC).

Well I got it all buttoned up about 30 mins ago. Started it up... And HOLY ****! There iS a horribly loud squeaking/squealing/screeching sound. It sounds like the death of a car, accompanied by this wild yo-yo in RPMs. Sounded like I was racing the engine.

The noise would get loud, then slightly lower. I let it run for almost a second and it eventually idled down and cut off.

I have no idea what this could be, the original problem as diagnosed by my findings and NAM user's input was a bad clutch. I could give the car more gas and it would hesitate, badly. Until it finally got to the point when I tried to take off it was slower than an old lady crossing the street, RPMs would just shoot up to 4k then slowly crawl.

I'm super disappointed in my MINI and my mechanic-ish abilities. Please throw me a bone here.

Also, I'll try and get a video up tomorrow afternoon.

Thanks guys!

 

So it's doing the same thing it did before you took it apart?
Was it squealing/screeching before you started too?

 

I'm in the similar situation. Just finished swapping my seized 04 engine 180K miles with an 06 90K. Did SC service and new Valeo clutch, flywheel, and axles. I turned the car on and it made a horribly loud squeaking/squealing/screeching sound coming from the SC. My manifold exhaust was glowing RED HOT! The car was under a minute idle. My thought it might by a vacuum leak somewhere or BPV.

Second problem is the clutch. My clutch pedal was soft and when shift in gear I can hear weird noise. Also left wheel turn slowly by itself even when it's in neutral.

If I find something I'll share with you.

 

Yup, soft clutch pedal, wheel trying to spin in neutral. Those are a few symptoms I forgot to mention. At a loss with this problem.

 

Nope, before I started it was just a loss of power, no squeaking/squealing/screeching. I don't know how the power is now, I don't even want to let it idle any longer than I have to with it making this kind of noise.

 

You need to determine where the noise is coming from.

Does it squeal just in neutral, in a gear, or just when you depress the clutch?

Does it squeal all the time?

If it doesn't seem clutch related I would take the belt off, start it up, and see if it still makes noise. If the noise goes away you know it's pulley related.

If the noise is still there, with no pullies moving, you would have to think it's clutch related.

The valeo clutch is much easier to depress than oem. It feels very strange at first but you get used to it. If you can shift gears easily while its running then it's working correctly.

Also, it's normal for a wheel to spin a little bit while in neutral with the wheels of the ground.

 

jack up the front and verify the clutch is working properly

 

The noise is present when the car is running 100% of the time. The clutch pedal did seem very soft I wasn't sure if it should be this soft. when I get home I'll take the belt off as you said trying it a video see if that solves anything comment thanks a lot for the input!

 

What exactly would I be looking for? Only things really related to the clutch that would be visible is the slave cylinder.

I guess I could take the axles out, remove the dust sheids and get a little glimpse up in that small opening on the right side of the transmission...

 

what I meant was get it up in the air and start it up, see if the clutch operates and you can shift into gear, hold the brake on when you do this so you know it's operating properly

your going to have to identify where the noise is coming from, you'll need a helper

 

I got ya, I've still got it up on the jack stands so that'll make getting up under it a lot faster. The noise is so loud it echoes in the shop and it really is a horrible sound. I'll have to get the old stethoscope out.

What are the chances that the pressure plate was installed backwards? (Doubtful)

 

Did it shift ok with the car running?

There's no way you installed the pressure plate backwards. I'm not sure, but i dont think you can even put the clutch on backwards and still have the p.p. bolt on correctly. The only thing you could do wrong really is not tighten the bolts enough. You got the tranny on so everything was lined up.

If it's tranny related either a part is bad, or an axle is messed up. Maybe not in all the way or the little clip broke.

 

This would be my guess

 

It would not be possible to bolt the pressure plate on backwards

 

You can not put the pressure plate on backwards but you can put the clutch itself in backwards.

 

It's been 3 years since I put my valeo clutch in but im pretty sure there is no way the disk can go on wrong.

How can it sit flat on the flywheel with the splines sticking out?

 

I did it on my first r56 clutch, I dont remember how but it would not bolt together all the way

 

I was pretty doubtful about that, just double checking. I mean the clutch, pressure plate, and flywheel pretty much have markings dictating which way they have to go. So I guess I can rule faulty clutch install out. I mean even the T/O bearing, it had gotten screwed up during installation it still wouldn't make this kind of noise.

I'm still at a loss as to what could make such a loud screeching sound?

I did change out my CV axle with a cheapo from eBay Eeuroparts or whatever their name is.

 

The only thing not mentioned is the crank pulley swap. I know there's not too many ways to mess that up but it's an easy check as Shawnn mentioned.

 

This is what I'm thinking, maybe the cheapo axle I used may be defective... I've heard so many horror stories about them.

Also, what little clip are you taking about? The circlip on the driver side axle?

Edit: Would there be a safe way to take the right axle out and make sure that that axle is not the problem, as that was the cheapo axle?

 

Yeah that's what I was referring too.

 

Well problem solved! Car is running good, just got, seems that went out. All I did was replace the coolant temp sensor since it was broken at the wires.

But... Guess what this STUPID PROBLEM was?


Dun
Dun
Dun

I was in such a rush at 12:30 last night I didn't have the intercooler boots sealed in either side!!!

 

That's awesome!

Glad it was an easy fix

 

Still baffled as to how the tstat would be bad, it just shoots straight to the red line.

Granted I was low on coolant and the system wasn't completely sealed when I first started it. Maybe it'll go away after I bleed it and let it idle properly? Fingers crossed.

I hope the tstat is the least of my worries now, this has been a looking process for. Thankful that Way is only 1 day shipping away or else I'd still be waiting on gaskets.

 

The temp gauge in our cars isn't really a gauge, it has 3 positions it transitions from, cold, normal operating temp, which is in the middle of the gauge, or above normal temp. Anything above normal temp it shoots straight to the hottest end of the gauge. It's more a dummy light than a gauge.