I am looking for a bit of help from my R53 friends.

I recently purchased a project Mini Cooper S R53 with 108,000 miles and a Steptronic Automatic transmission.

The car was purchased at auction (it was in a minor fender bender that took out the radiator and set off the driver airbag so it was totaled.

I do not have any maintenance records and my local Mini Dealer wasn't much help. So I am going to assume I need to do it all before I start driving it when the snow melts - so late April in Minnesota. The car starts and runs out well for the 400 yards I have driven it since it was delivered to my garage.

Over the next few Winter months I plan to go through the engine and do all of the maintenance as well as do a few performance upgrades.

So here is where I need your help, where do I start and what shouldn't I miss?

My current list goes something like this:

Engine oil and filter change - changing the oil plug as well.
Automatic Transmission Fluid and filter change
Super Charger oil service and replace the water pump while I am there. I will also change the SC pulley to a 15% - is there an advantage to have it our of the car to make the pulley swap?
Replacing the radiator and the upper and lower hoses along with the thermostat and housing.
New Engine / transmission Mounts (the Passenger side one has failed- black goop on the rail).
New Belt Tensioner and belt
Possibly swap out the crank pulley for one that has fluid in it rather than the factory pulley.
Cold Air intake
I will probably have a local Mini / BMW shop look at the brake fluid and have that serviced as well.

Also I would like to take a run at changing the fuel filter under the back seat.

What else am I missing and possibly more importantly what order do I do these in? The water pump and the Supercharger go together but are there any "You might as well" fixes or changes that I am missing?

Any and all advice welcome.

Thank you -

Bill

 

Regarding the pulley install: When mine was done, the guy actually used a floorjack to lift the engine up out of the engine bay to get access to the pulley. Believe it...or not. Since you're removing the radiator, that might give you access from the front instead. I'm sure there have to be threads about pulley installs, though! You'll need spark plugs, too - just get the kit from Way Motor Works to make it easy!

Not sure what you plan for the lower engine mount, but I really like my BSH mount. It transfers quite a bit of noise and vibration to the cabin, but that's what I like about it! Its stiffness may also be why my stock upper mount hasn't failed again.

 

 

I would add shocks and struts to your list.

 

Pretty solid list, I would look at the health of your suspension components as well, in particular the front control arm bushings.

 

I've worked on a handful of....midlife crisis minis (100k-150k miles) in the past 18 months or so and all of them have had the exact same issues:
-Supercharger service needs to be performed. With any luck yours will only be low, not empty of oil
-Water pump is a toss up, I purchased my car at 107k miles and elected not to replace it. But I do all my own work.
-Same goes for thermostat and housing
-Radiator replacement is overkill. Skip that unless its leaking or damaged
-Lower control arm bushings (Go with poly)
-Front and rear sway bar end links
-Add a bigger rear sway bar as a 'while you're in there' It's my favorite mod
-Parking brake cables are probably seized.
-Skip the CAI
-Get new plugs and wires to go with the 15% pulley. And yes, do the pulley.
-Replace the lower engine mount, or at least get poly inserts. DS mount I have yet to see fail.
-Crank position sensor o-ring probably needs to be done
-You'll probably want to do shocks, they're either near or at end of life. 50% of the ones I've encountered have been leaking at this age. Super happy with my B4 replacements
-Replace the crank pulley if the rubber looks to be in terrible shape. Again, only about half of the ones I've seen actually needed replacement.
-Plan on dropping the headliner at the A-pillars and add hose clamps to the sunroof drain tubes if it's not already leaking. This will prevent leaks in the future
-Closely inspect CV boots, your inners are probably leaking
-Front upper strut mounts are probably trashed too, if you want a FUN car, go with Ireland Engineering camber plates
-Plan on replacing the oil cooler o-rings and oil cooler gasket, these are almost guaranteed to be leaking at this point


That covers the 'hit list' I see with almost every mini I work on. Everything else will be car specific.

 

I agree with skipping the intake for now. You'll most likely have your hands full with repair-mods, wait until you find a used/cheap JCW airbox or similar intake that draws from the cowl.

 

There is definitely an advantage to replacing the pulley when the supercharger is off the car for service -- access is much, much easier. Bear in mind that the serpentine belt needs to be shorter to compensate for the smaller pulley. You should also replace the front crankshaft seal when replacing the crankshaft pulley (seal is just underneath). It and the crank position sensor o-ring are both common oil leak areas (might want to look at the oil pan gasket as well). ModMini on YouTube has amazingly helpful repair videos.

 

Thanks megaDan - I appreciate your experienced knowledge and advice. My replies are in bold following your comments:

-Supercharger service needs to be performed. With any luck yours will only be low, not empty of oil (fingers crossed)
-Water pump is a toss up, I purchased my car at 107k miles and elected not to replace it. But I do all my own work. (I already own a new water pump with metal impeller and gaskets so that will be done. I've run the car a bit (less than a minute at a time on and off the trailer with no coolant)
-Same goes for thermostat and housing
-Radiator replacement is overkill. Skip that unless its leaking or damaged (the original radiator was bent in the accident and that caused one of the plastic fittings to leak fluid. The Radiator was so inexpensive - like $100 - I elected to buy new. I bought a Nissens)
-Lower control arm bushings (Go with poly) (thanks)
-Front and rear sway bar end links (thanks)
-Add a bigger rear sway bar as a 'while you're in there' It's my favorite mod (oh I'm on this. From what I read its a great mod - what size did you go with and which brand do you recommend?)
-Parking brake cables are probably seized. (I'll check these. But given the Minnesota roads - I'm sire they need attention)
-Skip the CAI
-Get new plugs and wires to go with the 15% pulley. And yes, do the pulley. (new Plugs and wires. Yes. I was thinking of replacing the coil as well. Something like this: https://www.waymotorworks.com/wmw-ignition-package.html )
-Replace the lower engine mount, or at least get poly inserts. DS mount I have yet to see fail. (Yes the engine mounts are purchased and waiting to go in)
-Crank position sensor o-ring probably needs to be done (Yes its weeping - got that part already as well)
-You'll probably want to do shocks, they're either near or at end of life. 50% of the ones I've encountered have been leaking at this age. Super happy with my B4 replacements (thanks for the recommendation)
-Replace the crank pulley if the rubber looks to be in terrible shape. Again, only about half of the ones I've seen actually needed replacement. (is there a way to check if its bad prior to pulling the pulley off the crank? I have read up on this and I am prepared ti make the switch if needed but I don't want to do a bunch of extra work if it is just fine)
-Plan on dropping the headliner at the A-pillars and add hose clamps to the sunroof drain tubes if it's not already leaking. This will prevent leaks in the future (mine is a slick top - no sunroof. One of the reasons I bought this car. My wife has an Audi Q5 Prestige which has a HUGE sunroof. My daily driver is a Honda Element. I don't / won't miss the sunroof.)
-Closely inspect CV boots, your inners are probably leaking (mine look new - bonus!)
-Front upper strut mounts are probably trashed too, if you want a FUN car, go with Ireland Engineering camber plates (cool. I'll check those out.)
-Plan on replacing the oil cooler o-rings and oil cooler gasket, these are almost guaranteed to be leaking at this point (Cool. I'll take a look. The engine, outside of the crank sensor o-ring looks pretty good. But again, I don't want to skip something that it more difficult to do later)

 

Thanks cooper48. Yes I really need to hit Mod Minis tip jar. It is his videos that pushed me to take a risk on the Mini Cooper. I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty I just like to have an understanding of what I am going to do first, The Mod Mini videos are excellent.

 

Your stock pulley has a rubber core that essentially holds it together. When compromised (separated), your accessories like the water pump, alternator and A/C compressor won't work properly due to crankshaft pulley slippage (you would also smell burnt rubber). If you're removing it to change out the front engine seal, you should easily be able to determine if it needs to be replaced. The crankshaft pulley is not hard to access/replace (remove the wheel and fender liner and it's right there in front of you), so my suggestion would be to wait until you're sure it's bad (good ones are not cheap) before shelling out the coin.

 

 

Is there an ORDER of these check list items I should be mindful of? For example RB-Mini mentioned doing the belt tensioner and the idler pulley with the SC out. Great call out.

 

It looks like you got a list of most normal stuff and even more.
As for order it's hard to say as I'd do what you know is actually already failed and then work on the rest.
Supercharger oil change will take some time but not a bad idea, also do crank sensor seal at same time as labor overlaps.
https://www.waymotorworks.com/superc...t-r52-r53.html

For the crank pulley I use and like the ATI the best as it dampens the best and always fits perfect.
https://www.waymotorworks.com/super-...ulley-r53.html

Rear sway bar is easy as our bar on the middle setting is absolutely perfect on the R53
https://www.waymotorworks.com/wmw-rear-sway-bar.html

I wouldn't worry about your end links unless you have one that is actually broke

For control arm bushings the powerflex will be the go to as you'll never have to replace them again.
https://www.waymotorworks.com/powerf...shing-kit.html

 

 

Removing the radiator will not give you access to remove the SC pulley. There is a body brace that would impede removing the pulley without lifting the engine. I did my pulley the same way the guy who did yours. Support the engine from the bottom, remove the upper motor mount, then lift the engine enough so that the bolt from SC pulley is accessible. You will need something to hold the pulley from spinning while you remove it.

 

Definitely just replace it then, no harm whatsoever in doing it. Make sure you replace the water outlet gasket as these are generally hard and crusty at this point (block to water pump flange connection).

I don't have a ton of experience with different brands here, but I have a two position H&R 19mm rear sway and I haven't moved it off of full soft yet. I intend to move it to the harder position, but just haven't. I'd stick to the 19mm range, and there are plenty of options that have great reviews. It REALLY flattens the cars in the corners and makes a tremendous difference in driving enjoyment. If you were on a budget, I'd absolutely say do IE camber plates, rear sway bar, and poly bushings before even thinking about doing a 15% pulley. I have way more fun with the way this car handles than with the little bit more power the pulley gives. I cannot overstate this.

Most of my minis have been Wisconsin mini's and they've all been seized. I posted a how-two on replacing the cables. Check it out to save yourself some aggravation in the event they are REALLY seized. The first pair I did took a few hours to figure it out. Once I got it down I can get them out in 5-10 minutes.

Perfect. The coilpack might be a bit overkill, I've never had an issue with mine, but definitely do plugs and wires. I've got a build thread for my $800 cooper that has a fun story about my plug wires disintegrating and a plug blowing out the head ~900 miles from home. I run NGK plugs on my Minis and boosted 300ZX and they've been great.

Nothing sure-fire. Take a look at the rubber. If it looks solid you're probably OK for a while, if you see cracks in it I would be proactive and replace it. If you're already considering doing it, I say go for it. If you have the budget for a replacement damper, go for it. I went with an Alta 0% lightweight pulley and have no issues. I don't buy into the "replacement pulleys must be damped" fear mongering that goes on in most car forums. I've run lightweight pulleys on all my cars on the road and track and have not had an engine failure. This includes 180k miles (20k track miles) on my old VR6. I recently had a 15% SC and 2% crank pulley and REALLY enjoyed that. It was much quicker than a 15% by itself. Something to consider.

That's really interesting, part of my love for the car is the sunroof. But you're already a few pounds ahead in the weight savings department.


Godspeed! If you get stuck or have any questions, shoot me a PM. I'm pretty much always working on a mini; I'll help where I can.

 

Thanks for clarifying. I should have stated that at this age if they haven't been replaced already, at least one is almost guaranteed to have slop or a torn boot by now. Inspect them closely and replace as needed.

 

We do them at 100k and when you see it you will see why we recommend replacing. They are just full of dirt and solid black when you pull them out, for sure not a bad maint item to replace.

 

 

Well this was the weekend.My wife and kid headed to visit family and I stayed back to work on the Mini Cooper so we can get it back on the road.

So at 108K I wanted to start with as clean a slate as I could with the Mini.

First off - Mod Mini on YouTube - I owe you a case of whatever he drinks. I watched so his videos over and over and followed step by step. Saved my *** more than once this weekend.

Supercharger serviced (Oil was in both cambers and what came out looked about the same amount the specs told me to put back in - off to a good start.
Changed the Supercharger Pulley to a Craven 15% - easy as the SC was off the engine.
New water pump - I had to remove it to service the SC - the thing was I had to swap over the outside plate from the original. That step surprised me but it had the gasket and it went together seamlessly.
New Belt tensioner
Idler Pulley
Belt new belt installed
Fuel Filter (lots of prep work with plastic for this - went pretty well. It was dirty.
Spark Plugs (NGK cooler running)
Spark Plug wires (in blue to match the car... NGK)
Upper and Lower engine Mounts
New Radiator along with upper hose (the place sent me an incorrect lower hose...)
Finished it off with a fresh Oil and filter change

Need to get the transmission fluid and filter changed (at Mini) while I am in there having them check the airbag sensors and the power steering pump.

Pleased I was able to get this all done in a few days and get my Mini back on the road. Runs smooth...

Parts table ready to go in

The patient.