How many miles on your original 2006 R50 clutch? I'm near 168,000 and wondering when I might expect it to fail.

The 2006 MC is closing-in on 168,000 and over the past 2 years I have made a number of life extending parts replacements to keep it on the road. New hoses (cooling and vacuum), new axle and CV-joints, new plugs and wires, new radiator and gas tank caps, new serpentine belt, and a new battery for $70 (yep, Las Vegas is the most competitive market for batteries on the planet because everyone needs a new one every 30 months). I've got a buddy who does the labor for nearly free, parts only and costing less than a grand for everything above thanks to Rock Auto.

But back to the clutch...,,.. Current clutch seems to work fine, no slipping or any other indication it is about to fail. I'm just wondering how many more miles I can expect since it's probably an ownership ending sort of event when it goes out. I can't imagine spending another $1,000 to replace it on a car worth only $750.

 

It largely depends on how the car was used and who drove it. I bought mine with a dead clutch and 83,000 miles and a transmission that is notchy going into gear, which says to me that the previous owner likely did not know how to drive it. My old Nissan Frontier (411k currently!) went 202k miles on the original clutch and was used to deliver pizza from new. That is the difference a good driver makes.

If you do need a clutch, It will be around $3-400 in materials to do it right. The clutch kit is about $120, the flywheel cut is $50, The flywheel and pressure plate bolts are $50-60, The power steering fluid is $25, the coolant and distilled water is $25, The trans oil is $50 to $100, The rear crank seal is $10, The throwout bearing sleeve is $25 (I think), and I would also get a Viton O ring kit for about $15 off eBay and replace the crank position sensor seal since this leak can take out the power steering.

If the car is not in bad shape, I think that it is worth more than you think. Remember that you want to be looking at private party value, not trade in when considering the value of an older vehicle. Trade in prices in risk for the dealer and can be less than half what it would be worth sold in the open market. I would think that any MINI that is well sorted and looks decent is worth at least $2000-2500. Also, if the car works well and serves your needs, the cost of doing the clutch may only be around 1 or 2 car payments for a new car. If you are wondering, that is why I still have that old truck. I budget $500 a year for parts and servicing and so it is way cheaper than replacing it with another vehicle of similar utility.

 

Currently at 221000 miles on the original clutch, and battery, in my '06 R50 daily driver. Although I commute about 56 miles each way to work, most of this is on cruise so I probably do less gear shifting than someone who has a city commute.

 

Yes, I like your analysis and it conforms to mine up until now. I guess the difference being that none of the previous repairs set me back more than $300, even the axles-CV joints. But like you said, a couple car payments now days is more than a grand. First 100k miles were mostly highway, the more recent miles are all stop and go. Just a guess but I would think no more than 18 months before it goes even if I am the king of shifting while the car coasts.

 

Original 2006 battery? You've got a 13 year-old battery? My original battery went 5 years, but that was in Kansas City. I do think the heat protection box the battery sits in helps. Out here in Nevada the summers literally destroys batteries, much worse than the winter weather in the mid-west on battery longevity.

 

The clutch in my 03' JCW R53 started slipping at around 150K miles. Cars at 175K now with a Valeo clutch in it, still working like a champ!

 

My OEM battery lasted 10 years.....

 

17 years and 75,000 miles. The clutch was real grabby when trying to move from a standstill and the throughout bearing was starting to make "that noise".

The throughout bearing was the one that failed 1st.

Replacing the clutch was challenging but fun.

 

I have a 2002 R50 (of the first 500 sold) with 180k on the original clutch with a B&M short shift kit. Still feels good. However, I get a little crunch into first every now and again at a stop. A transmission fluid change at 175k helped smooth shifting out a bit.

I am on my third battery .

 

'05 S with 200,000 km (124,274 miles). Definitely not the highest, but the damn dual mass flywheel started to make noise, while the clutch is still doing perfectly fine.