Good day all

Reference link below for references made in that post.
https://new.minimania.com/MINI__02_04__Oil_Filter_Confusion___Problem___Hint s

I have had my 2002 MINI R50 for a couple of years now. I remember the oil filter being extremely difficult to remove from the canister cover when I did the first oil change last year. I did get it out without destroying it after a lot or curse words. However the second oil change, the filter was stuck and I ended up with approximately 1345 pieces of filter and canister cage to get it out of the canister cover.

I currently have the old style base and canister with the spring and cage. Based on the information posted on 08/20/2011 @ 9:07 AM and 10/11/2011 @ 8:36 AM and 01/02/2019 @ 9:12 AM, I went ahead and got the new style canister to put on the old style base.

This is my experience... before doing anything I threaded the new canister on without the filter or o-ring. Once I found the sweet spot it started to thread in by hand for multiple complete 360 degree turns but did not positively bottom out.

I then grabbed the original canister without the filter or o-ring and it threaded on all the way by hand until it positively bottomed out on the shoulder. I was uncomfortable with the new canister... maybe the o-ring is to provide the resistance for the final torque...or maybe you are supposed to wrench it on until it positively bottoms on the shoulder...I don't know but I didn't want to damage the threads.

I then got to looking at the 1345 pieces of the old cage. I had approximately 1.5" of cage undamaged from the base of the cage. I cut and filed it square, re-installed it with the spring into the old canister. I then applied liberal amounts of lube to the leading edges of the filter and pressed it in to the canister and installed it back on the old base.

Everything is good after a half hour of driving. Does anyone have any input in regards to the new canister not positively bottoming out on the shoulder when threading by hand without the filter or o-ring?

I'm keeping the new canister on hot standby for the next oil just in case. Hopefully someone can confirm that the new canister on the old base just needs to be wrenched on the rest of the way without damage.

Looking forward to any input
Cheers

 

We would love to help! Are you installing the new (cageless) style filter cap onto the existing housing that originally used the old "cage" ? If so you won't get it to seat... because the threads are different. If the old type cap is damaged you will need to replace the entire housing and this is explained in the article. We would recommend against using the new cap on the old base and trying to bend the tabs out of the way, and forcing the threads together...that is NOT a good solution. Hope this helps!

 

Thanks for the explanation.

Not sure why some are claiming that that the new cap threads on to the old base properly. Obviously that's not the case. As I stated, I managed to save the old cage and all is good after a couple of hundred km.

I will give my new canister style to my buddy who has the new style setup on his MINI. Maybe he will need it someday.

Thanks again for the reply

Cheers