Just finished cleaning the valves & installing new plugs on my '08 S Clubby w/ 44,000 miles. I had a misfire code set last spring, cleared it and made it through the summer. Now that's it's cooling off, the car was running rough in the morning again, stumbling & set another misfire code.

Bought the BMW wand/vacuum adapter and went at with help from the various guides I found here. Took a few hours, mostly because I had one valve that I just could not get a big chunk of carbon out of. I think I spent more time on that one than all the others combined.

I bought the cheap inspection camera from Harbor Freight for this. It said on the box that it takes .jpg images, but it doesn't. So, I've got a few spectacularly crappy cell phone photos of the screen.

Here's a few of the before:

 

And a few after:

 

This is the one that gave me so much trouble. I just could not get that chunk of carbon out with the walnut media blaster. I ended up using a long, dental pick type tool. I could stick it down the intake with the camera in there and picked the chunk out. It actually came out pretty easily in one big, gooey piece. After that, another blast with the media and it looked good.

 

Haven't driven it yet, but man, did she start right up and purr like a kitten. No coughing or lumpy idle that's been the norm for as long as I can remember. Thanks to all for your guides. Probably wouldn't have attempted it (or even known about it) otherwise.

--Dan

 

Awesome! I know this is in my future. I have a couple questions about your setup. I've read some stuff here but didn't gather all the info I wanted on the blaster setup. Where did you get the BMW wand? Did you use the Harbor Freight media blaster, the white colored one advertised? How big of a compressor do you have\did you use? Dealer wants about $700 for the job. I don't think so.....
Thanks!

 

The BMW wand & vacuum attachment were around $60 (total, for both, with shipping). I got them from Wezag Tools. See here:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...98-post17.html

Just like the post said, I emailed and asked for the BMW parts with their part #'s. Lisa answered & knew what I wanted. I called to pay for them. Had them a few days later.

81292208038 : extraction adapter
81292208032 : blast wand


Media is the fine walnut from HF.

For a blaster, I was using a small "spot" blaster from HF.
http://www.harborfreight.com/21-oz-h...gun-95793.html
I wouldn't recommend it. I had it on hand, and it only took a simple pipe adapter to fit the wand so I thought I'd try it. It works ok with sand, but the walnut media is too large & light to work well.

I had to drill the suction hole out bigger, and had to pulse the trigger to get any media out. Then sometimes when I pulsed the trigger, the vacuum would suck media down into the tube blocking it so the next time I pulled the trigger, half the reservoir of media blew out the cap. Eventually I got a feel of how to make it work. Can't explain it though. Just avoid it.

The blaster you're referring to would work fine I think. I had a similar one from Sears/Craftsman for many years that I did a lot of blasting with (sand though...).

I have a decent sized compressor. 30 gal tank I think. Oil bath compressor. It does good. Started life as a Craftsman oiless (oiless suck BTW) & I adapted a new compressor to it when the original crapped out.

----------------------
Just some notes:

• The lower, 10mm bolt under the intake manifold. I was able to reach around the manifold with a flex-head, ratcheting wrench to remove it. To put it back in I went through the wheel well with a couple long extensions. Wheel well is quite a bit easier.

• To turn the engine, I pulled the plugs first. Pulled the front wheel off and used a razor knife cut a large 'X' in the splash guard somewhere in front of the crank pulley bolt. Through that I was able to shove a 19mm socket with a couple extensions to get on the crank pulley to turn the motor. It's very easy to do with the plugs out.
  
  Turn the engine till you get either the 2 center, or the 2 outside cylinders TDC or close to it. Looking through the plug holes with a flashlight while somebody turns it over slowly is pretty easy. Whatever cylinders are TDC, you can clean the valves on. Turn the crank another 1/2 turn and the other 2 cylinders are TDC and you can clean those.

• For the spark plugs, you'll need a special, very thin-wall socket. I got a magnetic one that worked well. I think mine is a Bosch one off ebay. Something like this:
  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002YK78VI?tag=5336118863-20

--Dan

 

4 yr update. Now at about 71,000 miles & cleaned them again. It's amazing the difference this makes in driveability. Mine, with time, seems to develop a hesitation / stutter when you accelerate, especially from a stop & each time that has gone completely away after the cleaning.

Just a couple before / after pics for reference. This is with just about 30k miles...

 

its incredible how much build up there is after less than 30k miles

 

Houlster, do you have an oil catch can on your engine?

 

No, it's pretty much bone stock.

 

wowza. get a catch can on that thing. Nice work!!

 

Thanks. I don't have one on mine either. Dead stock. I've heard totally mixed results on Minis and catch cans. Some people swear by them and other owners couldn't prove they are doing anything. So far for me, I can't afford to put one on.

 

Wow lots of build up for 40K, but if you have a lot of city and short trips the engine does not warm up all the way and burn some of it off. Talked about here: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-cleaning.html


Glad you got it done we have seen HP loss on the dyno. When we did mine here it took a couple blast from the gun and boom they were clean.