From reading this forum and youtube video it seems that a lot of timing chain problems start with the top rail and progress from there. If you install a new top rail and tensioner could that buy you more time? How much leeway do you have on the 82 mm tensioner, for instance the chain has 42K [mine] so not too much wear. My engine sounds good although not many to compare with I was thinking add a new top rail and tensioner as a preemptive strike.

 

I would say that if you have no noise or issues, do not open your engine up. If you DO have noise or issues, the best policy is to replace ALL while you are in there. Why not replace it all if you are in there anyway? A quick-fix is often not the best fix. Replace one or 2 parts then be back in there again 2 or 3 months later? No thanks.

 

If you want MINI has a tool to measure the slack. Just pay for a service call and have them remove the tensioner bolt and insert the measurement tool.

That will tell you how close or far you are from being in spec.

 

.

 

Thanks for the replies. Good points except one. I don't think I'm out of spec and the car runs good, I'm going to make sure I have the updated tensioner and go from there. Even the new tensioners are having trouble, you might get a bad one, if you do recognize it for what it is and replace it. I think people go into denial and run it to long then start breaking rails. I am new to coopers but have a lot of experience with the m42 BMW, one of the best motors ever made in my humble opion. I love that motor ha ha 80mph and 33 miles to the gallon all day long and that was 1989 up to 1995,e30's and 36's . the m42 is twin cam with a chain and 16 valve's just like the prince. That's why I bought one . When you replace a tensioner in a m42, start up on the first time you will get a rattle for maybe 10 secs then its gone for about 80k miles. Seems it would hold the oil inside the body of the tensioner better than the cooper and depend less on the spring. Seems like the cooper depends on the spring more until the oil pressure comes up. If you lose the spring your waiting on the oil pressure.

 

Very few gen2 owners are in denial and running their cars until it is too late. I would say that those who have been here for any length of time know of the issue and take great care to make sure that oil is always topped off and to listen to the sound of their motor to make sure they hear the rattle at its beginning.

 

I stand corrected.

 

How more unreliable can this car be?

 

I'm sorry that you had problems with your car, but I don't think that all MINIs are unreliable, from your other posts, yours was not reliable.

My MINI, on the other hand is the most reliable car I have owned. It hasn't let me down once.

Dave

 

Just wanted to say that the M42 rocks! Particularly in the E30 chassis.

The N14 just requires a sharp eye (well, ear) and preventative maintenance. And luck I guess, since ours spit the tensioner out in a parking lot and not on the highway. After torquing the tensioner to spec, no problems whatsoever in the last 30k miles aside from oil usage. It eats more oil than my air-cooled 911!

The 1.6 in our '10 is a great engine, feels like an M42 actually, though I would love it to rev higher and have more punch ala S14, or even a massaged NA SR20.

 

Just read the first page of a bumped thread. https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-oil-leak.html Didn't know they had the problem of completely losing the tensioner. Good thing you were in a lot. Going to read the rest today.
+1 on the m42. I forgot about the s14, never worked on one but that's kinda the granddaddy of our motor. Over two hundred horse power and loads of torque in 1989.

 

My car started to have intermittant cold start rattle, I replaced the tensioner with the new model and it has been fine for a week of daily driving. The original tensioner was not torqued down and was seeping oil. I am just learning about my new to me 2009 S with 99,500 miles, but based on this experience it might be a good idea to replace the tensioner on these cars as a preventative measure. Why wait? But I recognise that my opinion is based on only one data point. The difference on my car was amazing. Good luck with your Mini!

 

Thanks for the information. I think your right about the tensioner. I'm going to replace and start with a new one. What viscosity oil do you use ? Just wondering if 0 viscosity or not.

 

I'm using Mobil 1 0W-40