I have a 2007 justa that I believe has a blown head gasket. I'm debating whether to get rid of it, or get a full diagnostic and slowly do the work as time allows.

Long story short (and I'll especially leave out the parts where I made horrible decisions), my radiator hose developed a leak, and I attempted to limp my MINI to a mechanic, stopping periodically to put more coolant in to get it out of limp mode. I made it almost all the way there, pushed it too far, and now I believe it's blown the head gasket.

I'm going to tow it to my dealer for a full diagnostic, but everything points to the head gasket and I don't know if that's worth it. I don't need the car right away, am fairly good with tools and am willing to learn.

I'd appreciate any opinions or advice on whether it's worth the pain or not. I've got 190k on the car, 90k of that was on a second motor (the first one blew under warranty just under 100k). There's a bunch of other little things wrong with it too, but not that kept it from driving.

Thanks for anything.

 

Serious bummer!

Some points for you to consider:
Book value in condition prior to broiled engine? (is it economically feasible to repair?)
How many more miles do you want to drive it? (cost per mile after repair - does that make sense?)
Trans must be about done for at this point. ( trans blows x miles after engine repair)

Odds are a head gasket will be just a band aid, very likely the head is seriously damaged. Blocks don't take kindly to overheating either.

My very candid advice is: Unless you are desperate for a project, put on your best running shoes and run away!

I would also save yourself the money on the dealer diagnostic. Since you're willing to get your hands dirty, you'll get the same info far cheaper by pulling parts off.

If you are up for a project, then consider pulling the head and have that evaluated to see if it is warped. If it is I would consider dropping the car off the nearest bridge (kidding). If not, then maybe a head gasket is a viable path forward. If it is warped and you really want to go forward at that point, shop around very VERY carefully for a head rebuilder (ask shops that rebuild for a living). There are lots of ways for an unscrupulous shop to F'up a head rebuild for $$$, and as a newbie you are ripe for the picking.

Alternative: Find a salvage motor, or a salvage head. I like the former the best, assuming you can find a good motor at a fair price.

 

Thank you so much for your thoughts!

My only desire in fixing this car would be to keep using it, fixing it, etc. until it truly dies. (so book value doesn't matter as much). I would like another set of wheels for getting one of my 5 kids around town. It's really going to be about cost - can I spend a little $ but put in some time and effort vs. lots of money and having someone else diagnose and fix?

I'm still considering the dealer diagnostic if not only because for $100 I can truly know where I stand. I am willing to get my hands dirty and spend some time, but I don't have the diagnostic skills needed I'm afraid. Honestly, I'm not completely sure I can tell what is warped too much, and what is not, etc. (and what else may be wrong I can't see)

Thank you for the head rebuilder warnings! These forums are a wealth of information, including yourself, and I'd definitely be moving carefully and cautiously.

Are there specific places to look for salvage motors, perhaps specifically for MINI? I'm familiar with salvage yards around my city, but I've never considered where to get an entire used motor.

Thanks again.

 

Why do you believe that the head gasket has blown?

The dealer isn’t going to do anything that you can’t do yourself, in terms of diagnostics. There are a number of simple tests that you can do.

compression check
inspect the plugs
look for coolant in the oil, and oil in the coolant
cooling system gas tester, twin chamber
excess pressure in cooling system
mysterious coolant loss

There’s no way I’d pull a head, or even take it to a dealer, before doing these simple checks.

 

What do you consider "truly" dead? With 90K on an overheated '07 R56, and 100K on everything else, I'd consider it "truly" dead. Then consider the parts necessary to fix it --- misc o-rings and other small component gaskets (manifolds, valve cover, etc), head bolts aren't re-usable, possibly the timing chain / tensioner, t'stat housing and pipe are probably worn out and very fragile. Then there's timing tools and misc other tools you might not have but need to do the work. And any head shop you find will have their fees for parts and labor.

Yes, you can learn to do all the work. There's lotsa procedures out there on how to do the head gasket and timing, you just gotta decide whether or not its worth it. If you don't need it for awhile, consider parting it out, then junk what's left. Save your money for another used Mini, one from a dealer that has a replacement guarantee.

 

Your signature photo shows a 1st gen justa. When you say it is an 07, it is known to be a 2nd gen in the States. Being a 1st gen justa with maybe a CVT automatic transmission or a 5sp manual, it is hard to recover economically unless you take your time on it and source good used parts.