OK, I have a 2003 R50 5-speed with just over 115k miles on it, this is the Getrag GS5-65 BH/SH transmission. After driving it a few hundred miles to the masters and back, it began to make some noises. I had just installed a DDM intake and Megan exhaust, and was thinking something might be loose, but after awhile it seemed to be getting worse. On the way home on the last day it had defiantly gotten worse than before. Before it had to warm up to make the noises but now it doesn’t really matter, through all the gears at all RPMs. It is definitely the trans/diff.

The noise is hard to describe, but it is like you are able to hear the transmission spinning/grinding especially while on the gas. Riding down the highway and going through the gears in town I can hear this noise but goes through the gears fine. The noise starts after I have put it into gear and let the clutch out. I was thinking the grease is bad or gone in the tranny.

Also as a note it seems (may just be in my head) that there is a lag between pushing the gas and the transmission moving my car, and it bounces when I let off the gas. This is especially noticeable at low rpms. When I let off it seems to "land" on the transmission and kinda bounce, and when I give it gas it isn’t smooth at all getting my car moving. This kinda seems to be worse after this noise showed up, but has been like this for awhile.

My main concern is the spinning/grinding noise. Does anyone have any idea what is going on? I have searched thread after thread so I decided this was the best idea seeing as no one has had this problem. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated; I’m so upset that it might be going out on me

 

MIDLANDS 5-SPEED GEARBOX BACKGROUND

The front mounted transverse configuration was a major design challenge when it came to the length of the engine/gearbox unit. In designing the MINI, maximum crash safety and therefore optimum configuration of the longitudinal members in the engine compartment and front body section were priorities. This requirement imposed an additional limit on the permitted length of the engine/gearbox assembly. Because the length of the engine is largely fixed, depending on the spacing between the cylinders, the length restriction on the powertrain as a whole determines the length available for the gearbox.
There was therefore no room in the MINI’s engine compartment for a conventional two-shaft gearbox with all the gears arranged one behind the other. BMW had wanted the car to have a Getrag gearbox, but the original UK engineers put in the R65 gearbox instead, because it was $170/car cheaper, more compact with a two-shaft as opposed to a three-shaft layout, and no inherent cyclic vibrations, so a mass damper was not needed.
The rest of the story.

How you can fix it!

 

Wow, thank you so much that actually helps me a lot on finding parts and understanding how this thing goes together. I was struggling with how this is oriented and what not.

So yesterday I took out he fill level plug because I figured that maybe I was just some how low on fluid. Well as soon as i pulled it out the fluid began to run. So I was happy to know that wasn't the problem...buy just after that i was hit with the hard truth. As i examined the fluid it looked very metallic and shiny. well i decided to try and put the plug back in all the way (at this point it was hardly in), well this did not go well there were so many metal shavings that it would not go back in. It took me 20 min and a few toothpicks later to finally get it back in with out grinding up the grooves to much. I had to keep cleaning the shavings off as i screwed it in little buy little. So this could really only mean on thing, my magnet cannot take anymore shavings and i have at least one gear that has become shrapnel in my gear box

Now im trying figure out what i need to do. Should i rebuild the tranny, buy a new one, buy a used or rebuilt one, or saddest of all change the fluid and sell it and use the money i would have spent on the tranny to get another mini?

Any suggestions or anything from anyone?!?!