Negotiating a 2002 Mini with a blown engine, seems the owner ran it with no oil.

The idea would be to replace engine and tranny.

As I dive in, was looking to get recommendations on what to replace when the engine/tranny is out?

New to the mini realm, so any ideas/recommendations would be very useful.

Thanks

 

first off you better be getting the car really cheap . Beacause the parts to rebuild the engine will definately not be. It cost me just about 6 grand to rebuild my 2003 S a bit much in my book . But if ya got the money and the time Pulley , Injectors , Clutch , CAI , Exaust would be your best bet..

 

If you are taking the whole engine apart, do not over look any seals or gaskets. The transmission might be fine if the engine's death was oil starvation. Don't know what kind of parts you'll use, but consider some coatings for the pistons - heat on top, and anti-friction on the skirts.

Vehicle mileage? Maybe some of the suspension bushings and ball joints are worn. It would be easy to get to them with the front sub-frame out. Also check the power steering pump for leaks.

 

+1 - particularly the lower control arm bushings

 

The info below is based on your purchase of an MCS, not a regular MINI.

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If you are going to rebuild the engine, the crank and rod bearings will need to be replaced at a minimum. Depending on how long it was run without oil, there could also be scarring on the crank journals, requiring the crank to be "turned" by a machine shop. If the cylinder walls are also scarred, you will have to get them re-honed or bored and honed. If only re-honed, you will need piston rings. If bored and honed, you will need new pistons as well.

If you really want high-end performance, as mentioned previously, you can get the piston tops and/or cylinder head combustion chambers ceramic coated. The piston skirts can be teflon coated (some come this way from the manufacturer). There is no need to upgrade the rods and crank; they are forged and can take up to 20 lbs. boost (from what I have seen previously posted here on NAM).

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As for transmission, check to see the condition of the clutch and flywheel. They may need to be replaced. The slave cylinder may need to be replaced and is fairly inexpensive. Depending on how hard the MINI was driven, the shift forks and/or synchros may need to be replace internally.

Depending on mileage, the CV joints may need to be replaced. The common sign is a clicking sound when turning. It is better to replace the entire shaft then to rebuild the joints. See if you can find a mechanic friend to get you them at their rate. I only paid $350 for both of the ones on my old '02 MCS last fall.