Racemini, how did you diagnose the inner gasket?

 

Initially, I thought the oil leak was coming from the o-ring between the cylinder head and pump, so I replaced it. The oil continued to leak, and after looking at it more closely I saw that the oil is leaking from the housing casing. This led me to believe the housing is not properly sealed by the internal gasket (or is it an o-ring?).

 

I took my old vacuum pump apart. Changing that inner oring is very very easy. 4 torx 27 screws. But can you get one seperately? I would assume so.

Here are some pics of the interior of the pump. You can see some wear on the surfaces of mine which had 143 k miles on it.

There is also an o ring on the plastic pipe.

 

Excellent, thanks for posting the photos. I will need to replace both of the inner gaskets, but the big question is where can I find those gaskets..

 

Looks like one of the internal gaskets is part of this pack:

http://www.promini.com/product-exec/product_id/688

 

The external gasket is available 11667566483 pump to engine connection, but the internal gasket is not available aftermarket or from MINI direct. The other gasket must be a matched up general gasket that was cross ref'd on size.

 

I wondered what was causing my pump to make such a racket on start up. Now that I've seen its an oval shaped housing with a metal plate spinning around with no ball or cylindrical bearings and sliding across multiple surfaces (housing and "propeller shaft"), I could see why it could make so much noise if the parts are slightly worn.

I assume that it would eventually quiet down after startup because oil started flowing into it.

Anyway, open yours up and check the red o-ring. Mine was still soft. Its bathed in oil, so not likely to harden like the black o-ring.

Also make sure yours the 4 bolts haven't backed out. Check the torque spec and use some blue loctite.

 

IDLife Mini...

Are you still operating without the mechanical vacuum pump?

Have you also forgone the electric pump?

If you did remove the electric pump, do you notice the car switching between the throttle body and the valve train for throttle control while you drive? IE: change to 'throttle body control' and move the throttle body towards closed to suck down the intake manifold and create vacuum (the way normal cars do) for the accumulator you installed.

I'm not sure I'm clear in my question - or where it comes from, so...

I notice when I cold start my car, quite frequently, the intake manifold pressure is in vacuum, then a little bit later (~500m driving), it jumps up to near ambient pressure (the pressure drop over the air filter I presume) and remains there for the rest of the drive, unless of course, it jumps up to positive pressure when the turbo spins.

I was advised that this is normal behaviour. I was told that if the car sees low vacuum pressure in the system and the vacuum pump while cold or still 'dry' can't keep up, the car supplements with 'regular car' type intake manifold vacuum by closing down the throttle body and allowing the engine to pump down the intake. Once it sees the right negative pressure in the vacuum system, it opens the throttle body and switches over to the Valvetronic system for throttle control.

I wonder if your car is cycling back and forth - particularly in city driving.

Curiosity is killing me!
E

 

The failure occurs inside the vacuum pump the slippers are not fixed to the plate the outer case wears and the slippers fall out they then get jammed and stop the camshaft from turning causing massive engine failure very poor design a shear pin should be in place to prevent engine failure

 

A few days ago I bought a 2008 R56 with a bad engine and now that I'm taking it apart this was the issue. One of the free-floating vacuum pump vane slippers had come off, jamming the whole pump (and camshaft) and shearing the exhaust cam sprocket bolt. The vacuum pump was bone dry on the inside and the oil port is clearly plugged up. The car came with a used, replacement engine as part of the deal and the vacuum pump on the good, replacement engine puked some oil after removing it and giving it a little spin.

92,000 miles on the engine.





Blocked oil port:


Sheared sprocket bolt:


Carnage:

 

Interesting pics. Thanks for sharing.

Can you tell what blocked the oil port? old oil?

 

I didn't poke around too much, but it looks like oil sludge.

 

That has some serious scoring .

 

The pictures don't even do it justice!

 

Hello everyone

Got here asking for help.

Bought an used Mini Cooper R56 as a Christmas present for my eldest son. Drove up from Malaga to Galicia in Spain, about 1000 kms, and all went ok. After a month parked I decided to make another road test so it would be fine for my son. Went back to parking and the next day I saw a large puddle of oil on the floor. It happened to be a leaky vacuum pump. Tried to buy the inner o-ring but as you already know, they don´t sell it as an aftermarket part, just the whole pump.
Luckily I have a friend who sells used parts and had the whole pump for free. Easy to replace so I did. Now it developed a minor leak and just this morning I serviced the old replaced pump and checked the orange o-ring was fine, just its seat was messy with burnt oil, I mean the o-ring channel.
So I thought about replacing it back to the first pump, once cleaned with some solvent. Here is my doubt, I read Lex2008 talks about an oil bathed inner o-ring, and I am not sure if bathing it in oil prior to assembly or install it just dry after the solvent clean, thought it would make the seal more efficient?
Any thoughts or advice are welcome.

Thanks in adveance and sorry for my crap english

 

SKUA,

How "used" was the vacuum pump you got for free? I would put a little oil on the inner seal but if its leaking that badly I dont think its gonna help. Can you switch the inner seal from the original unit to the used unit you got from your friend?

 

Hi Lex, thanks for your fast reply.
The free vacuum pump which is instaled in the car right now, hasn't a serious leak, just a couple drops a day or so. But once I got the old one clean from burnt oil and the gasket is also ok, thought I could replace it again so it doesn't leak at all. Just wanted to be sure about installing it dry or oil bathed as when you install an oil filter.
Cars original pump had a major leak cause of the dirt gasket channel I think, it had 70000 kms on. Free pump from my friends used part business, had maybe more kms, but as I said, it didn't leak at all two weeks ago and just a drop twice again now.
Maybe I am too fussy, but I like taking care of my toys...

Regards.

 

aha ok. Ummm....a little oil would be good on the plastic sensor's o-ring, the large red rubber o-ring on the inside and the 0-ring where it mates to the engine block. Sure.

70,000km? THATS ALL? Man, mine had 145,000 MILES (233,354 km) when I changed mine.

I wouldnt put a used pump on there frankly given the repercussions of a failing pump. I woudl use the original pump with new gaskets. 70k kilometers is nothing.

But it seems like those pumps fail when oil isnt changed frequently enough and the tiny oil passage become clogged.

 

Ok, will do that. Funnily enough only place to order orange inner o-ring seems to be in the USA, promini site or something.

Yeah, 70000 kms is the reason I went to Africa to get this car ( Ceuta is a spanish city just across the Gibraltar strait... ) maybe pump worked at its full load all its life...

Thanks for your advice, Lex.

 

You could try flexible gasket maker in a tube.

Youre so welcome Skua.

 

When took the car to dealer to replace oil filter housing gasket, they told me it was already fitted with that flexibe gasket maker. Thermostat to block joint and its joint to water pipe were also fitted with the flexible gasket as well as it usual stock gaskets. As if there were leaks stock gasket couldn´t stop. A not very good repair by the previous owner I think...
Dealer told me they don´t recommend flexible gasket for those purposes, I do not really know myself, got that flexible gasket tube in my tool box, but not kind about using it myself...

Checked vacuum pump oil leak this morning and thought I might wait a little, there was just one drop under the car. Cleaned the low of the pump with a paper towel and was just slightly oozing. Don´t think it worths a replacing right now, will chek it regularly though...

Thanks again for your answer, it helps a lot people share they knowledge and experience.

 

Hey RTV (gasket in a tube) is sometimes used by the manufacturers, so it has its place, but its not always appropriate. I tried it on my oil filter cooler unit along with new OEM gaskets and it didnt help. But that is kind of special case because the bolt pattern allows for easy mis-torquing and the gaskets are very thin on top of that.

So its leaking from the large red gasket? Man, that pump is easy enough to get on on and off that I would try some liquid gasket.

 

Had same thing couple days ago. Did you bend valves? Just wondering is it a part of badass engineering that bolt snaps off or its just a luck )))thx!

 

my guess is: Both bad/sloppy/lazy engineering of the part (should have a fail safe if the unit seizes so as not to grenade the head) and the fact that these cars leak so much oil that if and when you lose oil pressure the unit is susceptible and in addition that tiny little oil port can get clogged easily.

Other thoughts?

 

There's a tiny trace (carbon chipped off valve) of the two exhaust valves hitting the piston, but the valves seem to close fully and squarely. I bought two new valves anyway. Haven't put the engine back together yet.