I'm about to do some carbon cleaning this holiday weekend, and I won't have anyone around to help me bump the engine with the starter. Can I advance the engine by hand? Thanks in advance for the prompt responses

 

With the spark plugs removed, you can easily turn the engine over with a wrench on the crank pulley.

Dave

 

That requires removing the right wheelhouse cover, correct? You wouldn't happen to know what size/type driver that requires, do you?

 

You access it through the right front wheel well. I don't know offhand what size the bolt is, but if you have a metric socket set, you'll have a socket that fits.

Dave

 

Perfect, thats the answer I was looking for, thanks Dave.

 

It's 18mm

 

Hey folks, just now getting around to doing this, and I have a question: Is it ok to turn the crank pulley either direction? I would imaging that Counter Clockwise is the correct direction. working on it right now, can someone please respond?

 

Day late & a dollar short --- just now saw this thread! Bentley manual indicates CW, not CCW.

 

What page is that on? I couldn't find it, I ended up starting the car and looking.

Dave

 

Page 117-23, bottom paragraph.

 

Use a 6 point socket if you have one, I hate 12 point sockets unless I'm working in small tight spaces.

 

a

 

is it ok to slight wiggle the crankcase bolt counter-clockwise back and forth (just a little bit)? I'm doing a piston soak and would like to ensure more cleaner gets doing into the rings, but I don't want to mess up the timing. I've seen people do this in some videos before, but not on a MINI

 

I sure wouldn't. If the plugs are out you might get away with it but why take the risk?

 

You're right - not worth the risk. Yep I meant with the plugs out

 

Rather that turning the engine backwards slowly turn it -- by hand with the plugs out -- in its normal direction of rotation 180 to 360 degrees. This will have the pistons going down then up again. Not as "good" perhaps as "wiggling" the crank but better than nothing.