Maybe I should stop bitching about working on this car, and post what I did, for those who need to do it in the future.

So, here, folks, are some pointers to DIY replacing the turbo oil feed line which leaks (there's some tags for a search.)

My references were:
1) These instructions from detroit tuned. They make a well-respected replacement for this troublesome part, and also constructed these instructions to help us weekend greasemonkeys. https://store-zhkcqkob.mybigcommerce...0TOL%20INS.pdf This is the basics, and I liked to have a little more help for some of the detail, which brings me to:

2) The Bentley manual. Specifically, the sections on putting the radiator support in service mode, and the section on removing the catalytic converter, which you'll also see referred to as the downpipe in our application.

3) This video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_BKvnEPJNQ which fills in a couple of pieces missing from the Bentley manual about putting your radiator support in service mode. The printed manual missed undoing the windshield washer and most importantly, removing the front bumper trim and undoing nuts from the bumper. You're not going anywhere without knowing those steps.


Here are some things I learned along the way:
- Lots of rusty parts to fight. Bring your PB Blaster to the party.
- The O2 sensors were the first steps, and pretty frozen. I used an offset O2 wrench on the top one. A 22mm open end wrench got the bottom done.
- Can you do this without going into rad. service mode? I'm pretty sure you can, since I never really got the mode done well, but it's tight and there are some bits you'll have to work on without being able to see them (heat shield bolts, the downpipe brackets.)
- The downpipe clamp bolt had to be cut on my car, in tight spaces. I scored a new multi-tool for Father's Day which got the job done, at the cost of eating through a $20 carbide blade. That bolt was tougher than I thought.
- By "turbo support" bracket, they mean the bar that reaches diagonally up from the rear heat shield to the bottom of the turbo. There's a big bolt facing you, then there's a 10mm underneath the turbo. That 10mm was the hardest thing I took off. I PB blasted it overnight, then again in the morning. That evening, I went under the car, and put a 10mm box wrench on it, and used a cheater bar and it broke free with a bang. I just loosened it and let the support bar hang. It's not in the way.
- There were no crush washers on the banjo bolt going into the engine on my MINI.
- I removed the old oil line pulling from the top. It took some twisting and turning, and I had to remove the clip-on plastic cover that protects the electrical lines on the valve cover just to buy a little room. It might have been easier to remove from below, but it wasn't that hard to get out. This was approximately six days after I started the process. (I was working in small spurts of free time.)
- To install the new turbo line (I went with OEM so it was another pre-bent inflexible metal line) I came up from the bottom. I fed the line over the oil out line (the 3/4 inch or so insulated hose that's just in your way.) There's a little gap to feed the line through, and you'll soon have the end in your hand up top and the other end in your hand below.
- Once I'd fed through that, it was a puzzle. I could get the top end in place, but the bottom had about three inches too much line. I finally figured out that I needed to twist and maneuver a bit so that the line exiting the turbo was pretty perpendicular to the front of the car. It then turns toward the right, and tucks to the right of the little heat shield there. I loosely installed the banjo bolt and the washers up top.
- I then went under the car. The oil line was closer but not perfect. The trick there was to negotiate the positions of the oil feed and the oil out lines. As I said above, you snake the oil feed line from below OVER the oil out line to get started. But the final position is that the oil feed line tucks behind the oil out line, between the oil out line and the engine. It'll become clear when you see it. Put the other banjo bolt and washers in and torque to 22 ft-lbs.
- Put everything back together. Go for a drive. Look for oil. Have a beer. Post snarky comments about MINI online.

I hope this was helpful. Good luck.

 

I revise my statement that you could do this without going into service mode. Getting the heat shields back on was really tough without the front end in service mode, so I finally figured out what was holding me back from getting it fully setup (a big *** hammer). That bought several critical inches that made working in those super-tight spaces more bearable.

I very, very strongly recommend not even attempting this repair without putting the radiator support into service mode! It take some time, but it's a common procedure, worth learning how to do, and will be quicker next time you need it.

 

I've done this repair and pulled the downpipe another time without putting the front end in service mode. Tight fit as with anything MINI related, but doable.