Well. I have a 2002 mini Cooper s and it was having trouble going into gear with the car on so I replaced the slave cylinder. But that didn't do anything. I set it up in my garage and started tearing away at it to get at the clutch. Finally got the transmission off and everything and I figured out why it was having trouble to go into gear I guess my pressure plate exploded and wouldn't let it go into gear or it broke when I dropped it off of the flywheel but I think it broke while the car was running before then. Here are some pictures.

 

Great opportunity for an upgrade! Always turn lemons into lemonade.

 

Sure is. I'm going with the valeo solid flywheel conversion kit.

 

Wow! I've never seen a pressure plate break in half like that before. There must have been some serious forces to cause that heavy a damage. I just installed a Valeo flywheel, disc, pressure plate on my R53 and am really liking it. You'll need to get used to the light clutch pedal feel though. It's very different.

 

Oh yeah? How much of a difference is it from stock? I've heard pretty much nothing but good things from the valeo kit

 

Quick question. Is the fork supposed to be able to slide out of the top bushing? Because as far as I can tell they look fine and normal

 

Yep, that fork is not a problem. The guide tube will hold it in place. When I first installed the Valeo the pressure required to push the clutch was so much less than my last clutch I thought that air had made it into the hydraulic line somehow even though the system was sealed the entire time. After a few queries on the Forum I realized that was just the way the clutch operated. It's not bad, it's just different and requires a while to get used to. It's not a "performance" clutch that would have stiffer springs in the pressure plate so for everyday driving it's perfect.

 

that's good. I'm gonna be driving street normally anyway so that's perfect

 

If the guide tube shows wear, replace it and make sure to lube it with high heat grease. You don't want it sloppy, or disengaging will become an issue later on.!

 

Update: valeo kit came in. Sadly. The boxing looked extremely beat up and when I opened it it was a mess and there where bolts everywhere. The only piece of the kit with plastic was the throw out bearing and they put it under everything. So my throw out was broken into many pieces. I'm sending it back and buying from somewhere else. Looks like it's back to waiting

 

Tell us who you bought from and what shipping carrier they used.

 

and shipped with UPS. Anywhere better I can get it. And quickly?

 

does everything operate more or less the same (besides clutch feel) compared to the stock? Having a few issues and wanted to verify

 

yes. From what I've heard it operates the same beside the light pedal and I've heard its a little louder than stock since it's solid. But other than that. I don't know. I ordered my replacement from ecs tuning and hopefully it will be in Saturday or Monday.

 

Does the Valeo clutch more or less function the same as the stock clutch? (Besides clutch pedal feel) Installed one and my MINI just feels sluggish but its still in the break in period. Engages and disengages but just doesn't feel like it would hand quick acceleration without possibly slipping. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

I'm running approx. 195hp on my MC40 and my Valeo clutch is working perfectly, even under hard acceleration. There is no related noise or vibration due to it being a single-mass flywheel.

 

I should be getting the valeo clutch in today! Yay. I'll keep you guys updated.