I noticed there's no cap on the radiator itself, only on the reservoir tank. Also, there's no upper and lower coolant hoses. What's the maintenance on those hoses? Has anyone replaced them before?

Thanks guys.

 

There are coolant hoses. To drain the fluid, you have to disconnect the lower hose (drivers side down low). The upper hose has a big philips head bleed valve on it (right in front of the engine). Several places sell silicone replacement hoses if you want something a bit sturdier than stock.

 

The hoses on your MINI should last at least 10 years, most likely more.
No worries, Mate
--Dan

 

And I didn't see a kit that replaced all the hoses that went to the overflow tank or the heater. So any kit is more bling than real protection, because you'll still have rubber in the system.

The Mini, and many other cars, use the cross-flow design. That's why there's no traditional upper and lower hoses. No big deal.

And most cars now have systems where the pressure cap is on the overflow tank, and there's no cap on the radiator itself.

Matt

 

This has been educational. I am a bit confused now. So, does it have or does it not have any hoses? I do see the upper hose on the passenger side with a huge philips screw. From what I know, there has to be two hoses for circulation. Is the other one way hidden under the air intake duct on driver side? What about the hose to the overflow tank? What's the lifespan of that? My concern, well curiosity, is with the excess heat of supercharging and tight under bonnet space, heat will be a great enemy to those rubber hoses, in particular those near the exhaust manifold.