Created by: | Orig. Posting Date | User Name | Edit Date |
| Jun 22, 2020 03:20AM | kenatminimania | |
| Jun 19, 2020 11:21AM | Dan Moffet | |
| Jun 18, 2020 08:28PM | Mini1234 |
Posted:
Jun 22, 2020
03:20AM
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Total posts: 2271
Last post: May 23, 2023 Member since:Dec 29, 2004
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Cars in Garage: 1
Photos: 9 WorkBench Posts: 0 |
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Nice find, you took a chance and now you can enjoy the MINI!
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Total posts: 9542
Last post: Apr 18, 2024 Member since:Aug 14, 2002
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Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 0 WorkBench Posts: 0 |
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Good for you! A rational approach with modest financial risk.
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"Hang on a minute lads....I've got a great idea."
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Total posts: 1
Last post: Jun 18, 2020 Member since:Jun 18, 2020
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Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 0 WorkBench Posts: 0 |
So I acquired an 2009 mini my neighbor which had the timing chain slip. The story on the car is it's only got 30k on it. Died in January, she took it to mechanic 1 who wouldn't touch it, mechanic 2 said he'd look at. His diagnosis was no compression, blown motor, cracked block. She decided a new motor was more than the car was worth and offered me the car rather than tow it to the junkyard.
I got the car in May after sitting for 4 months. I lift the hood and all four plugs are out and the valve cover is off. I guess the guy just assumed trash motor so he left the car to collect moisture. I bought the timing tools and set to work. Both exhaust and intake were off, and off from each other. The upper guide had also been broken off so the chain did jump a few teeth. I set the timing and turned the thing by hand and it had like 20lbs in each cylinder but equal. I didn't notice but my wife pointed out the mess of chocolate milk under the car after I turned it over. I drained the oil and there was a solid liter of water in there, we live on an island in AK where it does rain a lot. I didn't have a scope but the cylinders were also open.
I figured what the hell, I ordered a new timing chain and all the extras as well as oil pan and serp belt. All told about $400 in parts with shipping.
Slapped it back together and she fired right up. Was steaming for a while. I changed the oil and filter a couple times to try to get the water out and there were some metal flakes on the first oil filter. But no oil from the exhaust. Runs strong. I did have to replace the cam sensors as well but that may have been unrelated.
So there you have it. Just because the chain pops doesn't mean the head or motor is trash. Been working for a few weeks no problems or noises. I know it's an interference motor but I've see similar results with Subaru's. Perhaps it's luck. But a few hundred dollars in parts is a lot less than a new motor because of a bad call for those in similar shoes, and looking online there are a lot of us, it might be worth a try.
I got the car in May after sitting for 4 months. I lift the hood and all four plugs are out and the valve cover is off. I guess the guy just assumed trash motor so he left the car to collect moisture. I bought the timing tools and set to work. Both exhaust and intake were off, and off from each other. The upper guide had also been broken off so the chain did jump a few teeth. I set the timing and turned the thing by hand and it had like 20lbs in each cylinder but equal. I didn't notice but my wife pointed out the mess of chocolate milk under the car after I turned it over. I drained the oil and there was a solid liter of water in there, we live on an island in AK where it does rain a lot. I didn't have a scope but the cylinders were also open.
I figured what the hell, I ordered a new timing chain and all the extras as well as oil pan and serp belt. All told about $400 in parts with shipping.
Slapped it back together and she fired right up. Was steaming for a while. I changed the oil and filter a couple times to try to get the water out and there were some metal flakes on the first oil filter. But no oil from the exhaust. Runs strong. I did have to replace the cam sensors as well but that may have been unrelated.
So there you have it. Just because the chain pops doesn't mean the head or motor is trash. Been working for a few weeks no problems or noises. I know it's an interference motor but I've see similar results with Subaru's. Perhaps it's luck. But a few hundred dollars in parts is a lot less than a new motor because of a bad call for those in similar shoes, and looking online there are a lot of us, it might be worth a try.
