Fun fails in the shop today

"RallyWrench" (rndlitebmw) 01/09/2015 at 18:51 • Filed to: None

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I present the following for your consideration: The worst blown clutch I've ever seen, in an R56 Mini Cooper S:

And this is the easy way to do it. Everything is modular, with quick releases on the hoses. Still a bastard.

And here for your amusement, I present a quality exhaust repair on a Merc 190E, in for a noise & vibration complaint. Napkins & duct tape, always good for hot metal.

NaturallyAspirated > RallyWrench 01/09/2015 at 18:58

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Did the car come in under it's own power? That's amazing.

Also, that looks like a huge pain to do. I thought pulling the engine on my Subaru to change the clutch was bad, but I didn't have to remove any bodywork...

Steve in Manhattan > RallyWrench 01/09/2015 at 19:12

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What am I looking at in the 2nd photo?

I read somewhere that Mini clutches were undersized for the power they were expected to handle. True?

Steve in Manhattan > Steve in Manhattan 01/09/2015 at 19:20

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And when I said second, I meant third.

RallyWrench > Steve in Manhattan 01/09/2015 at 19:23

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That's the front of the Mini, mid-job. I don't know that they're underrated. This is the first failure I've seen in an R56, but it is at only 73k so who knows. I've seen a few go in R53s.

RallyWrench > NaturallyAspirated 01/09/2015 at 19:24

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No, it was towed in, but was driven until it stopped somewhere on Highway 1.

PilotMan > RallyWrench 01/09/2015 at 19:30

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I did the R56 clutch swap in my garage, I kept the radiator attached and it worked out okay. I just lifted the engine enough for the gear box to clear the frame rail. It looks like you guys were maxing out your labor hours.

PilotMan > Steve in Manhattan 01/09/2015 at 19:32

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Not underrated just not very much clutch material since the added the big sloppy dampened flywheel. The best thing to do for a Mini is to add a solid flywheel.

Steve in Manhattan > RallyWrench 01/09/2015 at 19:39

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Where is the clutch positioned, relative to that? Do you usually recommend a higher duty clutch. Cost of clutch, better flywheel? Sorry so many questions, but I'm starved for automotive talk here in NYC.

RallyWrench > Steve in Manhattan 01/09/2015 at 19:52

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No worries. Clutch is right about in the middle of the car, about where you see those shift cables next to the exhaust. The transaxle is on the driver's side. An aftermarket clutch & flywheel probably runs about $1000. A stock clutch kit is around 300.

Louros > RallyWrench 01/09/2015 at 20:13

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I bought my R56 S used with 20k miles. The clutch had already been replaced once by the dealer not long before I bought it.

BRB, selling it before the clutch needs to be replaced again.

Tinfoil Hat in a thunderstorm, now with added diecast > RallyWrench 01/09/2015 at 20:36

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Looks like the owners have installed a future insurance claim here. If the car burns to the ground I doubt the cause would be found. Hey that rhymes!

Steve in Manhattan > RallyWrench 01/09/2015 at 20:47

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Thanks. I often wonder whether something like this happens because the car is driven hard, driven by someone who doesn't know how to drive a stick, or just faulty parts/design.

f86sabre > RallyWrench 01/09/2015 at 21:13

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so the easiest way with the Mini is to pull the bodywork off and yank the motor. I had suspected as much. We have 05 R53 with a bit over 100k on it. There will come a day...

Arben72 > RallyWrench 01/09/2015 at 21:46

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My r50 Mini's clutch is feeling a tad bit heavy. That looks a tad harder then I thought it would be. Luckily that n/a life makes everything easier.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > RallyWrench 01/09/2015 at 23:04

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r/justrolledintotheshop

RallyWrench > f86sabre 01/09/2015 at 23:34

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It's not as hard as it looks, and the R53 is a lot easier to work on.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > RallyWrench 01/09/2015 at 23:35

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I know dem feelz, bro. In the plus side, all of that bodywork is really easy to pull off. Last time I did it I think it took about two hours to drop everything out. IMO R53

RallyWrench > Arben72 01/09/2015 at 23:37

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The R50 & 53 are much easier to work on, and it's easier to leave the engine in on those.

RallyWrench > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 01/09/2015 at 23:42

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By far. The 1st gen cars were so much better. I don't mind them, but no one here likes these. The engines are shit. The door chime alone makes me want to crush them.

RallyWrench > gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee 01/09/2015 at 23:44

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Feel free to share, I don't reddit. I do check that out sometimes though, always worth a laugh.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > RallyWrench 01/09/2015 at 23:51

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I also don't reddit much anymore. I haven't even checked that one out for a few months, and it was my staple.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > RallyWrench 01/10/2015 at 01:25

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Yeah no kidding. And they're bigger than an old C-class. Mini? Ha! That's like saying my sister in law could be a jockey! And the offer a slush box on the S, a terribly terrible slush box. So bad it's worse than my use of adjectives in the last sentence. The R53 was a blast to drive, notoriously unreliable (early years at least), but a blast none the less.

wabbalosthiskey > RallyWrench 01/10/2015 at 12:21

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You could fix it, it's still round.