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Capsaisin · Apr 20th, 2006, 05:58 PM

Sounds like a gearbox fault to me. As your friend says early boxes were prone to problems. Could you actually feel the gears or was the gearstick a bit floppy? If it stalled in reverse, could be your gf actually selected 2 gears at once, it can happen if gears and selectors get loose on a shaft.
If it was clutch, I think £1200 is taking the p*ss. And no doubt if its really the box this quote will double.
Look at it this way, to change the clutch you have to remove the box so for a "normal" garage the labour cost is the same and you can examine both clutch and box for the fault. A clutch plate costs around £150 so £1000 for labour - really

There is nothing magical about a Mini gearbox or clutch. At your mileage I would budget on a new gearbox and clutch assembly, but get a friendly "local" garage to do it for you. The extra labour costs are minimal in fitting a new clutch plate when the gearbox is replaced. These are bolt on replacement parts which any garage can do, there are no special BMW rebuilding procedures involved and no special BMW secret way of fitting it all together.

I am sure that Minimaniauk are well meaning but I would not even consider a rebuild of your existing box, just get a new one (exchange???). In my experience the time and costs involved in rebuilding a box (which is quite complex and contains far too many shafts, bearings and cog wheels for my liking) is not worth it if you can get a new or manufacturers part exchange box. Certainly DO NOT let a local garage rebuild your box, Minimaniauk will know what they are doing as certainly as a local garage will not.
Thats just my own opinion, it could change if I were to be told an exchange box cost more than £700, but then I would certainly never pay £1200 for a clutch, I would rather bring my overalls out of retirement!! But thats just me.

Apr 20th, 2006, 05:58 PM	#3
Capsaisin cave capsicum Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Crewe Local Time: 12:34 AM Posts: 3,364 Offline	Sounds like a gearbox fault to me. As your friend says early boxes were prone to problems. Could you actually feel the gears or was the gearstick a bit floppy? If it stalled in reverse, could be your gf actually selected 2 gears at once, it can happen if gears and selectors get loose on a shaft. If it was clutch, I think £1200 is taking the p*ss. And no doubt if its really the box this quote will double. Look at it this way, to change the clutch you have to remove the box so for a "normal" garage the labour cost is the same and you can examine both clutch and box for the fault. A clutch plate costs around £150 so £1000 for labour - really There is nothing magical about a Mini gearbox or clutch. At your mileage I would budget on a new gearbox and clutch assembly, but get a friendly "local" garage to do it for you. The extra labour costs are minimal in fitting a new clutch plate when the gearbox is replaced. These are bolt on replacement parts which any garage can do, there are no special BMW rebuilding procedures involved and no special BMW secret way of fitting it all together. I am sure that Minimaniauk are well meaning but I would not even consider a rebuild of your existing box, just get a new one (exchange???). In my experience the time and costs involved in rebuilding a box (which is quite complex and contains far too many shafts, bearings and cog wheels for my liking) is not worth it if you can get a new or manufacturers part exchange box. Certainly DO NOT let a local garage rebuild your box, Minimaniauk will know what they are doing as certainly as a local garage will not. Thats just my own opinion, it could change if I were to be told an exchange box cost more than £700, but then I would certainly never pay £1200 for a clutch, I would rather bring my overalls out of retirement!! But thats just me.