Thanks for the praise! It certainly was a slog through the Nam site and then the Michigan!
The Missus reckons I need my head testing!
http://www.mini2.com/forum/attachmen...d=1210485 550
There are certainly some pointers that should click with many sufferers
.
The sloping of the ground exasperating the situation of drain down for instance.
There are a couple of cures for cold start noise. First, make sure you're using the proper engine oil: full synthetic SAE 5W-30. Second, park on a level surface. Parking on a slope will exaggerate the problem since it reduces the level of oil in the HLA reservoir. It can take several seconds of engine running for the oil pump to refill oil galleries, and until then, the HLA must depend on the oil within its reservoir to maintain function until pressurized oil arrives. Third, have your dry lash adjusted to 0.75±0.25mm. Due to engine manufacturing tolerance stackups, your MINI could have up to about 3mm of dry lash at each of its 16 valves. Dry lash is the clearance between the valve tip and the fully compressed HLA when the follower is on the cam base circle. (If you measure dry lash between the cam and the roller follower, be sure to correct for the rocker arm ratio.) The higher the dry lash, the higher the likelihood of air ingestion and the greater the volume of air that can be ingested and the more time idling to purge it. The TriTec engine's dry lash is adjusted by installing lash caps on the valve tips. The R56 PSA engine's dry lash is adjusted by installing a shim beneath the HLA. A side benefit of adjusting your dry lash is that the HLA will have higher hydraulic stiffness, and that will increase the valvetrain natural frequency, potentially enabling higher RPM operation.(courtesy of tom michigan mini motorin club)
I am no expert in engine mechanics or even an amateur but its obvious gravity and engine design are a contributing factor!
This explains about the air in the system.
0W-30 should help the problem, but it still depends on dry lash. Assuming the hydraulic lash adjuster (HLA) has a Ø9mm plunger, if there's 2mm dry lash, the HLA reservoir must transfer 2mm of plunger displacement, viz. 127mm³, of oil to the HLA high pressure chamber (HPC) during cold start. [Note, this only occurs at valves which were not closed at shut-down. The HLA will be compressed to their plunger bottomed length due to the force of the valve spring at open valves.] Unfortunately 5W-30 doesn't flow well at cold temperatures, and some of the oil will stick to the walls of the reservoir as it drains by gravity (there's no oil pressure in the cylinder head yet!) into the HPC. As a result air is sucked into the HPC and viola, cold start noise. Cold start noise will persist until that air can get out of the HPC. Plungers and bodies are select fitted with a radial clearance of about 2.5 microns. (A mechanical pencil loaded with 0.5mm lead makes a dot that's 500 microns in diameter!) It takes awhile for the air in the HPC to escape thru that clearance. 0W-30 flows better at cold temperatures than 5W-30, and less oil will stick to the sides of the reservoir. That might be enough to prevent air from being sucked into the HPC. At the least it will reduce the amount of air and the time to quiet. (courtesy of Tom michigan mini motorin club) COLD START NOISE On a personal note, I visited my dealer to enquire when my R56 pepper white with black roof would start being manufactured. I have put down my deposit plus my o5 leccie blue mcs (Bluebabe) as PX
( I will miss her) I did consider cancelling my order and went as far as enquiring wether they had sold Bluebabe yet (she hasn't been on the forecourt from the start)! As I sat down to talk to Lee the sales manager, I glanced behind me and there was a R56 pepper white, black roof plus sunroof, darkened rear glass and black R90cross spokes with silver rims. I fell in love straight away and forgot about cancelling the order!
I did talk about my concerns over the issues. but you know what they didn't feign ignorance this time! 
Instead Lee the salesmanager picked up the phone and talked to a techie on microphone, You'd never guess what they said!!! .... The techie said it was all due to the vacum pipe on the valve train and that it should be removed by a second person when you start up!!!
Well after picking myself off the floor,(you have to laugh) I thought of showing them the printed out text from Tom and others that I had in my hand.. But you know it would have been a waste of time!
I did try to explain some of the stuff about the HLA's but their blank faces 
were cracking me up! I know I wont be laughing when the car arrives!
so no offence to anybody else!
Sorry about the smilies! but looking through those other sites like Nam, I really am jealous of their smilies, they really are a laugh especially
Once again I apologise ( I am a newbie) Some would not work Shame!
This is my last look pics of Bluebabe after I PX'd her at Farnborough dealership. I hope I'm doing the right thing!
