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cooper with chain issue

9K views 9 replies 6 participants last post by  WOE2 
#1 ·
have a mini cooper with a chain issue.

if the chain jumps a cog or 2 will it bend valves or damage pistons as i believe its an interference engine

can you only check compression on each cylinder once you have reset and replaced the timing gear

also if a timing chain kit is required who manufactures the better ones, are eurocarparts kits ok

thanks
 
#2 ·
everyone i have done that has jumped has bent valves, the trouble its not just two teeth its 2 teeth plus the stretch in the chain to allow it to jump,, also the only way to tell if it has jumped is to remove rocker box and buy a good timing locking tool and lock it all off,, remember you must put the dummy tension'er in that comes with locking tool and set the torque on the screw on bolt to 6nm this preload is very important seen people forget and car dont run well after,, one other point i used a cheap £49 locking tool once and did not end well as car was 2-5 degrees retarded out of time.. laser tools do a fair one
 
#7 ·
Whilst the Mini/Mini's are a great car to drive, they do require maintenance that you don't see in a lot of Japanese based cars. They are cramped to work on, hence the modular design to enable you to access what's required when working on them. They need specific tools to be able to effect repairs and certain types of servicing, these tools are also specific to the Mini or engine type (the cam locking tool is required by the Gen 2 Mini, Peugeot, Citroen so its not a Mini specific tool). Without these specific tools and the ability to DIY your only other choice is the additional cost of labour from a Garage or Dealership (if you can DIY, the cost of the specific tools are a lot less than the labour your going to be paying for).

As an example, I was quoted AUD $1800-2000.00 to supply and fit an electrohydraulic power steering pump on my R50 plus AUD $150.00for a diagnostic to confirm the pump was shot (like trying to turn the steering wasn't obvious enough). I purchased a new OEM pump on Ebay and fitted it myself for AUD $900.00 and saved an average of AUD $1000.00 for a 2 hour job (I would love to be payed that hourly rate for work).

Ergo, yes the tools (decent ones) can be expensive but at the end of the day, right tool for the right job (yes, YouTube has a lot of ways to do the job without buying the tools), time saved faffing around taking assumed shortcuts, skinned knuckles and a lot of swearing, damage to parts or tools by not using the right tool.

As for the valves kissing the piston crowns, once the valves have touched, there is a high chance of bent valves (barely perceptible) that will cause wear to the valve guides, seals etc, damage to the piston crown resulting in carbon build-up and creation of hot spots that can cause pre-detonation (think engine damage).

If you can DIY, buy the tools, use them on your car, if your competent and know what your doing and are a member of a Mini club, you could make the tools pay for themselves and earn a few quid by offering to either repair a club members car or hire the tools out. There is always someone in a club who would like to save a quid on repairs but for what ever reason, is unable to do the repair them selves and would be happy for an alternative.


Just my 2 bobs worth :)
 
#8 · (Edited)
Thanks for the replies

Will go with the laser kit rather than cheap and cheerful

There are kits available for n12 or n14

I have a 2007 Mini Cooper not s model

I take it I will need the kit for an n12 engine

Which kit 5149 or 5148 with details listed below

Camshaft Alignment Tool 1of2 for (5FX/5FR/5FY/5FX) use set 5148

What do the 5** relate to, is it engine number prefix
 
#9 ·
you could try going to a local garage and ask to hire the locking tool you might be lucky and yes your right its theft £270 same as genuine £500 but cant do the job without it. there are two but its the one with the dummy chain adjuster you need to put preload of 5nm on chain... also there is a difference on the very early ones as they only had one vvt sprocket and locking tool a tad different
 
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