Advise needed on a 2008 Cooper S

806 Views 47 Replies 5 Participants Last post by ExclusiveWorkshops, a moment ago

SparrowCarProjects

Discussion Starter · 16 d ago

Good morning Ladies and Gents,

I have posted this also in the new members area as i am completely new to this forum so Hello 😁.

So i am new to the mini world and as per the the title i am in need of a little help. So i have now just bought a mini through Copart as a project to put on my YouTube channel. So as you can imagine i currently don't know to much about the car as it is coming tomorrow but all i know is the reason it was them on a auction was due to mechanical that is all the sheet said. So i was hoping you amazing people could give me some info on the common problems of what i could be looking at. It is a 2008 Cooper S which does run and drive. But i am thinking it has to be something a bit big to be not repaired and instead sent to Copart so as much information on the types of problems would be amazing.

My friend who used to be in the mini world said that it could be valves due to them being clogged with carbon. I believe he said about a cylinder issue also.

Thank you very much for taking the time to give me some advise of what to look for prior to the car coming and if you want to see the mini projects journey stay tuned to my YouTube channel as i will be doing lots to it

https://www.youtube.com/@sparrowscarprojects-em3fe/featured

Thanks very much Ladies and Gents.

P.S i am in the UK and not Spain like my profile says 😂🤣. I have no idea why it has done that or how i can change it so that is also another question 😁.

Sparrow

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SparrowCarProjects

Discussion Starter · #41 · 2 d ago (Edited)

Hello Guys,

So I believe i know why she is running like a bag of shit 😁 and a lot of you guessed it straight away. The timing is out and from what i see by quite a bit like 45 degrees out. So i now have a question. How do i put the cars timing back into place?

do i crank her round manually and line the exhaust cam up and then take the chain off and manually spin the intake cam to line up?
Or do i line the intake and line up the the exhaust manually.
Or lastly do i spin the crank over by hand slide the lock bolt in locking the crank and manually spin the cams to line up?

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SparrowCarProjects

Discussion Starter · #42 · 2 d ago (Edited)

I have also noticed that the guide on top of the chain is missing and probably gone down into the sump.

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SparrowCarProjects

Discussion Starter · #43 · 2 d ago

I think i have it. I have had a look and it is number 3. Put the crank tool in which will put the pistons in the correct time then move each cam shaft upwards and put the tool on and the engine is back in time 😁.

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SparrowCarProjects

Discussion Starter · #44 · 2 d ago

So things have gone a bit down hill 😥. So i ended up getting the sump off and there was loads and i mean loads of plastic. It had also sucked up into the oil pump. Thats not the issue as i was able to clean it fully out including the pump 😁. My biggest problem was there was a broken oil Jet also in the sump 😫. So i need to take the engine out now to split it apart and put new jets in and while i am at it i might as well do the bearings.

Has anyone one done a video or walk through of how to remove the engine. I am hoping that i can just remove the engine and leave the box mounted in place. I have done loads today to trip it down to do just that but i haven't taken the engine out yet. I am trying to take the drivers side drive shaft out so i can or am i doing it wrong.

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mike1967

· #45 · 2 d ago

common if broken oil jet broken off due to piston skirt on that bore failing,

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SparrowCarProjects

Discussion Starter · #46 · 2 d ago

mike1967 said:
common if broken oil jet broken off due to piston skirt on that bore failing,

How do you mean bud. Is that meaning that the bore is buggered and need a new block?

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mike1967

· #47 · 1 d ago

SparrowCarProjects said:
How do you mean bud. Is that meaning that the bore is buggered and need a new block?

on the turbo engines and normally on gearbox end as thats where gets hottest and lean outs get to worst case, the pressure and heat caused by lean out will brake away the piston where the lower compression ring groove is and oil rings sit,, sometimes i have had them just break a piston and not hurt the bore, had others that the burst had dug the rings in to bore and heavy scored it,, also had them where melted the piston from its crown all way down one side and once again some nail the block some dont, I had one cooper s with 55k on clock and was badly mapped that bent the conrod very slightly and first time was missed and repeated the breaking away the bottom of piston,, I gave that bent rod to a number of other car techs and ask spot whats wrong done of them could see it,, until I put it on a level engineers table in a certain way found the rod at very top pushed over,

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ExclusiveWorkshops

· #48 · a moment ago

jets can be swapped without motor apart fyi

that needs taking apart though I suspect, at the very minimum it wants endoscope checking in places I think

renew the timing chain and pump chain, I'd be splitting that pump to check it internally, look for witness marks on pistons, and scope the underside to see piston skirts, or just pull it apart

don't bother trying to get an engine out and leaving a box behind, forgive the frankness but it's a dumb move, just take it out together, these are modular and designed to be done like that quite easily, it's far less aggro, and always better than damaging or straining stuff, improvising and likely as not hurting oneself in some way trying it, definitely always easier lifting a box off while stood up than fighting one from below,

with the problems you might find on that car based on the description, I think support the view that it might be better dealt with this way anyway

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