MINI Cooper Forum banner
Cancel

New engine knocking noise

7890 Views 13 Replies 2 Participants Last post by  mike1967, 
J
Hi, haven’t listed for a white but in desperate need of help. Recently swapped out my old Mini r56 engine (oil pump failed and ran dry at 137,000 miles) and it ran great. For 5 minutes. After the first test drive the car started knocking very loudly... what could this noise be? https://youtu.be/j7FcM5oHd_Y
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 14 of 14 Posts
M
JoshuaPeet1611 said:
Hi, haven’t listed for a white but in desperate need of help. Recently swapped out my old Mini r56 engine (oil pump failed and ran dry at 137,000 miles) and it ran great. For 5 minutes. After the first test drive the car started knocking very loudly... what could this noise be? https://youtu.be/j7FcM5oHd_Y
Click to expand...
check the water pump pulley wheel might find the rubber coating has split off, if not that timing chain problem
Reply
Save
Like
J
Thanks for the advice. Just put my ear to the pulleys and couldn’t hear anything however on the left (driver Side) is the engine the noise was pretty loud... Can anybody suggest some good mod kits? This timing chain nightmare has to end!
Reply
Save
Like
J
mike1967 said:
JoshuaPeet1611 said:
Hi, haven’t listed for a white but in desperate need of help. Recently swapped out my old Mini r56 engine (oil pump failed and ran dry at 137,000 miles) and it ran great. For 5 minutes. After the first test drive the car started knocking very loudly... what could this noise be? https://youtu.be/j7FcM5oHd_Y
Click to expand...
check the water pump pulley wheel might find the rubber coating has split off, if not that timing chain problem
Click to expand...
Sorry, forgot to quote you for the above
Reply
Save
Like
J
Does anybody know what I could have done wrong to cause the timing chain to fail after only running it for 5 mins? The oil was filled the max before starting.. Should I have primed it?
Reply
Save
Like
M
JoshuaPeet1611 said:
Does anybody know what I could have done wrong to cause the timing chain to fail after only running it for 5 mins? The oil was filled the max before starting.. Should I have primed it?
Click to expand...
i would remove the pulley belt and run it again see if noise goes away as said before the water pump pulley has a rubber coating on it and this does crack and fail and sounds terrible,
as for timing chain problems very common on prince engine needs to be treated like a cam belt ie needs changing around 60k is what i do them at, below link good cost effect kit will need a locking kit for it ass well and new bolts form main agents,
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FAI-TIMI...023923&hash=item2f241348e3:g:tIkAAOSwT0pbwcP4

or if car only done around 60-80k below link with out vanos sprockets, you must buy bottom sprocket for below kit as they always wear badly
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Timing-C...314336&hash=item1ef9782cd2:g:B4MAAOSwaHlcw3UP
Reply
Save
Like
J
Bugger me! You were right you bloody genius! The coating had ripped off completely - the friction wheel (the like double wheel thing that drives the water wheel) is really tight to the drive wheel too - had to cut the belt to pull it out... don’t remember it being like this is it normal?
Thank you so much for your help
Reply
Save
Like
M
JoshuaPeet1611 said:
Bugger me! You were right you bloody genius! The coating had ripped off completely - the friction wheel (the like double wheel thing that drives the water wheel) is really tight to the drive wheel too - had to cut the belt to pull it out... don’t remember it being like this is it normal?
Thank you so much for your help
Click to expand...
the first time i had that happen to me coating come away was just after a chain replacement head off and all bent valves replaced started the car up and ho bugger got that sound and thought i must of missed something with in the engine at first, when reality was when my apprentice at the time had mounted the jockey wheel on to the pump and pulley he never pulled the plastic tag to reset the spring loading it has, if dont do that it will keep removing the plastic coating.
Reply
Save
Like
M
below link is correct pulley genuine psa one but same as mini same part
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Genu...m4d4a203bb1:g:6MIAAOSwVUdbNK4v&frcectupt=true
Reply
Save
Like
J
The new pulley is on its way! For anyone else with this issue there’s also no need to move the engine - if you’ve got skinny enough hands you can access it under the wheel arch! See attached a photograph of the offending item. Thanks again Mike!

Attachments

See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
M
JoshuaPeet1611 said:
The new pulley is on its way! For anyone else with this issue there’s also no need to move the engine - if you’ve got skinny enough hands you can access it under the wheel arch! See attached a photograph of the offending item. Thanks again Mike!
Click to expand...
what i would do for skinny long fingers instead own a pair of cant fit anywheres lol. glad of helped its very clear on that pulley, word of warning when buying a secondhand engine always check timing chain to me on safe side, as any engine with north of 50-60k will need one,
Reply
Save
Like
J
mike1967 said:
what i would do for skinny long fingers instead own a pair of cant fit anywheres lol. glad of helped its very clear on that pulley, word of warning when buying a secondhand engine always check timing chain to me on safe side, as any engine with north of 50-60k will need one,
Click to expand...
"Can't fit anywheres" - killing myself.
She's only got 40k on this one. Took Dad and I 3 weekends for the swap. Looks like 137k is just a little too much for the Prince models - lesson learned. I really do love these things. First one (nan gave it to me for my first car, sadly she has now passed away) had 60k on the clock and needed a new CAT and gear links. Wrote it off early this year and bought the Nightfire red one with the insurance money. Everything else feels solid on the new one and she runs like anything now. Can't wait for the pulley to arrive so I can get the wheels on her. I've attached a photo of her so you can see why we bothered to go through with the trouble instead of flogging it! Beautiful car, not a nick on her. (Any idea of the lifespan of the gearbox, Mike?).

Attachments

See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
J
For anyone else wanting to check their water pump pulley

If your engine is still knocking after a timing chain replacement, have a quick look under the driver's side wheel arch. Take off the wheel and 'carpet' closest to the bumper and you'll be able to see it. Attached some photos if they're any help. (It's already been removed here but it's mounted the thing I'm pointing at). If it looks like the photo I posted above, you and I both owe Mike a beer.

Attachments

See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
M
JoshuaPeet1611 said:
"Can't fit anywheres" - killing myself.
She's only got 40k on this one. Took Dad and I 3 weekends for the swap. Looks like 137k is just a little too much for the Prince models - lesson learned. I really do love these things. First one (nan gave it to me for my first car, sadly she has now passed away) had 60k on the clock and needed a new CAT and gear links. Wrote it off early this year and bought the Nightfire red one with the insurance money. Everything else feels solid on the new one and she runs like anything now. Can't wait for the pulley to arrive so I can get the wheels on her. I've attached a photo of her so you can see why we bothered to go through with the trouble instead of flogging it! Beautiful car, not a nick on her. (Any idea of the lifespan of the gearbox, Mike?).
Click to expand...
the prince will do 200k but with 60k timing chains and 8k oil changes and seafoam cleaner through them helps and driven no more than 3k for to long but any engine has a point where all sensors and stuff that really is only designed for 100k tops need doing, just makes me laugh people buy 100k cars and are put out when they break,, and then the other people when looking for a 100k car looks at one i have got for sale say thats had head done and chain done new clutch etc proper been through it with the future in mind and turn it down because its had all that done to it,,, all because the AA and RAC have guides on how to buy a secondhand car for the dont have a clue type people,,, hmmm trouble is these guides are all based on 3-5 year old cars with under 60k on them really and yes if seen one with 50k and its had a engine rebuild you would want to check the rest of it very carefully but chances are its still a good car with a new engine in fact better car because it has a new engine,, but people are clever enough to think they no what they are doing because they went and used the advice from AA and RAC etc, just cant teach stupid lol
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 14 of 14 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
MINI Cooper Forum
Join our Mini Cooper Forums to talk about your new Mini. From reviews, mods, accessories, reliability concerns and more, this Mini Owners Club is full of info!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
General Discussion UK & Ireland Discussion & Event Planning First Generation MINI Cooper S First Generation Faults & Fixes Australia
Top