Steve X16XE
Member
Registered: 31st Dec 06
Location: Barnsley, South Yorkshire
User status: Offline
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How hard is it to change the clutch? Is it really an engine out job?
It's just a Cooper, so nothing special.
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Rich H
Member
Registered: 26th Oct 05
Location: West Sussex Drives: E46 M3
User status: Offline
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AFAIK it's the same on all of them - which involves dropping the subframe.
Although I got shot down in flames by a few on Mini Torque in the past telling me I was talking rubbish - even thought I was told this by 3 separate BMW Mini specialists, AND had it done to mine literally just before I bought it 
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Ojc
Member
Registered: 14th Nov 00
Location: Reading: Drives : Clio 197
User status: Offline
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MiniTorque is full of some proper cocks
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Joe
Member
Registered: 20th Jun 04
Location: Hesketh Bank, Lancashire
User status: Offline
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Not engine out no, just drop the subframe.
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leon.
Member
Registered: 24th Jun 08
User status: Offline
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have to drop the sub frame on alot of new cars now so no biggie
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Steve X16XE
Member
Registered: 31st Dec 06
Location: Barnsley, South Yorkshire
User status: Offline
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So, just the subframe off then same as it always is?
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Rich H
Member
Registered: 26th Oct 05
Location: West Sussex Drives: E46 M3
User status: Offline
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I don't know how long it took the garage to do mine before I bought it as it was done in Bristol, but I spoke to a guy down here before I bought the car and he said it was an 8 hour job to replace clutch and flywheel.
Oh and don't forget to get it tracked after dropping the subframe too - again it didn't get done on mine after the clutch was replaced 
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Graeme
Premium Member
Registered: 26th Jul 04
Location: Northampton
User status: Offline
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We had one in a while back for clutch. Was at least 8 hours but our mechanic had never done one. Proper ball ache dropping the sub frame, stupid design imo!
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leon.
Member
Registered: 24th Jun 08
User status: Offline
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do the mini's not have locating pins to screw in, so the sub frame goes back in the position it came out leaving the tracking the same as before?.
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A2H GO
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Registered: 14th Sep 04
Location: Stoke
User status: Offline
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You have to drop the subframe to get to the wishbone bushes, let alone changing a gearbox. Akward cars.
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Twitch
Member
Registered: 3rd Nov 09
Location: Flitwick, Bedfordshire
User status: Offline
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get a engine support across the top. drop subframe. remove the drive shafts and starter motor then the 2 gear box mounts and let her go. sounds hard but actually one of the quicker ways of doing a clutch.
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Gary
Premium Member
Registered: 22nd Nov 06
Location: West Yorkshire
User status: Offline
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Don't know why everyone dnt use the 'hatch' like in the early F20s.
Made a clutch change a hours job!
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Ojc
Member
Registered: 14th Nov 00
Location: Reading: Drives : Clio 197
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by A2H GO
You have to drop the subframe to get to the wishbone bushes, let alone changing a gearbox. Akward cars.
I noticed that the other day. Very awkward
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ed
Member
Registered: 10th Sep 03
User status: Offline
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Can't you get the clutch and flywheel done under warranty/recall on them? I say that because my friend has had two Mini's and they've both had the same thing done for free - his were a Cooper S and a Clubman S though.
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Ojc
Member
Registered: 14th Nov 00
Location: Reading: Drives : Clio 197
User status: Offline
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R56?
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ed
Member
Registered: 10th Sep 03
User status: Offline
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I think the first one was a Mk1, it was supercharged. The Clubman must be a Mk2 though, but he mentioned that the clutch issue wasn't addressed?
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A2H GO
Member
Registered: 14th Sep 04
Location: Stoke
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by Ojc
quote:
Originally posted by A2H GO
You have to drop the subframe to get to the wishbone bushes, let alone changing a gearbox. Akward cars.
I noticed that the other day. Very awkward
Mine used to pull to the kerb and it was very annoying, I tried everything, trye pressures, laser tracking/aligning, camber and nothing worked.
As a last resort I bought some perfomance wishbone bushes off the internet (another common problem), got the car up on a ramp and saw how big the job was, called a garage who knew what they were doing and got quoted a rediculous price. At the same time as experiencing many other problems.
I sold the bushes on ebay...along with the car.
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Ojc
Member
Registered: 14th Nov 00
Location: Reading: Drives : Clio 197
User status: Offline
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I've got those wishbone bushes to go in, doesn't look too bad of a job to do TBH.
1320 showed me them, said it takes them about an hour.
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A2H GO
Member
Registered: 14th Sep 04
Location: Stoke
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by Ojc
I've got those wishbone bushes to go in, doesn't look too bad of a job to do TBH.
1320 showed me them, said it takes them about an hour.
The steerings supposed to be very precise and instant with the uprated bushes in. Especially when combined with some stiffer springs.
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Ojc
Member
Registered: 14th Nov 00
Location: Reading: Drives : Clio 197
User status: Offline
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Yeah it's why I got them, lad at 1320 said the difference is night and day with them in, even as standard you can see there is far too much movement in the wishbone which causes that vague feeling.
He moved mine with a bar, said they weren't bad, seen some so bad he could move it with his hand.
Just ordered my coilovers and Powerflex rear top mount bushes another weakness on the Mini, could have got the Meister-R with the solid pillow ball top mount but they don't give you enough lows 
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A2H GO
Member
Registered: 14th Sep 04
Location: Stoke
User status: Offline
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Mine was rediculously low, the areo side skirts were about an inch off the floor
They moved mine with a bar and they seemed to have over an inch of play in each side. Made it really difficult to get the wishbone out when I had to put a new one on after hitting a kerb as every time I pulled it the rubber bush came out about two inches with it
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Ojc
Member
Registered: 14th Nov 00
Location: Reading: Drives : Clio 197
User status: Offline
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What coilovers did you run? Did you uprate the rear arms and the drop links?
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A2H GO
Member
Registered: 14th Sep 04
Location: Stoke
User status: Offline
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Some spax ones, PSX I think(yellow with purple springs). Height and dampening adjustable.
I bought them off a guy on Mini torque, when they came the adjusters were seized so I put them on how they were and it was so low it was virtually undriveable(the guy before must not have had the aero kit) and was rock hard.
Took them back off and tried a blow torch on them in a vice with a bar on the end of the adustment spanner and everything but couldnt loosen them so contacted spax for some new adjuster cups and ended up cutting the old ones off. At this point we found that one of the pistons was bent one of the rears AND that the springs had been cut.
Had nothing but bad luck with that car.
Oh and when we went to put the original suspension back on to sell it, the bolt for the rear damper cross threaded the thread on the rear wishbone. 
[Edited on 02-06-2011 by A2H GO]
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Ojc
Member
Registered: 14th Nov 00
Location: Reading: Drives : Clio 197
User status: Offline
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Spax pants mate
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mwg
Member
Registered: 19th Feb 04
Location: South Lakes
User status: Offline
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I thought Steve had already told you that 1320 don't know anything
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