1st Gen R50 Cooper Dilemma regarding oil cap cage...

Discussion in '1st Generation: 2002–06 R50, R53 & 2004–08 R52' started by mjlwriter, Feb 3, 2016.

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  1. mjlwriter

    mjlwriter Banned

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    I have a 2002 MINI Cooper and am looking for a little information. I still have the original oil cap and housing. The cap has the OEM plastic cage that gets reused each oil change; the cage fits inside the oil filter. After this last oil change, I noticed that the cage is in jeopardy of breaking because of the many times I've had to pry it out of the old oil filter; it rarely comes out easy.

    I could bore everyone with questions about the new style cap, whether it goes on to the old style housing, etc., etc. But, instead of that, I will just appeal to anyone who might, by sheer chance, have an extra cage laying around. I have tried to work with salvage yards, but have yet to find this elusive cage... or at least a salvage yard employee willing to check if they have the part.

    If you have a spare one you're willing to part with, please send me a private message. If there are any other solutions that don't involve changing out the oil housing, I'm open to that. My days of long repairs on the MINI are over, along with a bad back!...

    Got help?

    Thanks,
    Michael
     
  2. 00Mini

    00Mini Well-Known Member

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    I was under the impression that the current oem/Mann oil filters had internal caging and did not require the old style plastic cage. Hopefully others with more knowledge than I will answer soon.
     
  3. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    Call Steven at eMINIparts.com. He will know. :yesnod:

    603-637-2900
     
  4. mjlwriter

    mjlwriter Banned

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    (Nicolas) Cage

    Well, the new oil filters do have some kind of core in there, but it's not clear to me that I can simply scrap the OEM cage in lieu of these reinforced filters. When I had a repair shop do my oil change once, they threw out the cage and used what I imagine was a new style filter. Result: low oil pressure light and a return trip to shop. They must've retrieved the cage from the trash, reinstalled it on the oil cap or in the filter, and all was fine after that... My conclusion is that I still need the OEM cage but at this point, I don't know what the right answer is... I'd love to learn that I no longer need the OEM cage, because, as I said, I think it might soon go the way of the Titanic! :fingerscrossed:
     
  5. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    Do what Crashton suggested and make the call to Steven, he will set you straight and most likely give you a nice deal on some OEM filters.... Stick with OEM or Mann filters and don't use any of the other aftermarket filters... The cage keeps the pleated oil filter from collapsing while under oil pressure and shutting off the vital oil flow to the engine...
     
  6. mjlwriter

    mjlwriter Banned

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    Metalman, I called him. Very nice fella, but did not give me the answer I needed. However, you touched on the subject, so let me ask you the million dollar question:

    I have the original housing, cap, and cage. They were designed when filters, OEM or otherwise, had no rigid core and therefore the cage was not only important but required in order to keep the flimsy cartridge filter from crushing inward as the result of high oil pressure (that's the explanation I was given). So, now the R50 filters have their own rigid center (not quite a cage, but certainly plastic reinforcement). So, do I still need the cage? (By the way, that was the million dollar question...). Thanks!:crazy:

    (I can offer .00001% of the value of the million dollar question for the answer to the million dollar question...):crazy::crazy::crazy:
     
  7. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    I hate to give you that answer for a R50 because I'm only familiar with the R56... Wouldn't want to give you bad info....

    One would assume that MINI surmised that a constant reusable plastic cage wouldn't last long. The Realoem doesn't list a separate plastic cage, so maybe they made a filter improvement and included it in the new filter design...

    Someone should come along with the answer that knows a R50 better than me...
     
  8. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    I have not said anything because I do not know either. I do know my 2002 R53 does not use it. Real OEM shows the same part number for the R50 and R53 so I would think that you don't need the cage anymore and the new aluminum top will work.
    Is this what you are asking?
     
  9. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    For what it's worth I definitely would try the Mann filter with the plastic internal structure. Using plastic that is to be reused in the environment of hot engine oil seems foolish to me. I wonder about all of the plastics used in new cars now as it will be quite failure prone as time goes by.
     
  10. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    Lee this plastic deal is what the problem is.


    [​IMG]
     
  11. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    Ok but if he gets the new aluminum cap can he start using the filter without the cage. Or would he have to change the whole housing?
     
  12. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    I can't believe we don't have an answer
     
  13. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    #13 Metalman, Feb 4, 2016
    Last edited: Feb 4, 2016
    Found this on the "other place".... I didn't want to go there, so I took a bullet for you...

    Scroll down to... see Nathan's post below....

    There, fixed it...:eek:
     
  14. Nathan

    Nathan Founder

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  15. BlimeyCabrio

    BlimeyCabrio Oscar Goldman of MINIs
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    Tl;dr version: you must replace the entire housing, not just the cap.
     
  16. mjlwriter

    mjlwriter Banned

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    Already have located that post, but if you read it again, you'll see that it has clearly conflicting information ... and I cite:

    Point #1 they make: "Beginning with the 07/2004 production, they changed the filter specification and a plastic 'cage' was built into the filter itself, eliminating the need for the cage in the cannister cover." The last part is key, in that it says that if you use a new type filter, with an integral plastic structure, you can eliminate the cage.

    Point #2 (wherein they introduce the conflict: "A potential problem arises with your 2002-2004 MINI during a filter change when the plastic cage 'detaches' from the cannister cover and gets pulled out with the oil filter, allowing the spring to pop free. If the technician is not familiar with the early filter setup - the plastic cage gets thrown out with the dirty oil filter. Without the spring and cage in the early cannister, the filter fails to seal against the cover resulting in 'low oil pressure' warning light." This indicates that, even though it's been stated the cage is not required when you use the proper filter, you still need the cage. Which is it? A bad analogy is "you can't have your cake and eat it, too.":crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy:

    Thanks in advance!

    Got Help?

    M

    P.S. Anyone reading this, please follow that link above and you'll see what I mean... I wish it were a more definitive post; instead, it just confuses the issue even more. I do want to avoid installing a new housing/cap for both monetary reasons and also because I've read the install is a bit difficult b/c of one of the bolt's locations...:crazy::crazy::crazy:
     
  17. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    I think at this point I would just buy a new style housing and cap and be done with it. In the long run this would be best.
     
  18. BlimeyCabrio

    BlimeyCabrio Oscar Goldman of MINIs
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    While I agree the article isn't as clear as it could be... "eliminating the need for the cage in the canister cover" is not the same thing as saying "you can use the old cover without the cage". The point is, they redesigned the whole SYSTEM to eliminate the cage. Which includes the whole housing, cap, and filter. Sorry but there there is a clear solution here. Replace the whole housing assembly.

    Here's a thread from the sewing site.
    Oil Filter Housing Cap Needed - North American Motoring

    As long was you have an original style cover intact, you can use that with the new style filters. But if you don't have a good original cover, you must replace the entire assembly to use the new style cover.
     
  19. BlimeyCabrio

    BlimeyCabrio Oscar Goldman of MINIs
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  20. mjlwriter

    mjlwriter Banned

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    #20 mjlwriter, Feb 5, 2016
    Last edited: Feb 5, 2016
    As long was you have an original style cover intact, you can use that with the new style filters. But if you don't have a good original cover, you must replace the entire assembly to use the new style cover.[/QUOTE]

    I have a cover in fine shape, no issues with the threads or anything. The only thing is the possibly degraded cage, which could crack upon the next extraction from the filter. What I'm gathering from ya is that I don't need the cage anymore with the filters that have been in use since 7/2004, because they have an internal cage of their own. Correct?

    I appreciate the solution given regarding replacing the whole system, but this is a job I'm not up for nor able to pay for, either.

    Need the cage? Don't need the cage? This question is easy, but highly difficult to pin down, as there are multiple issues (new cap, new housing, new filter, and ultimately the question of how the cage interacts with all of these things). There should be one, singular answer here. Hope it's yours! Please confirm... Blimey!:idea:

    Thanks,
    M:fingerscrossed::fingerscrossed::fingerscrossed:
     

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