1st Gen R53 Cooper S 3 problems that need fixing!!

Discussion in '1st Generation: 2002–06 R50, R53 & 2004–08 R52' started by hercoopers, Oct 25, 2011.

  1. hercoopers

    hercoopers New Member

    Oct 25, 2011
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    Hi guys, been having a look through the forum and the how-to's. Some great knowledge here, so maybe someone can help.

    2002 Cooper s 106K

    1 Squealing noise when the clutch is released from stationary. Had a couple of garage opinions, the first said its the thrust bearing. The second says maybe the slave cylinder, but may aswell replace the clutch. Any suggestions?

    2 Noisy left back exhaust box, Is it worth changing it or a complete system?

    3 Leaking coolant tank...Seen the howto for this, going to give it a go as this is looks ok for even me to do.

    Any help would be great, thanks
     
  2. Nathan

    Nathan Founder

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    1. I'd say throw out bearing or as you say thrust bearing is the culprit here. 100K miles on the OEM clutch is darn good. The throw out bearing on these is plastic and often is the first thing to go.

    2. You can probably find a used OEM exhaust and graft in the left muffler. Or go with a one ball cutting out the left side altogether.

    3. The leaking coolant tank is normal, they tend to split at the seams.
     
  3. quikmni

    quikmni Moderator

    Jun 6, 2009
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    +1 on what Nathan said.

    If you like the sound of the stock exhaust you should be able to find a used stock exhaust for free. There are many good aftermarket exhausts available to change the sound (improve in my opinion) but most cat-backs are in the $650+ range.

    Way Motor Works does have an IE exhaust for $340 which seems very reasonable but I have never seen or heard the IE exhaust.
    Ireland Engineering Catback Exhaust - Way Motor Works
     
  4. agranger

    agranger MINI of the Month June 2009
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    1. I'm no clutch expert, but it doesn't sound like the slave. Kinda strange that one mechanic said "maybe the slave cylinder, but may aswell replace the clutch"... this is like saying "it might be a $250 job, but you may as well pay me $2500". I'm not impressed with his argument.

    2. I frequently see Gen 1 exhausts being given away on my local club board (or for sale for $50) that are lightly used. There are some hanger differences between years, I think, but nothing that $30 at an exhaust shop won't fix. If you are handy with tools and have jack stands, you could probably do the replacement yourself. (People frequently upgrade their exhausts and shelve the old one incase they need it later... then they sell the car and think 'oh crap... what do I do with this thing?')

    3. I had one leaking tank and when the second started seeping a bit, I went with a Forge stainless tank. Very well made, but a bit more expensive than plastic.
     
  5. k-huevo

    k-huevo Club Coordinator

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    #5 k-huevo, Oct 25, 2011
    Last edited: Oct 25, 2011
    One-ball modification is removing the right side (resonator) and routing to the left (baffle) side. If the left side is faulty, replacement or repair is needed. Given the OP's location, oxidation is probably extensive making repair iffy.
     
  6. tremperj

    tremperj New Member

    Jul 28, 2010
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    Hate to revive a thread, but thought I had useful info. My slave cylinder just had to be replaced, about three months ago. If that was going, you'd know. Namely, my car would not shift. No gear changes other than when the engine was off. So I wouldn't consider that as an issue. Throwout bearing sounds more likely.
     

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