1st Gen R50 Cooper Clutch Slave Replacement

Discussion in '1st Generation: 2002–06 R50, R53 & 2004–08 R52' started by gratefuldano, May 13, 2015.

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  1. gratefuldano

    gratefuldano New Member

    May 13, 2015
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    #1 gratefuldano, May 13, 2015
    My daughter's 2004 Mini Cooper will not shift. It is a pre July 2004 5 speed manual with about 140,000 miles on it. She has owned it about 1 year, putting only about 5k milies on it, no problems before this one. With the clutch pedal fully engaged, it will not shift into any gear.

    First thing I did was change the transmission fluid. It was about a quart low and black. This did not help (although it was certainly necessary and past due.)

    From internet searches, the next thing was to change the slave cylinder, as the old one had oil under the boot. I struggled bleeding it properly until I finally got it right last night (or so I thought.) The clutch pedal seemed to have good pressure, but when I pushed down on the pedal, it went to floor with no return. I removed the slave cylinder and found oil under the boot, with a crack where the piston goes into the body of the cylinder, so I either cracked it when I compressed it to bleed it, or it was defective already. So now I need another new slave cylinder.

    My question is, while poking around under the hood and trying to learn what each part does, I noticed that the clutch lever can be lifted out of the transmission housing about an inch or so. Is this normal, or is something broken inside? Also, there doesn't seem to be much travel in the lever itself, the part that meets up with the slave cylinder. It only moves about half an inch or so. I thought it traveled several inches when I first started the project. Is this how it should be? I am trying to determine if the slave cylinder is the only issue or if there is more to the problem. Any help is appreciated!
     
  2. Savvy

    Savvy Well-Known Member
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    #2 Savvy, May 13, 2015
    Willing to bet the plastic throw out bearing has grenaded itself. Hopefully, it didn't tear up things too bad in the clutch assembly.
     
  3. Nathan

    Nathan Founder

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    #3 Nathan, May 13, 2015
  4. ColinGreene

    ColinGreene Well-Known Member
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    #4 ColinGreene, May 13, 2015
    it actually does not, the slaves are different.
     
  5. gratefuldano

    gratefuldano New Member

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    #5 gratefuldano, May 19, 2015
    Thank you for your responses.

    I put in a new clutch slave and carefully bled it. There is still no resistance in the clutch pedal. When the clutch pedal is moved manually, I can hear the fluid going in and out of the slave cylinder. The clutch lever does not move. Should it move when the clutch pedal is moved? Would a bad throw out bearing prevent it from moving?
     
  6. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    #6 MCS02, May 19, 2015
    I had trouble bleeding a slave cylinder. I went to O'Reilly and got Timing Gear Puller a loner one. take the center bolt out of it. unbolt the slave. the center shaft will fit in to the center of the timing gear puller so it won't slip. now take two long bolts and nuts put them through the slave and the puller and tighten them evenly till the slave is fully compressed. Make sure it is completely compressed. Hook up a pressure bleeder. when you start bleeding the slave move it around and tap on it till all the air is out.

    I tried everything, putting a wood block between the slave and clutch arm. the storm method, the push slave method, nothing worked. I went through a big bottle of brake fluid, still no clutch. I did this and it took about 2 min to bleed it. The key is to get it completely compressed so it can't extend, not even a little and then move it around and tap to get all the air out.

    [​IMG]
     
  7. BlimeyCabrio

    BlimeyCabrio Oscar Goldman of MINIs
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    #7 BlimeyCabrio, May 19, 2015
    And it can take A LOT of tapping. Took several tries and over an hour with mine, with someone who knew what they were doing...
     
  8. gratefuldano

    gratefuldano New Member

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    #8 gratefuldano, May 19, 2015
    I didn't tap it. I'll try that before I attempt replacing the throw out bearing.
     
  9. BlimeyCabrio

    BlimeyCabrio Oscar Goldman of MINIs
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    #9 BlimeyCabrio, May 19, 2015
    Ideally you'll compress it, tap it, and rotate it all around while tapping it... WHILE someone is mashing the pedal and you're bleeding it, all simultaneously.

    The power bleeder alone didn't do it for me. We had to do all that to get all the air out.
     
  10. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    #10 MCS02, May 19, 2015
    Its a bit of a dark art
     

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