Is this recommended or should I leave it to the pros for $200 or so? The instructions I've seen don't look tough, but I'm wondering what dangers there are as far as what I could do to the car if I mess this up. I was not sure if there was a possibility of messing something up when removing the OEM pulley, etc. Thanks.
If you are not confident about then leave it for the pros. You can do a heck of a lot damage to the S/C including needing to replace it if you fail big time. If it was not your daily driver I'd say go for it but being it is, I'd go over to Will at Bob's. He's done hundreds of these in the Dallas area. They have so many OEM pulleys laying around that they are used for door stops and lift blocks now.
Sound advice. Thank you. I asked about doing it at the DIY this month figuring that others in attendance had done this before and could assist/take care of the tricky stuff. I understand why it may not be the best of ideas, but had to ask.
We do not allow Pulley swaps at the MetroplexMINI.org DIY Day at MINI of Dallas as this is not something they do there. They do not have the tools needed or the expertise in this area so the techs cannot rescue you if it goes south.
Makes sense. I need to call Will and ask him how much they charge for a compression test before we swap the pulley.
I am going to do a video tutorial when I get my kit from Way. That should instill some confidence in our fellow (keyboard over wrench) members. *Me included!*
I'm not afraid to tear the car down using just a 3/8" socket set, a Bentley manual, and some pictures on the internet, but doing the pulley myself just never made sense. It's such a common mod that any MINI shop will have done it before - probably many many times - so labor costs aren't excessive. There are a few opportunities to royally screw something up, and you need to have a couple specialized tools, namely a belt tool, gear puller, and something to raise and lower the engine. If you raise or lower the jack too far, you can damage the headers or knock a sensor loose (ask me how I know), and if you don't pull the old pulley off correctly, you can knock the supercharger shaft out of alignment or damage the internal seals. By all means, I support anybody who's gonna work on their own car these days, but also know your limits. It's so darn cheap, too.
I agree. Have someone who has done it before and knows what they are doing. It's too risky to DIY. I watched Randy Webb do mine and it took him no time at all, but he had everything to hand and had done a lot of them before.
These are the instructions we recommend to our customers with our pulley Mini Cooper S (R53): Raising Motor for Pulley/Mount/Damper Bushings/Tensioner Stop Installation
Thanks all. Calling the shop today to fine out if they can do the compression test. Way- I need to give you a call to price the belt and plugs.
UPDATE Way installed a 17% for me this past weekend. VERY nice! Thanks everyone for the advice. Everything worked out great. Looking forward to what's next.