I have them and new tie rod ends in a kit, a new crank shaft O ring. My clutch disengages about 2 inchs off the floor boards, anybody have a clue from your experience on this. Clutch does not slip but changing gears or getting it into first is different. Think it's the slave cylinder? What else do I need, Suggestions please.
There are two other ball joints on the control arms. Most people also change the steering rack bushings at the same time and also the sway bar bushings too. You are going to poly right? Also, you ever see brake fluid/oil drips coming off the rear of the subframe? That could be a indication of the power steering lines leaking, you can check them out before the job by bending up the header heat shield and looking at them, if they look like they could be leaking, good time to replace them. You are dropping the subframe right?
I have poly sway bar bushings and poly control arm bushings, I need to pull out all my stuff and lay it out tomorrow. Will check to see if I have the ball joints too. "steering rack bushings" yep, that's what I'm looking to you guys for, so when I'm done it will be as new. How about lower engine mounts? I am dropping the sub-frame, getting rid of those Alta bushings. I got this kit some time ago and haven't looked at what I have because it's all been buried in the garage for a while. Also recommendations please.
I did all this work and more on a friend's '02 MCS last December, I think you may need a clutch - esp if the slave isn't leaking. We put a Valeo clutch kit in his car and he loves it! His clutch was not worn out, but he had the same symptoms you're describing, and he says the new Valeo unit reminds him of a Honda clutch, very light, very easy to modulate and holds like iron! He got his from Way, and it included all new flywheel, disc and pressure plate, along with new bolts for the flywheel and PP. It's also less than half the cost of the factory dual mass setup. He says he's noticed no additional vibration not having the dual mass flywheel.... It's a lot of work to change the clutch in one of these cars, but mostly it's just a matter of removing enough stuff to get it out, then the reverse. We did the job on a lift at the local DIY place and boy howdy did having a lift make this job SOOOOO much easier. You can do it on your garage floor with a jack and stands, but if you have a lift available it just makes life so much easier. Good luck. We also replaced a bunch of coolant hoses, changed his supercharger oil, put in a new water pump and thermostat and changed his pulley while we were at it. We also put in new power steering pump and hoses as a preventative matter while we had it apart - changing those items when the subframe is out is infinitely easier than when it's in the car. We put new boots on the CV's and repacked em while they were out too. A 4 wheel alignment was the final piece of the puzzle. His car has 100K on it and looked like new underneath, a testament to the dry Texas climate it lives in.
Poly will make your interior rattle a lot more and it squeaks after a couple thousand miles (Yes I lubed it). I've always hated poly bushings in my other cars but I drank the forum Kool Aid and installed them last year. Need to put OEM back in when I find time.
The issue with the OEM's is they wear out so fast. Some feel the trade off of some more NVH is worth not having to do the job so often.
:cornut: This explains a lot of bickering back and forth that I've heard on the subject. 75kmi, Margi's(08 R56 BRG MCS/JCWm) time is coming so..............Poly.............OEM..............Poly...........OEM and so it goes. Jason
I've put poly lower control arm bushings in a lot of cars over the last few years, none of them have complained about either vibration or noise. All of them commented on the better steering response.... You only put the lube between the inner and outer part of the poly mounts - you don't put it between the outer mount and the bracket, fwiw. However I agree with you on poly motor mounts.....
Just my .02 worth on poly bushings.... FWIW they have been on my MINI for a couple of years & about 30,000 miles. Yep they make the steering feels sharper, I don't know if it is because my oem ones were worn to dust or the poly ones are that much better. I feel no additional NVH from them. For the cost & likely longer life I'd go poly.
Minidave, that clutch issue is bothering me, I'm going to check on that kit from Way. I'm committed to the poly bushings for the control arms and sway bar, The jury is still out on engine mounts??? "We also replaced a bunch of coolant hoses, changed his supercharger oil, put in a new water pump and thermostat while we were at it." has me thinking. The MINI has treated me well and will soon have 135,000 miles of fun and enjoyment on it and it's way cheaper than car payments. Thanks everybody, I'm taking it all in, this is just what I'm looking for, I might as well do it all while I have it all apart.
If you haven't already, take a good hard look at your crank damper, his looked fine, but we changed it anyway - again under the "while you're in there" theory..... If you do a pulley while the s=charger is off the car, it's much easier to do to - Way sells a kit with the damper stop, new pulley, new correct length belt and the right plugs all in a kit. I would not be afraid to pulley a 135K mile car, we did one with 170K on it and it's well over 200K now and still going strong. Some pics from our work back in Dec on my friend Bruce's '02 MCS.... and the proof of the pudding! [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H3N2EElBPE"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H3N2EElBPE[/ame] We were pretty satisfied, it started on the first turn of the key, and ran perfectly.....
I put an almost new 06 crank damper on a couple of years ago before the liquid center ones were available, been wanting one of those. Have been running a 17% from Helix for over 100.000 miles. I need to check out my supercharger, change the oil, water pump and thermostat, thermostat housing. Just had the power steering pump die last night. Yikes:eek6: