Most liked posts in thread: New to Mini's have some questions

Welcome to the modness...it's addicting. Great site and great people. I don't know about the clutch, but common mods are a 15/17% pulley, CAI, and an exhaust to tailor the sound . A H/D rear sway bar gives the most bang for the buck as far as suspension. Don't do any mods until your car has proven reliable. Parts are very expensive and if you don't do your own work, so is labor. BUT, the fun factor can't be beat.

 

Welcome, thanks for joining Motoring Alliance, the FUN and Friendly MINI Community.

 

Welcome! Pictures please!

 

First question is, hard top or convertible? In 2007 there was a body and engine difference between the two.

 

2007....hardtop or cabrio?
We ask this cause the cabrio was a gen1, and the hardtop a gen2...so different issues, different answers.

 

It's a hardtop. R56.

 

K. R56 it is. Happens to be my specialty. Weather I like it or not.

Things to look for:

1. Aux Water pump Recall performed? By now I would think yes. If not, call dealer and schedule.
2. Has the main water pump been replaced? If not, then plan on it. If it has, is the water pump housing metal instead of plastic? If its plastic, it will fail again.
3. Has the thermostat housing been replaced? Either way you'll end up replacing it again with time. Its all plastic, so it fails. Yeah it sucks, trust me, I know.
4. Has the timing chain and tensioner been replaced before? If so, how long ago? You may want to replace the tensioner again with the most revised part. (If the chain fails, your engine is toast)
5. Has your High Pressure Fuel Pump(HPFP) been replaced? If not, it may fail. Not all do, but many have. Especially since yours is a 2007 model. Some cars have warranty coverage on this part.
6. Has your intake valves been cleaned? If not, do it now. This will require walnut shell blasting. Do not listen to Seafoam or intake cleaner garbage, they just don't do the job. This will return lost power and let your car run much smoother.
7. Check your vacuum pump. Make sure its not leaking and its not noisy. This part, if it fails, can be catastrophic to your engine. Some people (like me) replace these as preventative maintenance.
8. The oil filter housings on these like to leak. You'll want to clean your off first as this is an area that is prone to get oil with oil changes. If, after it's cleaned and there is still oil, get some gaskets.
9. Turbo Oil lines like to leak. Check yours. This can ruin a turbo.
10. Valve Cover / gasket. Some valve cover gaskets like to leak. If your cover hasn't been replaced at all, I would recommend replacing it. As there have been a couple redesigns since 2007 for the N14 valve cover. Your PCV system runs through this valve cover and is built in. again if its original you may want to replace it due oil build up inside of it.
11. Hood scoop. Some like to warp. If yours hasn't, its either been replaced with newer design, or it has yet to warp. There are heat shields that mount just under the scoop on the actual hood to help keep this from happening.


All of these things should be considered before modding the vehicle. You don't want to put money in a car that may blow up because of one or many of the items that were listed.

Feel free to ask other questions here or PM me. I can help.

 

Welcome to M/A!
Enjoy your new ride!