1st Gen R53 Cooper S Purchased my 1st new used Mini R53. Need recommendations

Welcome to M/A! What year is your MCS? 97k on an R53 isn't real bad....

 

Check and fill the SC oil while you have it out..

 

I would have found another mechanic. I have a hard time believing that the motor in an '05 is toast at 97k. It may be in need of some serious overhaul maintenance, but unless a rod popped out the side of the block to play a game of "peek-a-boo", I'd wager it would have been cheaper to knock out the maintenance and keep the #'s matching.

 

Welcome Aboard!
You've order the engine anyway. So whether the other engine was good or not doesn't mater now.

I would check over the new engine carefully before it goes in.
Replace any rubber parts that look questionable.
Check the tension pulley and add the retainer kit.
The supercharger oil has been mentioned.
If the funds are available add a header now.
Do the bypass valve mod or get the Detroit tune bypass valve.

 

You do not need the DT valve on an 05-06 MINI. Forget the header until you have everything 100% running. Nothing like have a $1000.00 header on a car that won't run.

Replace Belt and Tensioner and idler pulley.

Crank O ring that leaks oil down the front of the block and makes everyone thing they have a bad pan gasket.

Replace Timing chain guides and tensioner (bolt)

Replace the Green gasket when you put your Supercharger on.

Put on new OEM coil, OEM Wires and Plugs.

Replace the MAP and TMAP sensors.

Inspect Thermostat and housing replace if needed.

 

If the original SC is low on oil it means the seals have started to go......adding more oil is not going to solve this.

 

but it will prolong the life of it before going completely dry and burning up.. Plenty of instances where people have actually checked it and found it to be about dry, yet car runs fine added oil and kept on motoring. Sure it is on the down side of it's life at that point but.......

 

Dave why doesn't the 05-06 benefit from the DT valve? I didn't know they were different.

 

While out, change the oil pan gasket and crank position o-ring....both cheap, and prone to leak...and very simple to swap with the motor out.

 

The 2005+ cars have a stiffer doing from the factory.... Just like all"new" ones from mini...not quite as stiff as the DT one, but stiff enough for most.
The DT (a shop reworked new mini unit) just as a different spring...made sense IMO back in 2004 when the mini units had a very soft spring...but MINI COPIED DT....so all replacement units from mini has a stiff spring...little bit softer than the DT unit...

 

While everything is out, do the Powerflex control arm bushings. You'll save a boat load of labor, and you'll never have to worry about the bushings again.

 

And check the front sway bar bushings...likely worn, very cheap to replace when everything else is out.

 

Because the yo-yo problem was corrected in the 05-06 face lift along with may other things.

 

Dave, not in all models.

I have had some 06 cars in here with really bad yo-yo's. It was a an ECU tweak that MINI did and it worked on some cars. The Valve was the same part number in the cars thru all the years.

 

Too bad MINI didn't give you a few ¢, royalties if you will, on every bypass made after you figured out a stiffer spring in the bypass valve helped to fix the issue for so many!! I believe many MINI owners, even if they don't know about your shop are Grateful!