1st Gen JCW Most liked posts in thread: Refreshing Rufus - 2005 MCS JCW

Hey... Where is the MOTD 2018 forum?

Hmmm... Well. I was out running errands with my wife this morning and, by the time we got back home, the Saturday events after the panoramic photo (which I always enjoy doing) were already booked up (the apple pie run) or are on roads that I enjoy, but will have seen several times from other drives (ice cream run).

So... Saturday is now the time for the Unofficial Texolina Run! (Texas and Carolinas). I'm inviting anyone for a drive! 30 minutes after the panoramic photo is snapped (11:30-ish) we will depart from a spot at Fontana (place TBD) and make a run somewhere... my first thought is heading out on Hellbender, continuing south on 28 to Franklin for lunch and returning home via Wayah road, a Dragon rival (For you MSSD folks, it's the first half of Blimey's Tour of Terror). Maybe 4-5 hours tops, including lunch, so we are back home for a beer and the farewell dinner (which starts at 6).

I'll update here w/ details once I figure 'em out. Please feel free to invite your friends... Anyone and everyone is welcome.

 

Since I'm going to have the fuel injectors in my hands when the new o-rings arrive soon, I figured I'd look into what I could do to clean them at home.

I found a DIY YouTube video where the guy builds a spray can cleaner adapter to his fuel injectors and cleans 'em himself. I'll probably start with the backflush step, but it's a pretty good video.



I also found an adapter kit for sale on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Injector-Cleaning-Ocamo-Universal-Vehicles/dp/B075GGVJQQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1518623682&sr=8-2&keywords=fuel+injector+cleaner+kit

I ordered the kit, but it's coming from China on a very slow-boat, so it won't be here for a long while, but I'll have it the next time I dig down into the engine a bit (and the injectors aren't really that far down, so it would be a nice hour or two of puttering in the garage one day in the future).

 

I hate this sound!



That's a quick video I shot last weekend... fuel injector leaking at the top where an o-ring was missing. A new set of o-rings are on the way (top and bottom... why not).

 

I needed a few minutes away from work, so I decided to do the copy/paste/edit need to turn the timing system service post from earlier in this thread into a how-to article here at MA.

https://www.motoringalliance.com/articles/timing-system-service-chain-tensioner-guides.110/

 

Well... it was a good weekend out in the garage. I dropped the oil pan, did a massive clean-up (the pan gasket, plus the crank sensor plus the valve cover gasket had all been leaking for a while, creating quite a mess under there) and installed a fresh pan gasket. I replaced the oil filter and got everything reassembled from the supercharger oil service that was 1/2 done last weekend. New oil and fresh coolant topped everything off and Rufus started right up! Yea! I need to get out for a few drives to bleed the coolant system and get the engine up to temp so I can properly check the oil level

I do need some help from my MA peeps, though! I found that my bonnet micro-switch (figures out if the bonnet is latched properly or not) was not mounted properly to the bonnet latch... it looks like 2 ears have broken off of the plastic housing, so it won't stay put. A bit of playing determined that this is why I've got an extra idiot light on the dash (door ajar). This part is mounted on to the rear side of the passenger side bonnet latch. The hole it fits into is rectangular, so I don't know which way it is supposed to mount (and from looking at the latch, I could make an argument for either direction). Would one of you R53 owners please look at the sensor on your car and tell me if the wires are on the top of the switch or the bottom? I took a photo of the switch, below, so you can see... the metal flap, when the switch is mounted, is inside the metal bonnet latch. I just don't know the correct orientation of the switch as mine was laying loose in the engine bay. A new switch is on the way.

I'm quite excited as I'm almost done with my engine maintenance projects. I've got to do a gearbox oil change and then I'm done with phase 3 of 4 (Interior-Check: Exterior-Check: Engine-Check: Suspension/Brakes: Next on the list!)

 

Possible. I had the BPV in my hands while I was doing the supercharger oil change. Maybe I did something to it. It might be a fuel supply issue as well, as I replaced both the filter and fuel pump.

I took Rufus out for a drive and had the exact same issue... When the engine was cold, I'd shift into 2nd gear and would lose power. Twice the engine stalled out and I had to clutch in, start the engine and keep moving forward. Once things warmed up it was OK and I didn't have the issue.

I need to go out and put the code reader on the car to see what it has to say.

EDIT:

Error code P0442 - Evaporative Emission System Leak Detected (small leak)

Looks like I have a small vapor leak in the fuel system (this is the code you throw when your gas cap isn't holding pressure). I replaced the fuel filter and the fuel pump, so maybe I screwed up one of the o-rings or gaskets at the top of the access points for those items. I'll tighten the gas cap too, just in case! I also had the under-hood fuel vent in my hands (it's right under the fuel rail), so perhaps I forgot to make that connection or it got pulled loose.

I cleared the code and it went away... will have to see if it comes back. I think this is a separate issue from my cold stalling/loss of power issue.

 

Well... With only 1 real engine/drivetrain maintenance task left on the list (gearbox oil), I'm thinking forward into the next task... Suspension and brakes.

I've got a BBK from Wilwood (front and back w/ new rotors/hats, pads, lines, calipers and fluid), so that's pretty straight-forward.

I've got a new rear swaybar, adjustable drop-links, coil-overs, inner and outer balljoints, lower rear control arms and front LCA bushings to do.

I haven't replaced MINI ball-joints before, so I started watching some YouTube videos. Watching mechanics on-line always leads to new tool purchases:

• A ball joint separator: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003YVWHOE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
• A set of pickle-forks, incase I need to go old-school on these things. The air hammer adapter was a nice touch! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LZ8A63R/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have a set of Powerflex LCA bushings and a set of LCA brackets (they came w/ the Powerflex bushing purchase I made on NAM and the combo purchase was cheaper than bushings alone, so why not) but the bushings haven't been pressed into the brackets (how I usually order 'em when I get parts from Way). I was going to have 'em pressed in at a local shop w/ a large hydraulic press, but I poked around on Amazon and found one of those screw-drive kits that says it has a new/improved hardened screw for only $40 (My local club in Dallas bought a couple kits a few years back and they both broke), so I'm going to try the leave-the-brackets-on-the-car approach and see how it goes.

• LCA service tool - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MTN9ERH/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Yeah... the Amazon reviews mentioned that the shaft was breaking after a use or two. The seller posted that a new, more hardened screw was being shipped with the kit and indeed... there was a second screw in the box and it appears to be made of a different material. I marked it so I could keep the 2 of 'em separate and will report back on progress. Given my luck with siezed bolts breaking, I'll probably try to use the puller to remove / replace the OEM bushings, even if the subframe is down. If I break the hardened shaft on removal of the old bushings, I'll save the softer, original version to help me get the new ones in to a spare set of bushing brackets I've got on-hand and I'll try my luck removing the bracket bolts from the subframe.

 

Ive had an issue.. the heads of the wheel carrier bolts that secure the shock body to the carrier have snapped.

I've posted the story behind n a separate thread for better exposure: https://www.motoringalliance.com/threads/front-wheel-carrier-bolt-snapped.30435/