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

Oh yeah... I almost forgot. I found the broken bits of the timing chain guide rails in the oil pan! There was very little grit in there, especially given that the oil was at ambient temp and had been settling for a few weeks while the car was in service mode.

EDIT: I couldn't resist and took Rufus out for a 20 minute drive at lunch. First 10 minutes were around the neighborhood... gentle throttle to get warmed up. After a minute or so I got the generic warning (exclamation point wrapped in a triangle wrapped in a circle)... this sometimes means a bulb is out, so perhaps I missed a connection when putting the bumper back on. It came up to temp and then held steady. I ran it down an industrial street at 40-50 MPH, letting the revs climb next. When I started this section of the drive, I lost power twice... both times when I would shift from first to second gear. It hit twice in quick succession then stopped. Felt a lot like the DSC kicking in when I was on the track and would forget to disable it. I'm wondering if it was just bubbles in the coolant lines throwing off a sensor. I bled a lot of air out and I'm sure there is a lot more to go.

Good news was that there wasn't anything dripping madly from under the car and it didn't sound like I had any pressure leaks, so that's always good!

 

That bottom one in your photo works a lot like the the first tool in my list, but my new one has a lever action, just in case you don't have clearance right under the joint. The pickle forks are merely for backup (they tend to tear the rubber boot, I've heard). I've got all new ball-joints, so I can do my bull-in-a-china-shop impersonation, but I'm all about the right tool for the right job.

 

I have always bought mine pre-pressed from Way, but this time I found a deal over on the NAM forums... the poly bushings and brackets for less than the price of the poly bushings alone (separate... unpressed).

 

I washed the car (want it very clean for the PDR on Monday). The pollen is so thick here that by the time I finish spritzing with detailing spray, the car is already covered. I also made a bit of an adjustment to the ride height of one wheel to even up how everything sits. I'm just waiting for appointments now.

 

I dropped Rufus off at the shop for the alignment this morning! Can't wait to get him back w/ the proper specs and see how it feels. The owner came out to apologize... his scales seem to have walked out of the shop (he said he had some technician turnover lately). His office staff was supposed to call me last week. Grrr. No... no call. So it will just be an alignment and they will give me a free alignment when their new scales come in, after the corner balance.

I noticed that it was a little bit prone to stay in a straight line, not as nimble as Jango used to feel. Great for a highway cruiser but not ideal for a MINI.

I've got time set w/ a good local shop to have them do a full once-over tomorrow morning, then I'm done!

 

All of the Killboy shots (the last 3) have strange exposures to them... the color and light is all wonky. I wasn't able to make myself happy w/ my current photo software. The framing on that last one w/ the twisty road at the bottom is very nice.

Thanks for all of the kind words, opinions and support. Just for the sake of it, I'm going to try and do a wrap-up post with a summary of everything that happened over the past 9 months or so and plans for the future. It's gonna take me a while.

 

I'm amazingly picky when it comes to the steering wheel. It's the most interacted with part of the car (along w/ the shift knob). I decided just to cough up for it once I found a craftsman I can work with and who can do all of the features I was looking for. $500 for the wheel and both boots. He is going to recover a wheel that he has and send me the parts. I'll fit 'em (using my own multi-function controls and airbag) and then return my original wheel to him afterwards for the next person. I should have the new wheel and boots in my hands 4 weeks after I put my money down (yesterday).

It's a good thing that I documented my JCW steering wheel install many years ago! If I could have found another JCW wheel in perfect condition, I would have nabbed it... that was a GREAT feeling steering wheel. https://www.motoringalliance.com/articles/jcw-steering-wheel-install-r53.37/

 

I love the feel of alcantara on a steering wheel, but the look of it a few years later after hand oils, sweat and wear get to it makes my OCD go a bit crazy. I can't even do perforated leather as the holes collect stuff. I'd probably have to keep a small brush in the glove box and brush the grain of the fabric up after every trip.

 

^^^^ This is why I love MA. No matter what crazy shit I want to do, someone has already beaten me to it and can stop me from doing it the wrong way. TYVM.

I'm waiting on parts, but Rufus should be off for the clutch and LSD soon. Once he's back from that adventure, I may park him in the garage for a bit, take apart the wheel, colorize the buttons/surrounds and get ready for the new wheel to arrive.