1st Gen R53 Cooper S Most liked posts in thread: Ticking from right side engine

Price has dropped on Amazon again. It's now 69 bucks and change.

Amazon.com: Gates 38404 Belt Tensioner: Automotive

Purchased via the link above gives M/A a small commission.

 

Belt tensioner may be bad, the little piston thingy on it goes bad as well as the bushings on it.

 

That's the MINI tensioner time bomb, when it stops ticking you need a new one. :lol:

I am kidding.

 

Yep, probably the tensioner is failing - either the damper has failed, or the bushings in the damper have failed, causing it to vibrate more than it should.... Common problem. I replace mine about every 18-24 months when it fails. DaveO replaces his annually, as a preventative.

If you're still on your original crank pulley, that's probably a good thing to replace. I think the early cars may have used a different part than the post facelift cars? Not sure if those early ones are more or less failure prone than the 2005/2006 ones - but the 2005/2006 ones will all fail, just a matter of time. I recommend replacing all of them with aftermarket dampened (NOT lightened) crank pulleys as a preventative measure.

 

I run the Amazon one and its the same part made by Gates.

It is the same top quality part without the BMW /MINI parts department price markup.

ATI makes a quality crank damper but you can get the fluid one a little cheaper.

I am sure most M/A vendors and Jan of RMW carry both.

Note if your car has high milage and you are changing out crack and tensioner pulleys may as well change out the idler pulley out also. I think they are like $30 bucks at the Stealership.

 

You probably are running stock belt=too long. Get a 6PK 1365 to 6PK 1374 and your tensioner strip won't be ticking and liable to break.

Jeremy

 

You can source the bushings, but the little damper is only available with the tensioner. You can find the tensioner for $75 from Amazon.

 

Or.....go for the ever controversial Alta Adjustable Tensioner Stop. Read more about the tensioner damper here:
http://www.motoringalliance.com/forums/cooper-s-engine-drivetrain/18681-now-i-know-why-belt-tensioner-stops-break.html#axzz2bdFzkfKd

 

It's the same part. Look up gates belt tensioner assembly on amazon or you can probably find the link in the thread referenced above. You may also want a idler pulley as well and those are on amazon also. When taking mine off the side to side play was horrific.

 

Preventive maintenance with our little cars is a must, I put a ATI damper on before I was blessed with the OEM imploding on me at a bad time, also just recently replaced the belt tensioner unit before it decided to come apart on me also, was kind of a PITA not sure if I would want to do it as often as Dave.O but it did quiet down and smooth out things.

 

A few years ago, mine was $250 including install by the dealer so that's not too bad.