1st Gen R53 Cooper S Most liked posts in thread: Today's Job

The product I use, Super lube, is ideal for polyurethane and rubber. It is non-toxic and has an operating range of -45F to +450F. It will not wash away. I use it on all rubber except coolant O-rings and hoses, where a water soluble lubricant is better suited. I'm well aware what happens to polyurethane when petroleum distillate based products like anti-seize and chassis lube are used.

 

Stock bushings are still the best for the R53. If you car is lowered, they can be installed a few degrees from the original position, so they're not pre-twisted.

The wheel liner on one side was bent inward causing it to bind between upper spring coils. It wouldn't lose the crease, so I cut it down.




The clutch was working fine while on stands, but when I stepped on the pedal to start the car, it went straight to the floor. The clutch fluid hose had separated from the master's pipe, fluid went everywhere as I kept pumping the pedal. The retainer was missing (WTH?), I cannibalized a spare clutch slave for the retainer clip, and promptly lost it, oops. Fortunately I have more junkers; just out of brake fluid.

Valhalla waits...

 

A poly bushing will not wear out, it will only need lube maintenance, it is superior on that point, but the OEM bushing will provide unfettered performance. The R53 arm rocks as well as rotates, the arm rolls over the inner ball joint, so the pivot shaft also moves fore and aft while it rocks and rotates. A poly bushing limits movement to one axis on one plane. On an R53 the arm wants to rock/swipe and rotate, but the limits applied by the poly bushing create resistance to the rock. I'm leaving out effect on toe fore and aft movement creates, so this is simplified to some extent.

Below is a comparison photo of the control arm brackets, R56 to the left, R53 on the right. The R56 arm and bushing is near horizontal, the R53 bushing is at an angle. Also consider the strut is at a shallower angle to the pivot on the R53.




An impact wrench is my recommendation for stubborn bolts.

 

The Alta part dictates caster compromises and has an effect on dynamic camber angles as a result. It also limits the swipe motion engineered into the arm to account for the arm's travel arc across the inner ball joint.

 

Thank you for the kind words Kevin.

Interesting use of "penultimate", I think of Italian pronunciations (accent on the next to last syllable) as associated with that word.

This car continues to have diverter valve failures. The diaphragm over the solenoid tears and boost is lost as a result.

 

Today's Job #4

Back to the R53. Today's job came in for an oil change only, but a few other things revealed themselves. The air filter was long past due changing. Below is the customer's on the left, and a low mileage used one of mine on the right.




Another aftermarket oil filter that is too short and too loose fitting.





The common coolant leak from around the thermostat housing.




I created a how-to for replacing the thermostat you can view rather than putting it all on this thread.


Many other issues need to be addressed as can be fit into the customer's budget.

 

Not My Job Today

These MINI carnage images are courtesy of MA member from up North, Jeremy. The rear weep hole leaking too much; hmmm, seen that before.




Rotor lobe damage; when the bearing wears, the lobes go cattywampus. Should have seen what Alan's looked like a few months back.:eek6:




Gear dust; self explanatory.



A video of the water pump drive gear damage assessment. If you have a high mileage MCS, check your supercharger fluid, or pay to fix it later.

 

It depends on the driving environment, frequent low water crossings and dirt roads would mean 1 to 2 years or 20 to 40k miles, dry & clean conditions longer. The first time you re-lube you will know if that interval is appropriate. I removed mine at around 30k miles, the original anti-seize lube was spent, and the poly surface had become tacky. Energy Suspension grease, Super Lube, and Poly Ease, are very water resistant and long lived over anti-seize or chassis lubes. If the copper anti-seize that PF once supplied with their bushings was used at installation, I recommend shortening the first interval just to remove the petroleum distillate based product.