1st Gen R53 Cooper S Most liked posts in thread: Transmission failure?

eBay. =/ I had to remove them when I changed the clutch. They seemed undamaged. You bring up a point that I'm embarrassed to admit. I assumed that the parts were correct because they seemed to be exactly what I pulled off, and they fit into the transmission and lined up with the mounting brackets perfectly...but I never actually set them side by side and compared the splined end that goes into the transmission. They did slide into the trans perfectly, and the same on the hub end. I guess it wouldn't hurt to try and put the old ones on for just a bit to see if they work. Obviously not with the intent of continued use, but to see if the new ones are the source of failure.

 

So I think Jack Nicholson may be right...I had tested the shorter drive shaft by pulling the wheel end loose and rotating it to hear the gears in the transmission move, but I never did that on the other side. Well today I was pulling it apart again to drop the trans. I compared the drive shafts; The short ones matched, the long ones didn't. The one that I ordered and installed seems shorter from the bearing carrier bracket to the transmission. I don't know if you can see it from the pictures, but only like 1/16th inch (or less) of the thread was contacting anything inside the transmission. The part that was was ground off. I guess might have been what I heard when I first put it all together and tried pulling it out of the garage? So...I'm going to order some of those drive shafts that you linked, Dave, but is there anything that I need to know as far as options? I mean the one that I got looks almost perfect, the bracket mounts up, the splines seem to be the right amount to fit, but the length was just a bit short. Did I get a non-S version or something?

 

Interestingly enough I found out, from a thread on another forum, that all I needed to do was switch out the bearing carrier from my old drive shaft to the one I had bought. So...as much as I would love to spend $400 for a second set of new drive shafts as advised, I opted just to use the ones I had already bought. Thank you everyone for the help.

 

No. They seem to be seated properly, but thank you for the idea.

 

Thank you for that link. I will definitely use those for my next driveshafts. However regarding the current situation I have, I am inclined to think that the driveshafts I put in are sound. I just tossed the MINI up on jackstands and disconnected the driver's side shaft from the wheel hub. Turning the shaft by hand, I could hear and feel the gears in the transmission turning. So it seems that the shafts, or at least the one I tested, are connecting to the transmission fine. When I had them out to change the clutch, they also looked fine then. So it seems to me that the disconnect is something else. I went ahead and bled the slave cylinder again and it seemed to improve the peddle feel, but until I can get the car jumped to start it (it has sat way too long as I try and fix it), then I won't know if that made any different. I guess I could/should also try shifting the transmission manually at the linkage arm on the trans itself? Though the feel of the shifter and the sounds of it engaging the linkage seem normal. I did replace one of the cables when I was changing the clutch, as I busted the rubber when removing it from the trans side linkage. =/

So thank you for the link on the driveshafts, and bookmarked the site to get them next time, but wouldn't it seem that they aren't my current issue if I can rotate one of them manually and hear the gears turn in the trans?

And if i were to have improperly bled the slave cylinder, wouldn't I simply not be able to get it in gear at all, as the clutch wouldn't be freed up from its compression between the flywheel and pressure plate?

I'm loving working in this car. I grew up helping my dad rebuild a couple of old British cars ('64 Triumph TR4 and '68 Jaguar S Type). I just wish I could fix it. =)

 

Oh...and thanks for the welcome Dave! This site does seem to have a lot more information, and fun.

 

Awesome! Thanks again.

However, do you think that it would be the drive shafts in this case?

I disconnected one from the wheel hub, and rotated it by hand, and I can hear the gears turning inside the transmission. They seem to be seated properly. While I understand the value of better quality drive shafts, I have some "lesser quality" but new ones already purchased and installed. If I toasted the trans, then that $400 will be needed in replacing it.

 

It is a 6 speed Getrag.

 

Thanks Nathan!