Most liked posts in thread: What did you do with your MINI today?

Yea.. new front struts and swaybar links and it is back to a stock ride height.

It drives faster since my wallet is so much lighter ;-)

 

Well guess what? Skooby the clubster broke a left rear spring. Skooby will take the ride of shame next Monday to the good folks at Best motor Werks.

 

So another Jet Seal application

 

Went to a car show yesterday. It was a little different it was a low rider show, but I went anyway. There was no charge so why not . It surprised we how many real liked my car. I'll try to post some pic later.

 

All fun and games till someone loses a finger.. ;-)
It was my second brake job and the 1 day turnaround was faster than my first one so it is a win..

Still need to do rear swingarm bushings and end links and the exhaust flex pipe, but that will be another time.

 

This weekend is our club's 2nd annual Midwest MINI Meet..
We have about 25 MINIs from Chicagoland, Milwaukee and Madison areas to explore some fun roads in the Wisconsin Driftless area.

Yesterday was driving up to my wife's family cottage for a short visit and then on to the host hotel in Baraboo.
After a short meet and greet we headed off for a 20 or so mile group drive for dinner.

Today will be a long drive thru western Wisconsin.



Here is a link to more pictures.
I'll be adding more thru the rest of the weekend

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ernestovumbles/albums/72177720326153765

 

Today's drive was about 225 miles of backroad fun..

25 MINIs participated including one classic on it's first higher speed/longer distance drive

Click on the picture to view the video

Midwest MINI Meet by Ernesto Vumbles, on Flickr

 

Clean clean again I’m still waiting to put my new Miltek exhaust non resonated on and mean time I’m also looking into new engine mods.

 

Today was part 3 of Clubman maintenance..

I replaced the rear swaybar bushings and end links.
It was a bunch of work because the bushings bolts are hard to get to and hard to line up afterwards.
The end links werent too bad, but I needed a super skinny wrench (which I fortunately had) to keep the part from spinning as I was loosening and tightening the nuts

Hopefully that is the end of the maintenance till winter when I need to replace the aged-out snow tires.

 

Today was a Chicago MINI Motoring Club drive up Sheridan Road, which is a nice twisty (for Chicagoland) road along Lake Michigan and past some of the most expensive houses in the area.

We had about 22 cars participating.. a large pothole damaged one participants tire on the way to the event and bent a rim of another participant (but it still held air pressure)
Because we started at one of the local dealerships, they were able to get him a new tire and he was able to meet us at our final lunch stop.

Here is a link to more pictures
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ernestovumbles/albums/72177720326862732

 

So been doing rear brakes all weekend because waiting on new parts had a frozen piston on rear passenger side for I don’t know how long lol! Should be done Monday because tomorrow is a rest! Lol

 

New rim on and the other will be repaired for $75 from a guy that bends them back in shape perfectly

 

Getting ready for MINIs on the Mack.. departing Thursday night.

Checked Tire pressures, fixed a missing tooth on my mirror cap face, and cleaned up the plastic trim

 

Started smelling antifreeze fumes while driving the MINI the other day...
Checked the carpet in both footwells... Perfectly dry... (Whew)
The coolant overflow tank was probably 1/2" low but not empty... (Whew)
Got out the flashlight and started looking for wetness around the left side of the engine...
Saw glimmer of wetness sitting on top of the transmission in the waffle pattern.... (Huh)
Pulled the overflow expansion tank and flipped it over... (wetness and a bunch of white crusty residue)...
MINI OEM antifreeze has a telltale white substance when it dries...
There are two rubber hoses connected to the tank... The small one is easily seen connecting on the side of the tank...
The larger hose connects at the bottom of the tank and has a wire spring clip that you disengage with a small flat screwdriver...
This one on the right end...

The plastic 90 degree elbow has an O-ring inside...
I pulled it apart and cleaned it with a small brush... Cleaned off all the crusty buildup, and lubed the O-ring with silicone grease...
Put it back together and it seals like it should... Topped it up with some more MINI fluid...

No more leaks...


I think what is happening is I'm stressing the O-ring when I flip the overflow expansion tank out of the way during oil changes...
You have to do this in order to have access to the oil filter... I'm sure i'm letting a small bit of antifreeze leak out past the seal...
That crusty white stuff builds up on the O-ring then creates the small leak....

I also shot Fluid Film into the Bonnet, Boot and both doors at the water drain openings...

Simply the best since 1943

 

Took a 10 mile bike ride to the dealership to go pick up my MINI after a new power steering pump and fan were installed.
Wasn't positive if it would fit in the MINI for the ride home, but it did make it with very little room to spare.

I noticed the front strut mount is torn on one side, so it's time to research my next project..

 

Picked up my 16 year old MINI today after getting cooling system service... I normally do all the work myself...
I could have done it, but didn't want the hassle... I have BIG hands... that don't like working in small tight spaces...
BMW / MINI likes to make stuff out of plastic...
Got a new thermostat (Jarvik heart) and cross over tube... Was leaking at 9/10
Got a new water pump... Was seeping at 4/10
Replaced with genuine MINI plastic parts, no Chinesium plastic...
Declined oil pan gasket replacement, will monitor... Was weeping at 2/10
I requested the car be stored inside the shop during off hours... They accommodated me on this...
I requested genuine MINI antifreeze... They accommodated me on this...
Had the work done at Best Motor Werks by Anson Clement (super mechanic)...

Listening to this on the way home...

 

My sweetie's Clubster made it to Minnesota. I hope Skooby has fun playing in the snow.

 

I MADE A TOOL TODAY...
I want to change out the fuel filter in my MINI...
Went to Menards and bought a $5.00 4" diameter PVC pipe coupling and cut a series of 12 notches that will mate with the clamping ring on the filter housing... Filter and gaskets for the change out...


MINI fuel housing clamping ring and DIY tool...


Perfect fit...


I can't finish the filter change out until I run the fuel level down to one red candy corn...

 

Today’s fun second time I replaced this diverter valve high-performance bull crap I think they had a bad batch because they sent me the second one for free keeps getting stuck