Posted: May-01-2008 12:12PM

Ok cool. The rad and all is already out and the stupid spacer for the fan fell off and is stuck in the engine mount where I cant seem to get it so I might as well give a shot.

Anything special I will need. Dont have the book or motor in front of me right now. I have pulled two motor, one of which is my SPI so I have a pretty good idea how everything goes.

About that heater hose, i will double check to make sure it is hooked up right.  

Posted: May-01-2008 11:46AM Edited:  May-01-2008 11:52AM

Yes, they can be removed insitu, but its not the easiest of jobs.

You have to remove the rad, and then remove that side's engine mount and the bracket it attaches to, as the pulley will not come off with the lower bracket in place (not enough clearance for it to slip off the shaft without removing the bracket). You have to support that side of the engine somehow, so you'll have to keep a floor jack on that side of the engine to hold it up. Come time to get it back together, it will have to be at just the right height for the long bolts to slip back in the lower bracket again.

I did it once, actually changed the seal along with putting a duplex timing chain kit in at the same time. Pain in the butt but do-able.

The pics shows the engine with that bracket off in the middle of the job. 

Steve

Life is driving Minis.  Everything else is just waiting.

Posted: May-01-2008 09:44AM

This is an SPI motor so the brether right. They came flat like that that from the factory I believe. The fan is hitting something and i think its the beather. I will pull the cover and see whats what. The fan blades are warped which gives even less clearance so that must be why.

Agian, can the pulley and timing cover be removed with the motor in? Looks like thats whats going to have to happen. 

Posted: May-01-2008 08:25AM

You said the fan is getting mangled.  That suggests it might be hitting something, such as the crankcase breather (as I learned last week when I put my fan on the right way round!). But your crankcase breather has been 'modified' (as was suggested as an option to me), possibly by the hammer method.

I'd suspect the breather might be split or the connection of it to the chain cover has been distorted. Once something hits the fan....

In the upper photo, what is the U-shaped tube/hose on the right, behind the breather hose? It looks like a heater hose, but meeting up with the bottom rad hose from the wrong direction. Possibly not a proper Mini lower rad hose?

"Hang on a minute lads....I've got a great idea."

Posted: May-01-2008 08:23AM

I was intially thinking the head gasket too. I am very anxious to see how everything looks in there. The compression is low on the two inside cylinders and think that maybe the gasket has gone there.

As for the timing cover, can this be done while in the car? I have all the gaskets as well as a fresh timing cover mounting plate from my car. I assume you need to remove the pulley, then the cover. Can that be done in the car?

Thanks 

Posted: May-01-2008 07:18AM

Hey all, need a little help here. I noticed my brothers fan was getting all shaved down and warped so i decided to look into a little more. After pulling the cooling system I noticed and unusual amount of oil everywhere. Even the rad is getting coated in it. Any ideas where it could be coming from these pix? My brother is in Iraq for a year so I dont want to do too much without letting him get in on the fun. A motor pull is in the future upon his return.

Thanks!