Sports Car Club of Vermont

Mr. Bridgestone wrote:These are great little cars and fun to drive, but they are very tempermental (as far as I can tell)...

Yes, but I've had mine long enough now to try re-direct that tempermental-ness

a.k.a. - Well, Hi there, Mr. FedEx guy...
(a.k.a. "Worth a 1,000 words"*)



HD pressure plate - SS 'performance' street/race disc (top one before race only) - HD release bearing -
New "friction plate" for Fidanza l/w aluminum flywheel - B&M short-throw shifter...
(Just waiting on the "little parts" shipment and a little more warmth outside - hopefully soon: 500 mile break-in.)

* and by the time this is over, quite a few may not be for family listening

Nice. I think you will really like the B&M. I never drove mine without it, but I really like the way it shifts with it.

DaveVT02S wrote:http://www.ddmtuning.com/ FWIW, Thompson (and Eric, and other MINI/BMW and German car owners), this is my new "go-to" site for genuine OEM parts. Everything I've looked for is in stock ...

Or, as it turns out, they are in stock in GERMANY - spoke w/ "sales" last week and today, nobody has any idea when the parts will be available. They're very well stocked in excuses and 'disclaimers', though - including that the parts would be there in 1-2 weeks (it's 3 weeks today), and they need to check w/ the dealer they're ordering from (!) - seems in the fine print they only do BMW OEM (not MINI).

So bottom line is, if you want to save a couple of bucks and don't mind waiting a month+ for parts, go to these guys. Need it sooner, go somewhere else (MINI drivers: try Classic MINI in Ohio)...

In the meantime, installing the oil pressure gauge today, see how much of the B&M shifter / Hotchkis control arms / s/s brake lines (w/ new fluid) list I can get through tomorrow

Dave, I buy factory direct from Inskip MINI in Rhode Island. FedEx ground usually arrives next day, if the part is in stock.

Hopefully this helps and finds you in good spirits!

http://www.penskeparts.com

Not to go too off topic and while you are in there fixes...

My shifter this winter was getting really hard to shift, just recently was crazy binding. Removed the JCW airbox lid, rotated the airbox/ECU base up and out of the way and went to town lubricating the shifting mechanism, cable ends and pivot points with white lithium grease. Works better than new now

The parts (finally) shipped yesterday - and the chief excuse maker - errr, OEM-guy - at DDM is "no longer with us". Coincidence? . Ordered March 9th - during the course of the seven phone calls I was told the parts (which were listed on the initial order as "inventory items") had to come from Germany, then England, then the San Diego (local) MINI dealer, then CHINA (!); would be shipped USPS (when the invoice and tracking # said FedEx); was told four times I would get an email response w/in 24 hr.s (never got one until the shipping notification yesterday) ... and expected delivery is April 12th (fitting that they picked the slowest FedEx)... [/rant]

Brighter side: the rear control arms are installed, the rear fascia trim piece that melted at SLMP is replaced, the Schroth harness mounts are installed and the belts test fitted, and the O/P gauge is mounted - but I need to pick up a 1-1/16" deep socket to get the sender out to complete hook-up - plus a quick inspection of the ball joints and t.r.e.'s before scheduling the alignment...
(Jeez, Dave, so many words, how 'bout a pic? Maybe an old-vs.-new?)


Had a close friend in Massena offer me the use of the garage space in his glass company shop to do the clutch change - mine for the week-end; has a 10 ton crane: lift the car by the front to slide the transmission/subframe assembly out the front ("wheelie" pic to follow - LOL). Just 1/2 mile from the house, and has a beer fridge (priorities...). (FWIW, he has a '66 Vette and a '68 Camaro that he completely disassembled and rebuilt, down to the correct paper tags on the springs, plus an '81 Vette that he did nothing to - but it's only got 12k miles on it. Awesome.)

Thompson: thanks for the link, and the tip - added to the list while the car's apart (and while I'm installing the B&M shifter). Had read good things on the NAM forums about Classic MINI in Ohio, but will try a "test order" w/ Inskip - probably the new scoop to repair the Land Rover-supplied "beauty mark" (new hood from Illinois) - OR have found a source for a new Torsen LSD that was available in the 2005-6 MINI's - hmmm...

Friday morning, August 26th. Got a call from a friend here asking me how hard it is to change the serpentine belt, his had parted company from his MINI (2006 JCW). "Got the belt? I gots the tool, I'll be over in a few." Ummm, except the clutch decides it's had enough - as in fought to get the car into reverse, can't get it into drive and the pedal goes to the floor (after getting the parts it was fine for a while, including SLMP I, but then started getting worse over the last couple weeks - meh, been a busy summer). Hitched a ride over to his house w/ Dad, changed the belt and 'tidied up' a couple other little things - including a test drive , then back to work on my "special little car".

End of Day 1 (actually half-day): ready to drop the subframe (not removing motor)


"Film at 11"

Saturday: Subframe out (steering rack and hydraulics stay 'intact'):


Then take out this:


...to get to that:


Additional 'issues' thus far - not counting trying to get eleventy-thousand damn wire plugs/connectors apart : broke an end on a shift cable, discovered a split inner CV boot (thus the greasy side of the subframe), and may need to replace the slave cylinder - plus a search for a couple of 'specialty' sockets. Not too bad (so far )

All this to replace a clutch??

MX5 Driver wrote:All this to replace a clutch??

Yup.
But I'm doing it w/out pulling the motor, no sense dealing with more 'issues' than I am already (cooling system, exhaust, 11,000 more wires). I've already had the subframe down once before (see previous post re: LCA bushings), plus the suddenness of the 'failure' didn't allow me time to find a hoist and get it here...