9 replies to this topic

[minicooper1.3i]

Hi

In need of some serious help please on my MPi Cooper. Spent the day changing the clutch using the Haynes Manual and everything went very smoothly. Even getting to those evil bell housing bolts at the bottom. However, when everything was recoonected and I tried to start it up, it turned over for a second, then seemed to stall for another second, then turn over again, and so on. Once it backfired, but only once.

Everything is back where it came from, i'm sure but I am completely stumped as to why its doing this. It was running fine this morning so its obviously something I've done. Or not done!

Would really appreciate any help anyone can provide as this motor is used daily for commuting.

Thanks very much all!

[Sprocket]

Is the clutch you have fitted a specific injection clutch?

[minicooper1.3i]

Is the clutch you have fitted a specific injection clutch?

I think so. I told Mini Spares what I wanted and that's what they gave me. And it definately looked the same as the one that came out.

What's your line of thinking? Mine is along the lines of timing, but fail to see how its been affected. I didn't disconnect the crank position sensor as the Hanes told me so fail to see why the timing would be out. Just that the syptoms seem to indicate so. Forgot to mention, apparently, according to my assitant, there were puffs of vapour/smoke appearing around the air filter. Don't know if that has any relevance or not?

Really stumped on this one!

[Sprocket]

Big proplems with Injection clutches. If you fit a non injection clutch to an injection engine, it alters the position of the reluctor ring in the groove on the back of the flywheel. This can be as much as 35 crank degrees!!!!

Therefore it is VERY important to fit the right clutch.

As for not removing the crank sensor, you should have, as when the flywheel breaks off the crank taper, it can knock it and bend it.

If its not starting then my thoughts are, that it is to do ith the crnk sensor. If by fitting a new/ different sensor and it still wont start, its time to pull it all apart again, but first align the engine to TDC on #1 cylinder with both inlet and exhaust valves closed. with a marker pen, mark the flywheel through the crank sensor hole. Remove the fly wheel, your mark should be three teeth before the first missing tooth, if its a good distance out, any more than 4 teeth then there is an issue with the clutch, all is not lost with the parts you have, but we shall go over that if we have to if the time comes.

Try the crank sensor first!! And then get back to us before anything else

[green mini cooper]

I had this trouble in July with my SPi, the cause was the flywheel was not mounted in the right position, in my case the flywheel was more advanced than the rest of the engine giving the ECU the impression the engine was ready to fire. This is why your engine is "stalling", your ignition system is trying to fire way too early.

I actually knackered my starter by repeatedly trying to get it started.

Good luck, hope this helps

Matt

[minicooper1.3i]

I had this trouble in July with my SPi, the cause was the flywheel was not mounted in the right position, in my case the flywheel was more advanced than the rest of the engine giving the ECU the impression the engine was ready to fire. This is why your engine is "stalling", your ignition system is trying to fire way too early.

I actually knackered my starter by repeatedly trying to get it started.

Good luck, hope this helps

Matt

Cheers Fella's

The reluctor ring does seem to be an obvious cause. Nice of Haynes to mention it so thoroughly

Will check the positioning and try again.

[Sprocket]

I had this trouble in July with my SPi, the cause was the flywheel was not mounted in the right position, in my case the flywheel was more advanced than the rest of the engine giving the ECU the impression the engine was ready to fire. This is why your engine is "stalling", your ignition system is trying to fire way too early.

I actually knackered my starter by repeatedly trying to get it started.

Good luck, hope this helps

Matt

Cheers Fella's

The reluctor ring does seem to be an obvious cause. Nice of Haynes to mention it so thoroughly

Will check the positioning and try again.

This is not the fault of Haynes. I doubt very much there were aware of the differencies, infact you would be hard pushed to find any mechanic outside of the Mini scene that would know this. It is however becoming more and more of a problem because genuine manufactured parts are getting rarer, more expensive. Some motor factors wont even sell the injection clutch because of these issues, they have obviously had this happen several times and are not willing to take a risk. I have had to sort one out that was sold as an injection clutch, the part numbers all tallied up as they did on the recipt, but it was deffo not an injection clutch.

The other problem thats starting to be more frequent is that these replacement clutches are coming without the taper boss, requiring the old one to be fitted to the new clutch, there is no cocumented torque setting for these bolts and most use the 18lbft stated for the clutch, this is not for the taper boss. The bolts work loose and things break! Again Haynes would be unaware of this as it was the norm for the clutch to come complete with the taper boss, its not untill recently that they are being supplied without them due to the fact that they are no longer available.

Its a problem and it wont go away. Just need to flag this up best we can minimising these issues, but if people dont search for the information before they carry out the work, then they wont know.

[tony kenobi]

im glad something like this has came up. ive my engine out due to a respray and was considering a clutch change. 30,000 on the clock, would this make sense to do it now?also any ideas on the price of a clutch for a mpi cooper?

also, now would be a good time to ask, what other jobs should be done now while its out and easy to service? many thanx

Edited by tony kenobi, 17 September 2007 - 03:23 PM.

[minicooper1.3i]

SORTED!!!!!!!

Fixed the problem today. I had managed to put the flywheel assembly on 180 degs out and so the timing was 180 out due to the crack sensor. This kind of potential problem was not mentioned in the Haynes, it just said keep the notches in the end of the crank horizontal. Still, now we all know for next time.

Tony.

I recommend to anybody to change the clutch whenever the engine is out as its a bit of a crappy job to do in situ. I recommend using a bent 7/16ths spanner to get to the bottom two bell housing bolts. But its a neck aching job.

The new clutch plate, lever arm, push rod and thrust bearing came, I think, to about 100 quid from Mini Spares. If you're replacing the clutch, then I suggest replacing the other moving parts at the same time. There wasn't any confusion over the correct parts either. But I think that depends on who you speak to there. If you go to the Potters Bar shop, then the dude with glasses really knows his stuff, and has owned MPi's too!

Thanks to all who offered their assistance!

P.S. Suggest you get hold of the MPi manuals that Juju has made available. There very useful!

[Sprocket]

Glad you got it fixed!