3 replies to this topic

[Blumeanie]

I have my mini up on stands at the moment.

 

Year 2000 MPI (which has gone largely unused due to multiple relocations). I have replaced the 25 year old (new) tires and done all the fluids and lubrication, .

In my inspection efforts, I've found that certain fasteners are really prone to rust. I've been replacing some of these as I go...

 

I have a need to move this mini some 200km next week. Concerning me are the following items:

 

The rubber Boots / Gaiters / Bellows to the CV joint look great. - But the boots on the steering rack are quite brittle. One side is already in two pieces.

 

It is unlikely I'll locate the proper boots in a few days... (There are no mini spares shops anywhere near me...)  Maybe I can wrap this in some plastic to keep dust out for now so that I can do the replacement after this move?

 

Could anyone provide a quick overview of the level of disassembly required to replace these? -Thanks!

 

 

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The other issue that caught my eye is that what looks to be the gear shift housing is moist with oil. I changed my oil and did go for a run after; 

 

After this run, I noticed that there was a bit of oil around my valve cover. I found the valve cover fasteners to be basically hand tight. I gave them a bit of a snug (- to slightly tighter than hand-tight only...).

 

There are no oil leaks really (the floor is clean...).

 

 Linkage.jpg   31.76K   9 downloads

 

 

Could this be splatter from spilled oil from the filter while changing the oil? (The rod linkages going to the transmission are completely dry... or from the oil coming from the valve cover? (I do not think so.).

 

I am not familiar with oil leaking from this location. I'll be grateful for some insight, as well as the impact of these two issues on my somewhat required drive...

Edited by Blumeanie, 13 December 2024 - 05:59 PM.

[colinf1]

You'd need to remove the track rod ends, to allow the new gaiter on. Remember to count the rotations when removing it to get it back in the same location.

 

Oil on the gearstick housing, maybe its from inside the housing, maybe grease breaking down inside the housing?

[Blumeanie]

Did a midnight search last night...

I'm feeling better about the boots / Gaiters / bellows. I managed to order a set of universal replacements that look to be similar in size - and most importantly, they will be available for pick up in the next day or two. I hope these fit. They seem to be proper rubber rather than plastic. So this is encouraging. 

The guy I spoke with said that these are good quality and materials. He mentioned he'd installed a set of these by pulling them over the track rod ends without removing them. It seems they are rubbery enough to not rip... I may give that a try. (I ordered two sets - just in case).

 

I see that some mini shops offer the exact ones I have currently (OEM). I do not want these. They have become extremely brittle with time.

I'm also down the rabbit hope with which GREASE to use in the rack... Every source I run into points in a different direction.

I am eager to hear from mini folks here. What have you used?

Also - any thoughts on the 'moistness' oil from the gear shift linkage (pictured above)? I do not recall hearing any maintenance requirements on this, but my mini is the only mini I've seen in years!

[Blumeanie]

You'd need to remove the track rod ends, to allow the new gaiter on. Remember to count the rotations when removing it to get it back in the same location.

 

Oil on the gearstick housing, maybe its from inside the housing, maybe grease breaking down inside the housing?

Thank you @Colinf1 - I have never worked on this 'rod change remote housing'.  - Looking at Haynes' it seems that I may be able to remove the bottom plate, renew the grease inside (certainly would not hurt to renew the grease...) and reassemble snugly to eliminate the seepage. It seems simple enough... but I am hoping for a bit of input in case I need to expect 100 springs to bounce out of it when I attempt disassembly...

I got my hands on some very BASIC plain grease without any fancy additives (caffeinated and full gluten) with the bonus that it is a grease-appropriate shade of yellow - no neon colors, glitter, or anything of that sort. Just plain GREASE in a white tub.

I will be using this grease on my steering rack (diluted very slightly with some oil), and I suppose I will use this on this housing as well...