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 Posted September 3rd, 2010 at 12:20AM
September 24 is when I get to drive Monticello Motor Club again. I’m starting to get the MINI ready, by addressing the clickety-clockety passenger side axle.
I had noticed earlier that there was less than a thumbs-width of clearance from that side’s inner CV joint and an integral part of the engine directly above. I can not see how the “level 2″ axle from DriveShaft Shop could possibly fit, with the beefier joint, despite their assurances that they had sold them and never heard a complaint (excepting mine last year on the driver’s side, that is).
But I discovered that they also had “level 0″ stock replacement axle stubs for $249 total, including the added option of high temp grease on the outside and other measures for ensuring survival under hot conditions. After being told the CV joint would be the same diameter, I ordered one today.
I’m going to change tires and wheels tomorrow to see whether the high pitched noise is wheel bearings or the Kumho XS tires getting louder.
Some fluid changes and it will be ready to go.
I’m actually currently investigating the possibility of purchasing a Subaru Impreza in the near future. It will be an excellent all year daily driver and rallycross vehicle. Can’t wait.
Posted June 10th, 2010 at 12:00PM
Going back to street tires has been an adjustment I’m still working on. I’ve found myself seriously blowing some corners, and I believe it’s my expectations of instant turn-in from the r-comps clouding my judgement. The XS have high levels of grip, evidenced by the times I can still post, but they can’t be pitched into the corners like the V710.
At the first official event of the season, I placed 3rd in class, three-tenths of a second behind an e36 M3 on r-compound tires that I could still be beating with better driving on my part (the local, tight courses favor the MINI’s size and bulk). I was nearly two seconds off the blue EVO and the FTD winning CP Mustang, but posted the quickest times on street tires, for what that’s worth. I have video of all six runs, should be posting it to YouTube someday.
June 6th was our second event, and it alternated between blue skies and torrential downpours spiked with lightening. Things had to be shut down twice but with the low turn-out everyone still got their six runs. Conditions were disparate between run groups and morning and afternoon heats, but I was able to post the fastest time in the morning as the r-compound shod could not generate grip due to conditions (curious, since our last runs in the morning were pretty dry). In the afternoon I forgot how to drive entirely. I was nearly a second and a half slower than the EVO by the end, and the SSM CRX coned away a run with a similar time. His best clean was a tenth better than mine. So I had the third fastest raw time, but due bragging rights for this event go to the GS club racing prepped Dodge Neon .04 seconds off of me. I recorded my last three runs, which unfortunately showcase some lamer driving. Although one has me pegging a cone just under the camera and dragging it, with a course worker running up and snagging it finally at the finish. Worth a few laughs, hopefully they’ll be posted at some point.
A ton of photos were uploaded to Flickr of the June 6th event, with quite a few of the MINI I’ll need to sort through. Here’s one teaser. All of these pics of the car under load are suggesting to me that higher spring rates are in order.
Posted June 1st, 2010 at 1:19PM
As par for the course, this post is coming several weeks after the fact. As hinted to in various other posts and Twitter, I was able to make it down to Monticello recently to drive the fairly new track there. Billed on their website as “a luxury automotive lifestyle resort and track located 90 minutes from Manhattan,” the drive for me was nearly three hours and I had to be out the door by 4:30 in the morning. (Hitting the sack by 9 the preceding night made it bearable.) If there had been any incidents, you would have heard it by now, so rest assured up front that I had a blast and that the MINI performed without fault.
Monticello Motor Club (MMC) was conceived as an exclusive members-only millionaire’s resort, but for the past year or two they’ve allowed the rabble in to drive. This event was with SCDA, my first outing with them. We were able to get a dozen or more MINIs out this particular day, qualifying for a 10% discount – unfortunately there were only two of us in the novice run group. I spent a bit of time beforehand studying videos and course walkthroughs, so I was fairly comfortable with the track before arrival. Machinery was varied, but with slow corners at regular intervals, the MINI was not outgunned and just about the only car I regularly had to point by was the Ford GT. There were the usual suspects – late model BMWs and Porsches – slowing the pace, and I spent more time than not following in trains (you get one guy who won’t point by an overtaking car, and soon you get a bunched up line of aggravated quicker cars – choo choo!). But never was it an infuriatingly slow pace for long, and there are enough passing zones (or even the option of coasting through the pits) so that my blood never boiled. And heck – I’m fully cognizant of the fact that once I’m into the upper level run groups, these guys with twice the horsepower will know how to use it, and I’ll no longer be the one passing. For now, I enjoy my David v. Goliath moments!
With 20 turns planted in the 3.8 mile full course, MMC is technical and demands that you compromise earlier corners to maximize speeds onto the straights. Speeds by the end of the long back straight match or exceed those of the back straight at Watkins Glen; my speedometer was ticking past the 120 mark, but that’s suspect considering another MINI with more experience, better tires, and data logging showing max speeds in the low 120s also. Course maps of the corkscrew at the end of the long straight don’t do it justice – it’s a quick, right – left – right as you blindly crest the hill, bombing over the curbing and keeping your inputs smooth, as warranted by the elevation changes. I had a wheel or two off here once or twice and have to say it’s probably my favorite element! The hairpin before the next short straight is probably my least favorite, mostly since it’s arduously slow, requiring 2nd gear, and I was early here all day long. I also crunched the succeeding 2nd to 3rd shift twice; it happens as you’re WOT, drifting back to the right, and getting it into gear was taking a tenth of a second longer than my brain would allow.
I remember someone over the course of the day describing MMC as if the designers had a list of different elements they wanted to include, and went about incorporating them as the plot of land dictated. This ends up being a track that’s fast, slow, and everything in between, at different spots. This isn’t a negative in my mind, and I can’t wait to go back! Track Time Photos was there, as was another photographer with some photos included in the SCDA recap (first photo is of me, looking far, far – maybe too far – ahead through a corner).
The Kumho XS held up admirably through the day. My butt still has the imprint of absolute grip from my Kumho V710 autocross tires, but the XS give good feedback and feel the same from start to finish. I might be able to find slightly better pressures – been keeping them at 36psi hot, which looks spot-on as far as rollover is concerned. Brakes were similarly rock solid, and I believe my pads will make it through two more days at the Glen, no sweat. Rotors are a little chewed up and I’ll be watching them. I kept an eye on water temps via my Scangauge, and I was surprised to find temperatures barely above those of daily driving! With a 70/30 water / antifreeze mix, and half a bottle of Water Wetter, the car sits in the low 190*s from day to day, and wasn’t much above 200* while on the track! Ambient temps were comfortable and the tiny little stock intercooler was doing its job. This is another indication that autocross is harder on the car in some respects, since water temps were higher at the autocross May 23rd. More to come on that, later.
Posted April 27th, 2010 at 5:56PM
I’ve complained previously about the hydraulic upper motor mounts found on 2004-2006 MINIs. They fail pretty quickly, leaking oil over the passenger-side frame rail, allowing the motor to buck around. Consequently you get worse shifting, additional stress on associated attachments, and more drama all around in demanding driving situations. But it’s one of those maintenance items that creeps up slowly, as the fluid leaks out fully and you fail to notice the gradual deterioration.
I remember mine started leaking early – probably in the 40,000 mile range – before the warranty was up, but I did not bring it to Keeler because I knew they’d try to pin its failure on the aftermarket dampener I had thrown on previously (they’d been fashionable, providing another attachment between sub-frame and engine, and functioning to pep up throttle response and shifting feel – proof of the slop in the stock arrangement even when new). It’s hard to rationalize how decreased movement would cause premature mount failure (and empirically they’re failing early on bone-stock vehicles as well) but I’d gotten that type of response before when bringing the car in for issues.
Last week I got the chance to change out the upper mount, and it’s been a wonderful step back toward the tight, new, snappy feeling of the car when it first puttered out of Keeler’s bays four years ago. Well, almost.
I went with a replacement from Texas Speedwerks, who I’ve dealt with previously and felt confident in getting a quality product from. The TSW mount is urethane, similar to what the 2002-2003 cars had (I haven’t peered at an 02-03 to see how similar / dissimilar they really are, but I know the TSW design is new from the ground up).
I’ve always thought the MINI’s gearbox and shifting feel are pretty spot on perfect, but the increased engine movement due to the failed mount necessitated longer shifts, lest I ground the gear while engaging. Hard launches had similarly been affected, with more wheel hop and dreadful clunky noises.
The installation of the upper mount is fairly straightforward – I split it into two days with requisite beer breaks, and replaced the belt tensioner at the same time since the engine was getting jacked upward a smidge already.
The TSW mount has gotten the shifting back to near perfection (what more could you ask for, a little less throw? hmmm…) and civilized the car when its ordered to a rapid pace from rest. In fact, on both counts, it’s markedly improved from stock. There’s no need for an accessory dampener now and everything is as tight as I feel it needs to be.
(The belt tensioner was perhaps a premature repair – my stethoscope still picks up terrible noise when trained on the tensioner: I believe this is due to the wobbly crank pulley in close (almost touching, flip side of belt) proximity. It’s not at an urgent level, but this is high on my to-do list. Still, the old tensioner did have some slop in the pulley and damper, and deserved to be replaced at some point.)
So crisper shifting and accelerating, what’s the catch? I tried to cheap out and not replace the lower mount, that’s what. Only upon completing my repairs last week did I finally notice cracks in the rubber bushing of the lower mount, which takes the brunt of it after the upper fails. So I’ve got a noticeable increase in off idle vibration, which happens to everyone who replaces the upper mount and leaves the lower in its shoddy state. It’s not terrible, but I went ahead and ordered the whole mount online for half the price Keeler quoted me for just the bushing. It ought to mitigate most if not all of the additional vibration. I decided to stick with the OE rubber bushing here since I’m not making the jump to stiffer polyurethane bushings anywhere else, with their maintenance requirement and increased NVH.
The lower mount arrived today but it’s raining and temps are in the 40s, so I’ll bolt ‘er in once it warms. It’s just two bolts so it’ll take some ramps, a jack, and fifteen minutes. The ultimate verdict on acceptable or not increase in vibration from the TSW mount will then be in and reported.
Edit 5/3/10: After replacing the lower mount… there’s still a tiny bit of new vibration, but I’m not sure I’d say its <em>increased</em> over stock – more like its a different frequency. I’ve got some slight new rattles as a result coming from the dash, the kind where you push on some of the cheap plastic and it goes away. *shrug* It’s an acceptable trade-off for me.
Posted April 5th, 2010 at 6:52PM
I’ve been looking the MINI over in preparation for the upcoming (autox / track / general driving) season and have compiled quite the list. The odometer has been sitting under 70k miles for awhile – but not much longer. Now it’s time to figure out what gets priority and what can hold off. Here’s my list so far:
- Crankshaft pulley
I wasn’t expecting to need to do this, but after taking a look-see at the serp belt and related pulleys, there is clearly some “play” with the crank pulley that blurs it when running. The visible rubber between the two parts is free of cracks and looks fine, but the noticeable shimmy is worrisome. This is something better replaced before it fails out on the road, but it’s also something of a high cost repair, with replacement pulleys in the $400 range. Not a terrible DIY, but probably the most complicated of the bunch.
- Belt tensioner pulley
This spring-loaded pulley tensions the serp belt and is notorious for early failure. My mechanic’s stethoscope pointed out that it’s making a lot of noise and ought to be replaced before it breaks and wreaks havoc. Replacements look to be in the $200 range, and the inglorious nature of the repair makes the cost sting that much more.
- Upper motor mount
The 05-06 cars had these stupid upper hydraulic mounts that seemed to leak on most cars right from the get go. Mine has probably leaked all the fluid it had, and all its doing now is allowing excessive engine movement, putting more wear on other mounts and auxiliary connections. Not sure this is too urgent, and there is an aftermarket replacement for about $200.
- Lower front control arm bushings
Here’s the one item I was actually looking forward to replacing, since Alta sells replacement bushings which are firmer and allow better suspension geometry to boot. I’d likely feel this change at autocross and track events. I was betting that my stock bushings were shot, as it’s about that time, I’m pretty hard on this car, and my last set of tires showed evidence of cupping. After checking the bushings, however, I saw no visible signs of wear to the rubber and there didn’t appear to be abnormal amounts of movement to them. The Alta set costs a hair over $200.
So the car has clearly lost that “new car” luster. It’s still a blast bombing around back roads in this wonderful weather we’ve been having. And at least I’m able to do all of this work myself, halving (at least!) the total bill. It’s not all bad being me, I suppose.
Posted October 26th, 2009 at 11:21PM
The track day at Lime Rock was a success. The predicted precip never materialized and the sun even peaked out a few times. Still chilly. Plenty of no-shows. The MINI ran without fault. I made progress by the end of the day after spending the morning perpetually screwing up big bend and the left hander (turns 1 & 2). I was content after 80 minutes of track time but left itching to go back. I can see myself having a lot of fun at LRP.
The Kumho XS tires worked out. Despite temps in the 40*s, they were able to generate some heat and feel grippy.
Finally, I think I’ve basically gotten this axle issue resolved. I removed it again because it was spitting grease. After a call to the Driveshaft Shop, they sent me a package with some replacement clamps, boot, and bag of grease. Popping the boot off to pack more grease in was a mess initially but I figured a way of getting it back together and sealed again.
With the bracket filed down, there’s still just a slight indication of scraping on a nearby bolt. Both bolt and bracket are mounted to the subframe, and I’ve since come to the realization that engine movement is to blame. Changing motor mounts (especially the upper hydraulic one, which failed awhile ago, leaking its fluid all over the frame underneath) may solve the axle issue as well as some of the wheel ‘hop’ during launches.
But as soon as the white stuff starts flying, it’s time for one last wash and wax, and then the MINI gets stored for the salt season!
Posted October 11th, 2009 at 12:22PM
So the warranty replacement for my first $130 axle broke at MoHud’s last event of the season, October 4th. (Outer CV broke at the turn before the finish lights on my second run after a spin during my first: I finished 4th in class with a decent time for a second run that morning. Go figure. The MINI likes that ACC lot, but the lot does not like cars – there were other casualties, including two half-shafts on one scoob.)
I AAA’d it back home once again. I was promised a refund for the cheap axle (still waiting), and after a call to The Driveshaft Shop, I learned that they do indeed have plans for R53 MINI axles. They’re still $100 less than OEM and feature beefier CV joints, supposedly rated for 450hp. I ordered one on Monday and got it installed Wednesday.
Seems fine, but there’s a slight vibration I’ve never noticed before under heavy acceleration in 1st and 2nd. It’s not really a CV joint noise though, and I can’t recreate any clicks or clunks under any driving to indicate another bum axle. The car is sitting at 63k miles, and they’ve been hard miles, so it’s time to start watching wear items like wheel bearings and bushings carefully. I’m confident this vibration doesn’t indicate an imminent failure though. I’m just pretty paranoid about any new NVH at this point.
To make sure, I decided to check out an autocross Saturday put on by the car guys at RPI. The night before I was able to get my Kumho XS mounted at their community supported auto shop, so this was a chance to break in the tires too.
Saturday was a fun, friendly atmosphere, but I didn’t get much driving in. After two runs, the car began making a clicking noise. Jacking up the car, I found (stick with me here) the inner CV joint boot’s clamp on the new axle had been catching on a bracket for a wheel sensor mounted on the a-arm. The beefier joints on the new axle have less clearance with this bracket, which I noticed while installing. Under normal driving, it wasn’t an issue. With lateral loads on the car, however, the bracket moved upward enough to snag the clamp. Halfway through my cautious drive home, the clamp was pushed off, but the boot stayed on so no loss. Today I’m going to see about filing that bracket down a bit. I’m going to head to a shop on Monday to see about putting a new clamp on the boot, as I can’t get the old tweaked clamp anywhere near tight enough with ordinary pliers.
I’m definitely glad to have caught this small issue in Troy yesterday as opposed to Lime Rock Park next Saturday. I can’t help but feel anxious whether or not the car will have any issues there, even though everything has been checked and all preparations made in recent weeks.
Most disheartening is the weather forecast for next Saturday. There’s a huge cold front coming from Canada, making its way through practically the whole country, hitting our area this weekend. Day highs in Lakeville, CT are supposed to reach the mid 40s, with a 50% chance of morning precip in the form of rain or, yup, snow. I’m not sure I’ll mind taking it extra gingerly as it’ll be my first visit to the track. Nicer weather would have been appreciated though. 
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