A Big Mini Job: Replacing the Clutch

Happy Friday!  It’s been yet another busy week in the shop!  Let’s take a look at some of what Reggie has been up to!  This is a long post, so sit back, kick your feet up, and enjoy!
An oil change and a new set of winter tires were on the list for this beauty – 2006 BMW 325i, 3.0L, in-line 6:

This alpinweiss 1989 BMW 325i came in for a new alternator and to diagnose an intermittent running issue:

The new alternator, pictured below on the right, requires using the pulley from the old one:

On the agenda for the 1986 BMW 325: timing belt and water pump.  The 3-series bimmer also had an oil leak from the front of the engine, which led Reggie to believe it could be the cam seal.  It turned out that a few seals were in need of replacement.

The head gasket cover looked nice and clean:

The owner wasn’t sure when the timing belt and water pump had been replaced before, and thought it would be a good idea to have them checked out.  There is a date code stamped on the timing belt.

As you can see by the photos below, the timing belt was, indeed, in need of replacement!  It was really worn along the front edge from not riding properly. This was a lucky catch!   With an interference engine, pistons and valves would get out of sync if the timing belt were to break, then a piston would hit the valves.  Then the cylinder head would need to be replace, if not the whole engine!

Reggie removes the old seals:

The lower timing cover cleaned up nicely!

Reggie prepares the new seals for installation:

And now for the big Mini job, hence today’s blog post title!  To replace the clutch in this 2005 Mini Cooper, you have to remove the front bumper and sub-frame, as well as the transmission.  The clutch had been slipping while driving.  Luckily, it was not worn down enough to damage the flywheel.

This Chili Red Mini’s clutch has about 130,000 miles on it.  Just for reference, a BMW clutch can last up to 200,000 miles.  

The old clutch is on the left, the new one is on the right.  You can see the wear on the old one:

The flywheel:

The Mini Cooper’s sub-frame waits on the sidelines to be reinstalled later:

The rear main seal for the engine is exposed when replacing the clutch, so it makes sense to replace it while doing the job:

Reggie re-installs the flywheel…

…and torques it to spec:

The new clutch is put in place:

Then it’s time to put the transmission back in where it belongs:

Reggie buttons everything up under the hood:

And piece by piece, the Mini is put back together:

If you’ve read this far, give yourself a big pat on the back!  I know this was a long post with lots of photos – it has been a busy week!   Thank you for checking out our blog!  Have a wonderful weekend!