2013 Mini Cooper S Intake Valve cleaning

Рет қаралды 7,680

Жыл бұрын

(This is only for educational purposes. You assume any and all risk of damage or injury by doing this job yourself.)
Summary of my experience cleaning the intake valves on my 2013 Mini Cooper S R56 N18 6 speed manual.
I mention part of this data throughout the video, but to be thorough: this, and many cars like it, have a direct inject engine. Since no fuel is injected into the intake manifold, there's nothing to clean the carbon, leading to nasty buildups on the valves...like the video shows (I've seen valves 3x this bad...where they were essentially stuck shut. Mine were bad, but yours may very well be worse.
No matter how good modern engines are at being "sealed" everywhere, a tiny bit of oil still makes its way past critical seal points and runs onto those intake valve stems. Without the gasoline of a non-direct inject engine washing them clean, that oil can bake onto the valve and accumulate into carbon buildup.
Naturally, oil isn’t partial to just the intake valves. It also runs down the exhaust valves but in small amounts. The heat of the exhaust gases exiting the combustion chamber burns the exhaust valves clean.
However, on the cooler intake valve side, carbon can build up so much that it interferes with airflow through the intake port or even enough to prevent the intake valve from sealing properly when it closes.
Direct injection is a fairly new technology designed to make environmentalists and data nerds happy to squeeze every milliliter of fuel efficiency out...at your expense. I hate it, full disclosure. It's this "efficiency" which causes carbon buildup and makes your car underperform...and creates a new service interval. Nice job tree-hugging engineers.
Alas, with the help of this video - for Mini Coopers at least - YOU don't need to go to an expensive mechanic to fix your intake valves. Good luck and take it slow, repeating the walnut shell blast as many times as you want.
Here is the link to the PDF I used. It was a long time ago, and I think there were other printouts I used, which you'll see in the video. At the end of the day, THIS video will get you there, and the PDF will help you construct the parts you need. My video is thorough.
file:///C:/Users/Durkovich/Desktop/DYI%20Walnut%20Shell%20Blasting%20SS%203-27-13%20(1).pdf
Link to the actual website, leading you to have to click on the PDF (try the link above first. If that doesn't work, this one should):
www.northamericanmotoring.com...
These forums can lead you down the rabbit hole pretty quick. I think this is a good place to start:
www.northamericanmotoring.com...
Images used in video:
Direct inject:
www.aa1car.com/library/what_i...
4 stroke:
www.researchgate.net/figure/C...
Port vs Direct:
www.carsguide.com.au/overstee...
Full disclosure: we sold this car. I do NOT recommend you buy a Mini Cooper. I get it: light vehicle, turbo, wide wheel base, yep - sounds like a lot of fun. The best one I've heard and agree with is "Mini's are awesome when they're working". SO TRUE! After this, I had to pay someone for the infamous timing belt change because the tools to complete are ridiculously expensive, unique, and it's a hard job. I had to concede my DIY skills. Got it working - really well - then sold it. Couldn't take the stress anymore. You've been warned! lol
Good luck!
MUSIC from Soundcloud and KZfaq "to use commercially" tracks
- Wellington_Coffee_Shop

Пікірлер: 28

@erginylmaz6574 Жыл бұрын

Best solution " I sold " :D

@durk1980 Жыл бұрын

For real bro. Fun when they work; not worth the hassle.

@jrodrims27 5 ай бұрын

those intake valves actually look pretty good as did your clean (not VERY carbon fouled) spark plugs, your catch can must have been doing a decent job. No need to do the valve cleaning on those valves but it was a good video nonetheless. Thanks! Changing the timing chain is easy...oh well. These cars are mostly just for fun, not reliable transportation or your only car, that's for sure.

@durk1980 5 ай бұрын

True. I’ve seen worse. Not knowing at the time that it was the timing chain, I was trying everything. The timing chain is a complicated fix, with expensive tools required. If it’s easy, then you are an excellent mechanic my friend! BTW, the catch can was installed by us months prior to this. Yes, fun cars, but only when they’re working. This thing had a ton of problems. Agree 100% they’re not reliable transportation. Thx for the comment.

@saymynameasmr4794 5 ай бұрын

They’re reliable if you take care of them.

@matthewdurkovich9714 5 ай бұрын

Agree to disagree.

@ihor6266 7 ай бұрын

Really cool!!!! You are the best!!!

@durk1980 7 ай бұрын

Wow, thanks!

@emilesarrazin7020 Жыл бұрын

Super clean really helps aswell

@durk1980 Жыл бұрын

Yes it does!

@precool Жыл бұрын

@@durk1980 That’s a cleaning product? Have not heard of it.

@durk1980 Жыл бұрын

@Jeffrey Daitz if you mean walnut shells medium, yeah, they’re incredible. Google it.

@precool Жыл бұрын

@@durk1980 oh yeah, definitely aware of the walnut blast action. I was wondering what super clean is or if the gentleman meant yes the valves are super clean now. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

@durk1980 Жыл бұрын

@@precool I see what you're saying now. Super clean IS a great degreaser, and it does work, in place of walnut shells, but it takes a really long time. I wouldn't want it to get into the engine though. You'd have to sit there and take a soaked rag and scrape it basically. I agree it really helps as well, but for my time, I'm going with walnut shells specifically for the intake valves. Hope that clears it up:)

@ToeNailBreaker Жыл бұрын

How are you closing the valves ?

@durk1980 Жыл бұрын

Go to 4:45. The crankcase bolt is turned, clockwise, and it rotates the pistons. Not all four of them are the same. That’s why I say two of them are one way and two of them are the other. Put a wooden skewer down the spark plug hole and when you crank the bolt, you will watch it go up and down. Once it goes up and doesn’t go any higher, the valves are sealed.

@jamesgarage4327 Жыл бұрын

Once you take apart that hot air intake - from the intercooler - it typically leaks causing rough engine issues, might need to replace it with a one piece version

@durk1980 Жыл бұрын

Interesting; doesn’t surprise me after everything I did on that car. Sold it shortly after this video, but good to know.

@jamesgarage4327 Жыл бұрын

@@durk1980 it’s unfortunate that you sold but understandable. I noticed the air leaks removing the hot air hose to replace the passenger side engine mount - it leaks right where there’s a clip to the rubber and metal rings. I have one that doesn’t have issues and runs like a baby, but I put on a large intercooler and do a ton of regular maintenance - like every four years new spark plugs, battery, the two engine/transmission mounts, front shocks, engine coolant, 3K synthetic oil changes, 25K trans oil changes. It’s not a car I would just repair once a warning light goes on, lol. I also plan to charge out the front 17’ rims for 16’ so there’s more rubber damping when my current set of tires wear out.

@precool Жыл бұрын

@@jamesgarage4327 Two different wheel sizes? Interesting. How does it work?

@jamesgarage4327 Жыл бұрын

@@precool you have to change the tire size too - to get close to the original circumference - there are calculators online- just have to make sure the rims are big enough in diameter and offset to go over the brakes ( front brakes are usually bigger)

@single_cam9199 2 ай бұрын

Alright let’s get some bets going TDC on #4 YAY OR NAY

@durk1980 2 ай бұрын

Lol. They were all TDC when I cleaned them. I triple checked.

@single_cam9199 2 ай бұрын

Hey my only fear of doing it is that it’s so bad there stuck open just enough it gets in there. honestly I’m noticing more and more nothing is serviceable Evan on a lift you can barley fit your hand up

@matthewdurkovich9714 2 ай бұрын

I’m sorry my camera didn’t work while I filmed finding TDC. You need to turn the crank bolt until the wooden skewer in your spark plug hole is at its highest. Once at the peak, look inside. If the valve is actually still open, you have other issues. You can pour some carbon removal liquid, or fuel injector cleaner down there, and although that stuff evaporates a little, if there’s a seam around the valve and the edge, and it leaks, I guess that’s one way to confirm. If a few pieces of walnut she’ll get through, it’s okay. That said, it is a bad idea to let a lot go through, so confirming its TDC is necessary. You can pour gas down too with a little syringe like what you take medicine with as a child, and the gas should puddle. Just don’t use water. If the carbon buildup is that bad, you for sure need to clean it! Good luck. Oh, you don’t need a lift. Hopefully the video is clear on how to access it. There are some tight spots for sure, but I tried to show everything.