Even the old videos are among the best MINI DIY on youtube. Thanks for your work.

I worked on both the performance and durability development of this engine at Chrysler. The stock valve train will run all day at 6500 rpm, (in fact many engines were run @6500 WOT for 200 hours straight during development) but my recollection is valve float starts at around 7300-7500 rpm. Continued operation at those rpm's will eventually lead to the exhaust valve heads breaking off. You'd need stiffer valves springs, but they're also a double edged sword, as they put more load into the valve. I don't think that this was a pre-ignition failure. If it were, you'd see signs of piston melting. Damage looks all mechanical from what I can see in the video

Ho wow what have I stumbled upon, these videos are great! My 2008 R56 Cooper S has apparently some turbo problem, hoping to learn something. Your articulation and camera work as you go through the various analysis and commentary are fantastic, really great stuff.

I'm about to embark on this, replacing my engine after blowing it, and I'm using your videos as a guide. Wish me luck!

I’m astonished at the age. Thank you for providing this information even under the pressure you were at the time. Your skill is something to be admired. I have a daily driver that I’ll be rebuilding the engine to soon (this year). I’ll be studying and taking notes from this series. I never ever race mine and keep it low RPMs for MPG and longevity. The last owner was bad to my R50. Thank you again good sir!

Don't know if I will ever get up the nerve to do this to my Mini Cooper S, but my hope that videos like this will get me informed. Love the vid.

When you go racing you must expect stuff like this to happen from time to time. The engine was able to be fixed and you look like you enjoyed the work. Once the engine blew, dropping the clutch wouldn't make any difference as the damage was already done. Sounds like the car has come back meaner and stronger than before, so no real damage done. This shows that you were being competitive which is the code of racing.

This was so helpful. Found a useful way to get my pistons out

I’m currently installing my engine after an unscheduled rebuild. I had one bracket that I couldn’t figure out where it would fit. At 11:58 into Part 7 there it was. Mine where the bolt goes threw is bent at a 45* angle plus not being attached to the harness didn’t help either. Also my pulling the engine 10 months ago without taking pictures didn’t help. LOL Thanks for a Great Series! I only wish that I found this before I got started but it made for a great review of what took place.

Awesome videos you got, hope to see some on the transmission CVT son.

You are brilliant sir.

I'm Feel Sad Broh! To See You Mini Like That. But You Are So Good To Build That Mini! I Hope You Put That Together Soon. I Want To See How Is Gonna Came. Because I'm Sure Is Gonna Be Better Then Before. Good Luck! ☺

I've had a new timing chain installed. It was loose after a tentioner failed. A new tentioner was too late. A few monts later my engine lost power, running on 3 cilinders. No compression on cilinder 2. Hoping a new cilinder head will be enough.

I had the same on the Autobahn at 230! Mini Pain

I like very much your channel You are a MINI's Doctor :D hehehe Big Hug from your subscriter portuguese ;D

Great video. Love the matter-of-fact approach. Just bought a nice '06 JCW R53 and plan to upgrade it to mostly a track car. I would love to have enough experience to "hurry up" and disassemble the entire engine before a business trip haha! Good comments too - esp by @hoganfan924. I have read quite a few threads on minitorque forums and seems like a stock motor will eventually die. Wondering if I should preemptively replace pistons and rods...

Great videos. Rebuilding a 2005 cooper s and need parts. Where do you get your parts? Specifically main bearings and rod bearings.

We're you able to root cause reason for too lean of a mixture? I just burnt a piston for possibly the same reason. Will do a fuel pressure check soon (as well as engine swap/rebuild).

Your pulley upgrade and this video have made me realize that this car is not for me , great videos though !!!

I just came across your channel, awesome videos! My wife's 09 S just had the same thing happen. She was on the freeway check engine light came on then half engine, big plume of smoke and that's all she wrote. After a 250 mile tow home I found water level was low oil ok. Started to pull the plugs #3 looked just like yours yikes! Did a compression test #3 0 psi. Pulled the exhaust manifold one of the valve heads is gone 😣 also the turbo has play. I was thinking it msy also have a blown head gasket. That's as far as I have gotten. I'm hoping it's just a head job afraid of what I'll find once I pull the head. Your videos have been very helpful getting me this far. Thank you,

Hey Mod Mini, Im currently rebuilding the engine on my r52 s and I noticed some scuff marks on the crank for piston 1. Should I hunt down a new crank or machine it?

I have mini cooper s we had the engine rebuild . I keep getting engine code p1497. Check all my hoses clamps. Turbo lines it runs fine ones cel comes on it shuts down. Any help would appreciate thanks again.

Hi MODMINI, my r53 blew the piston rings Thinking of going in your route to rebuild with reinforced connecting rods and piston. How much you think it will cost to have someone rebuild just like you did ? Thanks

it looks like you know what u r doing , i have done work like that before and in the end it seems like less work to just pull the engine , dont u think

Thanks for great videos. We have an 03 S with the same parts from Jan including ported intake manifold. I do track days and found you searching for the fuel filter change. That & a plug check & change is next prior to a track day at Laguna Sept 11. A question . Can you remove spark plugs without removing the GP intercooler? Thanks again

Is it really necessary to remove engine and transmission for engine change ? Nothing wrong with my transmission or clutch ! Thanks love to hear from someone before I waste my time ! Thanks

Something I've been wondering after watching your series of videos, did you have the bottom end balanced when you rebuilt the motor? I was just thinking that with the lighter rods and pistons that the crankshaft would need balancing to suit.

I have a question please let me know I have been looking at videos online and people are saying signs of a engine almost being worn out is if you start the car take the oil cap off it big pulses of air are coming out it could be piston rings worn and the coolant if it's brown could indicate a leek is this true for the r53 cooper s

I have a couple of questions on a mini cooper engine replacement. I bought a 2003 cooper S with a blown motor and plan getting it up and running for a daily driver. So your videos here are a work of art and a life saver, thankyou. Q1 do the minis have an air bag sensor in the bumper ? Q2 is there a difference in a supercharger engine and a non supercharger engine other than the supercharger itself?

Your videos are top notch. Seriously great work. I have my r53 in pieces in the garage at the moment. I "melted" a hole in piston head 3. Since i am this deep in the car i am looking for a cylinder head, cam, fuel injector combination. I have a 17% and a cold air intake. Any suggestions? Cheers.

I Just finished taking the oil pan off my r53. I found that one of the pistons was raddling around the crankshaft so i unbolted where the Piston connects to the crankshaft and found that the bearing was torn to shreds on each end. Would that be causing it to raddle, and is there bearings on the other side?

Hi Great clip do you what is the shop RMW where is that I can contact them to repair the damage parts on my 2009 Mini Cooper S

are you professional mechanic? how do you learn all those things..

How do you think the R53 JCW GP compared to it's turbo siblings? Had one asking for 15k, not much issues but busted seats.

Does the gearbox and/or axles need to be installed to move the car after engine removal? My motor will be out a while but need to move the car out of the garage. Thanks for content!

Hey modmini, I have a 2004 mini Cooper s supercharged manual. And I recently blew the head gasket. It has 187k miles and I'm thinking of either rebuilding my engine with the intent to make it faster or just buying a new motor. What do you suppose I should do? And if you suggest rebuild then what parts did you use to build yours. @modmini

hey, i Installed my engine and I am trying to get all the wires connected. I have all the wires connected except for two. I know one of the two goes to the power stearing fan. The second looks or is similar size to the one that connects to the fan but is a shorter wire would you know where that connects to?

Are the Rod cap bolts reusable??? Or TTY only?

Do I need to use a high tech scanner to clear the codes. I have cheap basic one. Thanks again

Hi there, i have a question. What kind of oil is the best for this engine? Thanks

Hello my name is Juan and I driving my mini cooper s 2006 r53 on the highway 70 miles and my oil light come on and the Oil Presion go to 0 I stop the car to check the Oil and is fine I tow to my place and when I turn again when is cold the Presion go to 70psi and the lamp was off what do you think was the problem Thank you so much

Is the mini one engine block and pistons and cylinder head the same as the mini Cooper s, how is the short engine different??

Hello boss. I am having an issue with my car and no one (including the mechanics I am bringing the car to) seems to be able to figure out what's wrong with the car. I am getting codes P0303 & P0303 PD (misfire cylinder 3) and P0313 & P0313 PD (lean cylinder 3). I have replaced the plugs, wires, and coil pack but I am still having an issue. I am thinking it might be a vacuum leak, a fuel injector, or perhaps something wrong with the valves. What is your professional recommendation or suggestion on what is wrong with the car?

sucks dude, keep up the videos. I didn't think 244whp was possible with that m45

What valve spring tool did you use? Where can I find it?

I have a question for you. my 06 mini cooper s has been suffering from RPM hunting, when I drive it for a 20-30 mins and get to a traffic light I fell it that it goes to turn off with a lot of shaking, that happens if i had the AC on if not on, The RPM dance between 700 to 900. What is your recommendation to fix it? Thanks

do you have a water/meth system? If not, with the higher HP, and the sped up S/C, and no water/air IC. I think high intake temp might have been the pre-det culprit, and a water/meth system would be a great mod to your setup. Not harping, and I'm sure you probably already know, just my .02. Otherwise, love the tutorials, you've more than answered a few of my questions with your videos. Thought maybe I'd try to return the favor. Again.....love that Mini.

I just got a R53 75k on the clock 1500 pounds few things wrong exhaust has a small gap right at the back that is blowing. what should i do about that just clamp it closed? and fan belt that's minor its in British racing green and full leather am really happy with it.

Hi mini mod, unlucky with the engine blowing up. Are you going to make some mechanic eye videos of the rebuild ?

Hi my son blew the engine of 2009 Mini Cooper S ... were would be the best place to purchase an engine.

Next time your engine blows up, Get off the gas and kill the ignition as soon as you notice loss of power, then hit the brakes and get off the racing line and onto the grass as soon as possible so you dont dump oil on the track. You stayed on the track and limped around like you thought the engine was going to get better.

I blew the engine on my 2006 mini. Where is a trustworthy place to buy a replacement engine at a good price?

I know your busy probably but I changed the pipe that feeds power steering fluid to the pump because I was told that it had a leek the pump was charged very recently the mechanic that fitted it said to bring it back and he would fit the pipe as it was old i changed it today left the car in the garage looked under the car it's leaking how when the pump and pipe are both brand new

As soon as that thing shut down with loss of power you should have shut the car off lol

Damn dude awwww shit that was no fun I’m sitting here watching that now and I’m like holy fuck what the he’ll I’m genuinely concerned about all this oil burning just as much as he is 😂

How many miles did you have on engine when this happened? I'm nearing 140k miles on my 2006 motor, and it's feeling slow and not as responsive as when I first got the car with 12 miles on it. Debating on if an engine rebuild is worth it.

Humm, mine is stock and at 140k I developed a rod knock. Had to get another motor.

I love my R53, I get sad when I see another one get hurt :) What RON fuel do you use for races? I remember our Trip to California form the UK they only had 89-91 (I think) which my mini would knock like mad if it tried to run it on either.

i know you have fixed it and watched all your vids, but why continue to drive it after it blew up? drop clutch and ditch it

I would not have wasted time trying to work on the engine in the car.It was time to put the motor on a stand .Much easier.2 exhaust valves broke then got beat around.Unless you want a custom performance engine built sometimes it’s cheaper to get a complete used engine and do a bearing,ring,valve job.

I’m about 90% sure you had a valve break due to an issue with valve lash slamming the valves into the seats, allowing one valve to break loose, which then started beating up the piston and broke more valves off which then punched the hole through the piston and finally causing it to puff smoke. All of your piston damage is from the valve breaking off. If you had a lien scenario, it was probably only in the one cylinder due to a bad injector, but I don’t see any evidence of lean what I see is failed valve that completely destroyed your engine. I would contest that this should be covered by the entity that built your head you’re connecting rod and pistons that you currently have or sufficient enough. With the amount of damage, your piston sustained from the broke off valves that would explain the loose wrist pin because your piston was completely hammered to death. The piston had to give out first because that was the only place those valves could go they can’t exit through the top of the head so they have to exit the piston Valve dropped into pan. It bounced around inside your motor and took out the oiler. If you were running lean, you would be able to see heat damage on the valve stem component that was still remaining in the head. I do believe you’re being Upsal for pistons and connecting rods really isn’t a bad idea. Also same with the bearings. I believe it was a craftsmanship issue with the headwork that caused your problem. Very likely a defective valve was installed. I could hear your engine starting to sound a little off just before it dropped a valve then I could hear the valve train failure and then I could hear it punch through the piston and let the oil through. It’s very clear on the video so I would contest their suggested failure reason.

maybe a bigger fuel pump needed and fuel filter

Mistake #1 was going with RMW.....and calling him back...my 2 pence wouldn't ever use a tune from him.... Sorry this happen. ( BTW - wouldn't ever use Brisk plugs in a MINI Cooper due to a well deserved history of their backing out, something about their washer ring composition that doesn't crush/seat well at MINI Torque specs..

fix it again tyrone

If it was pre-ignition failure or an overheat from lean condition, you would’ve had smoke first before failure. Instead, you had failure and smoke after. you had a valve break, that killed your engine, I’m about 90% sure you had a valve break due to an issue with valve lash slamming the valves into the seats, allowing one valve to break loose, which then started beating up the piston and broke more valves off which then punched the hole through the piston and finally causing it to puff smoke. All of your piston damage is from the valve breaking off. If you had a lien scenario, it was probably only in the one cylinder due to a bad injector, but I don’t see any evidence of lean what I see is failed valve that completely destroyed your engine. I would contest that this should be covered by the entity that built your head you’re connecting rod and pistons that you currently have or sufficient enough. With the amount of damage, your piston sustained from the broke off valves that would explain the loose wrist pin because your piston was completely hammered to death. The piston had to give out first because that was the only place those valves could go they can’t exit through the top of the head so they have to exit the piston Valve dropped into pan. It bounced around inside your motor and took out the oiler. If you were running lean, you would be able to see heat damage on the valve stem component that was still remaining in the head. I do believe you’re being Upsal for pistons and connecting rods really isn’t a bad idea. Also same with the bearings. I believe it was a craftsmanship issue with the headwork that caused your problem. Very likely a defective valve was installed. I could hear your engine starting to sound a little off just before it dropped a valve then I could hear the valve train failure and then I could hear it punch through the piston and let the oil through. It’s very clear on the video so I would contest their suggested failure reason.

Arhh damn, that sucks. Looks like a pretty expensive fix :-/

I have a 2005 mini with 39k miles. Anyone interested?

Looking the video, I may say the isssue is not the piston, No way this failure is related to the piston head.... the explanation they provide you is just a simple excuse to not asume the failure root cause.

that engine is now scrap. fit for the bin only

THP 😂😅😢

bumer man damage sucks , make better and stronger if cost allows

why race a gay mini.real men drive v8,s