Its dead!
Turbo Mini Forums

It was just a matter of when! Took the mini out a few sundays ago, had a fritz with a mate in his elise. Noticed a few days later that I had shot oil out of the breathers (again) didnt think twice about it, cleaned it up, and took it out today, get home same again even tho this time it was a gentle run. I noticed there was more smoke than usual coming from thr breathers. Got the compression tester out and the rings are fubar on no 2, 3 cylinders average 135 psi, but no 2 wont get over 60. Couldnt be timed any better, MITP this coming weekend, and no money due to the house. JOY!
Rant over
Shane

Oh bollocks.Really sorry for ya mate.

Just get yourself to MITP for some inspiration and tear that fucker down!!

Warning:Stig in Training

Could this not just be down to the head gasket?

Whip the head off and have a look. If it is, then you might still make MITP.

In the 13's at last!.. Just

Sorry to hear that mate, what a fucker!!

What pistons are you running?

Edited by matty on 10th Aug, 2008.

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1/4mile in 13.2sec @ 111 terminal on 15psi

Sorry to hear that chap, hope its an easy fix. Will you be going to MITP regardless?

-MINI CLUBMAN 1380 TURBO-

may be the head gaske as usuall detonation takes it out between 2&3 on mass boost

have a look first

i cant see how it can be the head gasket. if its coming out the engine breathers and the rocker cover at a similar rate, and low compression then it sounds like rings or pistons

unlucky mate, these things happen

"Turbo's make torque, and torque makes fun"

"did you know you can toast potato waffles?"

Im still going to mitp regardless, just not in the mini.
The pistons are std 1275 ones, stock bottom end except centre mains strap.
Even it is the head gasket I havent got the time to do it, I really need to crack on with painting my house.
Im pretty sure its rings. Before this there was a gentle flow of vapour coming from the breather hose, now it is more pulsed like its being pressurised on the stroke of the engine.
Steve, "may be the head gaske as usuall detonation takes it out between 2&3 on mass boost" im still only running 6pound, what do you class as mass boost?
Look on the bright side, can build a quicker engine, when funds allow?
Cheers
Shane

Right, had a spare hour this eve, and curiosity was getting the better of me so I whipped the head off the mini. There is a suspect dark patch between 2&3 which looks like it could be blown, but I cant see this being the cause of presurising the crankcase. No 3 piston has a build up of carbon on the crown, but all the others are clean, there is also carbo build up on the section of gasket which I suspect has failed. There are no other signs of failure on the gasket, which leaves me thinking it is rings.
I took the car out on sat, only on a 15mile round trip and by the time I got home was running like a bag of spanners. Im hoping when time allows the throw another gasket on and double check my torque wrench with a mates, but I dont hald out much hope.
Your thoghts? Sorry about the poor pics had to use my phone as couldn't get pics to upload on photobucket.
Cheers
Shane

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If your HG was causing excess crankcase pressure it would have to blow between a cylinder and the push rods and even then... I have blown a few between 2 and 3 and normally theres a bit missing in the fire rings and both cylinders have the same pressure.

Thats what I was hoping to see, that is is only sign of deteriation on the gasket. I had suspicions from the start that it was rings, only doin the gasket change to prove it.
Those of you that have had gaskets fail due to ill calibrated torque wrenches, what area of the gasket fails in this case?
Cheers
Shane

whilst the head is off, bring all of the pistons level and poor a little bit of oil (bout 1") into the bores. Power steering fluid/automatic transmission fluid will do if you have any.

make sure they are all levelish and leave them for say 15mins. if they drop radically then rings arent looking too good.

its only a crude test but its a nice easy one to do whilst the head is off.

james when i did that after running in my engine it was there over night. i had to pump it out.

in that sence ive solved a mith, 4500-5000 rpm hard run in. on the way to santa pod, and it is brillient.

however when ive done this with a soft run in as in litrally 1/4 throttle and 2500 rpm 1000 miles. it leaked away within 30 seconds.

you just need to set the timeing and fueling up correctly first.

Edited by Sam on 25th Aug, 2008.

hope your car goesok but im building my engine up and was wondering whether to try a hard run in method read up in it ona search on here yesterday.gonna be a bnithairy i think though.but worked well for you so lots of plus's towards hard running in .

On 30th Aug, 2008 Richie said:
too much my wife says "not that friggin site again" so i pull my pants back up and turn it over to TM. iam on pretty much every day as i lead a sad existance

hi mate i hate to say it but there all sem to blow there a bit and what i've found is it doen't make a massive difference on the psi gauge, only if the gasket has failed. I would guess rings or piston ring lands, i hope i'm wrong though.

Best 1/4 mile 13.2 seconds @116 mph
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ashly, set up the timeing and fueling.

i let my engine idle for 3 hours set at an idle of 1800 as thats what i set the fueling and everything else at.

by the end of the three hours the bearings will have run in.

so change the oil.

dont overly kane it but get it on a motor way or something sit in 4th and load the engine.

you create pressure in the swept area of the engine this will make the rings seal correctly.

150 miles to seal them up properly, thats all mine took.

That HG looks ok to me :(

When my head wasn't torqued down properly, a large area of the gasket just fell to bits.

Any marks on the bores?

In the 13's at last!.. Just

Fitting a new gasket is the only answer shane. A couple of hours work might save you some money.