Venting Inner Sills
Turbo Mini Forums

I've got the passenger side outer sills of my mini (bloody over sills...) and found it was rotted out in the end of the cross member. I'm guessing the other side is the same.

While I've got the sills of, is it worth drilling a hole in the inner sill into the cross member cavity so that it can be vented along with the sills (short sills going back on). Hopefully it would stop it rotting out again. I'm making an educated guess that the other side is as bad.

Theres usually holes in the crossmember for this or is that just mk1s?

I seriously doubt it!

I think the box section would be vented already, as the floor pans have the channels in, allowing air to get in, although the carpet may restrict this.

I think the box section also has a hole or two in it anyway.

Edit....Too slow.

Edited by Oli on 25th Jan, 2010.

There are a couple of holes about 8mm in either side, but obviously they haven't done the job.

Judging by the MOT chalk the rot here was why the oversills went on

The crossmember "void" is independant of the outer/inner sill void/space so, IMO, are best dealt with seperately.

The space between the outer and inner sill will fill with water or condensation due to crap design of the shell - hence the need to use proper drained sills, not the sealed oversills - but inside the car I can't see any need for anything other than the standard crossmember to floor joint. If you connect that space to the sills, you are just encouraging more rot along the floorpan under the crossmember IMO.

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

i have my vents down by the rear "door cards" close to the main hoop. pointing upwards.
i have my sills a long time now (auld lad) with no problems.
Best idea i ever had, i use it on all my mini's now.

Any pic's Angus?

not on this computer, ill try to get some this weekend if you like, my cars are at my lockup a few miles away.

Don't go out of your way, I just can't picture what you've done to your car