Kansas City MINI Enthusiasts

I checked my oil tonight and it was about a quart low which has been the norm so I'm not too worried about that. What worries me is the disappearing coolant and milky whiteish deposits all over the dipstick and filler cap. What causes this and what will I be replacing at the next garage day?

Sounds like coolant getting into your oil. Not good. I'll let the mechanics suggest most likely cause.

Head gasket, coolant getting into the oil makes the "milkshake" in the oil pan, and disappearing coolant is getting burned in the cylinders.....sometimes you can smell the coolant smell in the exhaust. Easy test is to do a compression test, one or more cylinders will be down.....if that's inconclusive you can do a leak down test where you pressurize the cylinder, listen at the oil filler for the sound of air escaping (past the rings) or look for bubbles in the radiator - blown head gasket. If you haven't overheated it too badly the head might not be warped, but you will probably need it surfaced slightly to make sure it's dead flat.

The choice then will be whether to do a valve job while you have the head off, and at the mileage you're at it would probably be a good idea. Of course while you have it apart it's not too much harder to pull the pistons, hone the cylinders and put new rings and bearings in and......before you know it you've overhauled the whole engine!

So, probably the least you can get away with is to replace the headgasket....

One other possibility, if it's leaking coolant on the ground, it could be the oil cooler....compression test should prove that one way or the other.

Minidave wrote:Head gasket, coolant getting into the oil makes the "milkshake" in the oil pan, and disappearing coolant is getting burned in the cylinders.....sometimes you can smell the coolant smell in the exhaust. Easy test is to do a compression test, one or more cylinders will be down.....if that's inconclusive you can do a leak down test where you pressurize the cylinder, listen at the oil filler for the sound of air escaping (past the rings) or look for bubbles in the radiator - blown head gasket. If you haven't overheated it too badly the head might not be warped, but you will probably need it surfaced slightly to make sure it's dead flat.

The choice then will be whether to do a valve job while you have the head off, and at the mileage you're at it would probably be a good idea. Of course while you have it apart it's not too much harder to pull the pistons, hone the cylinders and put new rings and bearings in and......before you know it you've overhauled the whole engine!

So, probably the least you can get away with is to replace the headgasket....

One other possibility, if it's leaking coolant on the ground, it could be the oil cooler....compression test should prove that one way or the other.

^^^THIS^^^ LOL

Thanks to the resident KC Mini Club mechanic

I'm not getting any coolant on the garage floor, just oil. I will have to check on cost of parts and see how deep I can go. I have had a rebuild on my mind for awhile so it would be nice but with a baby on the way it might have to wait awhile. Does the engine have to come out of the car to do all this?

Uhmmmm, not necessarily...if you remember when we had the pan off we had complete access to the rods, but changing the mains with the engine in the car is difficult to impossible, and if you're going that deep you really should take it out and clean it thoroughly.

Least you could do is head gasket.

Next least is valve job, timing chain and head gasket.

Next is hone cylinders, new rings, rod bearings, timing chain and the head work.

Next is pull the engine and overhaul it which is all of the above + all new seals and gaskets, oil pump etc, or look for a low mileage used engine to replace it.

Last is new engine complete from MINI.

Have you ever put a clutch in it? If not, that's the time to do it. I recommend the Valeo kit with the solid flywheel, half the cost of OEM and a much better and lighter feel to it.

Of course, once you do all this, you could have spent that money on a new(er) car too.

I suggest taking the motor to Mercer Machine at MC Racing for rebuild. They have all the machines needed to properly do all the machine work.

That's a bit of a haul, they're in Lawrence aren't they? And he's east of Lees Summit.......

I think I'd look for a good low mileage used engine if I were going to keep it.

but there's something to be said for keeping it all original too......

I will probably just do a head gasket and call it good. Engine rebuild kit is around $2100 not including the head. Or a used engine on eBay is around $2500. I doubt the car is worth that so I'm not going to dump to much into it.

They are located here.

MC Racing/MCR
5005 Mackey St, Shawnee, KS

minicoopers43 wrote:I will probably just do a head gasket and call it good. Engine rebuild kit is around $2100 not including the head. Or a used engine on eBay is around $2500. I doubt the car is worth that so I'm not going to dump to much into it.

Check the head carefully to make sure it's not warped, you don't want to have to do it again. They can't machine a lot off of it if it is warped, but sometimes they can lock it in a press and "straighten" it a bit and get it usable. If you need the Bentley manual and serpentine belt tool, let me know.

At one point I thought I might buy a car such as this and make a track car out of it....but I figure if I really want it to go, I'd wind up with at least $10K in it in mods and rebuilds. Not gonna happen on social security income!

Darn, I thought I had a buyer
With a little one on the way I have been thinking about getting something with 4 doors.

minicoopers43 wrote:Darn, I thought I had a buyer
With a little one on the way I have been thinking about getting something with 4 doors.

You'll regret selling it. Unless you buy a countryman of something. Hold onto that mini.

minicoopers43 wrote:Darn, I thought I had a buyer
With a little one on the way I have been thinking about getting something with 4 doors.

Continue to think. My hardtop has been more than adequate for our family of three over the past 5 years. It's a grocery getter with plenty of room for bags and a box or two of beer in the boot, as well as trips to the end of the Earth. I still haven't put the rack on top because the sticks are garaged in Tan Diego Norte and it is a short walk to the break, but it would work.

Now that we're adding +1 I am considering an additional vehicle for all, but I'm not unloading the R53. The All4 and F56 make me want to puke. I'd rather drive a green '80s LTD wagon with wood panneling.

SWT CHI wrote:

minicoopers43 wrote:Darn, I thought I had a buyer
With a little one on the way I have been thinking about getting something with 4 doors.

Continue to think. My hardtop has been more than adequate for our family of three over the past 5 years. It's a grocery getter with plenty of room for bags and a box or two of beer in the boot, as well as trips to the end of the Earth. I still haven't put the rack on top because the sticks are garaged in Tan Diego Norte and it is a short walk to the break, but it would work.

Now that we're adding +1 I am considering an additional vehicle for all, but I'm not unloading the R53. The All4 and F56 make me want to puke. I'd rather drive a green '80s LTD wagon with wood panneling.

I saw one of these for sale the other day....Wagon Queen Family Truckster.

Yes! And retrofit the MINI Connected so I can tab my all 2 of my friends on FaceBook and whilst jamming out to my 8-track collection: Neil Diamond, Poco, the Gap Band...

That grill would look way more awesomer on an All4 in the same kustom color. Hell, maybe the dude out west fabbing Cooper CRAP could fab me a 21st century Woodie with a rack for my sticks.

Like this?

Minidave wrote:I saw one of these for sale the other day....Wagon Queen Family Truckster.

Griswolds anyone?

My first thought was Harry and the Hendersons!

MiniManiac wrote:

Minidave wrote:I saw one of these for sale the other day....Wagon Queen Family Truckster.

Griswolds anyone?

My 'rents had this grocery getter until '87. It's the only car of theirs I was permitted to drive. I don't know why either, given it held twenty teenagers and two kegs.

It was a gold LTD, loaded, an the old man still loves wire wheels.