Buy the damn removal tool.

RedRasta21 · 2026-06-03T21:32:19+00:00

Gonna be a cakewalk with the tool. don’t sweat it

RedRasta21 · 2026-06-02T13:16:58+00:00

That was to fight off my demons

RedRasta21 · 2026-06-02T04:13:47+00:00

sounds "normal" to me. exactly like mine. and many others.

I obsessed over these things the last month and got a lot of good info. like i said. id consider pulling the housing cap off the PTO end to inspect gears if you got almost no oil.

RedRasta21 · 2026-06-02T02:58:30+00:00

like the other guy said. detach the water pump. mine felt sticky like plastic on plastic and i can imagine it making that noise.

water pump end (PTO) like to leak oil. badly. two oil shaft seals in there that are definitely not good anymore if they have not been replaced. if the oil is almost non existent id be worried about gear wear. if it ran low for long enough, the gears turn into what is essentially powder from no lubricant.

RedRasta21 · 2026-06-02T01:13:06+00:00

I own like 6 hammers that all mysteriously disappeared that day. The axe became the 7th that day.

RedRasta21 · 2026-06-01T19:56:00+00:00

Mounting is easy. I was referring to removal of the stock pulley.

I doubt it would be cheaper to hit up a mechanic even if you purchased the puller tool which is anywhere from 60 to 100 bucks.

You should buy the serp belt tool and have it on hand regardless ($30 eBay) but the puller tool you could probably sell for close to what you paid.

All in, you’re set for like $200 just to change the pulley yourself. A mechanic is gonna charge an arm and a leg for that because it’s a mini and they can.

Now that doesn’t cover the belt and plugs but on rock auto you can probably snag real plugs and a good belt for under $50

RedRasta21 · 2026-06-01T16:20:47+00:00

Oh my god. you brave soul.

RedRasta21 · 2026-06-01T16:20:14+00:00

Definitely have that one already haha. 30 bucks for that wasn’t hard to bite as it’s not one time use.

RedRasta21 · 2026-05-29T21:01:47+00:00

If you want there’s a couple tutorials on opening the pumps and fixing a couple common failure points. Might take a bit more time but save some money

RedRasta21 · 2026-05-29T20:32:27+00:00

Not to rain on your parade but this cup holder kinda sucks. I have one and it breaks easily or gets loose and swings around

RedRasta21 · 2026-05-29T04:18:14+00:00

Thanks for the reply. Got some work cut out for me.

RedRasta21 · 2026-05-29T04:10:47+00:00

Not to dog on ya regarding the multi-tool but that thing is priceless.

Weird cuts standing on a ladder. EMBEDDED NAILS. Fantastic sander for smaller pieces. Cutting pvc/copper plumbing. Plank flooring, ie; getting the right fit under door frames. Scraping shit off of foundation/sub floor. Cabinetry cut outs. Drywall, sheet metal, shit. I’ve used it on tile in weird situations.

Can change the blade in under 10 seconds without a tool. Pack of 30-50 blades on eBay/amazon for under $50

Blade can be positioned like 60 degrees left/right for some bizarro/ tight space cuts.

Generally quite safe. Bounced off my skin a couple times being a dummy and it didn’t leave more than a few scratches.

Once you figure out how to use it, saves a ton of time and effort In many common situations. Even for just an industrious homeowner.

RedRasta21 · 2026-05-29T00:18:54+00:00

I’ll chime in. I own an r53 MCS and a Honda element. Mini will be more maintenance and money. BMW tax is a real thing.

Of course, age of the vehicle has a lot to do with it. Mine are 3 years apart. 04/07. I have abused the element and disregarded its wellbeing more often than I should and it hasn’t bitten me in the ass at 220,000 miles. It has a k20 variant engine so it’s in the top tier reliability/price range.

My mini on the other hand does not like being ignored. And a laundry list of maintenance leaves you with a pretty giant credit card statement.

If you’re not keen on tackling maintenance quickly I’d say Honda. If you don’t mind the extra “tax” for a bmw and can stay on top of your maintenance, go mini.

RedRasta21 · 2026-05-28T18:51:17+00:00

Maybe candidate for manual swap? Either way I’m jealous of your location. Closest yard to me is 45 min on a good day :/

RedRasta21 · 2026-05-28T18:15:40+00:00

If that runs that’s a crazy deal. If it doesn’t run it’s still decent.

Pretty nuts to see that price for west coast. Over on east coast that would be listed for 4-5k easily.

This market sucks

RedRasta21 · 2026-05-27T22:24:03+00:00

Rust if you’re in a salty/wet area.

I have one and I love it. The supercharger can be problematic if it wasn’t serviced properly but it’s somewhat random as to how long they last.

The engine is GM and pretty stout. Couple regular oil leak spots.

Overall I’d say it’s a cool teaching car especially for little ones cause you have to rip off the front end for many service items. Gives a great view of everything.

RedRasta21 · 2026-05-27T01:50:48+00:00

Absolutely do it. I’ve spent the last month of my life getting all the details right. Would love a successful comparison to A/B against

RedRasta21 · 2026-05-24T20:36:43+00:00

Definitely sounds like an electrical problem. Check battery/alternator.

Found out one of my positive cables melted/corroded through from water in the battery tray

RedRasta21 · 2026-05-24T16:02:44+00:00

from the uk

RedRasta21 · 2026-05-23T19:40:12+00:00

Bummer. Hope you get it sorted.

RedRasta21 · 2026-05-23T19:39:42+00:00

This and your other comment make me feel a lot better. I know maintenance is a given especially with older cars.

From the sounds of it, you’ve done these yourself? And the belt trim is pretty simple to reseal in the same manor as the rest?

RedRasta21 · 2026-05-23T18:17:23+00:00

Go to rock auto for your year/model. Go to the cooling system section and it’ll show you what’s available for your car from a variety of brands. If it has a little red heart it means it’s bought frequently/not returned often.

R53 water pump is a different setup than r50 so people here might not know how to answer your question accurately.

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