Brought the Mini in to The Little Speed Shop on Monday for a new clutch and a walnut blasting. Could not be more impressed. They have worked on my car before but not for anything major. They have been great to communicate with and are completing the repairs in very reasonable amount of time.
All said and done I will be getting the clutch, flywheel, rear main seal, transmision seal and clutch slave cylinder replaced. Also while they have the whole front end apart I figured I would get it walnut blasted.
$1280 parts
$900 labor (damb reasonable)
$320 walnut blasting (unreasoably cheap)
Total - $2500
The same work would have cost at least 25% more at the dealer.
Direct injection motors like the MINI have a problem with deposits building up on the intake valves and runners. No fuel = no cleaning effect on the oily vapors that the polution system pulls back thru the intake. Add to that the extended oil change intervals and those small valves end up choked before you know it.
__________________
2007 MCS Laser Blue 2010, 2008 BMW Oktoberfest Autocross - Stock Mini First Place
2009 BMW Oktoberfest Autocross - Stock Mini Second Place BMW CCA Driving Instructor/Engine Mechanic/Speech Recognition Specialist
Kevin (Little Speed Shop) installed the cam in my mini and did a great job. His rates have gone up since then and due to convenience I have been using Ekstens.
One note, the walnut blasting for the Direct injection motors is for the newer turbo cars not the supercharged ones. You may still be able to do the supercharged ones but I am not sure of much added benefit.
Here's a couple pics of before and after of the valves.
This one is a really bad one. after 90k they start to look like this. Running lower octcane fuel doesn't make this problem any better.
-- Edited by jr_drmr on Saturday 16th of March 2013 01:28:38 PM
The octane of the fuel makes no difference. The whole reason the carbon buildup happens is because it is a direct injection engine, the fuel never passes through the cylinder head or touches the valves.
jr_drmr wrote:
yes...and a post blasting seafoam spray to clean out leftovers
Seafoaming after getting walnut blasted should not be necesary.
