Got 84,000 miles on my R56, original clutch, flywheel & throwout bearing. Been suggested (by non-local MINI tech supervisor) the clutch is about done.

Looking for suggestions for non-OEM replacement bits, shop to do the work too as this is WELL beyond my humble abilities. Not looking to diss local factory service any but would like to learn if independent shop might be a little less costly... seeing as I've been unemployed for nearly 2 years.

I'm 40 miles northwest of Chicago if anyone's willing to offer up their experiences and/or suggestions for parts suppliers and/or installers.

 

Hey sp_Clark, The clutch on my wife's is toast as well (not her fault -- most likely the PO). After doing a little research, I'm probably going to go with the OEM clutch kit-- but I'm going to do the work myself. The other options I've seen seem to be either way more expensive or don't have a well-documented pedigree. I haven't pulled the trigger on this yet as I'm going to pull the transmission and inspect the hardware before I make a decision.

Sorry, I'm no help on a shop local to you--but I"m sure someone local to your area will pipe up. Good luck! Rich

PS Just shop the repair cost around several shops, including dealers. It's a common service, so you should be able to get a firm quote that they will stand behind.

 

Boy doing a clutch job is something I'd never even consider doing on my own, not having much in the way of a proper place to make an attempt. Not something I'd envision doing in my driveway in the winter.

OEM might be a reasonable path though I've been told the later design is far less durable than what the R53 models came with. I had one of those, drive it for 133,000 miles with no trouble before selling it on.

There are a couple of independent shops I know of around my area; I'll be contacting them next week to see what their rates and time frames are. Factory place quote upwards of $2,500 for the work with parts alone close to $1,200. Ouch! Whaddayadoo when your clutch... won't anymore?

 

Please let me know what clutch you settle on, as I'm interested. I've replaced a few clutches in my time: '85 Golf, '90 Corrado '98 Maxima and '02 Jetta along with rebuilt a few motors. I just love taking stuff apart and putting it back together -- its a sickness. I'm lucky enough to have a heated garage to work in and an extra car so I don't have any time pressure to get my clutch job done quickly. Nothing quite as satisfying as doing it yourself if you have the tools. No way would I attempt this without a garage to work in!

 

Yeah, I feel the same way you do & will follow up once I'm farther along in this project.

Sounds like you have everything the lack of which keeps me from any suggestion (that) this is a project I might undertake! Not too likely an easy weekend project with the first attempt I'd be guessing?