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I have installed two valve covers in 2000mi. Each one was the $96 Bremmen made unit at ECS (Hi ECS!). Both have failed. One the PCV made noise in 50mi the other has lasted <1000mi before the PCV section started to leak oil on top of all the spark plug holes. My wife WFH and rarely drives this car and thinks it's going to break so it's never driven hard. You can spend $96 up to $730. There are others in between. What does everyone buy/recommend? URO, VAICO, Bremmen, HT, Elring, Mini??? John suggested OE. Not paying $500+ for a plastic valve cover! I don't want to have to go to FCP and I DO want to go to VIR next month so can't spend another wad!
So i have the same one on my R58 MINI N14 with over 20k on it. Did not have a leak or separation or noise. The Genuine MINI one failed and leaked at the center. It got a hairline crack from the factory, it was never removed before.
One thing to watch is on install, some people over tighten these and over time it forms a crack due to heat cycles.
Another thing is to watch on oil changes as people spill the oil and then it looks like a leak, when its really not.
Also make sure you don't have any other issues going on like connection at the rear o-ring is leaking to the intake manifold, those tend to leak and then leak oil i that same spot.
Contact our CS team and they can get you a new one of the brand you like/prefer if you check out all those items and you still have issues. Ours has a 3 year warranty. We have tested the metal ones and they work. I have not tracked or super heat cycled the metal ones yet as its winter and it don't track in the winter.
Thanks for the help ECS! I am talking to John in CS now and he has already sent me a return label. Which brand is "ours" you are talking about? I do all my own work on the car and will check that front vent hose again. Oil should be there also. I used a torque wrench on everything. Even bought a new one to replace my F80 trans cover for the low torque values. Not sure how over-tightening is causing a crack since there are metal spacers in the cover unless you are giving it a lot of ugga duggas. This pooling wasn't happening either cover and just started in the last 2-300mi of the 1000 and started closest to the filler neck. I always use a funnel and she never puts oil in it which is how I found this out over the last few weeks I have seen it grow. I placed a bit of rag between the first spark plug and PCV and it is mostly dry there but continues to move from the chain to the rear of the engine.
Bremmen Parts is our house brand. Yep double check and make sure no over torque. These engines get super hot in the head compared to past and future MINIs. I feel like the cover seals but is suppose to float based on the values. Also you track so these covers will take more the usual beating. I have seen people cook Genuine MINI covers from overheats and large turbos at the track and heat kicks back over the cover on the left hand side (pointing fwd). Some people wrap that corner on dei gold reflective tape. I seen a bunch of things over the years on the Genuine MINI cover because at one point thats all we had. No aftermarket. They revised them several time.
Glad they could help and I am always here for you guys.
I have seen that people use the reflective tape before around the turbo n the cover however I do not track this car. I do my F80, and instruct. Will check hose and re-torque. I first have to fix my G37 steering column lock issue...
01-18-2023, 10:51 AM
