So I changed my oil and filter on my '02 R50 Cooper.

Big mistake for a mechanical newb.

I followed forum directions to a T. Bought liquid gold fully synthetic oil, the correct mini filter and even recruited a helicopter mechanic, that had changed the oil on "hundreds of cars, thousands of times."

First quirk was that the filter housing was hand-loose. (Pissed i had yet to use my awesomely oversized, newly purchased socket) Oil was last changed for $10 million USD at the dealership .

In replacing the filter we could not see the difference between one side or the other. So.. naturally... we put it in backwards.

The computer on my r50 constantly needed resetting, with malfunctions in the tirepressure monitor sensor, airbag sensor, and oil sensor. So when a day later the oil indicator came back on, I assumed/hoped it was just that maybe we shouldn't have used 4.75 quarts. But figured more couldn't be worse than less.

There was a big rainstorm, flooding the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway that I take to drive from Brooklyn to Westchester NY for work (20-30miles). And I had to drive through 1.5ft or more of water at one point and there was heavy rain obviously.

Way home from work later that day the car was pinging and popping. It scared the **** out of me. Had I f--kde my cooper? So I bailed, and drove to my rents place a mere 10miles away.. driving the car as slow as possible , trying to stay under 1,500 rpms. Frequently throwing the car into neutral upon gaining some momentum.

I had to drive to my mechanic 15miles away the next day for the replacement of my front control arm and bushings. He mentioned that the engine oil reservoir was completely empty. "Bone dry" as he put it. He told me I was lucky I had not destroyed my engine. I was pooping my pants. In an attempt to do what the non-mechanic can do to improve his engines performance, lifespan, etc and save a few bucks by d.i.y. I had screwed my beloved moneypit 2002 mini. :(

Brought back to mechanic the next day after being told that once the oil had worked through the engine I might be okay, I was told that a piston had been destroyed and my engine was done.

He quoted me $4000 something for a refurb/used engine with 77k. plus labour. This would bring me to salvage point.

1. Can one destroy "one" piston?
2. What do you think of the engine price?
3. Assuming I should cut my losses and sell it to my mechanic, what should I ask? It is fully loaded. Within last year, new clutch, radiator, control arm, tires. Always filled with 91+. 92k

I am devestated. As a starving musician, I feel I would have been better off drinking the oil. I am a DIY enthusiast and specialize in analogue instruments (synthesizers, elec pianos, recording equipment). But now I feel like I should never touch anything again.

Question 4: should i cut out the floor pan, and start studying episodes of the Flinstone s? and if so, should i get cross trainers, flats, or stick to the responsiveness of the barefoot?

 

Yes, it's possible to destroy one piston. However, the others are very possibly on their way to destruction as well.

DIY is admirable, but if you're out of your area of expertise, either study more or stick to the areas you are more confident in. Good luck!

 

Wow, sorry to hear about your R50. I can't help with any of the technical questions, but just wanted to say I feel your pain.
Hope you get things sorted out and have a ride again, soon.

Annette

 

At least you have your sense of humor.

Even though I have worked on cars for several decades, that funky canister filter had me wondering if I should do it myself too. Seems like a step back in time to me, my 1940 GMC truck had an added-on canister oil filter clamped to the exhaust manifold.

Spin-ons most def easier. I just took it slow and sure, and double and triple checked for oil leaks afterwards.

 

appreciate the responses thus far.

again, any thoughts about what price i should propose to my mechanic?

i'm a bit of a youngin (26yrs) and this was my first real car. i got to drive my grandmother's 89 volvo 740 for a bit, but that was just temporary. my parents work in the arts as well, so auto-mechanics were something quite foreign to them.

i used to build bicycles and weld framesets, but the workings of an automobile always intimidated me. again, naive of me to do something... even with the help of a professional... outside of my area of expertise. if only my expertise brought in a bigger paycheck, then i wouldn't have even considered doing something like this on a car like the mini.

what is it about putting the filter in backwards that drains the oil? is it the pressure release valve or something?

 

Blue book it less the cost of repairs. Because you could spend the money on repairs, then sell it netting you the same amount.

http://beta.kbb.com/

 

Sorry to mention the obvious, but certain lights need to be checked instantly. One is temp, and I will let you guess the other one. I have done things like this myself and it makes me mad as hell, but learning always costs something.

Your mistake was not trying to do the oil change, but not running for a few minutes and check for leaks, compounded by the light incident.

It was a more expensive mistake than I can remember doing, but I am sure all mine add up to more.

Regarding your question, if the car is well maintained, the engine might be worth doing. You get use or money out of it. Otherwise, value minus work is a good starting point, or you can put it in craigslist as a Best offer. The right person will pay more (As in a guy with a wrecked car but a good engine)

The old filter case is probably screwed on cross thread. Oil just leaked out. (Just a guess)

 

I have an R50 myself.
$4,000.00 for an engine seems a little high.
Can get a complete JCW with SC for less than $4K
I would go ahead and replace motor.
It's the only way to improve value of car.
Selling car with blown motor would only go 2-4K

 

Tough call, I too would repair it if possible.

Was there any indication of what happened to cause this specifically? The o-ring that comes with the filter can get cross-threaded and snap pretty easily.

 

I'd repair it if it were me. Sorry to hear about your life lesson though.

 

I am sorry to hear about your MINI!

I have to comment on your thread title "DIY: How to wreck your engine."
Doing things yourself can be very fulfilling, but you have to understand what you are doing. Even after reading a lot of instructions it is possible to screw up if you do not understand the principles behind how things work. There are many DIY instructions out there that appear to be step-by-step that still allow for deviations that can screw you.

Don't be discouraged. But next time, try to understand how things work and try to see if things make sense before proceeding.

 

Ouch. I've heard a lot of horror stories about botched oil changes and busted oil pans. If I were mine I would gut it, re-build it, and make it a track toy. Then again I'm crazy and like to blow money on such things.

If I were in your shoes I would probably cut ties with it. Sell it off. Then again it really depends. Do you have the extra cash needed to buy another car? So many variables to your situation.

 

Defo new engine....

Also, I want to reiterate that once you get a low oil pressure light you should always kill the engine immediately! That oil light means that there is a lack of oil pressure which means that there is no oil getting moved through the engine. So, the next time you see that pressure light, pull over, kill the engine immediately and call for a tow.

 

Yep! It still amazes me how many people still think the oil light is a level warning. One of my wife's old friends had a very nice Volvo that she just loved. She neglected the thing and when the oil light came on, she thought that it just meant that she should add oil sometime soon. She continued driving for a few days and absolutely destroyed the engine. She had to sell the car at a huge loss. Sad to learn something like that the very hard way.

 

Guys...lets not pile on the "should have" stuff. The OP really just needs some info on whether to get the engine repaired or not.

I am of the opinion that you should bite the bullet, if possible, and get it repaired. As long as the shop will stand by the replacement engine for some decent amount of time. Another option is to have another shop or two give you an estimate on rebuilding the engine. That way you will know if it really is a good deal.

 

I'm not piling it on, what I am doing is posting it up in the thread so that if someone else finds it they might learn from it.

 

Is your R50 stick or CVT? If CVT, I would just junk it.

 

kerikino, I have a guy who you might want to contact to repair your car. If you think you can get it to Long Island, PM me and I'll give you more info.

 

Sorry that happened to you, I have heard of similar things happening to professionals. About the engine I would call around to some local junkyards and do some price shopping. I would get a quote on a rebuilt replacemnt too from a company like jasper. Just make sure the mechanic will install it for you. Some shops will only install parts they purchased. If the rest of the car is in good condition I would replace the engine. If you het another used car it will have its own set of issues.

 

dude that sucks

 

I would get an RMW rebuild if I were you. It might cost a bit, but you will end up with something better than before

 

Is there any chance the damage was related to driving through the water? I've heard stories of engines being killed by less water than that. It doesn't sound like it so far, but if it was, insurance may cover it. Just a thought.

 

I would have figured that if it was water-related damage, the engine would have waterlocked and I can't imagine they run too well once that happens

 

Thank you everyone for your responses/suggestions.

The car was in a very very minor accident about 2 weeks before i did the change. The front left headlight assembly was destroyed and the hood was bent. The tow company insisted I had a really sketchy axle and I reluctantly let them tow me to their shop in queens. It was bad news from the beginning. They did dodgey work and upon my inquiry as to a re-evaluation by my insurance company, they (insurance co) said that they had a number of horror stories about the particular shop. Legally, they can't say anything before the deal is done. But afterwards, given my concern, the insurance co sent in a fraud investigation team. Good for the insurance co, not so much for me.

Anyway, as I said earlier the oil filter housing was HAND LOOSE when we changed. additionally it was HAND LOOSE when it went to the mechanic.

Is there anyway this could have been related to the accident?

How would I or how could I attempt to seek some reimbursement from the insurance company? Don't want to scam, but the comment about the flooding raised my brow. There was no noise until after the car was submerged.

 

The housing was loose because you didn't tighten it properly, not because of an accident. The housing has an o'ring that engages the housing to the body it fits into - I think you got it to the point where the o'ring was in contact and you quit turning it. However, it goes on quite a bit more from there.

Either that or you cross threaded it, which is also easy to do on that filter.

Bottom line, rebuilding an engine is not a negotiation, you don't propose a price to the mechanic, he knows what it's going to take in terms of labor and parts, he adds it all up and that's what it costs. Prices can vary because of differing labor rates and the cost of parts. Non-factory parts can be bought for less, but often they're not as good - sometimes they are. You'll be taking the guess here, when you pay for the job.

You could take a vo-tech course and rebuild your own engine as part of that course, that would save you a lot of money but take some time....

The simplest, quickest and least expensive way would be to buy a used engine and exchange yours. that will have you back on the road and let you get some use out fo the car still.....