Hi, I've got a 2006 R50, just finished replacing the transmission with a rebuilt from PartsGeek, rebuilt by "Genuine" Clutch was replaced about a year ago by a local shop, so I didn't touch that at all.

Now it's all back together, but when I start it up it shifts into gear just fine, but when I release the clutch, I just hear a soft metal rubbing noise and get no or almost no movement from the car. It's like I can just hear the clutch plates touching and rubbing, but there's no pressure to get it to engage. This same sound, only softer, is also present when in neutral with the clutch out.

I pulled off the clutch slave cylinder to ensure the push rod is in the right spot, and the plate it's pushing on seems to be in the right spot too, centered over the hole. It's about 1/2 an inch back from the hole though, I can just slip a finger in past it which seems odd, but could be normal. I even left the slave cylinder off the car, with it up on blocks and started it up, same issue. Wheels did turn in the air but I could easily stop them, so I don't think the slave cylinder has any issues.

While installing the clutch we did have a heck of a time getting it to go in the last inch, getting the splines to line up. Used some long bolts as guides, tried rocking the transmission and pushing, tried using the bolts to pull the tranny on (which I now know is not a good idea!) but just bound up the flywheel so I couldn't turn it any more. Finally while rocking it around and pushing and moving the flywheel a little at a time, suddenly it all slipped into place. Great right?

Most things I can think of that could have gone wrong would be the other way around, clutch would be always engaged and not disengage. Any ideas what could be holding it out? Only thing I can think of is the throw out bearing came out of place and is sideways on top of the fork rather than sitting inside it, but want to know if there are any other thoughts before I tear it all apart again.

Thanks,
Bryan

 

I can relate. I learnt the very hard lesson doing this with an automatic transmission. It finally when it alright.

The only trouble that left was a broken keyway where the torque converter engaging the input shaft of the planetary gears. Because of it, I was forced to learn more about how an automatic tranny works. I managed to find a torque converter at a junkyard, but for poor student it was a dear lesson.

Hope you didn't break something bad like I did. I know it is a manual gearbox. On some car the shift folk can dislodge from the pivot. On R53 it looks to be impossible but R50 is totally different.

I cannot imagine by forcing the tranny onto the flywheel how one can mess up the clutch friction disc. You would bound to break the transmission casing as it is weaker and not designed to take stress that way. I don't see what much you can do but to open it up and inspect carefully.

I have successfully mate the gearbox to the engine without using the alignment tool. Most that come with the clutch kit are plastic junk so is sloppy, so I know to check the disc alignment visually before proceeding to tightening up the pressure plate.

 

Thanks, I was just reading on another thread that apparently you can damage the clutch that way, and fairly easily. Looks like I'm pulling it again. Worst part was getting the tranny back in, worked on it twice for several hours trying to get it lined up. Now I'm wondering if perhaps the clutch wasn't lined up properly when it was installed, making it harder for me to get the tranny lined up. Found the shop I had it done at didn't put back 2 of the bell housing bolts, a few bumper bolts and something else I can't remember now.

 

Good to know there are shops that think a couple of bell housing bolts are totally unnecessary. MINI should hire the Meister mechanic to help save a couple of bucks on each car.

I found it easier removing the engine with the gearbox on the Mini when doing clutch. Too much struggling by removing the subframe.

 

Well, I think I found the problem. Took it all apart, took out the clutch and found the center peice in the clutch plate which has the splines was cocked sideways a bit, and found I can turn it by hand with a small crowbar stuck in it. Looks like the springs around it are to give it some sort of shock absorption, but I think I broke it by trying to force the transmission shaft in by tightening the bolts.

The clutch was fairly new, only a year or so, but looks terrible and there are what appear to have been rivets that are gone, just a few pieces of them that fell out when I removed the clutch. Perhaps the place that did the clutch job put in junk parts. Likely good that I'm going to have to replace it now anyway. Now I just have to figure out where to get a quality replacement.

 

Would really like to see some good photos of this aftermath.I have a hard time imagine the length of the long bolts you used to pull the gearbox to the engine.

 

Tthe bolts are 3.5 inches long, and will likely use them again, but only for alignment and not to put any pressure on. It's hard to see in the picture but the center peice is no longer in the center, nor straight and I can see marks where the shaft pushed on the edge of it.

The two black pieces above the center hole are what fell out when I took the clutch out. I thought they where part of the rivets as one seemed to be in the river hole while the other was in the bottom of the pressure plate, but I think now that's not correct, I think they may have come out of the inside of the clutch plate when the center got pushed off, but I'm not sure.

 

A photo is worth a thousand words, and I cannot get why so few bother to post especially when they cannot articulate the issues and challenges they are confronted.

Yes, you surely broke the heavy crimp of the spline spur on the friction plate because of the misalignment which can be the casting to engine, and/or the gearbox input shaft to the friction plate. It takes a great amount of force to do that.

The other finer points are you clutch disc has quite a bit of life left. It is clearly a Valeo which is OEM although the photo failed to show but with the p/n here is the photo of one.




With that much force on the friction plate, I have no doubt it is bent and some lining segments are broken must be what you are referring to.

 

One thing I did, regarding the alignment bolts, I cut the head off the bolt and then cut a slot in the end to use a flat head screwdriver on them. That way I can thread the bolts into the motor, then lift the trans up and set it on the bolts. Last time I did this was when I put the 6 speed in my R50 and I think I monkeyed with seating the transmission for about 15 minutes before it slid home. I seated 3 or 4 of the regular transmission bolts and then backed my alignment bolts out and finished bolting the trans to the motor.

 

Well, I got the new clutch installed and the transmission too! All back together and running well. I think I figured out what cause the clutch issue in the first place. When I was removing the transmission it tipped down hard before coming completely free, it was likely still engaged with the clutch, forcing it up a little bit out of place, hence our in-ability to get it to line up with lead to me being to aggressive and breaking it. This time I got it up into place, put in three long bolts just to guide it and insure the transmission was not twisted one way or the other, then pushed it on by hand. A little push, turned the flywheel a tab, pushed again and it when right on! Lesson learned, align the clutch before re-installing the transmission. First time I've dealt with a manual transmission install, but now I know for next time!

Thanks all for your input and ideas.