Hello, bought an r56 months ago for cheap. Doing timing chain, head gasket, valve seals and carbon clean up.

This is my second biggest car project other than a clutch job on a jeep. I’m a beginner who bought the necessary tools.


I installed the timing tool with a kit from Amazon, locking pin and peices over camshafts. I Follow mod mini’s, mini specialist, and more on YouTube to educate myself before this project. I just got the timing chain fully removed, crank bolt has already been removed, as well as water tensioner, vacuum pump, and intake and exhaust timing sprockets. All going well and next im thinking about removing the head bolts, as soon as I took off the timing tool on top of the camshafts that screw into the valve cover holes it moves and I can push it back and forth, but only between 2 spots it jumps. It certainly feels like I’m fighting the rocker springs. Idk why I’m fighting it since in everything I’ve seen, including my Hanes manual the camshafts don’t move once the tool on top to lock them is removed plus the entire timing chain itself with sprockets and vacuum.

Is my locking pin in the trans not set correctly??

Does it matter since I am going to dissemble the entire head? Rockers and valvetronic springs since I will be doing valve seals and lapping the valves.

Ive don’t quite a bit of reading on multiple forums but I have found a situation like mine where the exhaust cam moves out of timing positioning after timing tool holder on top that secures it is taken off.

I attached a picture of where the exhaust cam is now in relation to the intake after I’ve removed the timing tool and you can see the writing on the cams.

also picture of my flywheel locking tool in place

, I have a manual and to my understanding the automatic pins go in further than the manuals.

EDIT: Added a video with the picture to show how it clicks back and forth from 2 positions feeling like I’m fighting the rocker springs underneath. But it should be in correct timing?

UPDATE: in the video I am fighting the springs. When my exhaust cams’ label is face up and locked into the cam lock tool, my 4th cylinder lobe is striking on the spring. I don’t think that’s supposed to happen when it’s supposedly in its set timing posting.

In the Hanes manual is describes where the 1st cylinder lobe should be pointed and mine is completely 180 degrees on opposite. It’s supposed to point down and inwards the engine but mine is pointed up and pointing outwards.

im not sure what to think about this recent find of mine, makes me feel like my exhaust cam lobes are different but idk how that could be. I was able to fit the timing tool and the engine turned where both labels were face up and in its perfect timing position before I removed the crank bolt and chain to eventually get to taking off the head. What am I missing here.

All advice is helpful.

 

Should I keep going with removing the head and cleaning it up? I really want to see the pistons.

Don’t know if I’m able to set pistons in timing once head is off?

doesn’t sound like bent valves

EDIT: if it is my locking tool in the flywheel, how would I turn the crank to correct position with crank bolt already removed? Don’t think installing the old bolt to move it would be best since that’s a stretch bolt. I also don’t think it’s good to use my new one

UPDATE: I stuck pens down each spark plug hole to see where the pistons r at and they r all level. I even move the exhaust cam from the positions shown in the video and no change to the pens height/piston height. Plus no sounds of valves bending. Pistons look to be align meaning the locking tool is in place correctly?

picture is added to show pens inside holes

 

Decided to remove head and will be doing cams and set timing correctly when Im assured my block and pistons are ready for it.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...eable-n18.html

Link to my new thread on if my block and pistons are salvageable for use in this car^^^

thanks!

 

I am in the middle of doing head work on my 2010 S automatic.

When the crank is in the correct position all pistons will be halfway in their bores. Engine is at 90 degrees.
If the locking pin is fully engaged you shouldn't be able to turn the crank.

I had to use an inspection mirror to watch for the hole as I turned the crank.
Then I used a large screwdriver in the teeth of the flywheel to wiggle the crank back and forth to get the locking tool to engage completely.
On my auto the handle of the locking pin was against the bell housing was once it was fully in.

Takes some patience.

Hope this helps some .......

 

@SebR56 Did you ever figure this out? I'm having the exact same issue with mine at the moment.

 

yes, it’s supposed to jump a little bit.

I currently still have my pistons out for rings, hone, and rod bearings. I will be finishing that by the end of the weekend.

timing should be simple again after that if my crank and oil pump sprocket are in right position.

got my cyl head resurfaced on block mating side and I got my valve seats grinded down with new seals. Threw my cyl head components into the parts washer and had machine shop assemble my head only to get the springs on with keepers. I will install cams and do timing.

if you have the timing tool and cam won’t lock into it, try turning it a little more to get it to seat right. For me it was the exhaust came that wasn’t in right position when intake cam lobe was facing in correct position.

 

I'm particularly interested in the part where your exhaust cam lobes are 180 degrees out from where they should be. With the cam/crank locking tools in, and the stamps visible on top of the camshafts, my exhaust cam 1sr cylinder lobes are 180 degrees out, and my intake cam 1st cylinder lobes are about 45 degrees out. I was initially hopeful that the cam/timing adjustment procedure in the Bentley manual would fix it, but I didn't see how it would adjust that much. So I went searching the interwebs, and apparently the N18 cam shafts have pressed on lobes, which can slip under the right circumstances (like the timing chain slipping one/more teeth. It's not not common, but it's does happen. I'm concerned this is what I'm dealing with, which requires new camshafts. I've ordered some new ones to compare with the current ones, so we'll see. Luckily, I had the head off already to do the head gasket and was able to inspect the valves/pistons/cylinders, and found no evidence of contact. I dunno how that happened if the timing chain truly slipped teeth, but I'm not complaining.

This is the reddit thread that clued me into it (although its not a MINI engine)... https://www.reddit.com/r/Justrolledi...t=share_button
Apparently some cams are designed to slip lobes on a timing issue to sacrifice the cam in favor of saving the valves/pistons.

 

I was not aware the camshafts have pressed fit lobes.

i also have no clear evidence with my valves hitting anything or bending. My timing cam intake and exhaust sprockets look to be normal condition.

do all camshafts for this car have the exact same positioning for the lobes? If so send pictures of yours with printed wording up and we can see if the lobes are pointed at different degrees.

i checked my cams only comparing to the positioning from the Hanes and they looked similar but I didint look at every lobe as if they could have spun pointing a new direction.

Add some info of your car before you started to dig into the engine. Was it running? Low power? Smoke or fuel out exhaust?




pictured on left is intake cam. You can see both labels faced up when u zoom

 

- I can't say for certain if all camshafts for the n18 should have the exact same lobe positioning, but the Bentley manual makes no mention (that I can find) of any factory variations, and it only gives one reference picture (per shaft) to check against for proper camshaft alignment. Those pics are below.


Proper Exhaust Cam Alignment from Bentley Manual

Proper Intake Cam Alignment from Bentley Manual

- I bought my car about 2 months ago, and other than the engine seeming noisy (rattling), it ran fine (no power issues, knocking, or codes). About a month ago we noticed white smoke out of the exhaust, which prompted me to have it checked. Between the shop's testing and my online research, I decided it was either the stem seals or the head gasket was leaking. So I decided to do both since I had to take everything apart anyway.

Here's some pics. First one was right after I first took the valve cover off, and before put the cam/crank locking tools in, but you can clearly see the stamps and the #1 cylinder lobe positions (which match the orientation of yours in your pic, but don't match what the Bentley manual states they should be).

Before any disassembly.

The pics below are all now, after I've done the stem seals and head gasket. Cam and crank locking tools in, but timing chain not tensioned properly, nor are the cam sprockets torqued down.


Cams locked, lobes in same position as before disassembly, but not matching Bentley manual

Exhaust Cam locked, lobes in same position as before disassembly, but not matching Bentley manual

Intake Cam locked, lobes in same position as before disassembly, but not matching Bentley manual

 

One thing I just noticed, though, was that the Bentley manual images are not an N18 engine, although the manual claims the pics/procedure apply to all R56 engines (N12, N14, N16, N18) unless they specifically state otherwise (which this part doesn't do). I've been scouring the interwebs trying to find good photos of other N18 cams installed and locked, while showing the #1 cylinder lobes, but I'm not really finding anything that confirms whether mine are normal or not. What is telling though, I think, is that I'm not finding any reports of this issue anywhere, which seems odd. If our cams really slipped lobes, you'd think we'd find other reported issues, especially with the number of folks that DIY timing chain replacements, but I dunno.

I just don't wanna put this back together, fire it up, and grenade the valves/pistons. I guess if the test rotations after reassembly show no issues, then it shouldn't have issues when running.

 

i really have a hard time believing either of our cams have spun the lobes around. That rarely happens and when it does your car forsure wouldn’t be running and be noticeably destroyed with bent valves. Your car had no codes and you’re thinking you might need a new camshaft? Very hard for me to reach to that conclusion after the evidence I’ve seen.

have you ruled out and diagnosed the smoke from your exhaust by things maybe much simpler? Air/fuel, any sensors, carbon, leak down test? If all the reason you took off the cylinder head for was just more than average amount of smoke out the exhaust without checking the basics first you should be good to put it back on with replacing as many seals as you can and setting the timing. Hold the camshafts into the correct place of your tool then lock them In with caps. Especially if your whole timing assembly doesnt have any evidence of damage. But if it were me I’d replaced timing assembly entirely. Especially if high mileage, timing has not been done before you bought it or reasonable amount of miles since timing has been done(Can’t forget TTY bolts). Mini engines rattle a bit by design. I hope you had a mini specialist or someone who understands a bit more about the N family of mini and BMW engines (n55,n18, etc). What tests did the shop do to make you think you need to pull the head? Need mileage info and any details of previous repairs if you have it.

my car was running, just low on power with smoke out exhaust especially on cold start and long crank when the fuel pump wasn’t primed. I certainly should have diagnosed my car better in the beginning before thinking about the engine internals integrity. But I also wanted my engine to be as refreshed as possible. Sometimes the internet (or even shops) can scare you into thinking there’s a bigger problem than there is. The basics need to be completely 100% before I would tap into the internals and going deeper into an engine if time/energy/money is limited.

 

“So I decided to do both since I had to take everything apart anyway”

what was your reasoning behind taking the head off in the first place if head gasket and stem seals weren’t the original goal?

did you measure your blocks surface to make sure it’s within tolerance when it was off? It is possible to warp your block upon removal but, low chances. Still something to think about depending how deep in the rabbit hole you’re gonna go. Your already deep in there with the head off with seemingly little certainty it was necessary.

 

I agree with that, plus I've haven't found a single report of this happening in Minis. Which is very telling, considering how often these engines have DIY work done (especially timing chains).

Umm, no. Not sure how you arrived at this summary. My camshaft lobes are not oriented the way that the manufacturer's procedure for setting/adjusting/checking timing says they should be. That's why I was thinking I might need a new camshaft. At this point, I'm confident that the procedure is just lacking sufficient detail/distinction for the N18 engine.

​​​​​​​
The valve stem seals and head gasket were the original goal. No uncertainty about it. The shop ran codes (found nothing related) and did compression/leak down testing. The test results, together with the exhaust smoke, super dirty coolant in the reservoir, and my online research of root causes for similar symptoms indicated the culprit being either valve stem seals, or head gasket, or both. Plus it's at ~85k miles and no record of any internal engine maintenance (and no idea how well it was maintained before me), which supports the likelihood of these issues. Turns out I was right, the valve stem seals were hard as a rock, and the head gasket show early signs of failure. I also replaced the timing chain, crossover pipe, worn out coolant hoses, a bunch of rusted fasteners, replaced every gasket, seal, or o-ring I could find as I went, cleaned fuel injectors, walnut blasted the intake valves and exhaust manifold.

​​​​​​​

Yep. I scraped, cleaned, flat sanded, and measured everything before putting it back together.

​​​​​​​

This isn't my first rodeo. And in fact, it was the official manufacturer's repair literature that made me question the cam lobe orientation. The internet (you included) actually eased my concerns, rather than worsening them.

I'm in the process of re-assembling everything now. I've got a few days off this week and next, so will hopefully have it running late next week. If you're interested, I'll let you know how it goes.