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2007 Mini Cooper ‘S’ engine overhaul

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OH… oh my.. this is not what we want to be doing. I guess the odds might eventually catch up. I never buy new cars, ever; just don’t have any interest in taking that hard of a depreciation hit. So… used it always is…. and generally well used. So, we’ve bought.. 20+ used cars over the years and this is the first to suffer a major failure (in this case, engine has eaten itself).

Article Sections

  • The Engine Damage
  • Replacement Short Blocks

    • The Engine Damage

    As you can see.. it’s in pretty bad shape. Cylinder #4 was down 50% on compression, starting to throw warning lights…. but.. honestly.. they car gave no external indication anything was wrong. Ran very strong, sounded fine… but internally is was in seriously bad shape:
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    So now.. what are our options? We did have an aftermarket warranty that covered up to $3000 for powertrain. This is going to cost A LOT more than that… but I’m trying to minimize the financial damage. So.. some research is in order to try to figure out what we’re going to do.

    Replacement Short Blocks

    I did find 1 replacement short blocks on the interwebs:

    Source Price Notes
    MiniMania $2925.00 Factory replacement Engine Block with Crank Gear for the N14B16A engine in the Turbocharged Cooper S.

    Mini Mania returned my e-mail this morning with the following information.. so.. this is sounding more and more like what we are considering doing, provided the cylinder head is not junked out:

    Thank you for your interest with Mini Mania and our products.

    Sorry to hear of your situation with your 2007 Mini Cooper S and I will try to answer your questions accurately as possible.

    The replacement engine short block that we offer are units from MINI and includes everything ‘below’ the cylinder head and ‘above’ the oil pan.

    Basically, it is the block with the crank and pistons installed. It does not include anything that gets attached to the exterior of the block.

    Replacement pistons are available individually from MINI, but only at standard bore. Depending on the condition and mileage of the block, it may be advisable to replace all 4, especially if you plan to keep the car for a while. There are some oversized pistons available from CP Pistons, but only in sets of 4. Mahle offers replacement pistons but only in standard bore.

    Main bearings and rod bearings are also available, but the prices will add up quickly if you replace all of them.

    If your budget allows, the short block is probably the best way to go as a ‘simpler’ solution and perhaps for longevity.

    I hope this helps.

    Best regards,
    —-

    More to come….