V-SMART June 2018

Valeo Clutch PN: 826234 Vehicle: Mini Cooper 1.6i R50/R53 models 2001>2004 G55-65BH (5 Speed transmission)

Right: The drain plug from the gearbox is saturated in metallic filings

transmission fluid is kept at the proper level, otherwise it will result in the transmission wearing significantly. If the transmission oil is low, the wear on the synchro rings and sliders will accelerate significantly as they require a slick surface in order to match speeds when shifting, thus saturating the oil with more debris. A Mini clutch change takes 5.5 hours. In my experience changing the transmission is a 10 minute job that may stop you having Big problems with a Mini.

do not get stuck between the gear synchros. However, when the magnetic drain plug is completely saturated in metal filings and can no longer magnetically attract anymore, the metal filings are free to float around inside the gearbox oil. An accumulation of these filings in a gear synchro can seriously affect its performance. If a gear synchro is not free to turn as required, then gear changes will be affected.

The manual transmission fluid/ gearbox oil should be changed at regular intervals. Even though Mini call it “lifetime” fluid there is no filtration system in the manual transmission, only the magnetic drain plugs to capture debris. I recommend that the transmission oil be changed every time the clutch is changed and the magnetic draining plugs cleaned of all debris before it circulates causing potential damage to the gearbox bearings and syncrhos. It is also equally important to ensure that

Best Practice for Best Results

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