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MINI Short Shifter DIY
I finally got around to installing the B&M Short Shifter kit I bought last year. I like this kit because it reduces both the throw and length of the shifter. It is almost 2 inches shorter than the stock one. The install is pretty straight forward, though somewhat time consuming. Instructions.
A couple of the steps are somewhat problematic, at least from my experience. I would probably be a lot easier to do if you had the car on a lift, but you can do it on your back if you have to. Make it easy on yourself, and drop the exhaust. I tried to work around it and had no leverage. If you do drop the exhaust, make sure you have a spare gasket for when you put it back together.
The next problem I had was in prying the shift linkage off the bottom of the lever. The instructions say to just pull it off, but even hanging from the darn thing, I couldn’t get it to budge. I finally managed to clamp on some vice-grips and use that to pry against and got it off. The bushing is also a bear to get out so be patient.
Once installed, I snapped the OEM knob back on and was all set. It is a bit tight, but the action is good and precise. I also like the shorter height.
Making it Blow Again
A common fault with older E30s is that the heater blower often only works on the highest setting. You should be happy that it works at all because it is much easier to repair/replace the resistor that controls the speed, than it is to replace the entire blower. This project isn’t very complicated. Give yourself about an hour to complete it. As usual, these instructions are provided for your entertainment only. Use at your own risk: No wagering.
You’ll need some electrical contact cleaner, 6mm and 9mm sockets, phillips screwdriver, and a varied assortment of socket extensions for this project. You may need to also replace some zip ties as well. If you’re an optimist, you can hope all you’ll need is to clean the resistor once you get to it. If you’re a pessimist, go ahead and buy the resistor before you start. You can get it at your BMW parts counter or from Bavarian Autosport.
First off, double check that your blower still works on the highest setting, then disconnect the battery.
The panel you’ll need to remove first is at the back of the engine compartment. Remove the gasket that runs along the top. You’ll have to remove 4 bolts to free up the panel. The top two are easily visible, but the lower two are hard to get to. If you have a strut bar like I do, you’ll want to remove the wire bundle that is attached to this panel so you have some room to maneuver. That involves removing two screws and possibly removing some zip ties.
Once the first panel is removed, you’ll see the blower in the middle. There are two white straps holding on the blower cover. You’ll need to carefully open these and remove the panel by sliding it down and pulling it out. Be careful not to break the cover or the tie straps. Now you’ll see the exposed blower.
At the bottom of the blower, in the middle is the resistor module. Yours will probably be brown and quite dirty. In the photo you see the new light blue replacement. Remove the module by gently pulling it from the arms that extend down. Pull directly toward you. With the module removed, clean the electrical contacts on the blower. Be careful not to drip contact cleaner down into the heater. (At this point, if you were to reconnect the power, your blower would still work on the highest setting. If you want to test that, be careful not to damage the exposed fins of the blower. Remember to disconnect the power when you are done.)
You can either attempt to clean and replace your existing module, or simply plug in the new one. I tried to clean mine first, but ended up buying a new one when that didn’t work. Make sure the model is seated and reconnect the power. Then test if it works.
Reverse your steps by first replacing the blower cover and reconnecting the tie straps. Be careful working the top of the cover in first, then slide down into place.
Replace the outer cover and put the gasket back in place. Replace your wire bundle if you moved it and replace any zip ties you cut.
Enjoy multi-speed ventilation again.
MINI Rear Lower Camber Arms DIY
Notwithstanding the six inches of snow and ice in my backyard, it’s almost track season again. My first test & tune autocross is less than two weeks away and on March 17th I head off to the main circuit at Summit Point for the first HPDE of the year. My current project is to improve the suspension of the MINI. My goals are to fine tune the front end grip by installing adjustable camber plates in the front; install some firmer springs that will lower the car just a little; and install adjustable lower control arms to keep the rear camber in check. I don’t think I’ll get to the plates and springs before my next track event, but here’s how to install the control arms. This information is posted for entertainment purposes only — no wagering. Attempt at your own risk.
In this post, I’m installing Hotchkis Sport adjustable camber arms on a 2004 Cooper S. They are quite a bit beefier than the stock arms and the design is quiet (unlike heim-joint arms). The 2002-2004 cars did not have any rear camber adjustment built into the rear wheel carrier. On the 2005-2006 models there was a limited amount of adjustability, but not enough to compensate for lowering springs. If you install performance lowering springs, it’s critical to use camber arms to correct camber or you will wear the inside edge of your tires and possibly rub the inside wheel well. The instructions below came from Hotchkis Performance, with my two cents thrown in as well.
Tools Required:
- 18mm wrench
- 18mm socket
- one inch extension
- 1 1/8 inch wrench
Raise the rear end of your MINI and place it on Jackstands. Be sure to work on a level surface and only use the official jack points.
With the vehicle slightly off the ground, you can start on either side of the car. You do not need to remove the road wheel. Start by removing the lower link. Use the 18mm wrench to remove the outside bolt. [Spray it with WD-40 first. On my car one side was quite corroded.] As you start to remove the bolt, the wheel will want to come in as the hub is only supported from the upper control arm at this point. You may need to use a jack to push up on the end of the lower control arm to relieve the pressure to remove the bolt.
Use the 18mm wrench with 18mm socket to remove the inside bolt. Depending on the length of your socket, you may need to use the extension. There isn’t a lot of room to get your socket and driver in between the sub-frame and foot-well. I had to use my breaker bar since it had a lower profile than my driver. You may have to push back the aluminum insulation to free the inside bolt. Once the inside bolt is removed, the arm will drop free.
Remove the control arm and place it on a flat surface. Place one of the new control arms over it and line up the sleeves at one end. Adjust the new control arm so it is the same length as the stock arm. Use the 1 1/8 inch wrench to tighten the jamb nuts. Use the supplied grease pack to grease the exposed bushing surface on each arm before installation.
Install the H-sport arm with the longer section mounted to the inboard side and the short section at the outboard side. Slide the arm into the inboard mount first before the outboard side. Make sure the grease fittings are pointed down. If you car is off the ground, you will need to push out on the bottom of the tire from under the car to have enough room to push the bottom of the arm in place.
Secure all hardware and repeat the process for the opposite side. The Bentley manual lists the torque on the control arms as 74 ft. lbs.
Expected time is 1 hour. My time: more than that. [More like 2 hours for the first side and 30 minutes for the second side.]
BMW Convertible Interior
The carpet replacement project proved a bit more complicated than I had anticipated. Once I got the seats out and pulled out the various console pieces, I pulled up the old carpet and found that the rear passenger-side footwell had started to rust.
Thank goodness for POR and fiberglass repair kits.
I was also amazed at the amout of junk under the consoles. I think the car was parked outside with the top up for quite a while at some point.
Before:
After:
BMW Convertible Headliner
It has been a while since I’ve posted about progress being made to the BMW. I finally managed to repaint the right rear bumper cover that I repaired some weeks ago. (I still think the guy who did my MD state inspection scraped the right side of the car against a wall…) I managed to repair the broken plastic, smooth out the damage, prime, repaint and clearcoat. Now it’s probably the best painted piece of the car. I’ll try to get a photo of it soon.
In the process of making the repairs, I discovered two great products. The first is a special type of paint for chip repairs called Dr. Color Chip. It really works as advertised at repairing paint chips without blobs unlike most touch-up kits. It also works over large areas to restore some shine to tired and abused painted surfaces like the leading edge of your hood. The other product is the touch-up kit from Paintworld. I ordered the kit to repaint the bumper cover. I was able to apply two coats of primer, two coats of paint, and three coats of clearcoat in the span of a single afternoon. I’m almost tempted to repaint the hood with this stuff. Almost.
Today I put a new headliner (with some skillful sewing help from my lovely wife) in the hardop. It’s getting cold enough around here to want to switch to the hardtop, and I though it would be nice to not have bare fiberglass over our heads. The hardtop was a freebie that was thrown in with the purchase of the car, mostly because the guy who sold the car couldn’t think of how to get rid of it. It was covered in mildew and had a nasty smell. I ripped out the old headliner (what was left of it) and bleached out the mildew.
I found a website called Stockinteriors selling headliner material and decided to give it a try. Normally, modern headliners fit over some sort of board that then attaches to the car. This one would have to be applied directly to the roof so there wasn’t much room for error. We made a paper pattern, then a cloth mock-up and finally the real thing. It took some adjustment to fit, but it looks pretty good. I also bought some new carpet from Stockinteriors and will try to fit it in the coming days.
