96 Rover Mini Cooper Strange Thump Sound

[Snoop]

Hello, I have started to notice that when driving my Mini around town at 50-60 kph in 4th gear at a constant speed that every time you so lightly touch the accelerator there is a "thump or clunk" type sound from the engine which gives you the impression there is excessive engine movement or maybe the clutch (which is new) is slipping. Hard to put it is words really but it doesn't seem right. The Mini just past its Warrant of Fitness so the engine mounts were checked out without any problem

I have not had the Cooper that long so I'm not sure if this is Rover Mini Cooper thing or this symptom suggests a specific problem to be checked out. I would be keen to hear any ideas on where to start checking this out further, cheers

[Peter Laidler]

Knackered top and bottom engine steady bushes. Not engine mountings. You won't be able to check that they're knackered without a long length if wood to lever the engine back and forth. But that's what it is, without any doubt
Are you a KIWI Snoop? Where?

[AndyPen]

Yep - though if you are very lucky it could simply be a case of tightening these up.

[Snoop]

Thanks for your comments guys which is much appreciated. Not sure where to look to find them so will have to research some engine parts drawings. Are the bushes easy to get to? Cheers (I'm located in Christchurch, NZ which I have just added to my profile)

[AndyPen]

They are easy to get here (but no idea there sorry)... and I just found this that might help?

https://www.theminiforum.co.uk/forums/t ... dy-bushes/

[Snoop]

Great, thanks for the info

[robanzac]

I have been buying bits & pieces for the last 18 years from Minibitz in Auckland
http://www.minibitz.co.nz/contact
Lee Norman is the man to email or talk to. Knowledgeable and helpful and very quick to respond.
If he has what you want you will get it mostly overnight, and if he hasn't got it he can usually get it.

[robanzac]

Further to my previous post - here is the list of engine stabiliser bush parts I bought to re-do my 97 MPi a couple of months ago
This will do the top engine stabiliser & the lower gearbox stabiliser
(part numbers are from MinisparesUK)
1 off C-STR630 STABILISER BUSH POLYURETHANE ENGINE KIT https://www.minispares.com/product/Clas ... 30%20.aspx
4 off CRC5329POLY STABILISER BUSH FOR ENGINE- POLY BUSH SINGLE https://www.minispares.com/product/Clas ... 9POLY.aspx
2 off 31G1085 SLEEVE FOR LOWER ENGINE STEADY ROD https://www.minispares.com/product/Clas ... G1085.aspx

Minibitz in Auckland will probably have these in stock

[minibitz]

Thanks for the recommendation Rob.

We most certainly do have all mounts, bushes etc on the shelf.

[Snoop]

Cool, thanks for the info on the parts etc

There is the upper and lower stabiliser on my Cooper, therefore I assume I would need a total of 4 new sleeves 31G1085 and 2 poly bush kits C-SRR630 or are the poly bushes and sleeves a different size for the top and the bottom stabiliser?

[robanzac]

Nearly but not quite
the 32G1085 sleeves are for the lower arm only, and are different (probably length) than the top ones.
The poly bushes are all the same - top and bottom

So you need for the total job
- 8 poly bushes
- 2 top sleeves
- 2 bottom sleeves

C-STR630 -is a top kit which has 4 bushes and 2 sleeves
then the additional items for the bottom are (there isn't a kit listed for that, well not that I could find)
4 x CRC5329POLY (individual poly bushes)
2 x 31G1085 (individual bottom sleeves)

[jayare]

AFAIK The sleeves should be the same length but the lower ones have a larger bore through them as the bolts for the lower steadies are 3/8" and the top ones are 5/16"

JR

[Snoop]

Great, thanks for clarifying all of this, much appreciated.

Just a quick question, are the newer style poly bushes better than the original rubber bushes?

[Peter Laidler]

Whether that are BETTER or not is a bit subjective. But from my experience, having had to replace about 4 sets so far in my bought-new 2000 RC Sport with 15,000 miles on the clock, the poly ones are noticeably harder and feel harsher as opposed to the far more pliable rubber bushes of old

[Fanfaniracing]

I use the Superflex bushes since about 2007 on my cars and never had an issue with them
https://www.superflex.co.uk/proddetail. ... 431-0213BK

I also use the whole superflex range on the suspension with great success