The Independent American Magazine for all Mini Owners
Issue link: http://mc2.epubxp.com/i/33536
plunger/valve so during start-up the chain has the most slack. If you actually have a chain that is stretched, great damage could occur to the valvetrain and engine as the chain could jump the timing. A best bet is to put it on record with the dealer so you are covered during warranty. Extended Oil Intervals Having written for car magazines on synthetic oils back in the middle ‘80s, I will remain a staunch supporter of “synoil” as the industry calls it. Essentially oil doesn’t wear out, but the ingredient package added to meet engineering needs does. Oil suspends debris from combustion and the oil filter removes that debris in the form of particles, some smaller than one micron, some 10-15 microns in size. Some brands of oil filters cannot remove particles below five microns. The cheap filters plug up with extended usage and then go into bypass mode so that no oil is filtered. Either way, your engine suffers, so pay for a high-quality oil filter. It’s dirt-cheap insurance! Our Clubman’s first oil/filter change was at about 11,000 miles. With the factory fill (it’s actually Castrol brand) of 5W-30, we did another 12,000 miles, which included a roundtrip Seattle-Denver, and then the usual local trips and visits to the grocery store, before we contacted Ryan Stark at Blackstone Labs (www.blackstone-labs.com). The on-board system says we could reach 30,000 miles before we need service. (Not for my MINI!) Truth be known, there’s a fight going on between the factory and the dealers about the mileage between oil/filter changes. The dealers want it back to the days of less than 10,000 miles, with three services in your 3/36 Maintenance Policy. It goes without saying the factory’s fighting that. Many private shops we spoke with are changing oil/filter at 5,000- 10,000 miles, or at least every year. You won’t find a staff member of MC2 magazine disagreeing with that idea! As for our oil analysis results from Blackstone Labs, we’re relieved that our engine oil is still in good condition. The SUS viscosity (Stable Universal Seconds) measurement used in the US (as compared to the Centistokes, a European measurement) is nothing out of line. Better yet, the flashpoint is excellent as engines rarely see a sump temperature of that degree, but the turbo area and cylinder/valve areas obviously operate a several hundred degrees hotter. Another great measurement is the insolubles percentage as that says the oil filter’s still working just fine. Insolubles are simply the engine crud, everything from carbon deposits, to dirt particles. The TBN (Total Base Number) is the number used for the additive package measurement. It’s well within the allowable, Blackstone stating that we still have some of the additives that combat sludge, friction, heat, etc., dissolved in the oil’s body. Overall, we’re happy with the report. One detail we did get from our sources is that the Castrol BMW/MINI uses may not actually be the same Castrol Syntec brand as the auto parts shelf stock. It seems the BMW/MINI oil may have a little more additive package in it to meet the European wear standards. Posh Mats and Bike Racks Having used the Weathertech mats during the wet months to save our factory mats, we recently made a great find in Posh Pile mats. With a spiked rubber backing, generous nylon heel pad, very nice sewn edges and stain treatment, these mats are now available from their importer in Georgia, and through retailers like Mini Mania. They retail at $89.95 with delivery, and are much nicer than the factory mats. With events to attend, and swag to take to such, we had to install our Thule cargo rack. Parts used are #2918 Fit Kit, 400XT Aero Foot kit, #871XT Fairing, two load bars, #588 locks and two Echelon fork mounts. And what better to carry in those mounts than a genuine Cooper Bike from Cooper Bikes USA? So far there are two MINI dealers in the US distributing these incredibly built bicycles. On the East Coast, the Cooper Bikes dealer is Prestige MINI (www.prestigemini.com) in New Jersey. For the West Coast the distributor is Seattle MINI (www.seattlemini.com); so choose the closest dealer to save a few buck on shipping costs. After 24,000 miles our factory driver’s mat is curled and a little worn. The Posh Pile mats have sewn edges, spiked rubber backing and large heel pad for many miles of motoring. :KHQ ZH GUDLQHG WKH RLO IRU DQ RLO ÀOWHU FKDQJH ZH FROOHFWHG VRPH WR send to Blackstone Labs for a complete oil analysis to monitor wear. ,QVLGH D ÀEHUJODVV KRXVLQJ LV WKH RLO ÀOWHU ,W LV DFFHVVHG YLD WKH KH[DJRQ shaped nut shown in the center of this image. Along with the Thule rack, we added the aero fairing and four feet. The WZR IRUN PRXQW ELNH NLWV ZLOO EH DGGHG ODWHU SRVVLEO\ ZLWK WZR QHZ Cooper Bikes from Mini of Seattle. Issue 32 MC2 Magazine 43