3rd gear was my old favorite thing.
3rd gear is also my new favorite thing.
— db (@dbwilldo) April 26, 2014
Transmission installation completed today. I’ve been able to drive her around the block and up on the highway. First impressions are very good! 3rd, 4th and 5th are very good. Initial MPG estimates in 6th at 70MPH are around 33 (and increase of about 5MPG) and overall drivability is great! Did I mention I really like 3rd gear. A lot?
It is going to take some getting used to. The clutch is different. The feel is the same, but it grabs earlier than I am used to. As you know, the gates in the 6 speed are well notched. In the Midlands, not so much. Normally shifting is good, down shifting is going to be the bigger challenge. Nothing that a little practice won’t cure.
I have a punch in the nuts to the next person to remind me about reverse.
And, I think I might have lost a little in first gear. Maybe. It could be the new clutch that I have to get used to, but I might have lost a little off the line. Time will tell.
Oh, and finally, had the oil pan gasket replaced. The oil pan was so dirty that Jerry almost made me buy a new new one! The last thing, mechanically, that needs to get done is the power steering hoses. Soon. Very soon.
Road trip in my near future. And a track day! Watch out!
A 6-Speed would be very cool for my Cooper, except for the paying for it part..
Yea, this was not cheap, and Jerry worked some great deals for me. Also, the transmission is not new. Going that route saved the most. And using a few after market, not OEM, parts.
Thanks for stopping by Steve!
The clutch will grab earlier than the old one because it’s new. It should settle in a little bit pretty quickly, and I doubt it will take long to get used to it.
I know it’s because it’s new, but with the last clutch I had in my MINI with the Midlands, it grabbed a little later. This clutch is grabbing as soon as the pedal starts coming up. And I am getting used to it!
I may be needing to have my garage replace the transmission on my ’05 MINI Cooper (not S). I know it’s not a fast or cheap job so I’ll probably also have them fix or replace the gear shift as well (it’s getting hard to shift the low gears). I’ve been debating changing out the 5-speed for a 6-speed and somebody from our local MINI group pointed me here. I’d be interested to know what parts were hard to find, what the difficult parts for assembly were, etc.
My mechanic did the work. The only thing that is different from an installation standpoint is the starter. You will need to use one from an S. This was a fantastic upgrade for me and I highly recommend it!