I spent yesterday and today stripping down her Mini to replace the timing chain, guides and stem seals.. I'm not finished yet, because I hit some snags. Yesterday was mostly just time - I've never stripped one down this far and spent a good couple of hours trying to liberate the main boost pipe from the rubber hoses (poor access and age & heat having welded them together). Today I had to run to Halfords to pick up a mirror on a stick (can't find mine!) to get the silly flywheel locking pin in (having knocked 10-thou off it in the lathe so that it was actually the right size..)
And now, because the chain wouldn't come out past the VANOS pulley on the exhaust, I had to take the pulley off .. the bolts are one-time-use (stretch bolts - 20Nm and 180deg) so I need a replacement from MINI. So I guess Lou will be driving the Range Rover to work tomorrow!
The chain was a half mm from coming off, casting flash in the way .. I bet 50% of cars it'll sneak past, 50% it won't..