Camshaft & Engine wear

[Durabang]

I'm looking for a bit of expert engine advice - we are looking to buy a 2017 Mini Cooper S with the 2.0L Turbo 192 BHP (BMW B48 Engine) and have seen one with the spec and colour combo that we like, its got 47,000 mile on the clock and we got some service history via an OBD reader and its seen mixed servicing but generally every 9,000 miles but there is one gap between services of 14,000 miles in the current information, but the service intervals suggest max 17,000 miles ?.

We have a slight concern on the cam wear as pictures 1 & 2 below that were taken through the oil filler cap, and the line in the middle of the lobes, picture 3 is from another vehicle at the same garage but this only had 27,000 miles on it so not a direct comparison.

Thoughts from any engine experts very much welcome

TIA

Glen

The Car we are viewing





Picture from Alternative car with 27,000 miles

[GeniusOfLove]

Very common on R56 Minis, I was quite shocked the first time I saw one but I must have owned at least half a dozen with very visible camshaft wear. A lot of them go through a great deal of oil, so I've wondered if (given the ownership profile too) it's because they've almost all been run when low on oil at some point, or if they're just given to premature cosmetic wear.

Interesting to see it on an F56 too. It never bothered me on the R56s because they were cheap but with those miles and at that age I imagine you're putting some actual money on the table, so I would indeed be put off by that.

That said, from my ownership of R56 and F56 Minis cam wear is likely to be the very least of your worries

Have a very good look for oil leaks too, especially the camshaft cover gasket. Nothing is a small job on these because access is so bad, and they seem to use chewing gum for oil seals like everything else BMW make.

Edited by GeniusOfLove on Tuesday 11th February 13:32

[GreenV8S]

That looks similar to the sort of wear pattern you'd expect from roller followers - but I don't know whether that engine uses rollers.

[Maxdecel]

GeniusOfLove said:

That said, from my ownership of R56 and F56 Minis cam wear is likely to be the very least of your worries

Have a very good look for oil leaks too, especially the camshaft cover gasket. Nothing is a small job on these because access is so bad, and they seem to use chewing gum for oil seals like everything else BMW make.

Edited by GeniusOfLove on Tuesday 11th February 13:32

Looks like the case hardening has/is failing certainly an unusual wear pattern as shown by the comparison pic.
OP Was there any noise ? Interesting why you took the pics but a good move IMO.

[GeniusOfLove]

Lots of short journeys apparently causes this sort of wear too, you get condensation in the cam cover which causes that mayo-like oil froth, which obviously doesn't lubricate properly. Combine this with long oil change intervals and a car that uses oil so can run low and you get this.

I wouldn't buy that car as a keeper. If the cams are in that state what's the timing gear looking like...

[Maxdecel]

Smacks of early Pinto's, more pics here - https://www.mini2.com/threads/is-this-a-normal-cam...

[GeniusOfLove]

Yeah that pic is exactly what loads of the R56s I've owned/looked at have had.

The current Ms GoL runs around in a shed of an R56 Mini One on something hilarious like 120k miles, it sounds like a diesel and drinks oil but she's inexplicably attached to it. I don't bother with proper oil changes it goes through so much of it, I just chuck in a filter now and again and she tops it up with cheap nasty Mannol (car likes being filled with slippery Man Oil ) when she remembers. I hope it dies real soon, but it keeps going.

They're fun to drive but quality cars they are not. Cams on that are probably completely cylindrical by now.

[E-bmw]

GreenV8S said:

That looks similar to the sort of wear pattern you'd expect from roller followers - but I don't know whether that engine uses rollers.

This is the correct answer.

They are rollers & it isn't a problem.

[GeniusOfLove]

E-bmw said:

GreenV8S said:

That looks similar to the sort of wear pattern you'd expect from roller followers - but I don't know whether that engine uses rollers.

This is the correct answer.

They are rollers & it isn't a problem.

Wear like that at 47k miles?

[paul_c123]

GeniusOfLove said:

Wear like that at 47k miles?

Yeah, its "a bit worn". Plenty of life left in it. I mean, in the camshaft..........the other parts of the engine may expire beforehand, or another part of the car, obviously, being a Mini.

[GeniusOfLove]

paul_c123 said:

GeniusOfLove said:

Wear like that at 47k miles?

Yeah, its "a bit worn". Plenty of life left in it. I mean, in the camshaft..........the other parts of the engine may expire beforehand, or another part of the car, obviously, being a Mini.

My attitude when they're a grand. I think OP is spending real money though.

[Durabang]

Maxdecel said:

Looks like the case hardening has/is failing certainly an unusual wear pattern as shown by the comparison pic.
OP Was there any noise ? Interesting why you took the pics but a good move IMO.

Thanks Maxdecel - no unusual noise, and whilst the cam looked unusual it felt smooth to touch and couldn't feel any pitting or roughness.

I always check around the oil cap to get a feel for the oil condition etc and have a general nosey into the head as best you can and that's when I noticed the wear on the cams. no dipstick on these engines so the oil filler cap is the only way to see the condition of the oil

Thanks

[Durabang]

Thanks to all for the comments and thoughts, my son called in at at a couple of BMW specialists near his works today and they thought similar to most of your comments - its either Condensation related due to short journeys or caused by revs on a cold engine.

General census its not a big issue, it would be the wifes car doing circa 5k/year and I would do all the servicing so it can be looked after but it still unnerves me a bit as we did look at another car with 50k on the clock and the Cam didn't look like this and there could be similar wear on other parts of the engine, we'll have a look at a few others this weekend and take it from there.

Thanks

[SystemOfAFrown]

Durabang said:

whilst the cam looked unusual it felt smooth to touch and couldn't feel any pitting or roughness.

If you couldn't feel any ridges towards the sides of the lobe then there is little to no wear. The lobes always get surface marks like this where the rollers run.

[ChocolateFrog]

Looks a bit alarming but if there's no lip to feel at all then it's probably OK.

You'd guess over 200k miles if given a cam like that without any info.