Mini cooper, ticking on start-up

[marky911]

Hi, first post in this forum.
My girlfriends 53 reg cooper ticks on start up. It sounds like a lifter or similar, eg a repetitive tap from a single source in the top-end. If I switch the engine off and re-start it before driving off, it's perfect. If I don't switch off and re-start, the ticking stays on, although the longest I've ever let it run whilst ticking is a minute or two.
What puzzles me is why it goes off after a re-start? I'm thinking it's maybe something related to oil pressure, which is slightly worrying.
One more fault we're less worried about is that the gearbox is ever so slightly rumbly in low gears and sounds bloody awful in reverse. We can live with this but just curious.
Anyway, any info would be great. thanks, Mark.
PS. The car has covered about 60k miles, iirc. Cheers.

[GarryA]

Lifters will be filling with oil in the head, nothing to worry about as long as it goes away after a short spell, gearbox could be the chocolate one they changed to Getrag from Midland around that time.

[marky911]

Ok, was thinking something like that. It's just a bummer it doesn't go off without stopping and restarting the engine. I mean, it might but I tell the girlfriend to listen for it and do the restart before driving off. Nevermind, it's only from cold and not every time.
Thanks.
PS, yep, I've heard bad things about the boxes. It only has to last till next year. She's on a years contract till July. If she gets a permanent positon elsewhere, she's after a Fiat 500 abarth.

[GarryA]

A lot of R53s use oil you know, has she been running it low? Check the oil if its ok then the ticking should stop after a few seconds, if she's ran it a bit low then there maybe damage.

[marky911]

Yeah, that's the first thing I did. It's halfway up the dipstick and looks slightly dirty, so I'll probs get it changed next week while the back box is being renewed. It hasn't been run low during our ownership but, it previously had another lady owner, so say no more.
Thanks again.