A couple of my buddies had catastrophic engine damage when their timing belts failed. One had a VW Beetle, and the other had a Dodge Neon. I'm no mechanic, but I understand that these engines were designed such that there is no clearance between the valves (when fully open) and the pistons (when at TDC). Is the Mini Cooper 1.5 liter engine of such design? I have a F55 non-S on order, and I'm wondering how critical the health of the timing belt is going to be. (How about the 2.0 liter engine for the S crowd?)
Bobby D.
Bobby D.