The harmonic balancer is one of those items on the MINI that seem to be a “when it fails, not if it fails item” When the balancer fails, it separates into two pieces, causing all of the accessory items driven by the serpentine belt to stop spinning. The harmonic balancer on the MINI Cooper was redesigned for the 2004 model year to address a problem with the old design. If your balancer fails, the replacement balancer for all cars is the later (2004-on) style.

People tend to swap out the harmonic balancer and replace it with either a lighter or different sized pulley. While this does work to free up power from the engine, it often comes at the expense of no dampening being engineered into the design. With the inherent imbalance of an inline four cylinder engine, this will eventually lead to wear on other parts of the engine. If you want to use a lighter, different sized pulley, be sure to use one that has dampening built into the design.

Applications: 2002 – 2012 Cooper, Cooper S, JCW, Convertible & Clubman models.
We offer Genuine MINI & Corteco crank shaft pulleys for your MINI! Click here for product information.

Here’s a quick DIY on the subject to guide you through the steps:
Replacing your Crankshaft Pulley

Mark/Pelican Parts