Update……
3 hours later have only just got starter motor off, either you all have girls sized hands or no skin left….
Knows how I’m going to torque that back up…..

Taking a quick break before losing the nut in the bell housing as suggested by Jules….

Oh, and nothing like working outside on the hottest day of the year…..


 I USED TO have a cunning plan.....

Two hours later…..still hadn’t found where the locking pin was supposed to go….
Totally off by now, drove into letchworth to get mirror on a stick….
(On motorbike shorts and tee, something I said I’d never do….)




Eventually saw the hole, found the right slot, another 15 mins minutely rotating crank, close and closer until eventually…..




Now the two other parts of the locking kit to go, 4 ½ hrs so far….. I USED TO have a cunning plan.....

given up.
There is no way that I can find a hole for the 2nd L shaped locking pin to go through, tried jiggling whatever can move with the 1st pin in, but no joy, can’t even see how to get access to look, mirror on a stick doesn’t help.

Totally totally off. I USED TO have a cunning plan.....

I did write this morning that it was awkward…….
I had same problem……couldn’t find the hole for the L shape pin to go in…..you need to poke around with a small screwdriver around to the starter motor aperture at the part near the block upright…….you will find the 8 mm hole is full of rust particles…..you need to poke the screwdriver through to clear rust…….that’s what I did…………once you’ve found it put the locking pin in……..then lock the flywheel with the wedge tool into the starter ring to lock the crank……. FL2 SD4 HSE Lux Auto MY 2012— current
D2 TD5 HSE Man MY 1999 470kmls….gone 2014 ….lovely engine..chassis rotten
D1 300TDI Man MY 1996 56kmls….gone 1999…D2 much better
Wife’s FL1 1.8P MY 2001 32kmls …gone 2007…has Mini since.

Rotated the engine 4 time now, twice found top crank pin locking location, twice taken out, tried to find bottom one for L pin, it’s as though is just not there. Had to stop, felt woozy, not enough fluids in this heat, even socks are wet! I USED TO have a cunning plan.....

What’s happened to the cunning plan…..?

Ok you’ve found the camshaft locking pin position……..the crankshaft pin locating hole is as I found with mine full of rust…….I was sure it wasn’t there but I knew it had to be……& it was…..you’ll possibly need a torch but it’s there alright. You must have seen this on the videos………get a smallish phillips screwdriver & scratch around where the rear of block joins the machined face for the starter motor………once I found the rusted up hole I used a drill bit to clear the rust……….. FL2 SD4 HSE Lux Auto MY 2012— current
D2 TD5 HSE Man MY 1999 470kmls….gone 2014 ….lovely engine..chassis rotten
D1 300TDI Man MY 1996 56kmls….gone 1999…D2 much better
Wife’s FL1 1.8P MY 2001 32kmls …gone 2007…has Mini since.

Iced coffee and back at it found hole with small driver
Put 6mm drill to clear any crap, marked how far drill bit went in
Marked up L tool with same distance……
But it won’t go in that far, even with some jiggling etc
Pic shows different depths
Drill bottoms out jut by the bend in the tool, but tool only goes in roughly half way
Thus suggests tool is not located in the hole fully



Have been out here since 8:30, can’t believe this is such a  I USED TO have a cunning plan.....

Decided it.
As long as crank bolt is in fully, which it is, will put in L as far as it will go, put on final torque absorbing piece and just crack on I USED TO have a cunning plan.....

Ok….as long as the CAMSHAFT locking pin is in…..& you can easy remove & refit….i.e thé locking pin is centralized then the CRANKSHAFT will be in the right place…pin or no pin. Lock the flywheel with the spécial tool to stop it from moving.
Then you can carry on & remove the CRANKSHAFT bolt………..etc.
Hope the bolt hasn’t been overdosed with Locktite……or you will unless you have power wrench…. !!!!

Good luck FL2 SD4 HSE Lux Auto MY 2012— current
D2 TD5 HSE Man MY 1999 470kmls….gone 2014 ….lovely engine..chassis rotten
D1 300TDI Man MY 1996 56kmls….gone 1999…D2 much better
Wife’s FL1 1.8P MY 2001 32kmls …gone 2007…has Mini since.

Am I just being a bit thick here….
Three bolts off starter motor….
Correct tool to lock flywheel…..
How does two of these bolts lock anything….They screwed into starter motor body….
Or was I supposed to know in advance that I need to supply nuts for the bolts?


 I USED TO have a cunning plan.....

Well, apparently yes, I was supposed to know in advance that I would need to provide my own nuts to fit this ing thing



Not mentioned anywhere I have found on the forum


Hopefully the next first timer will find this post….
Land Rover Tool 303-1270 ….. you need your own nuts for the bolts from the starter motor

And be nuts to try the job…. I USED TO have a cunning plan.....

Final update for tonight…..
Locking pin in crankshaft bolt end….eventually
L shaped bar, in as far as it will go.
Two starter motor bolts holding in flywheel lock (I live on a farm, farmer had the right nuts!)
Sliding bit of above pushed as far as it can into flywheel teeth and locked up

Just shy of 10 hrs since I started, less water breaks etc, so, about 9 hrs work

Just to get this far…..

Moral of this tale is…..

Save up and pay some other who has experience to do it in one quarter of the time…..

Need to shower, treat sunburn, find something to eat and open a beer….

More tomorrow, stay tuned….. I USED TO have a cunning plan.....

oh dear it seems like you've had a nightmare, the easy way to pin up the crankshaft is to get the camshaft just before the hole then get a friend to turn the crankshaft bolt very slowly while you gently push the l shaped pin in this makes it much easier to lock it up and your friend can turn the crank slightly left or right and the pin will go in only then have a look at your camshaft as long as its somewhere near the hole leave it until the belt is of then insert camshaft locking pin. I never use the locking plate on the starter ring as my millwaukee gun just zips it off in seconds I usually undo it before putting crank pin in then pin doesn't get damaged once crankshaft pulley is off and flywheel pin is in remove the crankshaft sensor pick up ring taking note of which way it fits and then go ahead and remove cam belt once cam belt is removed pin up the camshaft, it won't be far off so a spanner will do it easily The next part is very important and many people miss this out !!!! the GEAR on the crankshaft that the belt goes around must be free to move side to side they are usually rusted on in place so if its not free soak it in wd40 and just tap it left and right using a brass drift or something that won't damage the gear take extra care not to loose the 2 half moon dowels that slot into the crankshaft and gear, once gear is removed make sure it slides back on the crankshaft and move freely left and right as this is very important when timing it up a little smear of oil is all it needs. now fit your belt and water pump with pins locked in and once done rotate engine twice and recheck everything lines up ok with the pins sometimes a little adjustment is needed but its very easy just
take your time check and recheck I hope this helps you out its easy when you've done a few.

Morning my support crew… thank you for the messages of encouragement….
Update as at 0900hrs
Crank bolt is off after finding a bar for the end of the socket wrench…
Old belt marked up with tippex, tip from a vid I saw
Looking belt, it’s in very good condition…. And is a Gates Belt… don’t think these were original fitment, but suspect not, meaning belt had been changed in the past…..just not is service file…..

All for the lack of a price of paper…..

But, it’s off now, so on with new belt kit (Gates again) as well as new aux belt kit as I was here…..
At least I should have price of mind for the next 10 years …


 I USED TO have a cunning plan.....

Belt number are different…. But have same number of teeth, so will fit it .

If anyone following know why this is not the right belt shout loud please!

 I USED TO have a cunning plan.....