Father about 21'000 fun filled miles with my 2013 Mini Cooper S R56 my clutch decided to give up on me. I have full bolt ons on my mini, meth injection and Manic stage 2 tune. Here are some pics of the fried clutch and DMF.
After looking at all of the aftermarket clutch kits I decided on the JMTC stage 3 clutch with a 21lb single mass flywheel. Arric was amazing at helping me pick the best kit for my current and future mods. The clutch kit looked and felt very durable and oozed quality compared to the stock components.
Everything came well packaged and nothing was damaged or missing. I've attached a few pics of the kit.
Braman Mini in West Palm Beach were kind enough to exchange my clutch for an aftermarket at a fair price. I'll be picking up my Mini on Saturday since I'm out of state and will follow up with a detailed review on the performance of the new clutch and the difference in feel to the OEM one.

 

I'll be waiting for that review!

 

Definitely interested to hear your thoughts after you get to drive it. At 21lbs, did you get the steel flywheel? Reasoning? Did he say it would chatter less than the lighter aluminum wheel?

 

Yes, I got the lightweight steel flywheel. I didn't want to loose the feel of the low end grunt too much and have to rev it high to get the full punch (this is at least how I understood it). I didn't ask about the chatter since I'm expecting it going from a DMF to a SMF.

 

my understanding coming from other cars that have stock DM flywheels, is that heavier steel flywheels will not chatter nearly as much as real lightweight wheels. One of them being the SVT Focus which has the same transmission. So I figure its the same. But I do understand you not wanting to go too light. You don't lose low end grunt but it does require more clutch work to keep the rpm's up during initial take-off. OS Giken guys probably know what I'm talking about.

 

This is my first time going with a lighter flywheel so it'll be really interesting for me. Thanks for the insight and I'll make sure to keep my ears open for clutch chatter.

 

My clutch is on its way out with 113,000 km on the car. I was actually looking at buying a clutch and single mass flywheel package from JMTC as well. I may not need a stage 3, but probably will look at a stage 2.
Could you explain what you mean about having to keep the rpm's up during take off with a lightweight flywheel? I'm looking forward to seeing how it works for you!

 

The lighter the flywheel the less inertia it has. Because of this you have to feather the clutch more and adjust the throttle more when initially moving the car from a stop. It narrows the 'sweet spot'

 

It's been a few days since I got my Mini back and all I can say is I'm really happy with the new clutch and flywheel!!!!!
Clutch pedal feel is only very slightly stiffer than stock which I like. I didn't feel a difference with starting from a stop with the lighter flywheel. The sweet spot for the clutch engagement is sooner and smaller than stock but I quickly got used to it. Aggressively starting from a stop isn't a problem at all and when the clutch grabs it grabs like crazy and there is absolutely no clutch slip at all!!! I also noticed my MPG increase by about 2-3mpg on my trip from West Palm Beach to Orlando.
Sadly as Mini changed the clutch and flywheel they "updated" my ECU so I lost my Manic tune :( But I'll get it back soon and will update again with the added power.

 

hey OP, i was wondering if you knew how much torque your car made?

i am thinking my car will be due for a new clutch soon, so i wanted to get a gauge on what stage i will need. i am thinking probably a stage 2. i will have all boltons and a tune.

probably will be best to talk to JMTC myself to see what they recommend.

 

Did the dealer say anything about the Manic tune? What do you need to do to get it back?

 

Have you noticed any chatter/rattle at idle with the clutch out?

 

They didn't know I had it. But I have to send my ECU to a Manic dealer so they can upload the tune since there is no Manic dealer here in Orlando. I'm hoping to be able to send my ECU to Redline Speed Worx in NJ sometime next week.

 

None at all. I'm pretty surprised with that but glad there isn't any chatter.

 

Any updates on the clutch, since the install?

 

Well let us know after you get your tune if you feel like the powerband has moved etc....

 

why did you buy a flywheel that weighs more than stock?

stock is 18lbs

 

So far the clutch is holding up amazingly well. It feels sportier than the stock clutch but without it being a workout for your left leg. There is slight clutch chatter but you'd have to roll down the windows to hear it but it's still very faint then. It took me about a week to get used to the sweet spot for the clutch and how the lighter flywheel behaves but I'm loving it!
I've seen a lot of different weights for the stock flywheel so I'm not sure what it is. But after reading how a lighter flywheel behaves then mine is definitely lighter. I don't have the stock flywheel anymore since I had Mini do the install and told them to throw it out.
I'm sending my ECU to Eurotechs in Arizona on Monday so hopefully I'll be able to update on how it is with the tune on Wednesday or Thursday.

 

this is where im basing my info from, when i remove my flywheel for this one i can weigh it and give people accurate information but until then idk what it would be

http://www.madnessmotorworks.com/lig...lywheel-1.aspx

 

Good stuff guys. Nice to get info on things I know are in my future .

 

I talked to Arric at JMTC and I think he stated the stock flywheel was 36 lbs I believe. I'll double check to see if I can find the answer to the weight question.

 

is manic charging to reflash the ecu?

 

Manic is not charging for the reflag and neither is Eurotechs even though I got flashed at EuroCode in Torrence, CA. Both have great customer service and are a pleasure to deal with. I highly recommend the Manic tune and Eurotechs to do it.

 

where is eurotech, im looking for a tuner near socal

 

Eurotech is in Tempe Arizona.
Check out the manic dealer site. There's one dealer in SoCal. http://www.manicmini.com/dealer-map/4586066233