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Added a 2012 Coupe to the family a few weeks ago. Options include fJCW, Getrag six spd, Sat/Nav, adaptive Xenons, auto climate and heated factory Recaros. I've been waiting to introduce him until a name presented itself. Now that it has, I'd like to introduce Vlad. Named for Vlad Tepes III the historical figure, not the legend that is based on him (Did I mention I hate Twilight). I can understand his refusal to yield and determination to protect his country even though it ultimately cost him his life. Due to the period he lived in and the nature of his foe I can even understand his use of forests of the dead as a deterrent. He was undoubtedly a dark figure in history and in many ways a monster, but also one that would take any measure to protect that which he held dear.
Vlad was bone stock and I haven't had time to do much. So far I've installed IP coils, LED taillights, a GP diffuser, blacked out the chrome trim with 3M gloss black wrap (tedious but not difficult) and coded a few bits (five blink turn signals, one touch windows, seatbelt gong delete, video in motion, speedo correction and a few I'm probably forgetting), oh and had the clutch replaced.
Next up will be slotted disks, EBC red pads, SS brake lines and ATA Superblue fluid. After that it will be time for the exhaust and maybe a VIS carbon hood. Somewhere in there I also have to close the arch gap with springs or coil-overs and get rid of the RC antenna. Have some longer term plans for Vlad as well but those those will require a spare engine and transmission.
I absolutely love this Coupe. It's my third Cooper and it handles better than any of the previous models (R50, R56 w/sport susp). It took a few days to get used to, but once you do it really does feel less like sitting in a car and more like putting on a suit.
Last edited by Tigger2011; 12-09-2019 at 06:26 PM.
Reason: Pictures disappeared
Awesome to see Vlad has his own thread now. We've had our R58 S (named him Turbo) for almost two months now and I could not agree more about putting on a suit!
Few questions...
I've heard about LED tail lights for our cars, but have not seen them in action. Do you have any pictures of Vlad's new tail lights in the dark?
How did you go about coding those features?
Will he get a Manic tune to keep things interesting until you start on the new drivetrain?
I'm excited to see what you do with Vlad. We have plans for Turbo and look forward to learning from your experience/expertise. If you haven't tried it before I highly recommend the BmS clutch stop. https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ml#post4060682
Last edited by Mini Chris; 05-25-2015 at 11:55 PM.
Reason: Grammar and such
No pictures yet but I'll try and take some tonight so you can see what they look like. There was no coding required for these as they have the ballast built in otherwise you would have to code out the bulb self test.
For coding I use either NCSExpert or the BMWhat app on my iPhone depending on the complexity and what the app supports. The app only supports the CAS, Kombi and FRM modules at this point so coding things like the seat belt gong (ABS module) and adding key values (CHAMP module) for video in motion have to be done in NCSExpert.
Being a dealer makes a Manic tune a no brainer but Vlad needs some more upgrades first. I had forgotten just how poorly the factory intercooler performs. Even the JCW tune at 1.3 bar is enough to push the unit to it's limits on a sustained pull. The Wagner Competition unit is pretty nice but I'm also looking at other options.
Thanks for reminding me on the clutch stop. I had forgotten about that and a short shift adapter.
Thank you for the pics, and the heads up about BMWhat, didn't even ow that existed!
You're welcome for the clutch stop reminder, it made a significant difference for my wife and I. Can not imagine our recent trip to Texas without it.
I'm also glad to see you're considering a short shifter. I didn't mention one because I'm still figuring it out for Turbo. I've found some favorable reviews for the Tyrol Motorsports version, however, according to their documentation, it isn't compatible with cars built after 8/2009. Their site say they are working to reengineer it, but I guess it didn't pan out.
(Bug warning or iPad users: trying to use the embed link button in safari iOS 8.3 cause a crash and I lost my entire post) http://www.tyrolsport.com/engine/tra...-r56-platform/
The other option I'm considering is the adjustable Craven Short shifter, though I'm still working to understand the differences (positives/negatives) between the craven and Tyrol solutions.
I'm educating myself on the basics of forced induction as well as researching the brands I've come across in NAM threads; Wagner, Helix, Tyrol Motorsports, Alta, Evolve, and even a couple of the frowned upon Chinese units (some of the other NAM members have been kind enough to post data from there experience with those off brand models).
Do you have any recommendations for guidelines/factor when deciding on a intercooler?
Last edited by Mini Chris; 05-26-2015 at 07:50 PM.
Congrats on your JCW Coupe, a rare Mini indeed. I can't see your pix on this computer, but I get the impression from your sig it's almost the same car I have, Eclipse Grey/CR with Recaros. Except mine's an automatic.
Congratulations, the nicest I have seen posted in a long time..... enjoy.
When you say a Coupe fits like a suit, I agree it is the only Mini that provides this feeling as soon as you sit in and it has also been one of my first comments from new.
Congrats on your JCW Coupe, a rare Mini indeed. I can't see your pix on this computer, but I get the impression from your sig it's almost the same car I have, Eclipse Grey/CR with Recaros. Except mine's an automatic.
Yep almost identical except for the transmission as you noted, and the engines; N14 vs N18.
Originally Posted by Mini Chris
Do you have any recommendations for guidelines/factor when deciding on a intercooler?
(I see no one warned Mini Chris about asking me questions )
The primary design differences in intercoolers is the construction of the intercooler core and the end tanks. For the core you can choose between bar and plate or fin and tube designs. Each have their strengths and weaknesses and your choice needs to be based on your performance target.
The traditional fin and tube design is similar to a conventional radiator design as extruded tubes are nestled in cooling fins. The advantages are light weight and lower cost. the disadvantages are lower total efficiency, greater rapidity of heat soak, higher pressure drop and greater susceptibility to failure at higher boost. One way to increase intercooler efficiency in tube and fin designs is by the use of turbulators. This typically involves the inclusion of additional fins inside the extruded tube but the offset is increased pressure loss unless IC volume is increased as well.
Bar and plate designs are comprised of a stacked array of bars and plates which create the air paths for ambient and boost air. They have the advantage of greater efficiency, lower pressure drop across the heat exchanger core, slower heat soak and they can handle higher boost levels. The disadvantages are higher cost and increased weight.
For end tanks a molded design is a good indication that the manufacturer cares about quality and performance. Molded end tanks create smooth transitions of the airflow thru the core thereby reducing turbulance and presure drop. In addition molded tanks require additional computer modeling and tooling expense to create. Whereas the cheapest way to create an end tank is to weld flat metal plates together and hang the efficiency.
An ideal intercooler would be 100% efficient and have zero pressure drop across the core. Unfortunately, with an air to air heat exchanger that is simply impossible. There are also design compromises that go into intercooler construction. For example increasing the surface area in the internal passages increases efficiency by allowing the boosted intake charge to come in to contact with more surface area allowing more heat to be transferred out. Unfortunately, as more boundary layer air comes in to contact with this increased surface area it results in increased drag and pressure drop as the air passes through the core. Keep in mind the air entering the intercooler can be moving at speeds of up to 400 feet per second so this drag can add up quickly. Allowing the air to pass too quickly through the core reduces this pressure drop but also results in less cooling efficiency since the air doesn't have as much time to transfer heat to the intercooler.
Colder air is more dense and increasing air density can directly relate to increased horsepower at the same pressure. But pressure drop results in a horsepower loss and the turbo charger has to work harder to achieve the desired boost level. So it's a balancing act. When it comes to size, the more frontal area the better. Check out the Tyrol Sport bar and plate intercooler for the Mini but bring your wallet and maybe someone else's to. Thicker is also better up to a point (feel free to ask any of your lady friends) but has diminishing returns beyond a certain point. For example when comparing a 2' thick core to a 3' core the extra inch in thickness only increases the cooling efficiency by about 10% or so as compared to the 50% increase in thickness. The reason is the cooling air passing thru the intercooler has already absorbed quite a bit of heat in the first two inches of core. You would think the effect would be less pronounced but you have to realize that at 60 MPH the air pressure against the front of the intercooler is only .06 psi. The easiest way to increase existing intercooler efficiency is by creating an air dam around the intercooler that restricts air from passing around it and instead channels it through the intercooler. (This is my not so subtle hint for all you do it yourself types out there.)
For applications <240 HP the Evolve, Forge or even Chinese units can get you by for light or intermittent street use. That is not a recommendation BTW. Based on visual examination both the Evolve and Forge units appear to be made in China. In addition, to the best of my knowledge the only US manufacturers of intercooler cores are Bell Intercoolers and Spearco which is now part of Turbonetics. As far as recommendations... for maximum performance and efficiency I'd strongly suggest you look at the Helix or Wagner IC's with stepped cores and molded end tanks.
Ah almost forgot a pic of the LED taillights at night. Unfortunately, this is the best my iPhone could do at night.
The other thing I've noticed about the R58 compared to previous models is that with the increased body rigidity it appears to be less prone to rattles. In fact the only rattle the car has appears to be from the spoiler motor mounts in the boot lid when you hit a decent sized bump.
Last edited by Tigger2011; 05-27-2015 at 08:04 PM.
lol, your Tigger2.0 thread gave me a pretty good idea. I was always the kid/am always the guy raising his hands to ask clarification. If you've got the time, I've got the questions
I'm considering adding the LED upgrade to our list. Upgrading the brake light on my motorcycle to an adjustable flashing LED was one of the first mods I did to improve visibility and encourage drivers to brake early and keep a safe distance as they come to a stop. It has been very effective
As always, establishing a balance between budget/time/practical is a work in progress.
The only other taillights out there are the factory blackline 2011+ LCI, which have LED parking lights , but halogen brake lights which also have brake light force control, both LED and brake light get brighter under emergency stops. Like the factory LCI ones
Up to 30K miles so I pulled the intake off an walnut blasted the inlet valves in preparation for installation of the Aquamist HSF-4 kit. I wanted to start with a clean base to see how well the methanol actually keeps the valves clean. Also took a little peak in the cylinders to look at the pistons. Took a little less than 4 hours start to finish and the valves didn't look too bad. I was expecting the N14 to be worse than the N18 but honestly I don't see much difference in total accumulation. The main difference I did note however was the carbon accumulation is not as uniform on the N14. The carbon was thicker and more stubborn on cylinder #4 and progressively less so on #3, #2 and #1. Kinda makes sense as the PCV line empties into the plenum closest to the #4 cylinder. Anyway the idle is smoother as well as throttle response, as one would expect.
Up to 30K miles so I pulled the intake off an walnut blasted the inlet valves in preparation for installation of the Aquamist HSF-4 kit. I wanted to start with a clean base to see how well the methanol actually keeps the valves clean. Also took a little peak in the cylinders to look at the pistons. Took a little less than 4 hours start to finish and the valves didn't look too bad. I was expecting the N14 to be worse than the N18 but honestly I don't see much difference in total accumulation. The main difference I did note however was the carbon accumulation is not as uniform on the N14. The carbon was thicker and more stubborn on cylinder #4 and progressively less so on #3, #2 and #1. Kinda makes sense as the PCV line empties into the plenum closest to the #4 cylinder. Anyway the idle is smoother as well as throttle response, as one would expect.
This carbon build up seems a problem with these engines as far as we can read on many forums and an issue with the engine's reliability. I always fill 91 since new.
I am now just a bit over 6K and I am wondering what will happen. I mostly run the engine in the upper 5000 rpm to redline most of the time since the last 2K and it seems to perform right. Is it the way these engines need to be clean? I don't know. Some experts should share opinions on this subject.
It idles smooth but noisy and doesn't overheat even when push very hard and I am surprised it keeps going without issues other than RPM surge at stop lights over 95 here in the desert.
By the way, the Burger chip is a nice improvement about performance. The JCW engine is far more responsive and I believe its worth the investment but need to be tuned for the climate where you live.
" the valves didn't look too bad. " that's pretty good even though you have low miles. Did you get before and after pics ?
Had a few pics on the boroscope I used. It comes in handy to look at the valves while I rotate the engine by hand. It also fits nicely into the cylinders through the spark plug hole, in the intercooler to look for oil buildup, etc. Below are some before and a partial after picture.
Cylinder 1 before.
Cylinder 2
Cylinder 3
Cylinder 4
Cylinder 1 after first pass with the media blaster.
All the cylinders required two passes to get nice and clean. I'd recommend not going past 45K without cleaning the valves. Of course I am a bit picky when it comes to my cars lol. I did a friends N14 that had 78K miles on it and it took over 6 hours. We ending up having to resort to solvent to soften the last of it enough so the blast media could remove it.
Originally Posted by dube53
This carbon build up seems a problem with these engines as far as we can read on many forums and an issue with the engine's reliability. I always fill 91 since new.
I am now just a bit over 6K and I am wondering what will happen. I mostly run the engine in the upper 5000 rpm to redline most of the time since the last 2K and it seems to perform right. Is it the way these engines need to be clean? I don't know. Some experts should share opinions on this subject.
It idles smooth but noisy and doesn't overheat even when push very hard and I am surprised it keeps going without issues other than RPM surge at stop lights over 95 here in the desert.
By the way, the Burger chip is a nice improvement about performance. The JCW engine is far more responsive and I believe its worth the investment but need to be tuned for the climate where you live.
The octane of fuel you use will effect pre-ignition but will have no bearing on carbon accumulation at all. I've even heard of dealers trying to decline performing a cleaning under warranty because of the "quality" of fuel the owner used.
Even with no crankcase fumes entering the inlet via the PCV system, carbon will still accumulate due to valve overlap. As the valve stem travels up and down inside the valve guide some oil residue will travel down the stem and over the top of the valve. At the end of the exhaust stroke the intake valve opens before the exhaust valve has fully closed and all of the exhaust has exited. This results in a small amount of reversion where exhaust enters the inlet tract. The carbon then sticks to the oil residue and the heat bakes it on. Higher inlet pressures from boost and air mass momentum at high rpm's result in less reversion, so less carbon accumulation.
Agree 100% percent on the JB+. That may sound like a strange sentiment from a Manic dealer but the truth is it's an excellent product that delivers good bang for the buck. It runs a bit lean at higher boost levels since its using the factory tables, really needs 93 octane or 91 with a 30% E85 blend for safety and can't really compete on a performance level with a professional tune but within it's design limits it does it's job and does it well. Kudos to Terry for the concept and execution. I still have mine in the garage in case my wife decides to get a Countryman
Had a few pics on the boroscope I used. It comes in handy to look at the valves while I rotate the engine by hand. It also fits nicely into the cylinders through the spark plug hole, in the intercooler to look for oil buildup, etc. Below are some before and a partial after picture.
Cylinder 1 before.
Cylinder 2
Cylinder 3
Cylinder 4
Cylinder 1 after first pass with the media blaster.
All the cylinders required two passes to get nice and clean. I'd recommend not going past 45K without cleaning the valves. Of course I am a bit picky when it comes to my cars lol. I did a friends N14 that had 78K miles on it and it took over 6 hours. We ending up having to resort to solvent to soften the last of it enough so the blast media could remove it.
The octane of fuel you use will effect pre-ignition but will have no bearing on carbon accumulation at all. I've even heard of dealers trying to decline performing a cleaning under warranty because of the "quality" of fuel the owner used.
Even with no crankcase fumes entering the inlet via the PCV system, carbon will still accumulate due to valve overlap. As the valve stem travels up and down inside the valve guide some oil residue will travel down the stem and over the top of the valve. At the end of the exhaust stroke the intake valve opens before the exhaust valve has fully closed and all of the exhaust has exited. This results in a small amount of reversion where exhaust enters the inlet tract. The carbon then sticks to the oil residue and the heat bakes it on. Higher inlet pressures from boost and air mass momentum at high rpm's result in less reversion, so less carbon accumulation.
Agree 100% percent on the JB+. That may sound like a strange sentiment from a Manic dealer but the truth is it's an excellent product that delivers good bang for the buck. It runs a bit lean at higher boost levels since its using the factory tables, really needs 93 octane or 91 with a 30% E85 blend for safety and can't really compete on a performance level with a professional tune but within it's design limits it does it's job and does it well. Kudos to Terry for the concept and execution. I still have mine in the garage in case my wife decides to get a Countryman
Thanks for your pictures and comments.
I believe most owners don't use premium gas with this engine and it may be part of the problem for premature carbon build up. It is why to follow the manufacturer's recommendation is so important on the long run.
As for the JB+ I believe that when installed in the JCW engine, it is a big improvement about performance without major drawback on MPG when push hard. I am at about 24 city driving.
It matters more to me how I will have more performance in mountain driving. I will certainly report in August about my experience.
Pretty dirty for 30K , bet it had allot of short trips and the engine did not warm up all the way. I have seen cars with shorter trips and not driving those long distances with more carbon build up.
All the cylinders required two passes to get nice and clean. I'd recommend not going past 45K without cleaning the valves. Of course I am a bit picky when it comes to my cars lol. I did a friends N14 that had 78K miles on it and it took over 6 hours. We ending up having to resort to solvent to soften the last of it enough so the blast media could remove it.
Heh, I wonder how my N18 Clubman's valves look with 105k...
Really good looking MINI. Good job on the clean up as well. Did you mean ATE Super Blue fluid (not ATA)?.. The ATE Super Blue has been discontinued due to the US stating blue brake fluid is not regulation. I was bummed because I used that fluid. Can read about it here. BUT! Thankfully, ATE has their ATE Typ 200 brake fluid here. (Typ 200 is the amber version of Super Blue). I now use it for daily and track application.
Lol. Right you are sir. It's ATE not ATA. One being a brake fluid and the other being the Air Transport Association. Mental faux pas from being an aircraft mechanic. When they were going to discontinue it I bought an extra 2 liters. Gotta love the government.
I upgraded the brakes about a week ago. Kinda slow on the updates since work has been insane. Installed slotted zinc coated rotors, EBC red pads, put on the stainless steel brake lines and flushed the old fluid out. Very happy with the extra stopping power.
Lol. Right you are sir. It's ATE not ATA. One being a brake fluid and the other being the Air Transport Association. Mental faux pas from being an aircraft mechanic. When they were going to discontinue it I bought an extra 2 liters. Gotta love the government.
Very nice. I, too, had a few cans still laying around when they discontinued it in the states. Unfortunately, none left now! Very nice. The brakes look great and I'm sure your MINI is stopping on a dime now.
05-25-2015, 09:03 PM
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