Helix R56 Stepped Core FMIC Group Buy!

[belacyrf]

Originally Posted by Mark@Helix

That shouldnt be a problem but Eric is trying to verify fitment on that model!

Hopefully you weren't referring to eR1c.. he doesn't have a JCW.. he has an R56 with the JCW Aero bumper... I have the 09 Factory JCW with the standard bumper. Just making sure the engine hardware hasn't changed at all. I dont think it has, but I had to check. Either way... count me in on the Group Buy. If it doesn't fit, I'll just return it, but it should fit without issue.

[Krut]

I'm more than willing to pony up my JCW on a Tuesday - I'll drive up from DC.

[Mark@Helix]

Originally Posted by eR1c

as far as payment and shipping ... just let us know what + when we need to do it.

thanks,

I believe Helix is getting the FMICs shipped out to the 1st 6 people in the group buy this week, they will be in touch!

[stinkytofu]

Originally Posted by Mark@Helix

I believe Helix is getting the FMICs shipped out to the 1st 6 people in the group buy this week, they will be in touch!

sweet!

[belacyrf]

What do we need to do to get on the list?

[Ralph@Helix]

Originally Posted by belacyrf

What do we need to do to get on the list?

Just add your name to the list or give us a call.


I just sent a pm to the folks on the list, we are ready to take payment info and ship these out

Give us a call at 215-739-8800

thanks

[belacyrf]

Yes, please add me, and let me know when you need payment

1)eR1c (5+)
2)MINIutia (5+)
3)LaserNate (5+)
4)Mini Bo Bini (+5)
5)Slinger688
6)stinkytofu
7)belacyrf
8)
9)
10)

[Mark@Helix]

guys with this order the group buy has ENDED early, Helix will be contacting you and shipping these units right out, thanks so much for the sales and PLEASE snap install pics andss post about the product.


Mark


1)eR1c (5+)
2)MINIutia (5+)
3)LaserNate (5+)
4)Mini Bo Bini (+5)
5)Slinger688
6)stinkytofu
7)belacyrf
8)vendor sale
9)vendor sale
10)vendor sale

[MINIutia]

Well packaged, checked for leaks (none). Well built except: The inlet end tank wall was not matched and trimmed before welding, the tank wall extends nearly 1/2 inch in a partial crescent shape for 1/3 of the radius inside the inlet. The other side is perfect. I'll correct this by by trimming inside the inlet with a grinder before install. It won't be easy as space is limited.
Some pics are attached.
** Update: Tank trimming took an hour**
Dimensions:
Total height 7 1/8"
Total depth: 3 1/2"
Lower step height: 3 1/8"
Upper extension height: 4"
Depth of upper extension: 1 1/8"
Width of cooler element 20 1/2"
Total width: 24 1/2"
I won't do the install until sometime this weekend. However, this piece is clearly vastly superior to the factory piece relative to volume, flow capabiity and heat transfer capacity/surface area (both tubes and fin). After I removed the excess tank flange obstructing part of the inlet it is evident that airflow will be excellent. It has the best features of the competition.

[MINIutia]

I lifted my car and began a pre-dissassembly clearance check (I have the Factory Aero Kit that may reduce clearance). Looks like it should fit.

However:
I discovered the factory cooler mounting tabs on each end tank. I had assumed that the factory cooler slid into brackets that would accomodate the Helix cooler. There are no mounting provisions at all on the Helix cooler. The cooler weighs over 10 pounds and I'm concerned that it will bounce around on the inlet and outlet hoses like fuzzy dice on a mirror and may damage the A/C condenser, grill or the cooler itself. Regardless, positive mounting would seem to be a requirement.

Mark @ Helix:
This doesn't seem right at all. Thoughts? Have I missed something?

[Mark@Helix]

Originally Posted by MINIutia

I lifted my car and began a pre-dissassembly clearance check (I have the Factory Aero Kit that may reduce clearance). Looks like it should fit.

However:
I discovered the factory cooler mounting tabs on each end tank. I had assumed that the factory cooler slid into brackets that would accomodate the Helix cooler. There are no mounting provisions at all on the Helix cooler. The cooler weighs over 10 pounds and I'm concerned that it will bounce around on the inlet and outlet hoses like fuzzy dice on a mirror and may damage the A/C condenser, grill or the cooler itself. Regardless, positive mounting would seem to be a requirement.

Mark @ Helix:
This doesn't seem right at all. Thoughts? Have I missed something?

Once everything is buttoned up, the intercooler is held in place. we have experienced no long term issues on our test cars. Install it, enjoy it

[MINIutia]

Needless to say, I'm impressed to get a fast reply on Saturday, thanks.
If my activities permit, I'll do the install Sunday.

[MINIutia]

First, I should acknowledge that Mark from Helix was right. This fits perfectly.
It does not move at all because it touches the grill - there is zero clearance - but clearly there will be no problems. 2 hours key-off to key-on for a test drive.

Three pics are included.

Later I'll post some additional details, two install recommendations and a few more images. I am 100% pleased. I drove the car, its cold today (60 degrees) and I anticipated zero change in performance. I was wrong. There is clearly a faster turbo spool-up and more boost available from 1500-6000 RPM. It actually kicks you in the butt whenever you stab the throttle and the turbo rapidly spins up. Sorry, this is butt-dyno only.

Bulldog-approved - see pics

[MINIutia]

Notes:

1. No install instructions came with the IC. If you need general install instructions use those on the Alta or Forge website. I used both for reference as each had similar instructions and pictures from different angles.
2. I placed small silicone rubber bumpers under each end tank. The placement coincides with small indents on the bottom of the factory intercooler support frame and this supports the IC on cushions. It looks like a factory install and eliminates any space that might allow the IC to move up and down. The bumpers are 3/4" square silicone self-adhesive bumpers you can find at a hardware store.
3. I placed small felt bumpers on each end tank where there was zero clearance between the tank and the lower grill. These are the small felt self-adhesive furniture pads from the hardware store.
4. The silicone bumpers and felt pads together provided a slight interference fit firmly mounting the IC while not placing stress on any piece. Once it is together the IC is firmly mounted and there is no possibility of chatter or vibration between the IC and other pieces.

Impressions:
My son was at work today when I did the install and I did not tell him I put this in. He took the MINI on a date this evening and called me 15 minutes after he left to tell me the car seemed really quick and responsive. Unsuspecting butt-dyno confirmation of my butt-dyno readings.

I suspect what we are realizing is increased pressure and flow downstream from the turbo. If you look at my other mods that directly impact the turbo's performance (turbo-back exhaust, charge pipe) the factory IC likely became a bottleneck that was hampering full utilization of the other mods. The Helix IC eliminated this restriction.

Lastly:
I am surprised and impressed. I expected to see no noticeable value in this until hot weather arrived (I'm not too far from Palm Springs and 100+ degrees is very common).

Three more pics.

[belacyrf]

Great write-up MINIutia...

However I'm guessing your not seeing increased "pressure" downstream. You are however, seeing decreased IAT's which inturn = greater "MASS" of air at the same pressure. Thus more power.

Also you might be feeling what Helix claims it the .5 PSI drop across the core, which is really really good. I can't wait to get mine, though it might take longer to install it.

Thanks again for write-ups and pics! Well done!

[MINIutia]

I'm not running any test gear - or even a boost gauge, so I'm making untested assumptions. However, the ambient air temp was 50 degrees in my pre-install run, 65 in the post install run. The change was noticeable 30 seconds after start-up and in first-second gear, not much heat reduction from the IC under those conditions, which led to my assumptions. It remained true this morning on start-up at 45 degress ambient air temp. The drive was "spirited".

The pressure drop across the core is part of what I think is the benefit. I blew my leaf blower through the factory and Helix IC, there is clearly less restriction and more flow through the Helix unit. As I did this I thought hey, I could market an electic leaf blower to the non-S owners and make tons of money with my Plug-N-Play Aftermarket Turbo Kit! Only 649.99! Includes racer's tape mounting kit and flexible dryer exhaust hose adapter kit (high-temp!) and 12 volt DC to 120 volt AC converter. I recommend mounting the "turbo" in-cabin to avoid that power-robbing under-hood hot air and the heavy and restrictive air filter since the MINI cabin already has filtered air. If you know of someone stupid enough - I mean interested, have them send me $

I'll be interested if others experiences mirror mine.

[belacyrf]

LOL... I think they sell those "leaf blower turbo's" on ebay hehe!!

What is your thought of flow through the thicker portion of the the core (not through the thin upper area but through the base that is roughly the same thickness as the stock unit). Do you feel even that section alone flows better than the stock? If so, that is really cool!

[MINIutia]

alone is 1 1/4 inch deeper (that is nearly 50% deeper) and half an inch shorter than the factory cooler. The bottom step alone is a significant improvement over the factory IC. The simple visualization of the Helix IC is an all-aluminum version of the factory piece with a 7" tall, 1 1/8" deep, 20 1/2" long cooler grafted to the front. The reason the element is 1/2" less in width is because it extends far enough forward that the extra length would cause a no-fit condition on both ends. As I said - this is tight, it used every bit of reasonably available space.

Original cooler element total size:
2 1/4" deep
3 1/8" high
21" long

Helix cooler (lower "step" element section alone):
3 1/2" deep
3 1/8" high
20 1/2" long

[belacyrf]

Interesting.. it's even thicker than the original core... well the results I guess speak for themselves. I'm hoping to have dyno results for mine. I just gotta find time to get that base dyno done.

[slinger688]

Miniutia,

Can you elaborate on where you need to weld on the intercooler? Thanks.

[MINIutia]

The only work necessary on my IC was to remove excess tank wall that partially obstructed the inlet charge tube hose bung.

It looked like a crescent moon slice partially obstructing the round charge tube by 1/2" at the piont the bung was welded to the tank (about 2 1/2" inside the hose bung).

Making the saw cut to match this before welding would have been a one-minute job with a reciprocating saw. The outlet side was perfectly matched so I can't imagine that this was intended to be this way, it appears that someone forgot to match one side before welding.

Using a die grinder in the limited space after assembly was much harder, moreso because I blocked/filled the inside of the tank to eliminate possible contamination from the grinding.

[Mark@Helix]

The intercooler was designeds to utilize as much captive area in the front of the car as possible, the core is 1 unit stacked up to our specifications and put together using a custom jig. if you look closely you will see that all charge rows line up perfectly, something that will not happen if you attempt to use 2 different cores

Originally Posted by MINIutia

alone is 1 1/4 inch deeper (that is nearly 50% deeper) and half an inch shorter than the factory cooler. The bottom step alone is a significant improvement over the factory IC. The simple visualization of the Helix IC is an all-aluminum version of the factory piece with a 7" tall, 1 1/8" deep, 20 1/2" long cooler grafted to the front. The reason the element is 1/2" less in width is because it extends far enough forward that the extra length would cause a no-fit condition on both ends. As I said - this is tight, it used every bit of reasonably available space.

Original cooler element total size:
2 1/4" deep
3 1/8" high
21" long

Helix cooler (lower "step" element section alone):
3 1/2" deep
3 1/8" high
20 1/2" long

[MINIutia]

The Helix IC is one, solid, single core in a step-core design. It is not assembled from stacked/pieced together cores, it is one single core.
To describe how it appears, was my intent. It is described most simply visually as appearing like an enormous additional core was added to the face of the factory cooler.
The Helix IC is a very high quality part and I am pleased with my purchase and would make the purchase again without hesitation.

[Mark@Helix]

Originally Posted by MINIutia

The Helix IC is one, solid, single core in a step-core design. It is not assembled from stacked/pieced together cores, it is one single core.
To describe how it appears, was my intent. It is described most simply visually as appearing like an enormous additional core was added to the face of the factory cooler.
The Helix IC is a very high quality part and I am pleased with my purchase and would make the purchase again without hesitation.

thanks man glad you like the FMIC and great review

[eR1c]

Thanks for all this information guys. I just placed my order (thanks Ralph for your help). I'll be following your guys instructions carefully as I install my intercooler in the coming weeks.