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So I went and spoke with Mario Plaza yesterday on the phone for a good hour or so. He is going to start putting a tune file together for me. He is heading north at the end of the month and we are going to meet up on his way through to install the tune and some colder plugs to go with it. I’ve been hearing good things about RPM tunes. I was just thinking stage 1 for a little more power but want to retain daily drivability and not be too hard on my engine. But with the upgraded turbo and stuff he recommended stage 3 to make it all work together well. It sounds good, safe, and just what wanted. So I got ball rolling on a tune. And may just give it a good bath today. It needs it!
That is exactly how I should have done mine! But I tried to tape off the recessed lines on the wings, so that it would look kind of striped if you know what mean. Taping off areas like that works fine with paint, but with plasti-dip.....not so much, lol. Needless to say, it peeled when I tried to take the tape off. who would have guessed? I know one person... heh heh.....oops!
You CAN do that with plastidip, BUT, you have to peel the tape off while still wet. Basically, it has to be a thick coat instead of several thin coats... That said, it's still tricky to get crisp lines... I've had varying degrees of success with doing it that way...
You CAN do that with plastidip, BUT, you have to peel the tape off while still wet. Basically, it has to be a thick coat instead of several thin coats... That said, it's still tricky to get crisp lines... I've had varying degrees of success with doing it that way...
Interesting, I had not considered that. It would be hard to get a decent looking coat heavy enough to do it that way on the emblem. But I’m just dumb enough to try it! Ha ha
Thanks!
Interesting, I had not considered that. It would be hard to get a decent looking coat heavy enough to do it that way on the emblem. But I’m just dumb enough to try it! Ha ha
Thanks!
No problem! Like I said, it'll be tricky (especially the way you're trying to do it), but, it's worth a shot... Since it's a heavy coat, I usually tape off around the outside as well... Like any paint job, half the success is in the prep work!
No problem! Like I said, it'll be tricky (especially the way you're trying to do it), but, it's worth a shot... Since it's a heavy coat, I usually tape off around the outside as well... Like any paint job, half the success is in the prep work!
I was this close..lol, in the end I just peeled it off and re-sprayed it. I didn’t try to get cute, just did both emblems all black, except for the logo inside.
I was this close..lol, in the end I just peeled it off and re-sprayed it. I didn’t try to get cute, just did both emblems all black, except for the logo inside.
The other way would have been cool, but it's just so much easier to spray and peel and not have to worry about it... LOL!
So today I was just going to wash the car and call it good. But before I did it I went out to run some errands. While I was out, I took MarioKart’s advice and found a local station that sell E85 ethanol and put 2 gallons of that in the tank, then filled the rest the way up with supreme. It’s supposed to raise the octane to about 93 and run a little sharper. Will make more of a difference after the tune. But after I filled up, I started getting a weird vibration while driving.....oh no what now....flashed through my head....well I had been planning to recheck the torque on the wheels since I had them off. Well when I got home, the right front wheel, all 5 lug bolts had loosened themselves up. Scary.... I had only torqued them to 85 before, then I found a note that R60’s torque on wheels should be 103.3lbs so I retorqued them. Fingers crossed! Gonna go for a little drive now and see how it feels.
Update: drove it for few at various different speeds, and the vibration is gone, funny enough so is the squeaky wheel bearing I’ve had for a while.....hmmm. That figures, considering that I just ordered a new hub for it this morning! Sheesh!
Thats alright though, I’ll still change it out....piece of mind is worth a lot
Last edited by MrGrumpy; Jul 6, 2018 at 05:24 PM.
Reason: Update
So today I was just going to wash the car and call it good. But before I did it I went out to run some errands. While I was out, I took MarioKart’s advice and found a local station that sell E85 ethanol and put 2 gallons of that in the tank, then filled the rest the way up with supreme. It’s supposed to raise the octane to about 93 and run a little sharper. Will make more of a difference after the tune. But after I filled up, I started getting a weird vibration while driving.....oh no what now....flashed through my head....well I had been planning to recheck the torque on the wheels since I had them off. Well when I got home, the right front wheel, all 5 lug bolts had loosened themselves up. Scary.... I had only torqued them to 85 before, then I found a note that R60’s torque on wheels should be 103.3lbs so I retorqued them. Fingers crossed! Gonna go for a little drive now and see how it feels.
Update: drove it for few at various different speeds, and the vibration is gone, funny enough so is the squeaky wheel bearing I’ve had for a while.....hmmm. That figures, considering that I just ordered a new hub for it this morning! Sheesh!
Thats alright though, I’ll still change it out....piece of mind is worth a lot
Hmm. 103!? Hopefully my second round of torque wrenching added enough torque from where I had it set at 85-90.
The correct lug torque is 140 NM or 103 ft lbs. I just went through mounting new wheels and I checked with my MINI tech.
+1
Yeah, I was surprised at how high it is since it is 5 lug and not 4, but 85 is NOT enough, lol.
Damn scary feeling when you can turn all 5 with your fingers! I am so glad that I checked!
Wow, is nobody doing anything to their CMS lately besides me? Or did I kill the thread? Lol.
well I went out today and bought Duncan a Spectre cone filter and an elbow and a few other bits and pieces. Going to do the DIY HAI but not make it hot if I can. I’m gonna try to use the stock airbox to let the filter sit in. That way it can still get some cooler air from the intake vent and box will hopefully help prevent heat soak. I’m considering closing it in but cutting out a good sized hole in the top. in my head, I’m picturing something similar to the JCW kit airbox. But first I’ll leave it kisses for while and see how it does. I won’t be adding any length or bends to the factory intake piping, so it should still flow very well. Fingers crossed!
Well it’s in! Looks alright for a homade intake.
Now im gonna adjust my wastegate a little bit more. I’ve got it almost dialed back down to the factory boost levels. Which I need to do before Mario come up here for my tune, or else I’ll be way above our target boost level with the tune. It’s nice, has bunches of power! But not good Power....AFR and timing need tweaked for more boost to be safe. Too lean right now to boost it that high, I was hitting 22 psi in overboost yesterday....it’s down to 17.5 now.... little more adjustment and I’ll have it right in the sweet spot.
Check out my homemade HAI/CAI not sure which one it is at this point! Lmao!
Think this will work? Any ideas or suggestions? This is just
version 1 so far. I will have to find a little bit skinnier filter and do some trimming to the airbox if I want to put the top on it. If I do, I’ll cut it out like the JCW intake upgrade for the MCS
Last edited by MrGrumpy; Jul 15, 2018 at 06:47 PM.
OMG! Everyone alway says that an aftermarket intake makes more noise, but......Wow! Not only do I hear it sucking air, I hear it pushing air through the pre-intercooler charge pipe, not to mention the spool and whine of the turbo......but the DV is so loud now, that it practically sounds like I have an atmospheric BOV!!! I was cackling and smiling ear to ear while I was testing it out. I love it! Ha ha. Now I just need to delete my 2nd cat and resonator before Mario does my tune. Then I’ll be done for a while (my wallet hopes!) well that and installing an actual boost gauge. I’m still getting a little whistle, even though I checked for leaks and turned the boost back to factory levels. I starting to think that it may very well be the classic turbo whistle I’ve heard about.... but I don’t know because I have never heard it! Lol. Any ideas?
Replaced the AC Condenser on my '12 Countryman S All 4. Some turd burglar backed into one of my Hella rally lights and my mount pierced the condenser as the light pushed back. Needless to say this was an involved repair...whole front end has to come off as you can see.
Replaced the AC Condenser on my '12 Countryman S All 4. Some turd burglar backed into one of my Hella rally lights and my mount pierced the condenser as the light pushed back. Needless to say this was an involved repair...whole front end has to come off as you can see.
Oh dang! That’s a shame! It’s one thing if we do something stupid to ourselves, but when somebody else causes grief, it a completely different feeling. Especially when it happens to such a good looking CM. Is pic #2 all put back together and done? If so it looks great!
Replaced the AC Condenser on my '12 Countryman S All 4. Some turd burglar backed into one of my Hella rally lights and my mount pierced the condenser as the light pushed back. Needless to say this was an involved repair...whole front end has to come off as you can see.
That stinks. Those lights look great and really help in the night. Did it just touch the condenser a little bit? I guess it does not take much if it hits one of those tubes in the condenser.
Be very careful with those Specter filters! I had one on a procharged Mustang and it destroyed my supercharger, lucky for me the intercooler caught all the debris and didn't get ingested by the engine. If you look at the center of the cone you will see a metal cap, this cap is only glued in place. With a hot engine bay combined with the additional suction of a turbo/supercharger, it will rip that metal center cap out. Just a word of warning, oh and spectre will tell you that those aren't meant for forced induction hahaha.
Be very careful with those Specter filters! I had one on a procharged Mustang and it destroyed my supercharger, lucky for me the intercooler caught all the debris and didn't get ingested by the engine. If you look at the center of the cone you will see a metal cap, this cap is only glued in place. With a hot engine bay combined with the additional suction of a turbo/supercharger, it will rip that metal center cap out. Just a word of warning, oh and spectre will tell you that those aren't meant for forced induction hahaha.
Holy crap, that good to know. Looks like I’ll be buying a K&N for it instead, I was going to, as that is what I usually buy. But though I’d try it. The most appealing thing about it for me was the much lighter coat of oil it had. No biggie, I decided to buy a little bit different size and shape anyway to fit just a bit better on the airbox bottom. Thanks, I’ll just buy a K&N!
I have to go to Seattle Mini this morning for a new inlet pipe as well, mine is torn. Dang, thats a lot of scratch for a piece of plastic!
The spectre is temporarily off the car right now and the factory airbox is on. Either my car just makes a weird air rushing sound topped by a tea-kettle whistle, or I have a boost leak or something. I’m trying to track it down, so back went the factory box, lol. I’m getting frustrated though, I might just have to take it somewhere to have them find it if I keep striking out.
Last edited by MrGrumpy; Jul 18, 2018 at 08:07 AM.
Reason: Edit to add
Yes! Pic #2 is all put back together, I'm not as young as I use to be so it's taken me a couple of days to recover from all the contorting that had to be done around the vehicle.
That stinks. Those lights look great and really help in the night. Did it just touch the condenser a little bit? I guess it does not take much if it hits one of those tubes in the condenser.
Yes, it was just a light rub and it didn't start leaking until the a/c system was pressurized. R134a leaking out while on the interstate is an unsettling feeling, it looks like smoke!
The other way would have been cool, but it's just so much easier to spray and peel and not have to worry about it... LOL!
Hmm. 103!? Hopefully my second round of torque wrenching added enough torque from where I had it set at 85-90.
