do it!

 

I will add this that after having talked to every possible respected tuner/mechanic about the pulley upgrade they all agree that the 15% is the way to go.

This can not be denied. The over whelming majority of mechanics and tuners will tell you the same thing that the 15% is the best and the safest pulley if your planning to go with a pulley upgrade.

Of course every non professional/mechanic driver will have his or her opinion as to what is the best. If you still are in contemplation and are concerned, just ask the professionals. I would even consult a professional racer that has seen it all and done it all. They all say the same thing. The 15% is the best and safest.

I have had my 15% from day one and have over 30k miles on it without any issues.

 

Keep an eye on your Wheaties

 

As someone said earlier; the only regret I've ever heard about a 15% pulley was not having done it sooner! And when Chad installs it you know it was done right. Don't hesitate!

 

Can't imagine why anyone would regret a 15%. Especially when it is so close to the JCW size you know it has to be a good idea.

I agree moving to a 18-21% total reduction can have some going back down a bit for a variety of reasons (not wanting the addl risk, or willing to purchase the right supporting mods etc.) But I dare say you can't go wrong with the 15%.

Good luck on the decision!

 

I've been runing the Alta 15% for well over 136,000 miles now, and as stated by others, the only regret is not getting it sooner. Kinda eyeing the 17-19% now though

Nik

 

Sorry for the confusion; it was the crank pulley. The tensioner retention arm failed to hold the tensioner back when the new Gatorback belt failed. Thus, the tensioner wheel was pushed by the tensioner spring onto the crank pulley, grinding the wheel and distorting the crank pulley grooves.

Cheers!!

 

So it didn't bounce off the crank pulley, ricochet around the engine, smash through the transmission case and end up lodged in the flywheel?
I was getting a great animated visual of that.

 

I have a stock pulley. The only reason I could image that someone would regret changing to a different size is if they wanted to compete with a group (let's say SCCA) and found that the pulley put them in a class that they'd rather not be competing in.

 

Gentlemen,

I'm new to the site and relatively new to the mini scene (having now owned an '05 R50 and an '06 R53)...I own mine in South America - Chile...

question: apart from this apparently safe mod, is there anything else one should consider as part of changing the pulley...let's say only 15%?

 

Really? Cause I've never heard a bad thing about a 19% except from people who have no experience with them.

 

I don't think you need to change anything with the 15% (though some people prefer to change the belt). I believe the 19% requires injectors, belt, CAI and possibly a tune.

 

More misinformation. 19% requires nothing but a new belt.

 

Bienvenidos a NAM!
Only other thing I did was a CAI (Cold Air Intake) to help the SC breath a little better, and switch to one step colder plugs at your next plug change.

 

I've seen a 19 toss codes but the guys MINI wasn't taken care of very well and it could have been something else. I now have a new code reader so that I can see what is happening.

19% also increases heat so folks is hotter climates might have some issues with that possibly.

Other than that, I do know of two others running them and they have no known issues.

 

Never had a code due to the pulley. I even have stock plugs still

 

Hmm, you are making me wonder if I shouldn't go with the 19%...

 

15% is a no brainer, IMHO--can be done with no worries with regard to performance/longetivity. It appears there is an attempt here to justify 19%, but there are downsides, as a search here will quickly reveal. Just be aware of these. The extra reduction just isn't worth the risk, IMHO, but to each their own.

I have had a *brief* experience with a 19%, but didn't track it, just drove it at regular speeds. Didn't really notice that much difference, but then I didn't push it. The owner wouldn't track it either, and in fact eventually removed it--on the track, his interior looked like an jet aircraft spiralling down for a crash, with error codes going off every which way....Fortunately these were visual cues, had they been auditory, he would have never heard them over the squeal.

To each their own. 15% is tried and true; personally I'd have too many issues/concerns with 19%...

A 19% pulley, to me, is analagous to "Spinal Tap's" amp that goes to eleven...

 

Me too. I have a 16%, because I was under the impression that with a 17% and higher pulley, it is strongly recommended to get larger injectors, especially if you get a flash.
When I had my pulley done, it was on a group mod day, and I also got the GIAC flash for it. With the GIAC flash, it says that the flash for the 17% or 19% requires larger injectors, such as JCW 380's. Unfortunately, I didn't have the funds at the time to get the injectors as well, so the 16% worked well.

Also, I have heard that when venturing into the realm of the 19% area, you may begin taking a poke at overall longevity of the SC.

Like it was said before, any % is a great mod, just be aware of things such as supporting mods that may be required for the longevity of the motor if you plan on doing other things.

When all is said and done, just have fun with it!

 

Thanks for the tip...next time I'm in Houston (probably in March), I'll pick up the parts and bring them down for the install...I'll drop a line and some pics afterwards...saludos from Chile.

 

the short of it !!

 

I've had both the 15% and 19%, and I like the low rpm torque of the latter. But, adding larger injectors is a good idea with the 19%. I had some lean spots before the RMW tune, even with JCW 380s.

Here are a couple old-but-good posts on 15% vs. 19%:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=22636

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=21657

 

I had the pulley installed when i had 659 miles and haven't looked back.Actually it was my first mod,one of many.Q

 

Man... I'm getting more and more tempted by the 19%...

 

exactly, thank you.