Drivetrain New MINI S Owner
It just goes downhill from there
I would get an intake and exhaust and some software to match it before you think about getting a pulley. A pulley may be a cheap source for power but lets think about what a supercharger does http://auto.howstuffworks.com/supercharger4.htm by adding a pulley to the supercharger is going to induce more air into the into the engine, the engine requires more fuel right? So by adding a pulley, you would think that you would already have a intake, exhaust, throttle body, Fuel Pressure Regulator; Fuel Tank Pressure Regulator Assembly, and maybe some injectors, and SOFTWARE (don’t forget this little guy) Granted I’m not an expert in the matter I’m just a enthusiast that likes to research the heck out of stuff before I put it on my car. I’m not saying don’t get a pulley as it is a cheap source of power but in my eyes its only going to lead to premature failure of something. I know fellow NAM’ers are going to tear this up by saying they have ran a pulley fine for a while but I’m sure there are some out there that will agree with me or at least add to what I have said. The first mods I did were my intake and stage 3 software and 15min later my exhaust was put on. I do plan on doing a pulley at some point but I’m going to be doing everything I said above before I do. My car is an investment and I plan on keeping it for sometime. I may hold off on anymore “power” upgrades as I know the mini aint the fasted car out there, granted it can be with some $$$ into the cars. On the flip side the mini can handle quiet well out of the factory, but I has potential for MUCH BETTER HANDLING, with some minor suspension mods, just a 19mm rear sway bar was…well wow. You may want to think about what you want from your mini with gas on the rise. FYI I use Dinan products primarily and h&r for my suspension, and some other odds and ends after extensive research.
check out:
www.dinancars.com
www.promini.com
http://www.m7tuning.com/home.html
http://www.altaminiperformance.com/
check out:
www.dinancars.com
www.promini.com
http://www.m7tuning.com/home.html
http://www.altaminiperformance.com/
Last edited by Phantom; Jun 16, 2008 at 04:05 AM.
Thread Starter
|
1st Gear
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
I would get an intake and exhaust and some software to match it before you think about getting a pulley. A pulley may be a cheap source for power but lets think about what a supercharger does http://auto.howstuffworks.com/supercharger4.htm by adding a pulley to the supercharger is going to induce more air into the into the engine, the engine requires more fuel right? So by adding a pulley, you would think that you would already have a intake, exhaust, throttle body, Fuel Pressure Regulator; Fuel Tank Pressure Regulator Assembly, and maybe some injectors, and SOFTWARE (don’t forget this little guy) Granted I’m not an expert in the matter I’m just a enthusiast that likes to research the heck out of stuff before I put it on my car. I’m not saying don’t get a pulley as it is a cheap source of power but in my eyes its only going to lead to premature failure of something. I know fellow NAM’ers are going to tear this up by saying they have ran a pulley fine for a while but I’m sure there are some out there that will agree with me or at least add to what I have said. The first mods I did were my intake and stage 3 software and 15min later my exhaust was put on. I do plan on doing a pulley at some point but I’m going to be doing everything I said above before I do. My car is an investment and I plan on keeping it for sometime. I may hold off on anymore “power” upgrades as I know the mini aint the fasted car out there, granted it can be with some $$$ into the cars. On the flip side the mini can handle quiet well out of the factory, but I has potential for MUCH BETTER HANDLING, with some minor suspension mods, just a 19mm rear sway bar was…well wow. You may want to think about what you want from your mini with gas on the rise. FYI I use Dinan products primarily and h&r for my suspension, and some other odds and ends after extensive research.
check out:
www.dinancars.com
www.promini.com
http://www.m7tuning.com/home.html
http://www.altaminiperformance.com/
check out:
www.dinancars.com
www.promini.com
http://www.m7tuning.com/home.html
http://www.altaminiperformance.com/
But I think im just going to have to sell the mini, Im only 18 and I dont think this is the car for me. Ever since I bought it I wasnt happy about it at all because I knew I made the wrong mistake :( But thanks for all your help guys
Trending Topics
i would start with intake, exhaust pulley. I have all minspeed products and i LOVE them! Pete is a great guy and I have had good experience with Minspeed.
good luck! and welcome to the community!
http://minspeed.net/
good luck! and welcome to the community!
http://minspeed.net/
guys have any experience with the mini madness stage 2 upgrade?
3rd Gear
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 269
Likes: 0
From: Everett, WA
They also know how to overcharge for it!
Really this whole "mods to support your pulley" theory is BS because the stock ECU and fuel system are FINE with any of the pullies out there. If anything the car will run a little rich for most of the powerband. Check the recent dyno results from the RMW tune session in Seattle - stock airbox and stock exhaust were used on a car with header, pulley, cam, and injectors to make 215whp with solid AFRs. The most preparation you need to safely use a pulley is colder heat range spark plugs to reduce the likelihood of knock... the appropriate JCW spark plugs run $32 a set online.
No really... Just get a pulley for now and you'll see a healthy, reliable 20 whp increase. 15% pulley is the most popular because you don't spin the supercharger past its rated max unless you are bouncing off the rev limiter. Also, the larger reductions lead to possible belt slippage, increased heat, and no more power, just more torque down low.
As for all the "staged" upgrades - I don't know why, but these "performance packages" seem to be all the rage in the Mini community. I didn't like the way the vendors say you should progress with the mods... IMO you should start with biggest bang for the buck (pulley+spark plugs, $125ish, $160 with good spark plugs) then go from there. Next biggest bang is usually intake ($200ish), one-ball ($80), and of course the ever-popular RMW tune (~$500 with dyno time). Before going any further, I'd work on the suspension - 19mm rear sway bar is a great upgrade for the street and dials out a lot of the understeer built in by the factory. After that, ditch the run-flat tires and perhaps get some lighter wheels.
I've focused my mod budget on bang-for-the-buck upgrades and have been very happy with the choices I've made. The Mini is blessed by an aftermarket community with reasonable prices, great quality, and few obvious scams. You can build a pretty well-sorted Mini for well under $2k in mods.
PS... here's a few things you might want to avoid as far as mods and bang-for-the-buck
*Throttle bodies - tend to have a higher failure rate than stock and make no more power... all this for a price around $400
*Sprint Booster - this is an electronic amplifier on your throttle signal - again, close to $400 and all it does is open the throttle body faster... so that at 1/2 throttle (foot position) your engine is at 3/4 throttle. Move your foot faster for equal results.
*Plasma Booster/coil upgrades - these haven't shown any real world gains either, and there is nothing wrong with a factory ignition system.
*Intercoolers - there is nothing wrong with the selection of aftermarket intercoolers except their price/hp - put them further down your mod list. The stocker works surprisingly well but can be improved upon...for at least $700.
Really this whole "mods to support your pulley" theory is BS because the stock ECU and fuel system are FINE with any of the pullies out there. If anything the car will run a little rich for most of the powerband. Check the recent dyno results from the RMW tune session in Seattle - stock airbox and stock exhaust were used on a car with header, pulley, cam, and injectors to make 215whp with solid AFRs. The most preparation you need to safely use a pulley is colder heat range spark plugs to reduce the likelihood of knock... the appropriate JCW spark plugs run $32 a set online.
No really... Just get a pulley for now and you'll see a healthy, reliable 20 whp increase. 15% pulley is the most popular because you don't spin the supercharger past its rated max unless you are bouncing off the rev limiter. Also, the larger reductions lead to possible belt slippage, increased heat, and no more power, just more torque down low.
As for all the "staged" upgrades - I don't know why, but these "performance packages" seem to be all the rage in the Mini community. I didn't like the way the vendors say you should progress with the mods... IMO you should start with biggest bang for the buck (pulley+spark plugs, $125ish, $160 with good spark plugs) then go from there. Next biggest bang is usually intake ($200ish), one-ball ($80), and of course the ever-popular RMW tune (~$500 with dyno time). Before going any further, I'd work on the suspension - 19mm rear sway bar is a great upgrade for the street and dials out a lot of the understeer built in by the factory. After that, ditch the run-flat tires and perhaps get some lighter wheels.
I've focused my mod budget on bang-for-the-buck upgrades and have been very happy with the choices I've made. The Mini is blessed by an aftermarket community with reasonable prices, great quality, and few obvious scams. You can build a pretty well-sorted Mini for well under $2k in mods.
PS... here's a few things you might want to avoid as far as mods and bang-for-the-buck
*Throttle bodies - tend to have a higher failure rate than stock and make no more power... all this for a price around $400
*Sprint Booster - this is an electronic amplifier on your throttle signal - again, close to $400 and all it does is open the throttle body faster... so that at 1/2 throttle (foot position) your engine is at 3/4 throttle. Move your foot faster for equal results.
*Plasma Booster/coil upgrades - these haven't shown any real world gains either, and there is nothing wrong with a factory ignition system.
*Intercoolers - there is nothing wrong with the selection of aftermarket intercoolers except their price/hp - put them further down your mod list. The stocker works surprisingly well but can be improved upon...for at least $700.
Former Vendor
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 438
Likes: 0
From: Philadelphia, PA
No really... Just get a pulley for now and you'll see a healthy, reliable 20 whp increase. 15% pulley is the most popular because you don't spin the supercharger past its rated max unless you are bouncing off the rev limiter. Also, the larger reductions lead to possible belt slippage, increased heat, and no more power, just more torque down low.
As for all the "staged" upgrades - I don't know why, but these "performance packages" seem to be all the rage in the Mini community. I didn't like the way the vendors say you should progress with the mods... IMO you should start with biggest bang for the buck (pulley+spark plugs, $125ish, $160 with good spark plugs) then go from there. Next biggest bang is usually intake ($200ish), one-ball ($80), and of course the ever-popular RMW tune (~$500 with dyno time). Before going any further, I'd work on the suspension - 19mm rear sway bar is a great upgrade for the street and dials out a lot of the understeer built in by the factory. After that, ditch the run-flat tires and perhaps get some lighter wheels.
I've focused my mod budget on bang-for-the-buck upgrades and have been very happy with the choices I've made. The Mini is blessed by an aftermarket community with reasonable prices, great quality, and few obvious scams. You can build a pretty well-sorted Mini for well under $2k in mods.
PS... here's a few things you might want to avoid as far as mods and bang-for-the-buck
*Throttle bodies - tend to have a higher failure rate than stock and make no more power... all this for a price around $400
*Sprint Booster - this is an electronic amplifier on your throttle signal - again, close to $400 and all it does is open the throttle body faster... so that at 1/2 throttle (foot position) your engine is at 3/4 throttle. Move your foot faster for equal results.
*Plasma Booster/coil upgrades - these haven't shown any real world gains either, and there is nothing wrong with a factory ignition system.
*Intercoolers - there is nothing wrong with the selection of aftermarket intercoolers except their price/hp - put them further down your mod list. The stocker works surprisingly well but can be improved upon...for at least $700.
As for all the "staged" upgrades - I don't know why, but these "performance packages" seem to be all the rage in the Mini community. I didn't like the way the vendors say you should progress with the mods... IMO you should start with biggest bang for the buck (pulley+spark plugs, $125ish, $160 with good spark plugs) then go from there. Next biggest bang is usually intake ($200ish), one-ball ($80), and of course the ever-popular RMW tune (~$500 with dyno time). Before going any further, I'd work on the suspension - 19mm rear sway bar is a great upgrade for the street and dials out a lot of the understeer built in by the factory. After that, ditch the run-flat tires and perhaps get some lighter wheels.
I've focused my mod budget on bang-for-the-buck upgrades and have been very happy with the choices I've made. The Mini is blessed by an aftermarket community with reasonable prices, great quality, and few obvious scams. You can build a pretty well-sorted Mini for well under $2k in mods.
PS... here's a few things you might want to avoid as far as mods and bang-for-the-buck
*Throttle bodies - tend to have a higher failure rate than stock and make no more power... all this for a price around $400
*Sprint Booster - this is an electronic amplifier on your throttle signal - again, close to $400 and all it does is open the throttle body faster... so that at 1/2 throttle (foot position) your engine is at 3/4 throttle. Move your foot faster for equal results.
*Plasma Booster/coil upgrades - these haven't shown any real world gains either, and there is nothing wrong with a factory ignition system.
*Intercoolers - there is nothing wrong with the selection of aftermarket intercoolers except their price/hp - put them further down your mod list. The stocker works surprisingly well but can be improved upon...for at least $700.
Great post! Some really good advice there. In all honesty billzcat1 is right on the money. Start with the biggest bang for the buck mods and work from there. Get a 15% pulley and a rear sway bar to start. Your car will be faster and handle better. From there if you want more add an intake, exhaust and tune you'll have a terrific street car.
I'd recommend the Alta V1 since I've used it. Others will recommend Webb, Helix, Madness or Craven. Some will also recommend M7. You'll have to do some searching to find what you want to invest in. Good luck
3rd Gear
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 269
Likes: 0
From: Everett, WA
I like the Alta V2 pulley (or any other arbor-and-shell pulley) over the collet-style pulleys (such as the Alta V1). The arbor-and-shell pullies have a sleeve that slides onto the supercharger shaft and then clamps the shaft using cross-bolts. The pulley shell then bolts to that. This guarantees proper alignment of the pulley, assuming the machine shop who manufactured it is even half decent. (I have a lot of experience in this area).
The collet-style pulley is similar. You still have two pieces to the pulley - one slides onto the shaft and the pulley shell bolts to it - however clamping is acheived through the use of a tapered bore on the shell and a tapered/slotted arbor (aka collet), so as the shell bolts are torqued, the collet clamps the shaft. This makes pulley alignment likely but not guaranteed and makes the torque sequence much more integral to proper installation.
I don't know if there are any other arbor-and-shell pullies out there like the Alta V2, but there should be. Other than the clamping method, all the pullies out there are essentially the same and perform the same task very well. Both designs are capable of performing the same task but IME the arbor-style pulley is easier to install correctly.
As for stainless vs aluminum pullies... the weight of the pulley is not particularly important as with such a small diameter, the moment of inertia does not change much... and pales in comparison to the moment of interia of the supercharger and rotating assembly. Stainless pullies are more wear-resistant than anodized aluminum, but on the same note aluminum is much easier to machine, so you'll see more neat features with aluminum pulleys - like the shoulder, cooling vents, and groove-notches (un-coincidentally aligned with the cooling holes lol) like you would find on the Alta V2.
Anyway... that's a lot of words for what should have been a simple answer. Be it Alta or any other pulley, it is still the best BFTB you will find with mods just about anywhere. Best $100-$150 you can spend, bar none. Hope this helps!
The collet-style pulley is similar. You still have two pieces to the pulley - one slides onto the shaft and the pulley shell bolts to it - however clamping is acheived through the use of a tapered bore on the shell and a tapered/slotted arbor (aka collet), so as the shell bolts are torqued, the collet clamps the shaft. This makes pulley alignment likely but not guaranteed and makes the torque sequence much more integral to proper installation.
I don't know if there are any other arbor-and-shell pullies out there like the Alta V2, but there should be. Other than the clamping method, all the pullies out there are essentially the same and perform the same task very well. Both designs are capable of performing the same task but IME the arbor-style pulley is easier to install correctly.
As for stainless vs aluminum pullies... the weight of the pulley is not particularly important as with such a small diameter, the moment of inertia does not change much... and pales in comparison to the moment of interia of the supercharger and rotating assembly. Stainless pullies are more wear-resistant than anodized aluminum, but on the same note aluminum is much easier to machine, so you'll see more neat features with aluminum pulleys - like the shoulder, cooling vents, and groove-notches (un-coincidentally aligned with the cooling holes lol) like you would find on the Alta V2.
Anyway... that's a lot of words for what should have been a simple answer. Be it Alta or any other pulley, it is still the best BFTB you will find with mods just about anywhere. Best $100-$150 you can spend, bar none. Hope this helps!
Last edited by billzcat1; Jun 22, 2008 at 06:07 PM.
Thread Starter
|
1st Gear
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
yes so, I already got the TEIN springs and want to get the rear sway bar also, but for now I'm just worrying about how to get it faster lol. This week Ill be ordering a Intake and a pulley, But im wondering which pulley to get
Will you be installing the S/C pulley, or having it installed?
__________________
6th Gear
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,902
Likes: 2
From: SoCaL (Agoura Hills)
Welcome!
3rd Gear
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 269
Likes: 0
From: Everett, WA
Buy whatever pulley you think looks the coolest. I explained the fundamental differences in the various pulley design. If that doesn't do it for ya, then maybe some flashy web page will make the difference.
1st Gear
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
From: Wa.
I like the Alta V2 pulley (or any other arbor-and-shell pulley) over the collet-style pulleys (such as the Alta V1). The arbor-and-shell pullies have a sleeve that slides onto the supercharger shaft and then clamps the shaft using cross-bolts. The pulley shell then bolts to that. This guarantees proper alignment of the pulley, assuming the machine shop who manufactured it is even half decent. (I have a lot of experience in this area).
The collet-style pulley is similar. You still have two pieces to the pulley - one slides onto the shaft and the pulley shell bolts to it - however clamping is acheived through the use of a tapered bore on the shell and a tapered/slotted arbor (aka collet), so as the shell bolts are torqued, the collet clamps the shaft. This makes pulley alignment likely but not guaranteed and makes the torque sequence much more integral to proper installation.
I don't know if there are any other arbor-and-shell pullies out there like the Alta V2, but there should be. Other than the clamping method, all the pullies out there are essentially the same and perform the same task very well. Both designs are capable of performing the same task but IME the arbor-style pulley is easier to install correctly.
As for stainless vs aluminum pullies... the weight of the pulley is not particularly important as with such a small diameter, the moment of inertia does not change much... and pales in comparison to the moment of interia of the supercharger and rotating assembly. Stainless pullies are more wear-resistant than anodized aluminum, but on the same note aluminum is much easier to machine, so you'll see more neat features with aluminum pulleys - like the shoulder, cooling vents, and groove-notches (un-coincidentally aligned with the cooling holes lol) like you would find on the Alta V2.
Anyway... that's a lot of words for what should have been a simple answer. Be it Alta or any other pulley, it is still the best BFTB you will find with mods just about anywhere. Best $100-$150 you can spend, bar none. Hope this helps!
The collet-style pulley is similar. You still have two pieces to the pulley - one slides onto the shaft and the pulley shell bolts to it - however clamping is acheived through the use of a tapered bore on the shell and a tapered/slotted arbor (aka collet), so as the shell bolts are torqued, the collet clamps the shaft. This makes pulley alignment likely but not guaranteed and makes the torque sequence much more integral to proper installation.
I don't know if there are any other arbor-and-shell pullies out there like the Alta V2, but there should be. Other than the clamping method, all the pullies out there are essentially the same and perform the same task very well. Both designs are capable of performing the same task but IME the arbor-style pulley is easier to install correctly.
As for stainless vs aluminum pullies... the weight of the pulley is not particularly important as with such a small diameter, the moment of inertia does not change much... and pales in comparison to the moment of interia of the supercharger and rotating assembly. Stainless pullies are more wear-resistant than anodized aluminum, but on the same note aluminum is much easier to machine, so you'll see more neat features with aluminum pulleys - like the shoulder, cooling vents, and groove-notches (un-coincidentally aligned with the cooling holes lol) like you would find on the Alta V2.
Anyway... that's a lot of words for what should have been a simple answer. Be it Alta or any other pulley, it is still the best BFTB you will find with mods just about anywhere. Best $100-$150 you can spend, bar none. Hope this helps!
As far as Dinan.... Wheeeeooo....uhh...
been there, done that, bought the T-shirt, drank the drank, ate the cereal. They make a good intake and floormats!