Tomorrow I will meet Dan at Grassroots Garage and have him install the RMW cam & header on my bone stock JCW. Will have a good 3 hr drive home so I can post some subjective results. Video to come shortly thereafter, so check back often.

After reading testimonial from others, I can't wait to experience the power and the sound of this combo!!!

 

I like it.

 

+1 for me too

 

I just tried uploading a video, but YouTube is down for maint.

Drove out today to Grassroots Garage in NC and had Dan install the RMW cam and shorty header to my otherwise stock JCW. Here are my initial thoughts. First, the power comes on strong right after letting off the clutch and doesn't let up until around 6000 rpm! The best way to describe the power increase is that it feels similar to the difference between a stock MCS and one with a 15% pulley! In other words, more power and starts earlier. Butt dyno says the combo is probably good for 10-15 hp (realistically it's probably around 10)with the stock tune. I now have torque steer!! Seriously, the power is indeed noticable! The cam has a stock idle quality, nice and stealthy. The header however is not at all stealthy!! WOT is pretty loud compared to the stock exhaust!!! But the cool thing about it is that at idle, it sounds stock, at part throttle, ie normal driving, the loudness is comparable to a tuned after market exhaust like a Miltek or Borla, maybe 15% louder than stock, but push the fast pedal down ALL the way and the volume goes up considerably, maybe 75% louder than stock. I nailed it about 1 block from home and my wife thought it sounded like a low flying WWII fighter plane. Oh, and here is an interesting thing. I zeroed out the trip computer to get an average gas milage figure driving out to GG and achieved 30.5 average mpg. Zeroed out again after install for the drive home and averaged 30.5

I'll post a video as soon as YouTube comes back up. I took it on the way back going through a tunnel. I'll post some more in a few days!!

 

Let her ride around with the full race exhaust for a week or two and the current setup will seem like stock.

 

Here's video #1 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSqOVesRz5I

 

You've got the engine light on if I'm not mistaken...but apart for that, really nice sound!

 

That's the DSC off light

 

Ah, ok, my mistake then Again, great sound

 

Congrats on the install.
+ 1 to Big Howe about the race exhaust

Now you need Jan to tune the car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

lol..... was the car even running?

loud.... you want loud? Get in littlehandegans car..........

 

Told you you'd like it!

I have a few gremlins... My SES light came on a couple of days ago, with a P0300 (random misfires) code... I reset and it hasn't done it again.

The car sometimes seems to stumble a bit at lower RPMS (2000-3000) under load... it didn't do this for the first 5 days I had the combo, but seems to run LESS well now than it did in that range... Gotta check my wires... may throw in some drygas too just in case I picked up some bad fuel... but over 4000RPM the thing is still a beast...

But we'll work through all this, I'm sure. Still loving it.

 

2nd day thoughts: My how quickly we adjust to things. Doesn't sound as loud today as it did yesterday, but sounds good. You can really feel the difference in the power curve down low and in the middle, perfect for street driving.

I'm going to VIR on the Nov. 10th, so we'll see how it does on the track!

 

She wasn't complaining about the sound; actually was laughing herself giddy when I pulled up.

 

Who has done the RMW cam, header and also has pulley, intake, and exhaust? What kind of power are we looking at?

 

Hey Duvinclunk...

If you use the search feature, you'll find all sorts of mentions of power levels, dyno sheets, etc.

I'm doing the same myself, but haven't bookmarked any of the links yet.

RWM CAM is a good search to start with.

 

Haha. Thanks MINI Joe.

 

RMW cam, head, header, 15% pulley, JCW intake, 440's and Miltek exhaust. 234 WHP up from 178.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...&postcount=128

This is on an 03 (09/02 build) with 69k miles. I'd expect nicer numbers from a later year.

 

RMW Head, Cam, Race Exhaust, Tune
440 Injectors, 17% Pulley
Stock IC and JCW Airbox

Over 260whp

Now back to headers and cams.

 

Check my sig, this is still with the stock cat back though and stock head. Check my gallery for the dyno plot before/after RMW tune.

 

I replaced my coilpack today and wires (OEM) and it's idling and running like a dream. No more misfires--mine were P0301 and it got so bad that it was misfiring anytime I stepped on the gas, not just when it was under load.

The stuttering and sputtering has gone away too. The smoke problem I had was fixed by replacing the valve cover gaskets which were leaking.

Richard

 

Interesting.... thanks for the update.

 

Things are not looking good for me. No compression in cylinder 1. This was the same one that had blown a plug--being the reason I bought this car 2 years ago. Engine is coming apart today. And argg, I left the power supply for my laptop at home.....signing off soon.

 

Aww, Octane, that's bad!

 

Time for some CP pistons!