Well I'm sure someone will get to the bottom of it.. it's weird it's happening on some and not on others... is it the guys with bigger exhaust ports or is it happening on a range of heads?

 

It appears to be both style heads

 

Is there any similarity in the batches of headers they have? This is weird, luckily there is more then enough time to figure it out before I can buy the header.

 

We might have been further forward on Saturday if it wasn't for those pesky Lap Dancers............................

 

same parts used in all of them
I wish we could find one local that is doing it

 

Hey M Zero,

I've got an automatic, with a recent header purchase... and have no issues with vibrations/jackhammering/etc with my one-ball exhaust.

Not sure if there's anything to "figure out" with the issues some folks are having.
I've tried my best to duplicate what Blimey and others have been experiencing... and didn't have any issues...

Heck, it's even got the heat shield installed on it...

 

Why would you say this

With as many people posting they have issues with a resonant vibration. Its quite obvious that we need and want to find a solution. It's not a problem with the header but it is a problem caused by the header.

With more power comes issues with "comfort". I think were just seeing some of this and trying to work together to resolve it.

Glad yours works perfect for you....

 

I just meant that I don't think this is a design flaw that needs to be "figured out" as much as what certain folks have in common who DO have the vibrations...

Also, I didn't mean to say that people weren't having problems... what I was saying is that I have a recently purchased header... installed... and don't have any issues with it.

Didn't want this to turn into a "bad batch of header" discussions.... and as has been said many times, nobody in the OC area is having issues with theirs.

So who's volunteering to drive out to southern California and let Jan look at their Mini?

 

Myself and Duvinclunck will be driving to Jan's first of next year.
Of coarse resolving the issue before then would be ideal

I agree with you, I don't think has anything to do with a "bad batch" or the quality of the headers. Mine was installed about 5 weeks ago, Cluncks we installed last Sat

 

Exactly - no finger pointing going on here... just trying to find some (any?) pattern... and reliable fixes / workarounds.

Jan's still my hero. Did a track day today and my car was able to hang with (or pass) all but the hardest core track-prepped cars in the intermediate group... pretty awesome considering (a) it's a heavy cabrio, (b) it has a slushbox, (c) I weigh 100+lb more than many of the other drivers and (d) this was my FIRST track day... all this with the stock head...

I earned point-bys probably 40 times in 5 sessions. I gave ONE. To another car with the header. And then I hung onto to him for the rest of the session... RMW stuff WORKS.

 

I love seeing the Cabby's out there kicking it on the track..... great to hear!!!!! Mini Joe has one quick little Cabby too with the slush box. It would be great to get a few of you guys together at one of the Mini meets and have a shoot out for fastes Cabby with slush box with stock head

 

I'm all for that one... of course I'd have to dust off my old "sneaky bastard" volumes from the old 5.0 days.

I wonder how Blimey was about to get on the track in his convertible without a roll cage! I'm more then envious!!!

Speaking of fast cabbies... I'm still detonating like CRAZY. Wonder what is it about the 2008s that's being a PITA. Guess it's up to OC for some more dyno/tune time... ouch. Don't twist my arm or anything

 

come on up
I'll be at the dyno tomorrow afternoon

 

One possible thing that may help: I have the NEWER TSW engine dampner and like I have stated before do not have any vibration issues that people are talking about. It is an inexpensive enough mod to give a shot. As far as bang for the buck it is my favorite.

 

I have a VIP damper. Makes no difference. But good thought.

My vibration does not seem to be an engine vibration that is passed back along the exhaust - though at least one person has had that problem, also...

 

Had the car at Grassroots Garage today to look for anything that might be causing my high rpm vibration rattle. Dan found a couple loose things and I think we cleared that problem up. I am vibration free

 

Obviously a different vibration we're trying to figure out. Luck you.

 

Yeah... I saw davisflyer on Monday and reproduced my vibration for him... his response was something like "Oh.... no... I don't have THAT!"

BTW... his JCW exhaust with the shorty sounds FANTASTIC.... I gave him a point-by just so I could ride his tail and listen to it... that's my story and I'm sticking to it...

 

Paul,

Are your doing the BMW Performance Center track day in Greer on December 14th?

 

Prolly not... I think I'm all out of kitchen passes for the year. Gotta save up for next season...

 

So turns out I don't have the vibration issues. I had some rattles but found out that my Invidia resonator was toast---completely worthless and was leaking all over. Also found out that one of exhaust hangers was torn, and there was a loose bolt holding the tips together. Once it was all tightened down or parts replaced and rewelded, all is fine.

 

Good to hear - I'll take you off the list

 

Sweet music isn't it!! Paul is being gracious, I have the video, I gave him no other reason to let me pass. I think he was just bored being out in front and wanted to have someone in front of him to harass.

As stated earlier, RMW ruled the day!!

 

My jackhammering rattle is FIXED... put it on the lift at the exhaust shop for the resonator install... exhaust guy starts grabbing various parts of the exhaust and shaking. When he grabs it up forward of the front hanger and shakes, the thing flexes in an odd way... I tilt my head to one side and say "Huh? Is all that flex coming from the flex joint?" and the exhaust guys says "nope... it's flexing right THERE" and points to the intersection of the flange and the catback... bloody thing had broken loose, but was still connected... he welds it up on the car, and NO MORE RATTLE.

I still have resonant vibration in the catback at the same frequencies... but it's well within the limits of what I consider "normal" for a free flowing header/exhaust. I can hear it resonate at those RPM points... but the thing doesn't rattle like it's about to fall off...

Exhaust guy charged me $20 and sent me on my way... Booyah!

 

Wha wha wha wha wha????
Booyah is right!

I'll go ahead and be the first to ask the question... where exactly was it broken... on the header/cat side or on the stock Mini exhaust side?