Cusco LSD done!
To recap: Lost the none LSD tranny on my '04 JCW after the last autox race of the year. The car has coilovers, strut tower brace, underbody brace, 22mm rear sway bar and -2.5 front camber.

Eventually decided to stick with the 04 replacement tranny vs 05 or 06 because of warranty and cruise control issues. Ordered a "rebuilt" '04 from Cincinnatti Mini for approx. $3160 plus tax. I say rebuilt in parenthases because when it arrived neither myself nor my mechanic could tell that any part of it was not brand new and never installed. Once installed it behaved exactly as the previous stock tranny except that now it will actually go into and out of reverse, first and second in addition to third through sixth.

On Jan's recomendation at RMW I went with the Clutchmaster FX400 clutch and flywheel set and the Cusco LSD. My local Mini certified shop completed the install of all items last Friday.

Have since driven the car about 110 miles while trying to baby the clutch for the first few hundred miles. My impressions are as follows:

The new CM flywheel weighs 14 pounds vs. the originals 30 lbs. The engine definitely revs quicker and makes the car feel "lighter" to me. There is a slight rattle at idle sometimes but it is hardly noticeable and a non issue in my book. Overall I give this upgrade a "B" as in you might do it if you are already in there.

The FX400 kevlar clutch is much different than stock. Pedal effort is definitely alot lighter and I prefer this aspect to original. Clutch engagement is in about the same spot in the pedal travel but the engagement is MUCH faster and harder than stock. Shift timing and coordination is different and takes some getting used to. Once I get totally used to it it will be a good race improvement. Worth doing for very aggressive drivers/racers but I might go with something less aggressive for street only drivers.

Now to the Cusco. Keep in mind that I have not driven a Quaife equipped car for comparison and I have not driven the car too aggressively yet due to clutch break in (please do not reply with "You don't need to break in your clutch." For the amount of money I just spent I am taking the conservative approach.) In spite of this I can already tell the car drives very differently than w/o LSD. It seems to pull harder around turns with little or no wheel spin. When you get on the gas on a curve it grips and goes. I did notice while going fast on an 270 degree offramp that the car jerked unexpectedly to the inside of the curve when I let off the gas, something that did not used to happen (oversteer?). I sense the car being more stable in the turns (as long as you are on the gas) and feel this will lead to better lap times next year due to increased driver confidence coming out of the curves.

As an aside, the Cusco (or maybe the flywheel?) makes this REALLY cool low growling sound at low RPM.

I can't wait to get on it hard just to see what it will do. Too bad the autox season is over. Overall this mod seems to be well worth the money as long as it holds up mechanically. Once I get 3-400 miles on the clutch I will do my best run it through the ringer.

This was also posted in the racing forum section.

Regards
__________________
www.AutoXCooper.com

 

Thanks for your review!

I think the reason why you felt oversteer is because Cusco LSD is supposed to eliminate understeer. When you let off gas during a turn, you definately would go to the inside even without LSD, while before it was just not that much of an effect.

I'm waiting for my FX200 + Cusco to finish soon. They are already installed and the car is ready to be put back together.

 

Glad you're back up and running Funracer!

Questions: What popped in your stock open differential/transmission? Have any photos or it and/or the new Cusco diff? What options did you go for with the Cusco(ie RS or MZ and 1 way or 1.5 way)? Thanks.

Jeremy

 

They noises are probably a combination of clutch chatter, the lightweight flywheel and the diff. Not hurting performance in anyway.


Actually, most manufacturers have very strict break in procedures for Kevlar clutches. Anywhere from 200-600 miles of "easy" driving so the Kevlar can properly heat cycle and harden.

Sounds like you found a great combination of parts!

 

Car would not go into reverse, first or second. Don't know what broke. Shop kept the tranny for the core trade in.

I do not know what options I have on the Cusco. I just put in the one that Jan sent me. All the paperwork that came with it was in Japanese.

Here are some pics of the Cusco. I do not know how to make them smaller.
Click on the links for a couple more:

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...i/101_2446.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...i/101_2449.jpg

 

What kind of LSD is the Cusco? ATB, clutch-pack, etc?

Congrats on all the new fun bits. Like JSC Speed said, kevlar clutches do need strict break-in procedure for maximum grip and life. Just take it easy around town for at least one full tank of fuel. I was able to feel quite definitively when the clutch was bedded-in with both my FX200 and FX300 clutches.

Cheers,
Ryan

 

I hope it wasn't just a shift cable mishap. What happened leading up the the R, 1 and 2 selection problems?

Looks like an RS type 1 or 1.5. See weblink below.

Keep us informed of your impressions please Funracer!

Finally, did you manage to weigh it before the shop bolted the crown wheel gear to it?

http://www.cusco.co.jp/en/parts_prod...rs_typemz.html

Jeremy

 

From everything I hear the Cusco is an awesome LSD and you want one Ryan.

Longboard

 

It's a clutch type.

 

Clutch, from my understanding. Cusco guys seem pretty interested in the MINI community from what I gathered at SEMA. I've seen some other Cusco items, nice stuff.

 

it's a 1.5 with 60% setting
yes ,this is the shizzle

 

Dude that is sick. I want one on my car. pretty freaking bad. Nice setup and thanks for the review.

 

The car was gradually becoming more difficult to get into first gear over the last six months or so. On the way home from the last race this year it finally gave up while my daughter was backing into a parking space. The shop said the tranny lube looked like silver paint when they drained it.

Thanks for the Cusco link. More info there than I know what to do with.

Thanks again for all the comments!

 

Sorry for the double picture in the earlier post.

More pics:

The "rebuilt" '04 tranny:
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...i/101_2419.jpg

FX400 clutch and flywheel set:
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...i/101_2447.jpg

In surgery:
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...i/101_2416.jpg

 

Question: What makes the clutch-pack Cusco better than the ATB Quaife? It was my understanding that you would want complete variability in the amount of power delivered to the needed wheel; a clutch-pack locked at a maximum percentage seems to inhibit this goal. Curious as to why this would be a good thing?

Can anyone help?

- Matt

 

I already have a Quaife in my car, which works amazing on the track. It'll be a cold day in Detroit before I do another LSD install.

How exactly does the ".5" part of the Cusco 1.5 way work? Does it maintain some percentage of lock under deceleration or initial torque? Is the 60% lock under accel...and just like a clutch pack LSD, only after a significant delta between drive wheels? The MINI factory clutch-pack LSD is kinda nice, though the necessity to have wheelspin before it locks up is rather annoying and certainly not smooth on the track. Is the Cusco better?

 

RSR switched from quaife to cusco lsds. randy told me that he felt that the quaife locked up too much, too soon. this lead to understeer when getting on the power at (or before) the apex. he thinks the cusco works much better. i don't know what the "1.5 way" is, but that is the setup that RSR runs. randy, are you out there?

 

It is nice to see an alternative to the Quaiffe as they were really the only game in town worth looking at. There was the low cost Phantom unit but that raised havoc with the rest of the transmission internals. Keep the info coming.

 

I was going to explain it, but Wikipedia's definition is easier to cut and paste:

"The clutch type LSD responds to driveshaft torque. The more driveshaft input torque present, the harder the clutches are pressed together, and thus the more closely the drive wheels are coupled to each other. With no / little input torque (trailing throttle / gearbox in neutral / main clutch depressed) the drive wheels are still coupled somewhat as the clutches are always in contact to some degree, producing friction. The amount of preload (hence static coupling) on the clutches is determined by the general condition (wear) of the clutches and by how tightly they are shimmed.

Broadly speaking, there are three input torque states: load, no load, and over run. Under load, as previously stated, the coupling is proportional to the input torque. With no load, the coupling is reduced to the static coupling. The behaviour on over run (particularly sudden throttle release) determines whether the LSD is 1 way, 1.5 way, or 2 way.

If there is no additional coupling on over run, the LSD is 1 way. This is a safer LSD, as soon as the driver lifts the throttle, the LSD unlocks and behaves somewhat like a conventional open differential. This is also the best for FWD cars, as it allows the car to turn in on throttle release, instead of ploughing forward.

If the LSD increases coupling in the same way regardless of whether the input torque is forwards or reverse, it is a 2 way differential. Some drifters prefer this type as the LSD behaves the same regardless of their erratic throttle input, and lets them keep the wheels spinning all the way through a corner. An inexperienced driver can easily spin the car when using a 2 way LSD if they lift the throttle suddenly, expecting the car to settle like a conventional open differential.

If the LSD behaves somewhere in between these two extremes, it is a 1.5 way differential, which is a compromise between sportiness and safety."

The 1.5 setup is what Randy runs, I believe, which he told me reduces some wiggle under threshold braking. He also said that they are going to back down the lockup (again, as they've done it once already)...

 

thanks for the explaination. i'm almost 50 years old and cannot remember how one learned things w/out the internet.

i like the idea of the 1.5 way helping eliminate the ***-wiggle under threshold braking. i use a lot of lift-throttle oversteer to rotate the car. i wonder how this will change.....

i'll give all my feedback when i get one installed.

 

There was a time before the internet? Hmm the dark ages?
Awesome Im on the list to get one.

 

Finally got my Cusco LSD installed. As I'm still breaking-in my clutch, so I'm taking it easy. The improvements:

1. Accelerating on snow was never as good as now. Now I can accelerate easily on snow without wheel slipping or DSC intervening. So far I haven't broken the traction when accelerating on snow on a straight line. Feels like an AWD SUV now! Just a bit lower, smaller, lighter and less ugly.

2. Accelerating over road imperfection or bumps is also seemingless, as there is no more instant power-loss on them.

3. Cornering on dry pavement feels much easier than before, just like on a straight road. Car doesn't feel any pushing to the outside. Throttling it on the corner does not feel any understeer. Sweet! I can feel the torque differences between two front wheels. It does wonder to balance the cornering force deltas on the front wheels.

4. Steering wheel feels lighter and more sensitive. Especially when cornering, the steering wheel has a much lower centering force, making it quite effortlessly. The car corners fast without me noticing it now.

The only drawback is the extra sound. When on gear slowing down, there's some sort of "clutch-rubbing" noise. When accelerating, there is also extra sound, making the sound louder. However, I can't tell it apart from my Alta CAI. The noise is more prominent when cornering slowly on the first gear. I could hear that partly because my car is quiet (for the wife and the kid). I only have Alta CAI, don't have aftermarket exhaust and I have some sound shield foam in the boot.

The noise is more than my friend's 2008 OEM LSD equipped MCS. But I was told by the mechanic that it's the quietest one he has heard from other people with Quaifes. I can live with that.

 

Tell em to make one for the Aisin 6spd Autos!!!

They'll have at least one customer if they do...

 

My quaife is dead silent, I'm just going through tires like a SUV through a tank of gas

Congrats on the LSD though, hope you really get to put it to the test!

 

Is it because of your header and other sound overcomes the tranny?