What are the tuning options for the MCS R53? I've been searching and can't find anything good.

I come from the EVO community and we have many tuning options..

openECU (FREE)

AEM, Greddy E-manage, Moton, MegaSquirt, Cobb AP, etc etc..

I don't really want to get just a AFC, because I want to control things like timing as well. AFC just don't do a good job..

How safe is it getting a Header/Cat-back/Test Pipe/CAI w/o getting a tune???

If you change out your exhaust for a turboback, you will need a tune. If you get a cone filter, you will need a tune to get the most power and reliability from the vehicle.

I think the MCS community is much larger than the EVO community, so there has got to be something, right?!

Please let me know!

 

There is plenty information on tuning on this board. Your best bet is to talk to Jan @ RMW. You can find plenty of info and dyno sheets on this board of cars with RMW parts.

What kind of mods do you have currently or are planning on getting ?

 

Depends on how good the tuning options are.

 

You can throw away your usual ECU tuning suspects; none of them support drive-by-wire throttle body setups. This leaves only piggybacks and custom ECU flashes [like Jan from RMW, he's the best in the MINI world]. Since the MINI is MAP based, most usual bolt-ons do not require an ECU tune. This is wildly different than the usual Evo setups.

You're best off to bolt on all you like and then finish it up with a custom tune. Your best power best are, in this order, supercharger pulley [15% is best], RMW or Thumper ported cylinder head with hotter [RMW or Schrick] camshaft, [RMW] merge-collector header and [RMW, Milltek, Borla Race, Magnaflow] cat-back exhaust, GRS intercooler, and [ALTA/DDM/Craven] cold-air intake.

Cheers,
Ryan [signed up on EvoM but mainly a lurker]

 

and just for you since your a "newbie" even though im fairly new as well RMW is revolution mini works. website is www.revolutionmini.com but he does not have nearly all of his parts that are for sale listed on line. he is fully custom, but the best in the buisness. if you truely want to go all out he even has choices of entire new stroked engines moving the displacement from 1.6 to either 1.8 or a 2.0 L, with many of his wonderfull new parts, and the 2.0L will soon have an eaton TVS roots type supercharger (the same one used on the new corvette ZR1) he also has turbo conversions and some other high-power mods. (even got a non-S to put out over 200 horses from a 1.8L stroked engine naturally asperated with one throttle body (special race class)). here is his myspace page http://www.youtube.com/user/revolutionmini
check it out.

 

If you haven't found anything good, you must not be searching very hard.

I too will recommend Jan at RMW. Read around here for a while and you'll find all kinds of threads about his products. You can run a header, catback, or CAI without getting a tune. You won't get the most possible out of those pieces without a tune, but your vehicle will still be driveable and perform just fine on the stock tune. As has been told to me by Jan, running a test-pipe (read: no cat) will not yield a gain in performance.

 

Jan's site just sucks. I give him ***** all the time because he "IS" missing out on business.

Longboard

 

lol, and i completely agree wouldn't be that hard to upgrade it either. all he needs to do is put some youtube links, and updated full parts lists with a few dyno's, make it look all over more professional, and get some pictures .

 

I can't keep up with the orders now.... what the heck will I do when I get 2x as many orders?

 

Clone yourself....just sayin

 

if it was only that easy

 

Sniper has a tuning system ($1k +), and Hydra has a full stand alone... ($2300) You will lose your cruise control.

Minis suck for self tuning !!! Custom maps are the only way you are going to get it.

 

I have a pair of ruby slippers somewhere

 

Best ones out there RMW Tune (dimsport software) and the Up and coming MEMS which stands for Mynes Performance Engine Management System its a plug and play stand alone and you can keep all your creature comforts ie. cruise control.

 

waiting for the RMW remote tune to be available...

 

RMW Jan Tune.

 

I have the first remote tune flashing unit in my hands now. It needs to be tested to make sure it works with the Mini protocols

It won't be long now!!!

 

Hey Jan, just a HELLO from all the way from down here...great news.
Manuel

 

Manuel
I hope to be able to ship you the flash loader in 2 weeks

 

I want to be on the list from who will get the remote tune.

 

you're in the Bay area...Jan is in LA, I don't have his tune YET but it is certainly worth the day trip. Figure out how much whp you want to end up with...then post back, it'll be easier to find you the cheapest way to get that much hp reliably that way.

At the 200-220whp range 15% pulley, RMW Header, RMW cam, JCW intake, JCW injectors. Good Reliable Power

 

Honestly, 170-185whp peak on a low reading mustang dyno I guess..

I'm more interested in power under the curve, peak power is just bragging rights, power under the curve is what makes your car fast.

The one thing that bothers me is the car feels painfully slow under 3K rpm.

I'm not looking for a high HP Daily Driver, because I can always drive the much faster EVO.

 

i'm reading 162whp (186 crank hp) on a dynapack dyno with a 16% pulley, DDM CAI and stock exhaust. hoping that the RMW tune can get me close to 180whp

 

Start with a pulley. Either 15, 16, or 17% reduction. If you are only using the Mini for street driving the 17% may suit you better as it will get the SC spinning sooner and help out even more so at low RPMs. The only "problem" with pulleys larger then 15% is that they over rev the SC before redline. But several 17%ers have proven reliable. Do some searches on pulley sizes.

Mini's typically dyno stock in the 150-155 range for an 05'-06' a pulley adds 15-20 hp as you are raising the boost from ~10.5 to 15-16psi. Put a JCW intake on there and go get a tune from Jan and you will see your numbers and a much larger area under the curve. And you'll be out less then $1k. If you end up wanting more throw the header, cam, injectors on there and get retuned and find about another 25-30whp.

 

agreed the pully is the best bang-for-your-buck mod out there for beginners
also, be careful when saying things like "much faster evo". you have to remember, not all mini's are created equally i may be overestimating jan's mini, but something tells me it could give the evo a run for its money on the track when he is finished with it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFVUvZG207A