im new to the world of mini's and want to do some upgrades in the next couple weeks. i was wondering if i can do the list of upgrades i wanted to do and be able to drive the car reliably. here is what i want to do
cat-back exhaust
cold air intake
17% pulley
lightweight crank pulley
bypass valve
msd ignition upgrade
colder plugs
can i do all these bolt-ons without tuning the car immediatly or upgrading the ecu?

 

The ECU will adjust itself OK with the upgrades but a tune will really make it all come together, and probablly add a few HP.

Msd upgrade is debateable..some say stock is just fine.
Heard of some small issues with some of the lightweight crank pulleys also.

Will this be a2% reduced crank pulley?
That will give you a 19% reduction total with the SC pulley.

 

If you are going to change the Crank Pulley you might want to consider the ATI pulley sold by a few vendors instead of the usual aluminum pulley without an dampening.

The % change of your crank pulley will help determine what % SC pulley you will want. Such as a 15% SC with a 1% Crank pulley.

As already stated your ECU will be fine with your planned changes but you will want to save up and get a tune to take full advantage of the changes.

 

For those mods you don't HAVE to get a tune. The stock ECU is very smart and can adapt for those. A tune can help bring it together and making the car smoother and some more power. But you'll be ok till you can get one.

Feel free to call us to discuss your mods you want or to help explain more.

WAY
317.201.8670

 

would a 19% reduction be a little too much? i was just going to do the 17% pulley and stock crank pulley size just lighter. would you recommend a 15% pulley with a 2% reduction crank pulley instead

 

Either find yourself an updated crank pulley from an 05/06 MCS or get the equivalent aftermarket one with the damper built in.

If you are going to purchase a UNICHIP someday ( thinking ahead ) then you may want the 15% pulley as UNICHIP has no map for the 17 or 19. But if you plan on a dyno tune, then you could go smaller.

IMO, a lightened CP is one mod I would not do unless I was going to install it in my dedicated track car.

I ran a while on those mods then began having lean codes. That was fixed by adding some JCW 380 injectors, and the ECU did a fine job of regulating most of that fuel, but my trip/mpg computer was way off. I have since added a UNICHIP which was already set up for my upgrades and was able to increase my gas mileage some and as Way states, it made all those parts work together so much better.

Right now I am seriously considering a tune by Jan in the spring.

 

I have multiple pictures of broken aftermarket undampened crank pullies. I have seen them breakt he oil pump gears also. These are all on tracked cars so be careful what you put on your car if you want it to live. I will be in Rochester in March/April time frame tuning Mini's, BMWs and Porsche's

 

Rochester is cool, but your CT stop is closer for me. Looking forward to it

Here is the aftermarket Crank Pulley with Damper like the 05/06 models use....looks almost like a clone of the OEM part.

 

I have a silicon filled one that is sealed
never had a failure

 

That is ONE piece of info I would love to see get around....there are several threads where people argued till they were blue in the face that non-dampened pulleys were 100% safe......I just said wait and see.....all they could say is they have never see anything but 3rd hand stories of failures.
Now that you have said you have seen them with your own eyes, maybe someone will understand why it came from the factory with a harmonic damper!!
Thanks JAN, you seem to be a busy guy, but you have some great knowledge and experience. I look forward to meeting you in CT.

 

thanks for all the tips and info i think i migh just skip the crank pulley upgrade. i only drive on the street so its not a neccessity

 

Yes def. just do the supercharger pulley for now. I've only seen a couple aluminum crank pullies break, more of them have machining problems. That's the reason we had the ATI damper 2%overdrive made.

 

It'll run fine without a tune but if ya want to get the most out of it and the biggest grin on your face get Jan (RMW) to tune it when he's near you.. BIG DIFFERENCE and worth every penny!!