Ok here is my situation. My wife has an 05 MCS. I have put an Alta intake with top, rear sway bar and end links. We live at 7000 ft and I would like a little more giddy up. I have purchased a 17% reduction sc pulley from Alta but have not put it on yet, same for a 0% Alta crank pulley (still don't know if I am going to use the lightened crank pulley). It is a grocery getter and we take a few trips in it, occationally Auto-x.

What would you recommend to get a little more grunt, when we go down to Phoenix we love the way the car drives...lower altitude, I know I cannot really make up for the lack of air but is there anything I can do to help get that pep up here at altitude. Before you answer, she does not want to change the exhaust, she loves the stock exhaust sound. I mean should I just change to colder plugs, maybe a different coil and have a reflash done or what???

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

Move downhill?

You're limited in what you can do, and you'll never recover all the low end that you get down at sea level.

The problem is the one you already stated, less air up there - so you use forced induction to make up for it, but there's always a delay in getting enough in there to make it work. I guess you could add a small turbo to help with the low end, then keep the supercharger for the top end.....

A tune might help a little too, but again, it'll never be as crisp off the line as it is at sea level.

The good news is you get to live in those beautiful mountains! Some things are just worth it.....

 

Start by installing the two pulleys and changing out the plugs to one step colder plugs like These. Choose the DR12S plugs.
I am sure you are going to notice a big difference right off the bat. Enjoy!!

 

The 17% will give you more umph lower in the rpm's, but IMO if you plan to autocross, you should use a 15%.
I run a 17% on the street, love it, but I know at higher rpm's, the supercharger is beaing overspeed, and it is making more heat than power. People who autocross with 17% also notice very high oil temps due to lower water flow at high rpm's due to water pump cavation...the oil cooler is just a loop that runs coolant over it.
As long as you try to stay 1000 rpm or so under redline, or maybe just keep an eye on guages, you should be ok. Also be sure to get a tensioner stop, Detroit tuned, makes a good one that does not rattle like the Alta, since you are much more likely to throw a belt using a 17% during autocross...but the stop is a good thing to have even for a 15% IMO, and chang the belt yearly with the 17%....a bit of work...but you will like the 17 better in town...
An exaust should help. Spark plugs, one range colder, the same as JCW ones are important in a pulley car...change them every insp just like a JCW too!!
Good Luck, and have fun!!

 

On an 05, you already have the " improved " crank pulley damper...it is still dampened, but lighter than the earlier ones. There is much contervesy sorroundind using undampened pulleys in an application that the factory says REQUIRES a damper. Jan at RMW motorworks (a vendor, and MINI tuner) has many pictures of failed lightweight pulleys that have failed on the track. The damper is there to protect the motors beaings, crankshaft, and seals. Not using one...either a lightweight aftermarket one, like offered by WayMotorWorks, a vendor, or the oem is leaving you at serious risk of longterm $$$. Dammage.

 

Hey I'm new to this site but, I live in Denver Colorado. I would agree that the high altitude makes a huge differance in our cars. I am currently running an M7 16% pully and ALTA intake with custom strait exahust, Just theese 3 parts are good enough for a 14.8 second quarter mile at Bandemere speedway outstde of Denver. Keep in mind that I bought a base model S with no options to keep weight down, and took another 200+ pounds out of that in stuff I didn't need. The car now weighs 2660 lbs and loosing weight is "free" speed, think Lotus.

 

Unless your car is a dedicated racer I would not remove the OEM harmonic balancer aka: crank pulley.... The one you have now is lighter than the OEM ones made from 2002-2004 by 3 lbs anyways. And you will age your engine before it's time. And MANY of those aftermarket light weight crank pulleys disintegrate due to the high amount of torque anyways. IMO they are strictly for racing or for kids with parents who buy them cars.

Just install the Alta SC pulley for now. Everything in sucession of order until you reach the goal set.