So heres the deal, I just bought an 04 Cooper S. I absolutely love the car! Im looking into doing some mods to it. The car already has an invidia catback, and a JCW intake. I was looking around and trying to see what intakes give the best power. I have heard good and bad things about the jcw intake. So give me your opinions! Thanks

 

We've used or installed every intake you can think of for an R53 Intake and I have to say for fit, finish, quality, design, and actual HP gain we've found the DDMworks Intake to be the best.

 

Your JCW CIA isn't so bad, but the one recommended above does look very nice. I'd recommend doing a 15% pulley next for the most WHP per buck. Just do a search on this forum for "supercharger pulley" for 1000s of opinions on which brand is best. I use Alta, but there are several other good ones.

 

Why would you do the 15% instead of say the helix 19%? Is the 19 pushing it? What is the supercharger good until?

 

It will take some reading, but check out this link: http://www.minitorque.com/forum/f608...s-airbox-2826/
Mine is on the way. What I like most about the design is it won't heat soak like a metal box will. Hope it helps.
Here is another link with more info: http://www.minitorque.com/forum/f610...feedback-3221/

 

19 is pushing it on the heat side. 15 or 17 are your best bets. I run a 17 with no problems on a daily driver.

 

The best intake is the one that SUITS YOUR NEEDS.
They are all about the same buy most tests....
JCW works, but it is to quiet for some....that is why the flap is often removed on them. Plastic, so it resists heat-soak. It is also kinda $$$ new...

The Dinian is a bit louder, but still nice on a DD, and it is what I have....I like it..they are on clearance.Looks like it is OEM. Plastic also to resist heat-soak.

The other open filters with a shield with/without the cover (AKA ALTA, etc).are all LOUD...great around town, but try taking a 4 hour highway trip!

The DDM is nice, but I have 0 firsthand experience!! But the fact it is sealed from the heat of the engine compartment, and the fact WMW's recommends it should speak volumes!!

As for which pulley...do a bit of research...I run a 17%, and love it. It is, like all pulies a compromise....15% better for tracks, and hotter climate, but the 17% is better around town and cruising!! Early on, there was debate about wear fro the 17% compared to the 15%, but people stopped worrying about this a few years ago. I would, IMO stay away from the 19%, just too many issues....but I will say one thing, many have gone from the 15% to the 17%, but not many the other way around.
If you run your car at red-line lots, then you should get the 15%...the SC will be just barely over spun...but you are making mostly heat, not extra power with the other ones at redline....and you have a much bigger chance of having a belt fail (at redline) with a 17 or 19.....by doing yearly belt changes, and having a Tensioner stop, you can minimize the $$ risked from a thrown belt. Remember, the pulley is mostly about making power down low...to get you going!!

 

I like the JCW air box with the flap removed and a ITG foam filter element.

Jim

 

I'm making my own....will be similar to that though my fabrication skills are not quite as good.

- Andrew

 

I think I'm going to do a 17% pulley(ordering today) and try to buy an intercooler I found in classifieds on here(also buying today). What next? Injectors? Tune?

 

Just remove the box, and put a cone filter. Best and cheapest way of going. Anything else that will cost you money is just for looks.

 

Make sure and install some cooler plugs with the pulley to help minimize the chance of pre-ignition.

Anyway, next best bang for your buck will be a cam, injectors (380s can be run sans tune, anything bigger will need a tune when they are installed or you will run way too rich.) and a tune. After that, header and head are the next choices.

 

Who's selling the ITG filters these days? Anyone know the part number?

I had the ITG with the Dinan top for a couple of years (cleaning it regularly) but couldn't find one this year when I went to replace it. I picked up the Dinan one since it was on sale, but I miss the ITG.

 

Let us know how it comes out

 

Stock IC works great for daily driving (great review here showed that stock IC recovered quickly and dealt with heat just fine) and the occasional punch. If you are not going to track the car, you might want to find something else to spend the dollars on.

+1 on colder plugs. NGK Iridiums are the way to go.

 

Min-speed, the ones who sold the ITG filter for Dinan closed....From what I understand, the filter was custom made for them.....So I think it is now history...until someone has ITG make another batch to sell.

 

Good info on both counts...and add a tennsioner stop to the list...that way the damage is minimized if you do break/throw a belt. Also install the plugs into a cold head, and be sure to use a torque wrench, and double check the tightness after a few heat-cycles!

Bang for the buck, a new IC diverter (I like the DDM, but the now discontinued Alta had the sprayers, but any diverter can be modified) with a water sprayer will be a nice mod (still pretty low on the list, but a good thing to do BEFORE getting a new IC)...will help you get some extra go from a heat-soaked stop...
Then perhaps change out the hood scoop....there are a few different ones to pick from, the Voltage and the M7 are both functional, and look pretty good...no matter what IC you have, you MUST have air flow...and more will make the one you have work better, saving you money!!
IF you did get an IC, the GP (has 2 extra rows of fins) that came on the limited edition JCW GP cars is great...about $600+ the diverter, and under hood parts, so maybe $800 total, easy install...has similar construction, and limitations to the orgional, but more cooling capacity. But IC are not as much about making power, as it is ensuring you continue to make power on a hot day....
I personal drool over IC's, but would rather have the $$ in my pocket, and have fun on a cooler day anyway!! The money I saved on IC, paid for my tune, and flash loader....so I get more HP year round....and my car runs dramatically better, with better adjusted DSC, so it no longer flashes.
One more option for hot day, or heat soaked times that works great is the cryo c02 system... is nice...if you don't mind getting re-fills.

 

Hehe, forgot about the tensioner stop. May have to grab one off of Pete before I move.

 

DDMworks intake FTW. I had an Alta for about a week and sold it. The DDM works fit and finish is VERY nice, and it is not too loud for daily driving. You still hear a nice hissing noise and supercharger sound under hard acceleration, but not overkill for long highway trips.

Also have the DDMworks intercooler diverter. Went with stainless steel. Again, very nice almost OEM quality fit and finish, and seals to the hood perfectly.

The Alta diverters didn't seal all the way and were made of mild steel and will start rusting underneath the paint.

 

As all the replies suggest, the smallest 19% SC pulley will overspin the supercharger at high RPM producing too much internal heat, so you defeat the purpose of increasing your boost. Hot weather and high RPM driving could induce heat overload which may cause premature wear or failure or other mechanical issues. 15-17% is the best choice for most daily drivers. The JCW R53 came with a ~14% pulley. Here's a quote from Mini Mania:

 

the JCW box with the flap delete is the best box out there........... it's on all of the top hp Mini's

 

Why don't you check your car inside and out...before ordering mods?

It will save you money by just looking...Why buy a 15%-17% Pulley...you might have one by just looking?

 

NO it's still available. We bought Minspeed last year and I still have the Foam filters for the Dinan intakes here in stock, just haven't got them on the website yet.

WAY

 

I have experienced three different intakes on my '05 MCS over the course of the last 3 months. I'll start by noting that my car has a 16% M7 pulley already installed.

After purchasing the car in June '10, I started with the stock intake which seemed to work great. Then I began to yearn for more. After doing quite a bit of reading here, I determined that the DDM Works CAI would suit my taste the best. I purchased a used one from another fellow NAMMER and was generally pleased with it. It pulls hard and sounds like, well ya know, ****en awesome! However, and this is something to consider, it has the most annoying whistle under a variety of throttle positions (mostly light throttle, regardless of speed). It just doesn't seem to matter where it's positioned (except for dead mash) it still whistles. I thought I'd just turn up the stereo and live with it. Well, I opted to move forward... The whistle was just too much for my liking. The supercharger sound IS awesome though.

So I've now opted for a used JCW intake with an Alta rechargable foam/wire filter. I left the flap out and the thing sounds great! It pulls as hard as I want and looks like it's supposed to be there under the hood. It does have a minor whistle though at only one particular throttle position, but that's totally tollerable and not enough to matter. The car is now back to ALL MINI components and I have no worries when smog time rolls around... AND so many folks here seem to be overwhelmingly happy with the JCW application so I chose to go that route.

As for h/p gains... I don't believe there's too much to gain with any of the intakes. Maybe a couple or so. But for a daily street machine it really matters not, don't you think??? I will say that I'm pleased with my latest choice and that the DDM, while very nice in every way, will be for sale here on NAM sometime tomorrow afternoon.

To quote one of my all-time favorites, Dennis Miller; "That's just my opinion, I could be wrong."

 

Hello Way,
I'd like to know what is the hp gain for a 2009 Mini Cooper JCW with the DDMWorks RIS when the DDMWorks RIS is installed? Thanks buddy.