I have most of the basic mods done to my MINI. (15% pulley, intake, full exhaust, plugs, wires, intake, ignition coil, V2 Intercooler, blah blah blah) I just recently purchased the JCW injectors, as I was told this would be better for the mods that I have done. I will be replacing the valve cover soon, and just wondering while ill have easy access to the injectors, should i just throw them in? Or wait until im about to get the car tuned, and then put them in!? Thanks for your help!!!

 

Its a really easy job to replace the injectors, but since you are going to already have it torn apart, throw them on while you are in there.

 

I waited until just before my tune to install my 450's. I was told my car would run like crap without being tuned for the new injectors. I can't tell you how it ran without the tune and new injectors because I never drove it that way.

Like Longboard110 said, "it's really easy" and quick enough to do at the tune site just before the tune. I would wait if I were you.

Chad

 

The JCW 380's dont require a tune, they are only 40cc's per minute larger than the stockers. With the mods you have you will probably just richen it up just enough to notice a little more power.

Go ahead and throw them in, the car will run just fine, if not better.

 

^+1

 

Alright! I think im going to throw them in! You said that it may make the car run a bit more rich!? She already is running really rich! Concerns!?

 

With the pulley, header, intake, and exahust combo on the stock injectors, its really a wonder that you arent throwing a lean code. I am surprised that you say the car is running rich, do you smell raw gas from the exahust or see puffs of black smoke if you stand behind the car? Is there any possibility of a previous owner doing a tune and larger injectors already?

 

Theres sparkly carbon all over the back side of the MINI, and you can smell the richness in the exhaust. As far as not throwing a code, I have no cat, and an O2 Simm, that takes care of that...Bad idea!? Thanks!

 

Is it a fuel smell or a hot metallic smell? The small specs of carbon are the norm for a CATLESS R53, mine started showing up a couple days after gutting the cat. (NO CRITTERS WHERE HARMED DONT WORRY! ) The o2 syms are good at keeping the light off, but not so good if your car is screaming for help. They have no signal so its like having a MIME yell at you, you just dont know of potential problems until its too late.

 

Hmmm...well i dont drive it much, bc i know it needs a tune. And due to financing, and a vacation this summer, i dont know if i'll be able to get it tuned this summer or not. I sure hope nothing is wrong with it I was talking to a tech @ the dealer hear in town, and he said bring it in and he can put the JCW software on it @ no cost...Good idea in the meantime until i get it tuned!?

 

free JCW tune, do it.

as far as being able to tell if the car is running rich, i'd call it IMPOSSIBLE by smell or soot, you need to use a sniffer to see how it's running under load across th RPMs.

 

Drive it! dont be afraid!

 

You are good drivig it. I would throw the JCW injectors in, then go get that FREE JCW S/W upgrade. You cant really smell a rich car unless it is really dumping fuel, but you can smell a car that runs really lean, it would smell like a welding shop.

 

So, just out of curiousity...do you have the jcw air intake as well as the jcw injectors? Are they going to do this update with just the jcw injectors? The reason I ask is because I was told that I had to purchase the whole upgrade kit to get the software upgrade.

 

Sometimes you can slip the tech at the dealership a 12 pack of something good, and they can accidentally load the wrong (or right depending on how you look at it) software. Not saying it will work for everyone but it does happen.

 

So lets say i have everything that the OP has but the Header and the JCW injectors....Could i get a JCW tune with out those two? Would it help?

 

I dont have the JCW intake...I have an ALTA intake...same idea. All the dealer is doing is uprading the software to the JCW specs...no 12 pack needed He's a buddy of mine

 

What I was told was that the vin number of the vehicle has to be registered with JCW to be able to download the software. The only way to get registered is to purchase either the jcw tuning kit or the jcw upgrade kit for a MCS.

 

They are feeding you a line of BS. The flash S/W that MINI uses can install into ANY MINI regardles of VIN. If said line where to be true, they would not be able to install the tuning kits. Yes they might need a JCW VIN, but with over 1,000,000 of the R50 / R53 generation MINIS in the world they are bound to have one on file. DONT go through the *** GO STRAIGHT TO THE TECH!

 

I'll let the Shop Foreman know he is full of BS.

 

That might be intresting to watch, got YOU TUBE?

 

Hahaha!!! Fun times!

 

**BUMP**

So just getting in from the garage, and my MINI runs like poop now :( I replaced the valve cover like i said was going to do, no issues...Also threw on the JCW injectors...Which by the way were no walk in the park...I had to give it my all just to get the damn things out...ended up breaking 3 of the 4 (not happy), and had one helluva time getting the new ones in...

Matter of fact...I dont even know if they were even installed all the way in...I just put them on the fuel rail and bolted it back down...Perhaps thats the reason why its running so terrible...But i dont know...bounce some ideas around, and lets hope I can get er back on the road!

Any suggestions on how to get those things in all the way!? How the hell does the dealer do it!? Thanks guys/gals!!!!

 

A verry small bit of dilectric greese on the O-rings. DONT GET ANY ON THE NOZZLES, OR IN THE TOP HOLES. You need to line them up verry carefully, and gently push all 4 injectors (attached to the fuel rail) into their respective holes. That is the easyest way I have found.
If you see ANY cuts, gouges, or deep indentations on ANY of the O-rings, REPLASE THEM. A lot can go wrong with a bad ring.

Since you are going to be redoing the install, its a total PITA but replace the VAC line from the fuel pressure regulator to the intake manifold. The factory hard lines have been known to fail and leak. Use a 1/8th inch silicone or fuel line. The nipple on the manifold is way down in a tight spot on the left (as you look at the engine) side of the manifold, and some long angled needle nose plires help. You can also lube the new line with some light penetrating oil to get the hose on. You dont need to replace the line if you dont want to, but it is a little bit of a problem area on older cars, plus its only a couple bucks.

 

Thanks ****! Ill try this tonight when I get home...After the install last night, I noticed on the left side, there was one line that wasnt plugged back in...Theres a spot to the left of the intercooler horn, that has 2 or 3 lines all plugged into it, but didnt see an open spot for this perticulur line...I know this sounds confusing, but I ll post a pic tonight...(I also have a boost gauge installed, and perhaps this line is now uneccessary that I now have the boost gauge installed...Update to come....