I'd like some feedback to help me make a decision. It feels like Mini got it pretty close to right with the MCS as far as every day performance. I have already upgraded to a Pilo intake and ignition system and a B&M short shifter. Does the extra 15-18 hp with a 15% pulley kick in enough under normal driving conditions to make it really worthwhile? To what extent do you feel that it changes and makes for a more satisfying daily driving experience? Thanks!

 

>>I'd like some feedback to help me make a decision. It feels like Mini got it pretty close to right with the MCS as far as every day performance. I have already upgraded to a Pilo intake and ignition system and a B&M short shifter. Does the extra 15-18 hp with a 15% pulley kick in enough under normal driving conditions to make it really worthwhile? To what extent do you feel that it changes and makes for a more satisfying daily driving experience? Thanks!


A lot of MCS owners have replaced the factory pulley with the 15% one and do report some significant performance improvements. Basically this boils down to what your performance expectations/needs are on a day to day basis. Also keep in mind that replacing the pulley may compromise your warranty coverage so it is a decision that needs to be taught out for a little while.

As for me personally, I love the way my '04 MCS drives and performs right out of the box. The car has the exact amount of perfomance I need and want for daily driving so based on that I have decided to postpone any mods and go full "Stock" for the time being.

If I ever feel the need for extra HP and torque I might go for the JCW package upgrade, but for now I am very happy with what I have.

 

I drove Alice stock for about 8 months, then added a BMP intake and loved the increased airflow. Another 5 months and I had the 15% pulley installed. WOW! Huge difference in my daily driver MCS. If I was replacing Alice for some reason (say the '05 comes in orange or something), I'd get the pulley done as soon as I was sure the engine was stable.

 

I've been driving cars now for 20 years and the MCS pulley mod is the first ever engine mod I've done to a vehicle. What a good feeling it is.

 

Bought my Mini on the 15th. Put the pulley on the 20th. Much much more fun driving experience. Makes for a better daily driver in the sense that moving with and through traffic is smoother and reuires less concern and stress. If you need to pass one more car on the interstate before your exit, its a done deal. Have to be the first one out of a light to make your turn... taa daa, you're a winner. I highly recommend it if you have the means... to paraphrase Ferris Bueller.

 

Get the pulley. You WILL NOT regret it. It made a huge difference!

 

Oh my God does it ever! Unlike the intake, for instance, which you don't really hear or feel in daily driving b/c it doesn't do anything under WOT, the pulley not only increases torque around 15lbs, but it moves the torque curve to the left. What this means is you'll experience torque much earlier making the pulley very noticeable evey time you touch the gas! Really, it does. The pulley is the most logical power mod, IMO, for the daily driver. You'll appreciate every time you pull out into traffic, change lanes, pass someone on the highway, avoid another vehicle, etc, etc, etc... Plus it gives the most bang for the buck by far versus any other power mod. Helix for example, only charges about $100 for a pulley and not much more for installation. I paid $400 for mine a year ago and would probably have paid 2-3 times that if I had to. Well, well worth it. I don't think my MINI would be this much fun still after driving it for 16 months and 34k miles if it wasn't for the pulley.

 

Pulley....Pulley.....Pulley.....Pulley....Pulley.. ..Pulley.....Pulley....Pulley.....Pulley.....Pulle y....Pulley....Pulley.....Pulley....Pulley.....Pul ley.....Pulley....Pulley....Pulley.....Pulley....P ulley.....Pulley.....Pulley....Pulley....Pulley

My wife and I have TwOMinis, both S models, purchase within 2 weeks of one another...The difference between the 2 cars is like night and day. Go for it, you won't be sorry.

Enjoy


His, Chile RED all over, Madness Intake, Magnaflow, Helix pulley & RDR Swaybar
Hers, EB UJ on top, Bone Stock

 

>>I'd like some feedback to help me make a decision. It feels like Mini got it pretty close to right with the MCS as far as every day performance. I have already upgraded to a Pilo intake and ignition system and a B&M short shifter. Does the extra 15-18 hp with a 15% pulley kick in enough under normal driving conditions to make it really worthwhile? To what extent do you feel that it changes and makes for a more satisfying daily driving experience? Thanks!


I DEFINITELY recommend the pulley. I, like my brother Greatgro have the 19% pulley and what HUGE DIFFERENCE. You'll feel like you have twice the power.

My other car is a Z06 Corvette, so the stock MCS was way too slow for me. The MCS with a pulley is still no where near as fast as the Z06 but it's extremely fast for a Mini. You will feel the torque gain and you'll have it about 2k-3K rpms. You'll near worry about pulling onto a highway or busy intersection. Intake, exhaust, make little difference, but the pulley is well worth the money. Now I drive my MCS everyday.

RaceCarDriver

 

What if:

a.) I do the 15% pulley and my dealer won't touch it under warranty on anything engine related?

b.) I do the 15% pulley and can't pass CA smog anymore?

c.) I want an original pulley put back on for warranty service or smog...how and what do I need to buy to make it "stock" again? Can you just BUY a factory pulley assembly?

 

Careful with those 19% reduction pulleys......yesterday at my dealer someone in a fairly new MCS with a 19% pulley had his supercharger totally trashed to pieces....service dept looked at, saw the aftermarket pulley and said "Sorry buddy, this is not covered under warranty".


A 15% pulley properly installed should not be a problem but always keep in mind that this may or may not have a negative effect in your warranty coverage. Some dealers don't even care while others apparently do.


I am going "stock" for the time being. Love the performance of my MCS right out of the box and don't feel the need to replace the pulley, but if the "bug bites" I might later on.

 

The OTHER opinion

I have the 15% pulley/ECU etc and WOULD NOT RECOMMEND IT if you are only driving on the street.

It is wonderful and intoxicating to get your boot into it and get that supercharger spooled up but if you do it at less than WOT there's not that much of a difference.

If you are using WOT often on the street you either live in a very rural area or you are about to lose your license.

If you live in a cold climate cold snow tires will seldom hold the torque so you will see lots of flashing DSC lights all Winter. If you turn off DSC then make sure you have both hands on the wheel when you light them up.

It's a big (Edited to meet posting guidelines) thing for a lot of people but my advice is - if you are not tracking the car - why risk your warrenty for something you will seldom really get the benefit of. Spend the money on a sway bar/springs/shocks and you will be able to have more fun unless you are a drag racer at heart. In which case why did you buy the MINI?

Let the flaming begin.

 

Gordon, all very valid points. I tend to agree with you. I don't do any sort of racing with my MCS, hence Ihaven't felt the need to upgrade the pulley. At the very least, it is a wonderful thing to have such a cool car that you can tinker with and get significant performance gains.

But to me the warranty is very valuable to lose over a few HP more in the powerband IMO.

 

By all means, the Pulley is the single best value in Power per Dollar for the Cooper S, hugely noticable increase in horsepower and torque. Yes, if you're paranoid about your warranty, then don't do it. As the saying goes; "You gotta pay to play"

Motor-On,
Ryan

 

>>Careful with those 19% reduction pulleys......yesterday at my dealer someone in a fairly new MCS with a 19% pulley had his supercharger totally trashed to pieces....service dept looked at, saw the aftermarket pulley and said "Sorry buddy, this is not covered under warranty".


Who was this and at what dealer was it? When you say "trashed to pieces" what do you mean. Helix is the only company that I am aware of installing the 19% pulley. We have a complete database of cars with the 19%. None of our customers have had problems with the 19% pulley.

 

I'll pipe in for the stock folk as well. I'm sure most of those with the pulley are quite happy with it. For day to day driving, however, the stock S has worked fine for me. Absolutely no problem pulling out on to the highway from on ramps and joining the 70+ mph traffic in a few seconds. As long as you select the right gear you'll be fine.

 

That's the way Helix, ask the questions. You beat me to it! Let's find out more about this b/c if you all remember, the same stories came out last year about the 15% pulley and the stories didn't hold water.

 

I was already leaning toward the 15% pulley........and the favorable comments here
have tipped the scale. I think there is still a higher level of satisfaction to be gotten
from this car and I'm comfortable with the risk and cost involved.

I spoke with Eric at Helix this morning and have made an appointment to have the
pulley installed on Tuesday.......will report back on my experience.

 

>>Careful with those 19% reduction pulleys......yesterday at my dealer someone in a fairly new MCS with a 19% pulley had his supercharger totally trashed to pieces....service dept looked at, saw the aftermarket pulley and said "Sorry buddy, this is not covered under warranty".
>>HOLD UP THERE Cooper4us,
Before posting such a statement take the responsibility of posting all the details. We as a community of MINI owners are watching the development of these engines for our own purposes and feedback from the community has to be creditable.
To be creditable means you should provide the information necessary to follow-up and investigate such a claim. I am sure Helix will do this beyond a self interest as a vendor but for the community as well.
>>
>>A 15% pulley properly installed should not be a problem but always keep in mind that this may or may not have a negative effect in your warranty coverage. Some dealers don't even care while others apparently do.
>>
>>
>>I am going "stock" for the time being. Love the performance of my MCS right out of the box and don't feel the need to replace the pulley, but if the "bug bites" I might later on.
HOLD UP THERE Cooper4us,

 

Hello everyone:

Sorry for the stir my statement about that MCS with a failed 19% has caused. Should have done more research before posting my comments. I will try to find more info about the car in question sometime next week.

Please accept my apologies.

 

let's call it like it is...the 19% pulley is not for everyone. It requires more judicious use of the extra power and may demand race car handling and driver skills. your ordinary street racer is going to get into trouble with it.

 

About the pulley, I've been in a car b4 before and after the pulley- it is noticable. The 19% I've heard mixed things about. I know Randy says it has potential issues (one is water-pump cavitation), and it also generates a higher amount of heat.

The 15% and 17%, however, seems fine.

Ok, so your saying "put your money where your mouth is", well I plan on an intake, possibly ECU. Pulley, may not. I think the MCS is decent on power. Could use more, but not bad. My other big reason is as Ryan says- pay to play. I plan on going back to school (I/T sucks ) for an INTL MBA, so I'll need my warranty- I couldn't risk a blown engine (worst case), or even a siezed Supercharger would be very bad.

...or (if) I get a transfer to Europe, from what folks there tell me (Belgium), they look for performance mods when importing a car...

 

To answer your question (2) questions....yes and great... :smile:

Peace,
D

 

Congrats on going for the pulley, Herby.

Had my 19% done at Helix back in Dec. and have driven over two thousand miles with it and ZERO problems. Worth every penny. what POWER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Report back after the install and let us know what you think.

RaceCarDriver

 

Im with helix on this, I ve done many 19%, not a problem yet, as well over 15,000 miles on my 19% with loads of track time, not a sneeze of problems, due to the 19%, if there was a problem, i would like to know about it so i can investigate myself, so if i may who and what dealership?......