My plan is to add the adjustable cam gear later so I can see the improvement it makes alone. Anyone have experience with the GIAC 17%/380s flash and a TPR2 head? I have the GIAC S/W installed now and was waiting until all my Mods are completed before looking for a dino tune.

 

Based on the advice I have after doing it and the advice I received from others when trying to decide between getting the ACG or not, I would do it all in one shot. I had the same mentality of waiting to see if I wanted it, but you might as well take care of it while you're already in there. If you're doing it yourself, its one less chance of having something go wrong. The last thing you'll want is to have it running right with the cam, then install the ACG and have something go wrong. And if you're paying for it, its one less bill to the mechanic.

 

The benefit of an adjustable cam gear is to be able to better focus the engines power band where you want it instead of the range determined by the factory.

While the factory will determine that for avg. use the power band determined by the timing of the cam shaft should be in between a certain rpm range, you the driver may like it in another range simply from your driving style or you may also want it in a different range due to added or changed performance parts.

Setting the cam timing 1/2 of a degree or more one way or the other will allow you to do so.

 

I installed the TPR2 head and ported intake manifold over Memorial weekend. When I first started it up, it ran a little rough and pegged the boost gage at idle a couple times (added plenty of assembly lube but I think an intake valve might have taken a moment to seated well). I’m really happy with the mod. The car runs super smooth and the engine seems to work with less effort to get you moving. I didn’t lose any power down low and the car really pulls effortlessly above 3500 where it seemed to struggle a little to gain speed before. The exhaust sounds a littler deeper too. I’ve got the GIAC 17% with JCW Injector software flash now but looking for a dyno tune next.

 

Awesome to hear. I sometimes think I should of gone with the TPR2 and not the TPR1, but I still love it.

 

iv always heard thumper is good but when i helped my friend install one on his car i noticed it had been dropped on the ground or something. there were two pretty noticeable dents on two corners of the top side where the valve cover bolts on. the surfaces still seemed to be flat but we were both sort of dumbfounded. i dont think it happened during shipping as the packaging seemed pretty good and it definitely was not one of us that dropped it we were super careful the whole time. maybe it could have been the previous owner before thumper got there hands on it. but i would like to think thumper would check for something like a head that had dents in the side of it. idk all i know is that thumper sold my friend a head that had obviously been dropped before. just something to think about...

 

Did you or your friend contact Thumper after you found the issue??? i know Thumper is very strict on what cores he uses for his heads and won't use a head that was damaged in any way. his heads is his business. sounds like something that might have happened during shipping.
pics or it never happened.

 

Yeah he took pics of it before we installed it but I don't think he ever contacted thumper about it since the surfaces still seemed flat and he was just ready to get it on his car and drive it since he had been waiting so long for the thing in the first place. As I said I don't think it happened during shipping cause we inspected the packaging and it was was done pretty well and the box it came in didn't have any dents in it or anything like that that made it look like it had been dropped.

 

I've had 2 heads from Thumper and both have been perfect in every respect. The last head shipped to me was well protected but the box was pretty beat up from the shippers. Head was perfect though.

 

I really, really doubt that it happened during shipping. The box was in good shape when it got to my house. None of the corners were bent on the box either.

I didnt make a big deal about it since the top of the head was still flat, and because my car had been on jacks for a couple of months. I was just anxious to get it on.

I'll get pictures of it tomorrow or whenever my neighborhood gets power back.

 

MiniSandpirate, This is really late post but I had some extra time to address this post. The "adjustable cam gear" is not user adjustable. Most of us don't have a clue as to how to change a tire, much less a modified cam gear. The ACG can be undone and readjusted, should your driving priorities change. But only by an expert. My 06 R52 with 140K is in my own garage torn down to the un-assembled block. No one is touching it except me. Albeit, one exception, a well researched machine shop did my overbore. The same machine shop is now fixing my unused head built by Mike Schultz of Thumper Head's "supposed to be TPR2". Mike Schultz f------ed up my perfectly good head after I donated $1,700.00 to him. Schultz's ruined the valve seats and now they need to be replaced. He also over-sized the new valve guides which now have to be replaced. Schultz mis-matched the porting. Schultz left metal shavings inside the head. Unfortunately for me, I picked Mike S. over all the other head builders after months of research. Man was the wool pulled over my eyes! Don't believe self promoters or the good old boy network, i.e. Dustin of AutoXcooper. The only reason I caught this before installing it is because I check everything myself before I put it into service. This is what the school of hard knocks taught this old fart. Trust no one. WTMF

 

A year late. BAHAHAHAHA

 

I ended up just going with the CP's, were $600 for the set w/ rings, stock compression (makes for easier tuning & w/ my current 20# of boost + bottle & probability of a turbo conversion later, figured didn't really need more), .5mm over (77.5mm-vs-77mm) since my block has so many miles on it.
I don't have what's needed to do it myself so I'm actually gonna crate the motor up & send it to FL. to be done for me.

 

Nice to hear us old farts are still running these little guys hard and want even more. If Mike's dirt and you're dusty I must be rock...seeing 70 on the horizon.

 

I only hang out with you guy's because you make my 50+ seem so young....

 

I hear ya! 50+ and towing the Thumper-headed MINI from FL to WGI to get my competition license. Racing the next three days if I pass.

 

GOOD LUCK Bean, keep us posted.

 

thanks. I will do so.

 

You guys crack me up! Im pushing 32 and feel like young blood! But find conversations with all of you much closer to my personality .

And Mike should be building my TPR-2R in a few days

 

32!! Good grief, I can't remember that far back. But I wish I would have had a souped up Mini to play with and it sounds like yours is really going to be souped up. So is this going to be race car only or driver on non race days?

 

I forgot to mention in an earlier post. I dyno-tuned without and with the ACG for the Shrick cam. about 8-10 hp and the same torque gained through mid-range tapering to near zero as I ran out of cam at the top (8k rpm).

 

Yup, the ACG gave me a 7 ft/lb & 5 hp gain all the way through the rpm range from 3500-6000 even with the stock cam, the extra torque put me just in the right spot to make the car feel totally different to drive, I actually had to be careful of my throttle in first not to loose traction.

 

Its just a fun toy Bill. I need to get it on track soon that is for sure. But for now its my Dragon toy. To bad it cant make out August Dragon trip next week, but the wifes 435hp STI will be

 

Mini vs STI...what's your thoughts on driving the two? I've never driven the STI but like the looks.

 

im waiting to pull the trigger on all this too, mainly for the fact, i dont havea garage, and have no idea beyond a motorcycle =) a complete head change it super out of my league