Listen to ra2fanatic and countryboyshane. Nothing against anyone else on here, but they know the ins and outs. I would like to reinforce some of ra2fanatics comments with some of my own.

If you have the money, get Ohlins. A guy let me drive his MINI with them installed. I live in CO and the roads take a beating from the weather. Ohlins hands down are the best damn thing for a coilover. That said, they are a little out of my price range and I will be going with Fortune coilovers. They are roughly $1300 and based on reviews I've read they are some of the best coilovers for the money. But again, Ohlins are the best all-around coilover. Sure, there are track specific coilovers that may be better, but your pelvis will be crushed into a fine powder on a street.

Evolve is a great intercooler. Wagner makes a comparable one for like $550. There is a post somewhere on here where a guy provided data comparing the two, but I'm too lazy to search for it for you at the moment.

As for a bigger turbo, the number one thing you need to research is if there is a tuner with the ability to tune for it. Why drop $2000 for an over-glorified paperweight? Do the research. I think PAW Motorsport is developing their own turbo, but you need to send your ECU to them to tune if you don't live in FL. Next bit of advice, build the engine to withstand the increased boost. I'm doing this on my JCW N14 engine. Con rod, headstuds, thicker/new headgasket, port matching and polish, new cams, and new valve springs. That's a lot of $$$$ but it's worth it for my goals on the car. I'm fortunate enough to finally have a local tuner here in CO that can tune for a bigger turbo and performance cams. Again, PAW Motorsport can do all this but it requires sending your ECU and I don't know what kind of money you'd have to spend through them. If you run into a problem, well...you will be in trouble if you don't leave near Miami, FL.

Exhaust...watch some of ra2fanatic's videos. The iPE sounds sooooooo good! It's just a little more money than the Akrapovic, but you do get volume 'options' with the iPE.

Now meth injection. I recommend it. Don't tune for it, but reap the benefits of cooling, predetonation prevention, and it aids in preventing *additional* carbon build up. MINIs, especially the N14 engines, are notorious for their carbon build up. If you have enough build up and you live where there is warm weather, those carbon deposits can ignite gases and cause predetonation, and that can snap a con rod and ruin your engine. That's what happened to my first engine and I wasn't even tuned or modded. So ra2fantic is right when he talks about meth injection aiding in engine longevity.

Just my 2 cents. Not that you asked or anything....

Good luck on modding your MINI!!!

 

No I'm all in with the Ohlins .... ra2fantic sent me a video of a GoPro front bumper mount and the ride was smooth and no body roll. I found a set for 2200.00
He also sent me some vids of his exhaust. I'm with you on having the option from mild to wild and the auto function is the ****.
I'm 94.621% sold on the evolve cooler as well

I take the advice the veteran speaks. It saves you time and money in the long run

Thanks for posting as well. It's nice to get info to back up info

You guys rock

 

You found Ohlins for $2200!!?? What a steal my friend!! I'm green with envy haha. The lowest price I saw new was around $3100. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places. Make sure you post pics once you start installing things so we can all admire and be jealous of you haha!

 

Oh , I agree on having a motor built to handle what you are putting down. I figure I can do a little playing and after I get some miles on her down the road go in and put rods pistons etc....

Believe it or not there is a small trace of a plan in the back of the dark matter brain. Lolol

 

Hahaha I like it! You won't need pistons unless you have predetonation issues and you, say, crack one. But then the cause of the predetonation will need to be addressed or else it could happen again on your brand new pistons. Con rods are a must though. I'm going with the Carrillo rods which range from $1300 to $2000 depending on which site you look at. I think those are a must for an engine build. Even with a predetonation the stock pistons can survive. *CAN* but not always. However, the con rods are a weak spot in the MINI. Like I said earlier, I was just cruising along on a hot day in Denver, I step on the gas slightly to acclerate into traffic on a highway and suddenly I hear my car predetonate, I get a CEL and have virtually zero acceleration. I take it to the dealership and they discover that there was a lot of carbon build up and they theorized that build up caused the predetonation. What was not speculated was the fact that my con rod in cylinder shattered as a result and sent chunks of metal through my entire engine. I hadn't even tuned the damn thing. That's why I'm a big advocate of meth injection. No predetonation with one of those installed. Just food for thought when you start modding the engine.

 

Do you have a recommendation for a reasonably priced water/meth system?

 

Reasonably priced would be what AEM offers and I think their system is like $600 or something. I also think Devil's Own makes one around the same price?

There's no question about it though, the Aquamist HFS-4 is the best system out there. I've done this install 4 times, 3 N14 and 1 N18 and I've gotten the install down to 6hrs and it really is well worth it.

 

No doubt that Aquamist is top of the line. Every day I debate with myself on what to get. The Devil's Own kit is very basic and maybe the cheapest option out there between Snow Performance, AEM, and Aqaumist. Now usually cheap is a trigger word for modders to say, "Not worth it," or, " You get what you pay for." However, I know a buddy who has a Devil's Own kit installed on his TDI and he loves it. He bought it soley for cooling and it was super easy to install. All I'm looking for is cooling, keeping valves somewhat clean, and prevent predetonation. Now the Aquamist can def do all these things but since I'm not tuning for meth, and don't think I need something as precise as Aquamist. If I wanted to squeeze the last 5hp out of the engine through meth then I would without a doubt go with the Aquamist. The reason I have an internal debate with myself is because I think, "Why wouldn't I want to tune for meth and get say 5 extra hp or whatever?" Then there's the thrifty side of me that says, "It's only 5hp or whatever so it's not worth the extra $600-ish".

Ugh even as I'm writing this I'm going back and forth. Aquamist is second to none though so just keep that in mind.

 

I'm thinking of the HFS-4 - we could each buy one and install it at the same time. I'm in Raleigh. Currently I have the JB+ installed and set at 3 o'clock so I've been adding Torco octane accelerator at $22/can. The meth kit would:

1.) pay for itself in less than a year
2.) increase the JB+ to 100%
3.) not worry about carbon build up @$300+ per cleaning

 

I'm actually leaning toward the AEM system, but I have a lot of research to do first. I'd like to take you up on your offer, but it'll probably be later this year before I even start thinking of actually buying a system. If you're still in the market then, maybe we could work something out. You're only about 60 miles from me. I still have a stack of stuff in my storage building that I need to get installed, wheels to buy, and a new windshield and tint job to get done.

 

Well, whichever systems you guys get, just don't get the system that uses your existing windshield washer tank to activate injection. Why? Well, if you get into a frontal collision and that tank breaks and catches fire, you just started a colorless and odorless fire and you won't know until you've probably died from 3rd degree burns.

BUT WAIT! You say "Well the same could happen if it were in the trunk!" With the HFS-4 kit, you know you're having a bit more protection since the methanol tank is shrouded by it's own special metal housing and the distance of the tank to any front passenger/drive is greater than the windshield tank which sits essentially behind a firewall.

 

come on [SIZE=5]solskjaer1999[/SIZE] you can not just do foreplay and not put out.....lolol there is no way I would build a motor and put the stock slug pistons back in.... I have not looked into this but I'm sure mini built there piston's to be tuff and last.... but not like Ross or JE has... and depending on what you are going after with your motor the stockers prob don't offer what aftermarket does... raised skirt , coating skirts, lighter wrist pins, lighter piston, dish etc.....
but like I said I have not looked into what the mini has for pistons. I use to be a Wiseco and Ross dealer so I have mmessed around with them... my drag bike I use to run Ross.... 13;1 and spray 60 HP of nos... I would run a whole season on them......
just saying you might want to look into pistons before you button up your art work mini motor... my 2cents

well I live in Vegas and its hot so I will be putting meth on my car before summer......
prob take the advice of not tuning for it but using it for the bennies..

 

Educate a fool on what a pre-detonation is and sounds like and what a meth injection is/does? I'm assuming a pre-detonation doesn't sound like pinging, but more violent?

Thank,
Systemlord.

 

Pre-detonation in it's mild form sounds like a knock. It can be caused by hot spots in the combustion chamber which are sometimes something like carbon buildup. this buildup can heat up like a charcoal briquet and the fuel air mixture doesn't know the difference between that and the spark from the plug. Mild pre detonation can be because the hotspot is throwing the timing off just a little bit causing the knock sound. Worst case, the timing of the explosion/combustion can break a piston or rod. I'm sure you know that basically what you have going on in a normally operating engine is a series of controlled explosions in the individual combustion chambers. When you have pre detonation you have uncontrolled explosions in the affected cylinders.
My explanation may not make sense to you, but it sounded pretty close in my head. I have had motors hand grenade on me before because of this. Sometimes caused by overly aggressive timing and not high enough octane. Someone else may come up with a better worded explanation.

 

I only get what sounds like a very light ping/knock always in 1-2-3 cylinders in succession periodically going from cruising to accelerating fast, to me it sounds more like a lean running engine. If I were to take a technician for a ride so he could hear it, it could be awhile before I could get it to happen. The strange thing is when I first bought the MCS last March you could only detect a single very slight knock in one cylinder only while in "Sport Mode".

What doesn't make any sense is since I bought my Mini I had the walnut blast done by my dealer in July and since then have used BG 44k Fuel System Cleaner every month. My combustion chambers are cleaner than they have ever been since buying the Mini, so after all of the carbon blasted off my intake runners, intake valves and now the top of my pistons are almost 100% clean.

Remember it's only happening periodically and not all of the time. Could this be a HPFP gradually going bad or a spike in fuel flow periodically?

 

My first question would be, have you had your HPFP replaced? I neglected to look at your sign off to see if you listed the model year of your MINI but I know certain model years the dealer will replace the HPFP as part of a recall. If you have had it replaced, what is the octane you're car is running on? I live in CO and the highest grade we have is 91. I did a basic google search about a year ago and discovered BMW doesn't recommend fuel below a 93 octane rating. I think it's specifically due to knocking/predetonation. I would say your light knocking is due to low fuel grade, but I don't know what octane you run nor if you've replaced the HPFP. I actually add about 1-2 gal of E85 into my gas take with each fill up. My new JCW engine knocked once and I immediately put some E85. I have had zero knocking or predetonation issues as a result and its been over a year since the first knock. Meth kits also prevent this knock/predetonation, but running a little E85 will should solve this issue if it's fuel quality causing the knock.

 

I don't even think it's because of the grade in fuel being 91 or 93. I think it's the quality of your fuel. If you're filling up at an Arco or Valeo or something close to that crap, then I can guarantee you'll end up having knock. I only fill 76 or Shell in my MINI and have had no issues. Then again, I've filled with 76 and Shell and my 335i that I lemoned went through 3 HPFP before I gave up all hope on it.

 

You make a good point with the quality gas, but remember that higher octane burns slower than low grade octane. Faster burn = more heat consentration. But to go along with your point, not a fuels are created equal. Shell V power is drastically better than say 7/11.

 

No I haven't had my HPFP replaced ever and I use Shell V-Power 91 here in California, that's our highest grade of fuel available. I could get 110 octane in a portable gas tank but it's illegal to put the nozzle anywhere near my gas cap! I have tried all of the other fuels and found Shell to be better than 76. I have BG 44K in my tank now and still get knocks. What's E85 and where and how much do I need per tank? Look at my signature for a detailed Mini specs and year.