Everything is going good. I haven't update the project for a while I am aware. I wait a bit for some small details (brackets from the machinery shop), dyno (It's still a bit hot here !! ).
On the upside a friend of mine was kind enough to lent me his r56 MINI for a full engine 3d Scan !!! I already did some small designs but that's for later !

 

Yeah I would like to do something like that. It has to be a complete new model. My only problem is that in Greece is extremely hard to find an automatic car .... in general !! Especially an R53. I think I have seen only once an automatic and that was in a Greek forum !
I could order the original charge pipe from BMW, 3d scanned it and have many reference points but I would not be happy without a full engine scan plus an actual car with automatic gearbox.
So yes I want ! but... how ?

 

 

Sprintex ?? I thought it was an OEM unit. Sending to me the OEM charge pipe it not going to change something, I can buy it from the local dealer, that's not my problem. The actual car is ! I need to measure something in order to proceed. Do you have anyone with a 3d scanner around your location? The problem is that I have to available my designs and test fit every small detail in order to be sure.

 

Forgot to mention: so far I drive my car in a daily basis for 4.000 km + . And around 2.000 km with the printed heat shield ! . I use it everyday, in heavy traffic, high way and some spirit driving in a local mountain.

 

 

Cool I know you had the fires around you and everything. Wanted to make sure you were good.

 

P.E -

I like your pipe idea more than the air filter idea. The filter up by the cowl I think provides better (cooler, more) air movement.

Question, do you have an idea if the pipes will be printed plastic, carbon fiber, or...
The reason I ask goes back to my original comment about a rotating/spinning air stream. If it were printed, it would be easy to install a divider or vanes to keep any air swirl down. A carbon fiber tube would be more difficult to do.

My reasoning for commenting on this, is I've been porting cylinder heads for a long time. I know how easy it is for air (or even air/gas) to start swirling/rotating in a port. When air starts rotating, the center gets hollow, as in...no air flow. One BIG reason intake ports are...not round in performance engines. The big "Tunnel Port" Ford heads were pretty much a failure because of the round ports.

I'd defiantly be interested in buying your charge pipe if it had some way to keep any rotating air movement to a bare minimum.

Mike

 

The charge pipe will be from carbon fiber, heatshield from carbon fiber, air filter adapter billet aluminium. I wouldn't trust printed materials for that application, even if I used PEEK or NYLON 6. I am using a printed model for the heatshield (only for testing reasons; the proper one will be from carbon fiber) but not for the charge pipe. Creating vanes would not be as easy as you think even for a printed model !! You have limitations on material properties (not as strong) plus you have to consider the support material (many ways to remove it I know, but this part is after the air filter so I dont trust it) .
Design is not my problem. The problem is the manufacturing.
The way it is designed my charge pipe keeps pressure drop and vorticity to a minimum (Minimum for this application) . The only limitation is the available space. In another engine bay, with space etc etc you could have different results. My main thinking when I started designing the charge pipe was the plug and play fitment without any cut or modification.
I haven't done any dyno yet, but so far I have seen an increase in the boost pressure throughout the RPM range in all the gears (peek and average values, so yes it performs better). Yesterday I saw 16 psi at the rev limit in all gears , it was a first (always comparing with the OEM setup, same temperature) and especially with 26 degrees outside temperature. I posted some graphs from some data logging I did the previous month. For sure it performs better than the OEM unit I can see that every day, I loved it, the problem is that I have to dyno it first to back up my words! But with 30 degrees outside temperature around 11 am I dont feel like taking my daily-project car to a dyno session. That's why I would wait a bit more for the weather to cool down and see some back to back numbers !

 

I'd say, getem made.
A straight, or "even cross section" tube is MUCH preferable to the convoluted/squeezed tube from the factory.

If this truly does fit a stock R53, sign me up now, I'll make up my own anti-swirl parts.
I can be a test subject..!

Mike

 

Some great work there! I too would like to see the air filter up in the cowl makes more sense to me.. I'm very interested in your results, how far away from production are you?

 

Hello there! Soρρυ for my late reply. I am currently making 4 of them, and I need to start the heatshield as well. Its a bit slow the progress this month I know ,due to the fact that I am involved in many projects. The plan is to finish the 4 charge pipes in the next 2 weeks and do some dyno pulls even with a printed heatshield. No matter what I want a finished product( charge pipe) next month ��

 

6000 km of testing and everything looks good ! I am so happy with the charge pipe ! I remove everything again just to inspect everything.
I also had my B14 Bilstein ( all 4 of them) completely refurbish as one shock was making a terrible knocking noise the last 5 days ! Currently I am also working on a Ducati and an R56, trying to make some nice stuff I could share with you guys if you would like to see more stuff!


Carbon Fiber Charge Pipe !

 

That looks great, ready to bolt one up to my car.

 

I forgot to say that I also ordered more fuses and cables from BMW in order to make the TH extensions kits. I will update with that as soon as I start with them

 

I'm still in for one.

One observation, the throttle body flange seems very thin. I'd say double the thickness, like you did the standoff pipe below the flange.
Since the throttle body isn't really a light weight, it's safer than to be sorry, I'd think.

Shoot us a price and delivery schedule..!

Mike

 

Trust me its more than enough !! it is a 3 mm solid carbon fiber plate !! The pipe below had to be done like that just to follow the OEM take off, as it follows the by-pass ID-OD. Even that pipe is a solid carbon fiber piece. Prices and delivery schedule ... when it's finish !! still a lot to do, eg carbon fiber heatshield, dyno, more testing, and small details here and there, creating the actual start-up, website, etc etc . Still its a prototype but I am trying to work fast and effectively in order to finish it The problem now is that I have to do 2 jobs to support the whole RnD, production cost etc and that takes time from finishing everything on time !

 

Printed model of the JIG. I used PLA as material, something cheap for now in order to do a pre-check in the upcoming 4 charge pipes. More or less I consider all of them prototypes as I want them to be used in cars that I know the owners in order to have feedback. Next JIG will be printed out of NYLON 6, which is usually the material printed jigs are made with some design improvements.

 

And some small details that I was working on previous week.
Left photo: Mock-up bracket. Still playing with the idea of making it from carbon fiber as well. Not sure yet! But at least the bracket, design wise and fitment, it's done.
Right photo: I added a spacer to the bumper, I used an OEM spacer (all our MINIs have these spacers) just to give a bit more clearance. So far I had no touching but I prefer to be on the safe side.

 

 

Definitely want to follow this.

As was briefly mentioned, getting cooler air from the outside engine bay would be advantageous.

 

Following

 

Thank you guys for your nice words!
Yesterday I went for a drive up in the mountain with a friend of mine and I made a small video.
Nothing crazy just playing around with video editing and smooth 4 (phone-camera stabilizer ?? ) I just got


The red r56 you see in the video is my friend's car, a very nice and tidy r56 . He was kind enough to lend me the car for a full engine 3d scan !! I have some nice ideas which I would like to play around later in the future !! But for now the charge pipe should be finished

 

When you say charge pipe now finished, are you competed the testing and have final results and ready to start selling these kits