My brain is fried from working on my '06 MCS R52 JCW car......so forgive my question or questions

I have two Mini Coopers here at the house.....(yea, I know I'm a glutton for punishment.....stop laughing)

My two cars are as follows:

(1st car) 2004 MCS R53 with Getrag 6 speed manual transmission, production date of 10-7-2003

(2nd car) 2006 MCS R52 JCW with Getrag 6 speed manual transmission, production date of 9-13-2006

My question(s) are:
According to the picture below, which trans do I have in each car? (left side ratios vs right side ratios)
Which trans is better, left or right? (opinions for normal driving around town)
Is there any way of telling which production trans is in each car without opening up the transmission?? (external differences or numbers on trans case)

If I am reading the chart correctly, I think my 2004 car has the trans ratios on the left, and the 2006 car has the ratios on the right.....unless I am reading the chart wrong, which is entirely possible with my only 3 working brain cells I have left

Thanks for your time

Bryan

 

You are correct, the left side is for your '04 (pre-facelift) ratios.
Right side are the facelift ratios for your '06.

Neither is really "better", but the lower/tighter ratios of the facelift transmissions are normally more desirable.

 

Actually there isn't any difference in the ratio of the individual gears themselves between the two versions of the transmissions. The only real change that was made was the change in final drive ratio.

The 7/04-06 trans does work really well in a Cooper. Did that swap in my cooper when the Getrag 5 spd started leaking from an axle seal due to a worn diff bearing. Now the car, with 140k miles, gets 37 mpg, while averaging 75 mph.

 

David, thanks for the clarification, good to know that the individual internal gears are the same and only the final drive ratio was changed.

I really like my '04 R53 out on the freeway, I have yet to drive the '06 car, still working on that one

Bryan

 

If your 2006 is a Factory JCW it may very well have the factory LSD installed, that would make it the better choice in my opinion.

 

Yes, my '06 car is a factory JCW car, and while I agree with you that the LSD differential is a desired item, I'm not a real big fan of LSD units..... I don't plan on racing the car or driving in the snow.

I would much rather have the taller "freeway" gears for my tastes, but that's just me

​​​​​​​Bryan

 

Time may have dulled the mind and memories, but I had the opportunity to drive an '04 JCW (pre-facelift) back to back with an 05 R53 (post Face-lift) several years ago when I had the 05 and my brother had the 04. Even though the ratios between the two transmissions are not very different, the difference in feel of first and second gear was very noticeable. The 05 and up gearbox was the favorite. I can't tell you what he averaged for MPG on the highway with the 04 JCW, but I had no problem averaging 34MPG (@ 70 mph) in the stock 05 R53.

I do not remember the difference being enough to justify a transmission swap for a daily though, then or now.

 

I don't plan on changing out the trans in my '04 R53 at this point to the newer trans......but it's something to consider if that trans ever fails.....

Bryan

 

I was under the impression that the 1st and 2nd speed gears were changed in addition to the ring gear/final drive. automobile-catalog.com shows the 1st and 2nd ratios to be different. Plus, the swap wouldn’t just be the transmission right? Wouldn’t you at least need shift cables?

 

why need shift cables?? Both are 6 speeds

 

cables were revised

I'd rather have the longer first and second gears in my facelift had I kept using the standard box with my lowered final drive, the facelift gears were just too short, first especially, even before I altered it imo.