I have just noticed some threads talking about installing a pulley will void the warranty.

Can someone be a little more clear on that for me? My new '05 only has about 1000 miles and while voiding the warranty causes some issues for me I prefer to have some fun!

Does this mean the entire warranty is void? or does this mean specific parts of the warranty will be void?

What if I get a Mini mechanic to install the pulley?

Thanks!

 

Sadly, your experience could vary from dealer to dealer.

In general, it would void the warranty for only part of the car that is unfluenced by the pulley (supercharger, and anything else powered off of that belt like the water pump). In theory the magnuson-moss act is suppose to provide you with consumer protections so the dealer needs to prove the modifciation was to blame. However, in a lot of cases the dealer stonewalls and then if you want to prove the law is on your side, you have to go the distance and go to court.

That said, some aftermarket companies (webb motorsport) provide some form of warranty coverage for the 15% pulley.

FWIW, my 15% pulley has been on the car over 35,000 miles with no problems.

Dave

 

Dave,

I can live with the risk. First off, I see that many people are running them and like yourself have had no issues to date.

Second off, if there is a law to protect consumers I have no problems going all the way. I don't like it when the big guy tries to scare the little guy. They would have picked the wrong little guy with me

Third, now while I have only a few phone call experiences with Randy (and my box o'goodies is on its was as we speak!) He ROCKS! and has been so helpful as with everyone else on NAM. If manufacturers of the products offer a warranty as well we can always go that route first.

I guess it comes down to one of those things I was blindsided by when I saw some posts and thought, Hmmmm should I worry.

In reality it doesn't look like it... yet

 

Thanks! Good luck this weekend!!


Randy

 

You do realize the stock Tritec water pump will be spinner faster? A smaller aftermarket pulley will cause this. If the water pump fails, and the dealer finds an aftermarket pulley intalled, the repair will most likely not be covered under warranty. You don't want to know what the dealer will charge for this repair!!! OUCH

 

We could always put the stock one back....

or leave a fifty tucked inbetween the belt and the pulley for them to find...

 

This was actually a concern of mine early on, and the topic of several discussions with BMW and Eaton engineers. What I found was that with the 15%, even up to 7500RPM, it isn't an issue - at all. This was all before the JCW kit came out. Now, the JCW kit includes a 15% pulley on their supercharger (it is actually just shy of 15%, the 15% pulley is 2.18" while the JCW is 2.21"), and they don't change the water pump drive.

I have tested 10, 12, 15, 18 and 19% reductions on the track, and only the 19% at extended continuous RPM (track use above the standard redline) does anything even start to manifest. It doesn't happen like you would think either - it shows up in the oil temp, simply because the oil cooler is a water-oil exchanger with much less volume than the engine cooling capacity. As soon as the RPMs drop, the oil temp stabilizes.

I have personally done 448 supercharger pullies, and have not had a single failure on the water pump - or supercharger for that matter.

Hope that helps clear up any concerns you have.

Randy

 

I will go get 15% tomorrow!

 

Yeah - give me a call, I have some in stock. Take a look at the explanation of why I use the Alta here:


http://www.webbmotorsports.com/performance.php

Hope that helps!
Randy

 

The 19% are really that reliable? I thought they were frowned upon even for an autocross. Grrr... could have more power if it wasnt for all the spookes!!

 

19% is also safe for AutoX..just don't push it to the redline.

oh..thanks Randy very good write-up

 

I didn't say that - they lose belts routinely. Any issues I have are with the 19%. I tried to make one work, and the truth is, my car makes more peak power with a 15% (though it makes more power down low with the 19%). I am running a 15% on the car now. The 19% cost me the MINI Challenge this past year on the last lap, when the belt blew!

All 448 but 4 have been 15% pullies.

Randy

 

The 19% are fine if you are not running the car on the track. There is not enough fuel up top with the 19%. GIAC is working on a map for the 19% pulley that uses larger injectors. I should have this setup within the next few weeks. I will keep you posted.

 

Didn't a few folks have a problem with the (OK, I know I am not going to get this right) idler pulley and that damaging the balancer?

 

A few folks have had issues with the idler pulley bearing failing - none of my customers with pulleys though. It isn't related to the supercharger pulley, it's a MINI issue. It is common enough in non-pulley cars that I can't see a dealer giving you a problem with the idler just because you have a supercharger pulley (Moss-Magnusson Act).

Hope that helps - I like that guy! He's new to the new NAM.

Randy

 

[personal vent]ok this whole warranty thing is getting annoying.[/personal vent]

If you modify your car, DUH you're tampering with your MINI warranty - read that little sticker in the upper left corner of your windshield! No you won't empirically void the whole warranty, but IF, and did I emphasis IF enough? IF! your MINI has a failure, AND it's caused by the aftermarket or whatever part[s] that are not factory or "approved MINI items", then that damage cannot be "covered under the warranty".

Use common sense, and read the documents included with your car!

 

My favorite part of that sticker was the warning that my warranty could be void if I used a cell phone in my car.

 

NOW you tell me! There goes my warranty... :smile:

BTW, my 318ti and my wife's Z3 both had the stickers as well.

 

I would like to know how this could happen by changing the supersharger pulley. How can this increase the RPM of the water pump?


Dave

 

...because the water pump is driven off the back of the supercharger. That said, even in way-over-stock-RPM racing with big reduction pulleys, there has yet to be a water-pump related failure. Thus the concern, while logical, doesn't seem to hold [cough cough] water.

 

Then since the ’05 supercharger was upgraded to be the same as used in the JCW kit (less pulley) and the head gaskets are the same. Why not have the JCW pulley installed? How could BMW say that would void any warranty.


Dave

 

Dave,


Because of the method. When JCW kits are installed, they replace the supercharger, which has the pulley installed at the Eaton plant - pressed on while disassembled. If you try to do it after the fact, you have a stamped steel, interference fit pulley that has to be heated and expanded to be fit. Who knows if you did it right when something goes wrong (that would be the dealer's stance).

Essentially, that's what we are doing when we replace the pulley on the supercharger - they are within .03" of each other (the 15% and the JCW pulley). We are doing it with a nicer pulley that can be installed at room temp though, and gives all the time in the world to check alignment and readjust if necessary.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Randy

 

Has anyone verified/debunked FURIOSO's observation that the water pump drive turns at a different rate in the JCW charger than it does in the stock one? He was very explicit in describing how he turned the pulley on the stock charger and counted the turns of the water pump drive. Then, he did the same with the JCW charger and the water pump drive turned fewer rotations than the stock blower did, given the same number of turns of the pulley.

 

Dave,

Do you mean 2005 already has 15% pulley in it?

 

No - he measn the coating on the rotor vanes is the same on all MCS including the JCW.

I haven't counted, but I have asked at Eaton, and they say other than the pulley now, the superchargers are identical - including the water pump drive.

Randy

PS - I've done several '05 cars, and they have the same pulley as any year MCS.