2011 JCW N14

Anyone do a relocation of the coolant reservoir and use custom hoses? More looking for going with a braided line setup for flexibility rather than buying a kit with supplied silicone hoses. More curious on how you made it work with adapting to the aux water pump, and all the thermostat connections. Thanks in advance

 

Where under the hood is there room to relocate the coolant reservoir?

 

Most kits put it on the firewall cover and relocate the air intake

 

There is only the one connection on the bottom, and the small tube that overflows to the radiator. Extend those lines, make sure the tank is mounted at roughly the same height, and put it wherever you can find room.

 

Yeah, the tank isn't what I am concerned about. My question is going with a more custom setup using AN lines. Adapting them to the thermostat and auxiliary water pump mainly. I can find adapters for the turbo, but am wondering when I see custom setups, are they doing a barb to AN adapter and then leaving a short section of hose on the barbed ends to the thermostat or is there custom fittings I am no seeing? That was my original inquiry on the whole setup. Thanks for the insight though

 

Can't say that I've seen too many AN fitting conversions on anything Mini related. Reasoning? The advantage to the OEM Mini connectors is ease of disassembly and reassembly. With the tight engine bay, I can't imagine using AN fittings and having to wrench all those tight connections.

 

Yeah, I haven't seen much either, but wanted to ask and make sure I am not missing anything. My main reasoning is to clean it up and make it a little more flexible and easier to route things. I've had to change my DV a few times, (thats another story) and the turbo line is rigid and is in the way along with the reservoir and such. Also when doing an oil filter, again, the reservoir and lines, and then I have one of the main hoses that is in the way making it a pain and what not. Just thinking if I can get a thinner, 180 fitting or anything like that to help accommodate and make things look cleaner, then I would. And RPM stopped making the oil filter relocation kit so that sucks lol

 

I suspect it's easier to just move the reservoir out of the way when you need to. Just remove the one screw, unclip it from the front crossmember, and you can just flex it out of the way without removing the hoses. I've had no issues changing the oil filter or diverter valve doing that.

I mean, it's a *little* tight, but nothing that seems like it would justify rejiggering the cooling system. Your call though.

 

Yeah, I dont really have a problem with moving it and I know how to do it. I have bigger plans for all of this so was just curious on a solution for my question. Thanks

 

We have something planned down the road. Not a relocation, but something to give you more room.

 

I hadn't considered that, here in CA the smog rules severely restrict what you can do under the hood. I had the ECS carbon intake box on my previous R56 and even though it is just carbon fiber bling for the engine compartment (so gorgeous I couldn't pass it up) I had to take it off every 2 years when I had to have the car smog tested. Any mods in the engine compartment have to be subtle enough that the smog tech won't notice or have the CARB approval sticker, which is rare. So I have to look at mods through the lens of what will get past the smog test tech.

 

Yeah, thats awful. Last year I got questioned for having "excessive smoke" coming out of the exhaust when it was 20 degrees outside and first thing in the morning. Everyones car had excessive smoke lol. He didnt bat an eye that my cat was gone though. So weird