I was just reading the 0-60 thread and rather than go OT I thought I would start this new. I have an 02 and is there any scenario when the 02 gearing is superior to the 05 and 06? The upgrade is about $5K....... used box is about 3K -- new is about 4K + labor. about 12 hrs estimate.

 

With your mods, I wouldn't bother switching out transmissions until/unless your current transmission dies.

Theoretical top speed would be higher with the older transmission

 

If you upped the rev limit (either MTH or M7 says they can too now) and could make sure there were no valve float ... I think Pilo sells the right parts AND had enough HP, your theoretical limit is 164 MPH. Isnt that just about the speed that guy ran in the Nevada no-limit race this year in a 2004?

So yeah, the scenario is the high desert of Nevada!

 

Eric at Helix does a mod on your trans that will give lower ratio's than a 05/06 mini

 

I'm planning a trip up there for the LSD/Clutch/flywheel early spring......

Rhyphile gave me the impression with the power that I have wheel spin would be an issue and that he liked the original box better for "highly" modded cars

 

I agree with YuccaPatrol. If I were in your shoes I would be thinking about adding a LSD before I made any other changes.

With all of the power you have the LSD would help to get it all to the ground. You could use either the Quaife or Phantom Grip.

 

I agree and it is in the plan....I just emailed Eric about the "mod."

 

and I agree with Bilbo-Baggins. . . the LSD would be a better use of the power you have right now. . .

is the "mod" a lower final drive? I've seen the one with straight cut gears that looks very interesting and it would certainly be cheaper than a new transmission

 

If me and my MINI S were back in the States (which we will be at some point), I sure wouldn't be concerned with a 164 mph top speed. I wonder how many modded MINI Ss in the States have even broken the triple digit threshold??? Probalby not many, and if so, just for a milli-second. My advice is to stick to mods that enhance the type driving you can do and enjoy. For me, I want the 164 mph option . Just kidding. I've taken my MINI S as fast as it'll go, which was plenty. It's not an ideal platform for speeds must faster than it's currently capable. When I'm driving sustained over 130 mph I feel like something's going to break. I also had the dreaded noisy windshield, but my MINI dealer re-sealed it last month. Tomorrow I have to drive to Frankfurt and weather permitting, I'll see if it's fixed (It didn't make a noise until around 110 mph), and I haven't been on an unlimited segment of the Autobahn since the service.

Cheers!

 

If you have decent levels of power no matter what the year you must deliver that power to the ground.

If your tires are burning out and spinning then you have enough power but not enough grip/traction.

Since a stock MCS has enough power to spin wheels then adding more power no matter what the year will not be as helpful unless you can ensure maximum traction at all times.

Quaife differential helps this alot and to help with gearing you can choose smaller diameter tires on either 15" or 16" rims.

205/50-15 or 225/45-15 on 15x7" light rims or
215/40-16 or 205/40-16 on 16x7" light rims.

Changing to a more recent transmission is also a solution but is more costly and Quaife offers a good warranty. While changing to Quaife you can also lighten the flywheel and add a racing clutch for essentially the same labor costs. Lighter flywheels do add to noise when idling.

 

I am not interested in a higher top speed.....what I am interested in is a quicker..zippier car. Faster in and out of the corners etc. faster acceleration from 10-40 20-50 etc.

 

Try smaller overall diameter tires first to see if you like the lower gearing. I was able to lower my gearing by about 7% for under $400 and got new, stickier tires as part of the bargain.

205/40-16 Azenis RT-615

FWIW, on dry roads, going straight, my first gear is now just about perfect. I can feel the tires fighting for traction but they don't light up, nor does the car bog. That's with 19%/GIAC/380cc and One-ball.

 

there's 2nd-6th to think about too! Personally, I'd only go into tranny mod/swap if something broke. Shorter tire wheel package will do the same for less, and you get snappier turn in! Mu clutch is almost gone though, but to save cash, I may go with the SVO-Ford LSD, saves a bunch of cash.... , a better clucth, and ..... depends on budget availability....

Matt

ps, before I make up my mind, I ought to see how many gear teeth are in my tranny oil!

 

I too have gone with smaller tires for this effect: 205/45-16 (23.3" diameter vs 24.4" stock 16). That's a 4.5% delta, and it is really felt! So much so, I just had these same tires installed again, and I don't think I'll ever change. The tires I use (Yoko AVS ES100) can be had at the Tire Rack for like 82 bucks, and actually perform quite well in all seasons (Summer tire). Of note, Toyo has the new Proxes T1r's in this size also About 20-30 bucks more though...

Matt, I'm with you on the possible Ford option! I'm not totally sure at the moment if it's identical or not, and what mods, if any, might be needed to have it work as desired in our MINI's. I'm aware of someone doing it now, and I'll ping him later...

 

I upgraded to an '05 transmission (w/LSD). This actually felt like it had more of a performance impact than adding the JCW tuning which I had done previously. No more lugging from a dead stop, no more hunting for the right gear in a 60 mph off ramp. In fact, MotorTrend declared a stock '05 MCS to be quicker than an '04 JCWS. However you get there (tranny swap, new gears, new car) you'll eventually want the shorter gearing. Test a later model vs. your earlier model. The new gearing increases the driving enjoyment by an order of magnitude.

For any of you who have changed the gearing ratio on your '02-'04, does your cruise control still work?

 

The problem I have is that I have a bunch of $ in my car and selling it for an 05 is just not in the cards.....unless someone wants to give me ........ I digress....... So,.... I do want the quicker gearing but I am looking for the most cost effective option..... Oh, I don't want the noise.

 

Salvage transmissions not yet available. Factory new/rebuilt can be found for $2700 w/LSD if you shop the Dealers. (email me offline if you need a referral). Add $200 for a core deposit you can't get back on the earlier transmission and $500 for installation. Subtract $500-$1000 you can get for your good condition used transmission on eBay. Net $2400-$2900.

Somebody else will need to price out any alternative.
Caution for any gearing upgrade: The cruise control may be rendered inoperable, but I'm still trying to confirm that.

 

Maybe I am gaining some sanity but that seems like a lot of money for how much improvement......... I'm not sure. I think I will see if Unichip has figured out a way to raise my rev limit yet.... are you there Josh?

 

If you're going for cost effectiveness, it sounds like the smaller tires are what you're looking for. I guess the only down sides to it are that it increases your gap between the tire and the fender and screws with the speedo a little bit.

mb

 

I have a BBK so 16s are not possible...... I'll probably do something with the gears but what I am not sure. I am happy with 1st, second is a bit tall as is 3rd.......don't mind 4,5,6. custom Getrag box........or not

 

i talked to randy webb about this when he was installing my pulley. he said he didn't have any problems with cruise control (i asked him directly because of your other thread) or otherwise... he just said the install took a long time. sorry.

 

[quote=SpiderX]I have a BBK so 16s are not possible....../quote]

Welp, there's another downside to the smaller tires/rims! Todd from Wilwood says that his 11.75 inch racing kit will fit 16 inch rims.

Well, thinking about it, by the time you've bought new rims, tires, and brakes, your cost effectiveness for that move may not be so great anymore.

mb

 

There's no way I could allow myself to spend dealer prices on a new transmission. I guess it's the shock of knowing I've bought brand new acura transmissions for less than half the cost of a mini one.

Salvage is the way to go. It may take a while to find one, but it shouldn't be impossible. In fact, I've purchased (but not installed) an '05 lsd transmission myself. The market is unpredicatable right now... both supply and demand are low.

 

[quote=mbcoops]I believe I got the very first WW 11.75 Race Kit from Todd, and they fit my 16's (Volk CE28N's) w/o any need for spacers. They also fit 15's, but with spacers...

I'm rolling with 205/45's which are 23.3" in diameter, and make a very noticeable difference (stock 16's are 24.4"). With coilovers, that gap can be taken care of .

 

Thanks for the info. The dealer finally got the car back together after 2 full months. Brand new main wiring harness, new throttle modules, new everything else they think is associated with the cruise control. Still the CC only works in 3rd gear. We'll see what Magnuson-Moss can do for me now.