First a reflection....

I was just out motoring about, really pushing my S to see what she could do. After an exhilarating motoring experience I still felt empty...something was lacking....Am I alone in thinking that the S doesn't really start to take off till higher RPMs?

Oh sure it kicks a$$ in the turns, like a jackrabbit with sneakers, but coming out of the corners at lower speeds I think it really needs more huevos ! Have I just gotten used to it? Should I bask in the safety of my warranty? Should I settle, or am I in need of more TORQUE ?

What is missing, perhaps a smaller pulley for the supercharger ? Will this fill that torqueless void?

I already have the Madness intake and Magnaflow exhaust and yes I love these changes and they DO make a difference, but I'm afraid just not enough. I'm afraid I have an insatiable appetite to squeeze more torque and horsepower out of that little engine. Where will my quest end? Perhaps with a pulley or Chip /ECU mod? Will this be enough?

Ok enough reflection.....oh I have to add that my wife thinks that my quest just might end in the form of a utility pool embracing my a$$, and also that it is human nature to never be satisfied.

Question...Anyone out there who has done the pulley mod and have any regrets they would like to share? And once you do this modification do you find that the quest for power still hasn't been met? Please share all your feeling re: this Mod. good, bad, or whatever.....Thanks in advance

 

interesting post TwOMINIs!
I can understand your quest for more huevos, and I'm also starting to collect information to later determine what mods to do to my 03 MCS (3800 mi right now). I have no idea yet where that will take me, however, I will wait for a while until I've racked up a few more miles, to 'bask in the safety of the warranty' as you call it. I call it waiting to make sure my MCS is sorted out in terms of it's stock performance before fiddling with it.
AFTER that, I am currently ogling 2 things: an intake mod, and an LSD.
The LSD because I've come across quite a few moments where I had a hard time putting the stock power on the tarmac. Of course I've ogled other mods including JCW, but especially with the JCW I wonder about the lack of an LSD. I'm thinking for the same money, I could be happier with an intake and exhaust mod, and an LSD.
Hhhhmmmm.

 

I am quite sure, if you do the pulley mod, you will get your torque, it is quite impressive, i have a freind that has a 89 trans am, little mods done to it, but he had no chance, now i realize that the trans am is a heavy car, etc, for i have a race TA myself, but he "kept up" until about 130 then he was now where to be seen at 145, he claimes " his car was shaking so bad" that he got nervous and backed off, but between you and i i know he is one of those guys that he will wreck his car to try and prove a point, he does not know how to admit defete!!! so the pulley mod is quite impressive, i have not put a lsd on my car yet, bu tdo plan to for there is a great need when the other mods i have done, either im fighting dsc, or spinning all of first and second, but before i do the lsd i will be getting new rims and rubber i would most definatly do pulley and lsd before i would do exhaust and pulley, i only gained a little with exhaust after pulley, better spending the money getting it to the ground, then the extra power!

 

MG-BGT,

Before you go through the tremendous cost of an LSD, I would recommend the rear swaybar. It makes a dramatic difference in traction, and at only $190. It's also easy enough to put in yourself. The fringe benefit of the swaybar is that the "safety" understeer (the way it just wants to push when you are driving really hard) is dailed out and you can drive the car much easier with throttle input.

TwOMINIs,

It's never enough - trust me!

Randy

 

twominis-

I too have that desire for more power, heres what my countless hours of thought have resulted in:
Magnaflow – check!
Madness intake – check!
Lighter wheels - check!
Pulley – once an easy to install, test proven great method of delivering the necessary extra fuel via ECU tuning, I will get this mod. Screw the warranty; I wont need it, and mines almost half gone anyway. Besides, good maintenance and careful driving is a major part of making the car last reliably.
Everything I have read on this site shows that the pulley on stock ECU cars produces plenty of cold HP, but power starts to lag dramatically with the engine warming up, and it would seem that a lack of fuel delivery is causing the problem per Randy’s analysis. I really like the looks of this new piggy-back fuel re-mapping system, and am going to wait until its in use, and feedback is available. That looks to be the brightest future for our minis.

 

I don't think the fuel is to lean - to the contrary - it runs at 11.1/1 at redline with the pulley - I've even seen richer numbers than that.

The reason for the heat is that we are using a Roots type blower with relatively high boost in a very tightly packaged unit. That's why I'm working on the bigger air-air intercooler and the water-air intercooler.

I think there definitely can be some remapping done - ignition and fuel, but that's not why it runs with more temp.

BTW, the warm numbers are still very impressive - 16 or so horsepower gains with the pulley.

It will be interesting to check out what is exactly going on with the ignition curve as it relates to RPM, load, and hp. Andy - got any charts like that?

Hope that clears it up. Hopefully, perfpow and I will be able to take a look at that stuff soon, and make the appropriate changes.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Randy

 

thanks for that explnation randy, that does make perfect sense.

 

TwOMINIs,
Very interesting post.
More and more the conversations here on the site are ...moving towards torque and moving away from HP.
<<Oh sure it kicks a$$ in the turns, like a jackrabbit with sneakers, but coming out of the corners at lower speeds I think it really needs more huevos ! Have I just gotten used to it? Should I bask in the safety of my warranty? Should I settle, or am I in need of more TORQUE ?

What is missing, perhaps a smaller pulley for the supercharger ? Will this fill that torqueless void?>>

I agree whole heartedly with this...analysis....
I'm back to having : the air intake & the sway bar ,with lighter rims ( not exactly light) and nice tires (t1s's) & the stock exhaust.

<<Where will my quest end? Perhaps with a pulley or Chip /ECU mod? Will this be enough?
>>

To paraphrase ....where do we go from here??????


Peace,
D

 

I've got the Madness intake. I'm going pulley next. I think ECU is next unless a cool affordable intercooler mod is avail first.

That's where I am now...I actually LIKE the stock exhaust and it seems like exhausts don't do much once the pulley is installed.

Intake
Pulley
Intercooler
ECU

That will be one MIGHT MINI...and still be pleasant to the ears!

 

hello all,

since we're on this subject which pulley should i get,
if i decide to get a pulley?

any inputs?

bbt4

 

Thanks to everyone for all the feedback.

But the question remains....Who has the pulley mod and if so are there any regrets? Perhaps there are no regrets? If that is the case, I would love to hear that too.

If you have this mod and wish to post an opinion please let me know how long and/ or miles since you have done this change, what type of driving you do, (other than really really fast


His, Chile Red all over / Hers, EB UJ on top.

 

>>MG-BGT,
>>
>>Before you go through the tremendous cost of an LSD, I would recommend the rear swaybar. It makes a dramatic difference in traction, and at only $190. It's also easy enough to put in yourself. The fringe benefit of the swaybar is that the "safety" understeer (the way it just wants to push when you are driving really hard) is dailed out and you can drive the car much easier with throttle input.
>>
Randy, late answer (hope you are enjoying your trip!!!!),
but THANKS for that tip about the rear sway bar, that had not occurred to me at all! I will look into that. You're right, cheaper, probably fewer potential warranty issues, etc..., so definitely worth looking into.
Cheers,
Markus

 

Every review I have read where the MINI is driven hard (Car, EVO) they say the biggest problem and biggest power-stealer is excessive wheelspin. Will the rear swaybar fix that? What will the effects of an LSD be? Is it just a degree of "fixed"?

 

The rear swaybar will help keep the front tires in contact with the road in the corners but won't do anything in a straight line. An LSD will help keep staight-line acceleration predictable, but will add understeer in the corners.

(back to the post question)
The smaller supercharger pully will add both horsepower and torque across the RPM band. I can't vouch for longetivity though!

Cheers, and good luck,
Ryan

 

as far as which pulley goes, if you are doing your install yourself, get the mania three-piece, for ease of putting on and making sure belt alignment is correct. if your are gatting someone else to install fire away at any because, they all are 15% reduction, and the actual install should be warrentied, by whom ever you are getting to install

 

I have the pulley and love it; zero regrets. It is easily the best power upgrade you can buy for the MCS.

If you floor it in first gear it will spin the wheels above 5000 RPM, that is the only traction issue that I've found. I'll be taking it out to the track tomorrow to see how it does in agressive driving in the twisties :smile:

 

I agree with you Ryephile - but the wheelspin problem in the MINI is typically in the corners, so it does help significantly to have the rear swaybar - and there are fringe benefits as well (no more understeer) so even if you do end up with the LSD, the swaybar will still be of use, and it's relatively cheap as a first fix.

 

Rent a Toyota Corolla for 1 week, then get back into the MINI. You're love will be renewed.