I have had my Mini for 3 weeks and I love it. A couple of weeks ago I had the Fireballed software installed and WOW!!, what a difference. So today I decided to set up an appointment later this month for a Head, cam and dyno tune combo. I'm about at 180whp now and I should be at 220whp with the head cam kit. I will keep you guys posted on the dyno and butt dyno.
Mario

 

This is all very interesting. Your numbers are quite imopressive when compared to most other modifications of this type. Can you tell us how you arrived at them . You mention about 180 hp, is that on a dyno ? looking for 40 hp from cam and head alone is about double what is normally gained with such improvments . Please keep us posted and get some real numbers , dyno for example . Good luck .

 

I will dyno the car before the install and after. The 180whp is what I have seen from similar mods and from Fireballed experience. The Mini world is brand new to me but I'm learning. I would be very happy with 220hp.

 

Sounds good that is the way to do it . Looking forward to the actual numbers , thanks .

 

Mario - Since I am local to their shop, I am very interested in Fireballed Racing's work. I am also considering a head as my next significant mod to add HP and torque, but since this gets into higher $'s, I'm carefully looking into the options.

I know that Fireballed has some awesome MINI experience on their team, and they are working on a bunch of stuff, but I had not read or heard about their having developed a head that they intend to sell.

I couldn't find anything specific on their website, but I know they are moving so quickly that they might not be able to keep that updated. Looking forward to hearing about your experience with this mod.

 

First off, please don't take this as bashing on you or those products, but no one likes to get their hopes up and then have the mean old dyno take them away...

That said, I think you are being a little overly optimistic about your gains...

Do you have anything other than a software flash? Pulley? Intake, Header?

I am not saying you wont see some nice gains with the Shrick and the Head, that alone will probably let you see an easy 15-20 poines, but if you don't have some supporting mods, as many of us with said mods and then some, 220whp is a bit of a stretch...

 

absolutley 100% completely possible... its been done! You should have no problem getting at or very near those numbers with a good cylinder head. With their tunning abilities and the fact that they are one of the only shops (like us) who actually tunes the car on the dyno and adjust the A/f ratio (as opposed to just a software reflash) you should expect high numbers.

Have fun! I know you will!

 

It certainly wouldn't be the norm.

I don't believe in building up people for failure. 40hp on a v8 from a set of heads maybe. 40 on a Cooper S? Maybe if you got REAL lucky from the factory, on a cold winter day.

Point being that there are tons of people with many more mods that don't make that kinda power. Having owned his mini 3 weeks, he may not be used to the "bloat" in some power claims.

 

there will be alot of factors certainly. how well and how FAST the head flows. which cam they run... whether its a schrick or a custom grind... and most importantly the tune...

one of my customers with a 15% pulley, header, exhaust, and intake put down 195whp... the biggest thing is that his car was actually TUNED. NOT just a flash

 

i got good numbers on a dyno dynamics . a mustang would've been way higher . others lower . so there's no standard. we've all seen the numbers of different dynos . all you can post is before and after . the gains themselves are the only numbers that mean anything . so if you get 20 hp for a 1000 bucks it's up to you to decide if your but hurts .

 

You my be right, for me the numbers seem real low because my other car is a supercharged E55 Benz making 500hp and 520tq. I guess I'm just used to larger numbers. 220whp seems small but then again it is a light car and a 1.6L. At any rate I'm sure I will be very happy with the Fireballed set up. I was very impressed with their software, it really seemed to help the 17% pulley, intake and catback.
Mario

 

With those mods and head+cam, you will probably see 200-210 Whp on the dyno.

All I am saying is don't get your hopes up. The dyno is notoriously mean to the MINI, because we cannot take advantage of our i/c. Factor that in and you probably would be where you wanted to be.

The mini takes a lot to make a little. It is easier to make power on larger displacement multiple cylinder engines that is is the mini. It is very difficult to break that 200hp barrier with the mini, and your wallet drain becomes quite higher getting passed that mark...


isellem: What "tuning" are they using? I aside from things like the giac, and mth products there isnt a lot there, especially when it comes to making changes to the ecu's a/f goodies. Are you talking about an SAFC?

 

Custom tuning is available from all the good tuners/race shops around here. The best tune on an engine dyno. Also, there are more than a few products available to adjust fuel and spark.

 

if that happens something is wrong... I have tuned multiple cars with just 15%, intake nad exhaust... and made 185 WHP... with header made another 10.. so 195 WHP ... if all you get from a head is 10 to 15 WHP then it's not flowing...


Mario... this is why a dyno pre head install is very key... know where you are at NOW...

 

yeah I just saw he fireballed drag mini and HOLY CRAP! that thing is insane! I think someone said something like 600 hp in a mcs ! if anyone can put down some good #'s on the dyno it would be them!

 

so if he makes 30 - 40 you gunnah buy one?

we have repeated this a few times... but you ahve to know your basline to know what you gained

 

He will definitely make that...if not more. Listen to isellem!!! He's done it before and it's definitely possible. If you're only at 200whp with a head/cam/tune...then something is wrong. I'm at 193 with my listed mods...I'd cry if i paid thousands for a head/cam and only made 8-10 more wheel hp!

 

Tuls, probably not, for the tracks I run on I have more than enough power as is...but I wish I could swing it if it does. I would say pretty dam amazing for a 4 cylinder to pick up that kind of power from a head.

I am interested to see the Fireball products run as much as the next guy. I am glad there are some real innovators coming into the MINI world. I also wish I had access to those tuning products rather than MTH or GIAC for my tuning processes.

I would never wish someone to make less power, hell we are all in the same game.

Remember the post is 200whp possible without twincharge or N20? How many 200hp+ head, cam, ecu, cai, exhaust, etc do you see on here? Not too many...

So 180whp with head+cam 30-40hp = 210-220. I don't think I was too far off on my estimate... 10whp for a header seems a bit high. Most people I have seen pull between 5-7 if that.

Don, funny to see you chime in on a post about dynos, you kinda flip flop on them as your needs suit you.

 

this statment confuses me... I grew up road racing... it's my love... power is always good... I wish I was back east so I could do a few laps at the glenn or lime rock... there's always a straight.... the mini is ussually a car that you don't even have to lift... but if you did... woah... then you know you're moving... and the lap times would be interesting.... sigh... someday I'll get out there wit me cah

I have done this my self a few times..... again all I can say is that I only know what I have expirenced


yeah I hear ya... belive me... I have tired to show people how it can be done.. but there are so many people saying it can't cause they didn't have the right help... I jsut gave up...

 

The tracks we use are small 1/6 mile right now if you own a cooper you are in much better shape.

As far as I am concerned, there needs to be a way to crack the mini ecu so the a/f can be taken care of. I bet there is a ton of power to be made just leaning it out some.

 

yeah.. that's how we do it... Tuning the car I have made 25 WHP regularly... once apon a time with the AFC... but now with the Hyper ECU mod

 

200whp isnt really all that hard. My car was there more than a year ago with a 15% pulley, head and cam. I have multiple dyno sheets showing the #'s.

Thanks for all the positive comments!!

 

yeah... but now let's get a Fireballed! head on there.... so you can make more!

 

for you it's late and me it is very early....I'm still on Italian time

why has no one brought up Unichip as a "custom tune" alternative? plenty of capability....... save one..... I need to raise my rev limiter to about 7250....what have you got?

Bob

 

TampaMCS: I use dynos as a tool. However, the only way they become valid is if you account for all the variables. And because some tuners can't is why I don't post the results. But you are correct in that when people speak of dyno HP where are all the variables listed? (I have access to testing tools far superior even to that of Dinan.)

SpiderX: As I said in an earlier post, there a more than a few ways to tune the spark and fuel. And for the power you are making with the M62 you need more than 7250 RPM. But you’ll need to know what valves and springs you are running and figure that into your rev limit. With stock springs the weight of the stock intake valve is such that you begin to lose control even below 6000 RPM.

Heads: Flow is not what you are chasing.