hi im trying to switch to turbo instead of supercharger have anyone done it what exaclty do i need to do and what would be and estimated budget ??? i want it to run no more that 15 pounds of boost

 

Sell it and get an R56?

 

You want to turbo a r53...to get more or less the same performance with a -15% pulley (minus the paristic drag)? Lots of trouble and $$ for so little gain....
like stated above, trade the car in....

 

Anything can be done with enough time and money.

Let's see, I'm just guessing here.
You'd have to remove the supercharger and all of it's accessories. Fab up an exhaust manifold that will accommodate the turbo and the wastegate, and fab up a downpipe that will hook up to the turbo and the catback. Fab up piping to get from the cold side of the turbo to the intercooler, along with a way to connect the piping to the intercooler. You'll need to find a place to add and oil outlet and inlet for the turbo, and depending on the turbo, coolant inlet and outlet. You'll also have to figure out how you're going to handle engine management and find a way to hook up a boost controller. This is all the stuff I can think of off the top of my head, and I'm sure I'm forgetting a good bit.

Honestly, I've never heard of anyone swapping a R53 to a turbo because as you can see, it's a ton of work for little benefit.

 

There is a kit and it has been done.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...53-engine.html
You will learn most people here at NAM are a bunch of haters because they don't have the ***** to do anything. If you want it, do it.
There was also a MC2 article earlier this year of a guy that did a 1.8l turbo VW engine swap that was pretty kit *** too.

 

I could see converting a R53 to a turbo if MINI only made supercharged engines and you really wanted a turbo. But MINI makes both a supercharged version AND a turbo version. Why would anyone in their right mind want to spend the money to convert a SC to a turbo for virtually the same performance. The only variation of this that would make any sense would be to ADD a turbo to a SC for a major performance boost (although probably pretty tough on a stock engine)
It's simple, if you want an supercharger? Buy an R53. If you want a turbo? buy an R56!

 

lol i agree.. there is alot of difference lots of gain my prior car was a subaru sti 437 whp trust me if u do it right combination is huge difference i just dont know **** about coopers and they dont sell to any parts for r53 but thanks everybody!!! ima swap to turbo and post my dyno run

 

It can be done - years ago Fireball Tim did several MINI's that were turbo charged but I am not sure if he started with R50 or R53 cars??? We had a dyno day here in Mesa for our club and he sent one of his "Black Widow" MINIs down for some runs with us while it was being built - it was NICE !!!! If I remember it had about 380 horsepower at the TIRES and it was not finished yet - I think the goal was to get over 500 at the crank so they were getting there. Like I said this was years ago - 2004-05 I think . Good luck - keep us informed

 

Its kind of simple, the aftermarket for the R53 engine internals wise is much greater than that of the R56.

I would personally go twin charged in the end.

Turbos > Supercharger in terms of potential.

 

ALTA useto sell a twin charge kit. Not verry many of them lasted though IIRC. There have been some good turbo only cars built, but most of the people who built them dont visit (or atleast post) on this board. The one with the most turbo swap knowledge here would be Mike@TechDivision, it was their shops specialty.

Mechanicly its a little pricey but pretty easy, Electronically it can be a nightmare from what I understand. If it's worth it or not... That just depends on who you ask.

 

Problem is the op stated he only wants to run 15 inches of boost....
So that limits his gains to the loss of the sc drag, and adds lag. Granted, he can use a smaller turbo running that low psi, but he will gain, what, 50 hp to the wheel over an unmodified 15% reduction?! What cost. If you want to go turbo, imo you must go big for the effort....

 

this is where you are wrong..

15psi is not just 15psi.

15psi on a GT28 DOES NOT EQUAL 15PSI on a GT40

My point is.. 15psi depending on the turbo could make 400whp.. So to say that because the boost levels he is talking he wont make more power is dumb.

I hate when people ask me how much boost I am running.. who cares? 15psi on one turbo could only equal 5psi on another turbo in terms of volume and CFMs.

 

 

BINGO! Just like sizing on the Rotrex S/C's that are verry slowly trickling into our market. You can throw on a giant turbo, run 15psi and have 400+ HP, but the power band would suck. Or you could use a tiney turbo at the same boost, and have great low/mid range power, but not the big numbers up top. Or you could do a little research and find a correctly sized turbo, keep the powerband within an acceptable range and still make 300HP off of that same 15psi.

 

Couldnt have said it better.

 

That was a fun day... I believe the widow ended up over 400 by the time Brian got done working on it.. Tuls had his in the 400+ range with the TC. Dom was as 350ish.

One of my buddys here in phx still has a R53 converted from SC to Turbo. When its running, its fast but forget what it is dyno'n at.. Last time we tried to dyno, the car was slammed to low, couldnt get it on the rollers.

 

I stand corrected. If there's a kit for it, that changes things a bit. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for a good project, some people just go into these kinds of things uninformed and then don't understand why it's costing so much in time and money.

 

What you decribe is lag...the turbo spool up time.
the main advantage of a different sc or tutbo would be cooler intake temp...15 psi of cool air is more dense...so more o2, so more fuel can be added, make more power...the sc on our stock mini is very ineffecient at higher boost ranges...so dimminishing returns at more psi...all due to the tremendous heat a roots sc makes at higher boost levels...just due to its desgin...other sc, either of different desgin or size will make more power at the same boost levels due to less engine drag, and cooler temps of it air output...basic science.
turbo does recapture waste energy from the exaust, and use it to compress the air, as oposed to engine power, gaing power to the wheels. Correct sizing is important, but 15psi at a given temp is the same from any scource as long as the scource can keep up..
.not trying to create a fight, just stating fact.
back to the op, what he wants has/can be done, but why not run aftermarket pistons, etc, and run more psi.(or more durable)...investing in a turbo kit and starting with a tired motor is a false sense of economy, and will cause headaches later...

 

Zippy, hate to burst your bubble here but you have some research to do. Yes turbo lag is more prevelant with big turbos, but a big turbo such as a GT-35 running 15psi will put down more power than a tiny k-03 at the same pressure. (After spool up ofcourse)

Why, it's not the heat, (All turbos generate massive amounts of heat, big or small) its the CFM. Look at the itty bitty turbo on the R56, it's super easy to spool, but simply can not supply enough air in the upper RPM's to keep the powerband going. However if somebody ever completely figgures out the R56's ECU enough to run a bigger turbo such as the GT-28RS (and keep it running), keeping the boost the same the bigger turbo will put down bigger numbers, just because it can flow more air.

 

I'd rather take the time to swap in a 4G63T ...

 

Anything is possible with enough money.

 

thanks guys for yall help i finnaly decided what im doing lol im doing turbo supercharger or what u guys call twin charged is gonna be an easy project worst part is the manifold im trying to find a turbo manifold so i think im gonna end up doing one custom i would like if this kit would work for me idk if the manifolds are the same if not then i guess im gonna have to go all custom http://www.raceinspired.com/p-28201-...2002-2006.aspx

 

http://www.raceinspired.com/p-28201-...2002-2006.aspx

i was wondering if that manifold would work onmy mini like i said i used to have subaru's idk about mini so idk if the engine and stuff change alot any help??

 

i would like to know if by any chances this will work in my mini cooper idk if the manifold change's or nothin so HEEEEELP PLZ LOL


http://www.raceinspired.com/p-28201-...2002-2006.aspx

 

Exactly..almost..we are almost on the same page.
I would bet with the tiny turbo, as the motor gulped down the air, the psi of boost would drop...since the motor is consuming more cfm than the turbo can keep up...
then again, who is staring at their boost guage wot at crazy speeds....
Same thoughs i guess, different way of describing it...
my turbo time is kinda dated...like 10+ since i messed with one.