Can some of you please provide me with your experience or comments regarding two aftermarket purchases I am contemplating for my soon to be delivered 2011 JCW.

1- Are "stainless steel braided brake lines" a good idea and if so from whom should I be purchasing them?

2- Is there a real benefit from replacing the oem air filter and buying an aftermarket "af" that breathes better and does not require replacing, instead can be cleaned and reinstalled? If yes, who would you recommend makes them for Mini?

I had both additions for my `94 Saab Aero and was pleased.
K&N made the air filter.

Thanks for your continued input.
BallyRick

 

I have a K&N in my 2009 JCW. Just had a RMW tune by Jan in Rochester NY. I'm making 266 lb/ft of torque and 222 hp now. Can't vouch for hp increase from K&N vs. stock, but I've had K&N's on my last 3 cars and got good service out of them without any error codes.

Ray

 

Are you going to run your car on the track? If so, go ahead and upgrade your brake lines, and change your fluid to high temp Motul or the like too.

Otherwise, the factory lines are fine....

 

Ray and Dave,

Thank you for your prompt responses and advice.

Ray.... What have you done to your JCW to get that extra HP and all that add`l torque? Are you worried about to much stress on the clutch?

Dave.... Would you know what is the standard brake fluid being used by Mini?
Years ago, the choices were something like Dot 3 or Dot 4.
Are there synthetic brake fluids as well as oils?
Although I doubt I will ever take my JCW on the track, I am a big
believer in 60 to zero, like I am 0-60.
Please tell me more about the fluid you recommended.

Thanks to you both.
Ballyrick

 

I'm considering aftermarket filters as well, but hung up on the performance (i.e. flow) vs. filtration quality. This topic is one prone to spur emotions; the classic debate is essentially that you cannot get both improved flow and improved partical filtration from an aftermarket filter.

Here is one of the most candid I've seen on the topic.

 

Zeiker,

Thanks so much for your response and that very interesting piece.
Although much of it went over my non-scientific, bean counter brain, the conclusion was quite easy to understand; little or no performance gain from these long lasting air filters.

Years ago, I could swear, K&N claimed a 5hp gain from its filters.

Are you contemplating some major changes to increase hp and torque?
If so please provide details.

Thanks,
Ballyrick

 

I got the HP and Torque increases via a dyno tune done by Jan Brueggeman of Revolution Mini Works. He tweaks the programming of the ECU. While I gained about 13 hp and 40+ lb/ft torque over the stock output, I feel confident that the built-in robustness of the JCW factory engine, clutch and driveline can handle the occasional foray into the extra power. Strangely enough, I drive conservatively the majority of the time and limit myself to a blast down the on-ramp of the interstate every so often. I don't autocross or do track days with my car. I can hear the groans of fellow JCW owners as I write these words.

 

Cleveland Ray,

You and I have the same driving habits; nothing to be ashamed about.

Thanks for sharing your power upgrade with me.

Years ago I did the same upgrade with my Saab Aero but if I remember
correctly, I had to ship my ECU out to be tweaked, leaving the car in a shop for about two weeks and with nothing to drive as well.

Is the process still the same? Did you have to have the ECU removed and shipped to RMW leaving the car not functional until the modified ECU was sent back?

Please let me know how it was handled?
Many thanks,
Ballyrick

 

I had a Saab 900T in the old days. Great feeling car.

The tweaking process has definitely gone high-tech. Several methods are available. One is to take your car to the guru with the computer hookup and dyno. That's what I did. Jan's shop is in California. I'm in Cleveland, Ohio. A guy named Larry coordinated Jan's traveling to Rochester NY (about 230 miles from me) where about 16+ guys scheduled time for him to dyno-tune their Mini's. Method #2 is to buy a flashtool from Jan or other vendor and purchase a "canned" tune program that gets downloaded into the flashtool then loaded into your car's ECU. Of course, the canned tune is somewhat of a compromise because the tuner guy doesn't know the small variations that make your car unique. You can say you have a 2010 JCW Clubman, but cars vary. Third method is to purchase something like an Alta Passport (about $800+ that lets you tweak all kinds of parameters. Hopefully you know what you're doing! You can some "free" canned tunes with the purchase. I'm no expert on this stuff so second opinions are welcome.

Ray

 

You're very welcome. Your JCW already has a step up over my S, so be sure to enjoy it stock while you break it in!

The filter test piece quoted 'marginal' gains in HP, so your recollection of 5 HP gains from foam-type filters is probably accurate. What gets me is the decreased filtering capacity. I don't want any more dirt hitting the turbo than necessary .

As far as upgrades, now that mine is broken in, I am considering a Defenders of Speed CAI. This is one of the few that i have found that actually utilizes cold air (you have to cut into the bulkhead to access the fresh air where the windshield meets the back of the hood). If I can find a solution that taps this cold air, and uses a filter that traps at least as much debris as the stock paper filiment, I'm all over it.

I must say, however, that I am not familiar with where your JCW draws its air.

Also, I'm considering deleting the 'muffler' in the hot/supply line to the intercooler. This is mainly to hear the turbo (my 2011 S Clubby is supprisingly quiet in the cabin), but getting rid of that restriction and heat has got to help performance, IMO.

 

Terry at Burger Motorsports has done extensive testing on the BMW twin turbo. He has found that a cold air intake on a turbo/intercooled car makes no real difference in intake temps. The one thing that matters is to use high flow filters to give the turbo all the air it needs.

 

Jim,

Thanks for your comments. Any thoughts as to what brand of aftermarket or perhaps even the stock air filter, might provide the greatest air flow?

Another of our members, (Zeiker) wrote about his concerns over sacrificing
filtration in order to achieve better air flow and additional hp.

Please read his thread and the accompanying research.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Ballyrick

 

While I understand the benefits of increased flow, there's more to the flow equasion than just the filter in a CAI design. Plumbing to the filter and location of the filter air supply make a significant difference.

For example, the filter box supply tube's length, bend, and supply opening location all impact (negatively in this case) flow to the box. The bends and length result in differential pressure and thus flow losses. If the location of the opening is behind the bumper, with no line-of-sight to the air in front of the car, it is actually exposed to a vacuum at speed, which hampers flow.

Designs for the cooper that reorient the filter box such that it requires no supply tube (eliminating the dP losses mentioned earlier), and have line-of-sight to the high pressure area where the windshield meets the hood (i.e, the filter extends through a hole in the bulkhead there) provide two benefits resulting in increased flow, without touching the filter. This design was utilized by models such as Chevelles in the 60s. (NASCAR's Smokey Yunick popluarized the concept).