Does anyone use it? If so, what are your thoughts? Good, bad?

 

Mixid opinions on teh cam from the assembled mases.

Search 'schrick cam' and you'll find a few discussions on it.

Bottom line is what other mods have you done, cam is usually way down on the list since the dollar/hp ratio is low.

Also ask yourself what your performance goals are.

 

I agree this is not one of the first mods but I have one in my RMW head and it will be interesting to see if my car makes any more power than the others who do not..... we are tuning in Atlanta this coming Saturday....

 

Excellent. Looks like it doesn't do a whole lot unless other mods are there to support it. I am looking to build the cooper into a good mountain warrior without going to a cooper S. Currently, I only have the drop-in filter with some suspension and brake mods. I looked at some exhaust parts, but I would want one that doesn't drone too badly. Has anyone ever used the OBX axle-back? I found it on ebay and I have always liked their exhaust parts in the past.

 

The OBX axleback isnt a complete system. Dont let it fool you. You still have to weld an extra pipe. Get the OBX header, magnaflow cat and a magnaflow muffler and have the exhaust shop weld it up for you. Thats what Im doing but I havent found the exact muffler I want from magnaflow. I want everything to be 2.5" dia. and not to mix and match.

 

what sort of ecu tuning has been used by most cooper owners? Maybe that should be my next course of action...

 

IMHO, the Schrick cam is worthwhile ONLY if you've got a properly ported head... Otherwise, it's not going to live up to the full potential. I've got one in my Cooper - with the head work that we did at the same time, the combo of the ported/polished head and cam made the biggest difference of any other performance mod, period. Nothing else even comes close.

I've got a tuner version of the MTH software for the mods installed... Although, at some point, I'd love to have RMW work it over some more.

 

MTH I will look into that if I decide to build the motor. At this point, I am also looking for a possible second car and a 996 carrera is in my sights. We shall see what this thirst for power brings.

 

Breathing life into dead threads...

So what were your numbers after you ported polished and did the cam job?

 

I have a Newman cam, which is a bit more agressive from the Schrick, according to the specs, and i wouldn't recommend it. Not that there is any problem with the cam, jus there is a loss at low rpm, up to 3000rpm. The only area that has gained a few hp, is above 5000rpm, to the rev limit, according to my feel. Now it has power up to 6950, where as before it just made noise above 6000. But, is it worth it? We rarely drive at that rev range.

 

Maybe you don't...

 

I do... But not on everyday basis.

 

wow nickbmw!!i have almost the same mod as u!!im in a point where i duno if i shud spent the money on changin camshaft and rebuilding the engine or fabricate a turbo kit for my mini

 

Turbo kit means a lot of money... And it will not help the driving dynamics at all. If you want power, the hard truth is you should get an S... Or, stick with the 100kg lighter Cooper, make it faster, and give a really hard time to the R53s in any tight road/track... :D

 

how much did your installation cost for your camshaft?because i got a quote for the turbo kit and it is around 4-5000 dollars

 

I don't think the labor cost here (Greece) has nothing to do with US

What are your mods?

 

megan header,fidanza flywheel,clutch master fx300,supersprint cat back,k&n intake,kw v1 coilover,alta control arms,h&r sway bar,i/e camber plate,front and rear strut bar,buddy club stabilzer,engine damper,hawk hp+ front n back
i found cosworth big valve cylinder head http://www.vividracing.com/catalog/c...6-p-19114.html

 

Most interesting...one of the first posts that I've come across that has also used the supersprint cat back. However, you have done several things to your Mini that I'm only thinking about right now. A couple of questions if you don't mind.

What is the weight of the OEM Crankshaft damper and what can it be reduced to? Will replacing it with a lighter unit improve low end response noticeably? Are there any drawbacks associated with a lighter damper?

Same question for the flywheel with the added question of will there be any difficulty experienced during (manual) shifting?

My interest in the low end response is due to the fact that the mods I've done on my 2004 Mini haven't made a real "noticeable" improvement from the "light" up to about 3000 RPM. From 3000 to red line it pushes you back in the seat with much stronger pull than pre-mod

On a cosmetic note, I believe I see in your sig pix that you have the same OEM rims on your Mini as I have. I was thinking of either powder coating them white or buying a new set of white spoke rims (haven't settled on a mfgr yet). But I do like the look of your rims. Are they powder coated or painted?

 

hmm i forgot to mention that i also have sprint booster,i think sprintbooster and the tsw engine damper is quite useful for low rpm driving because u can give gas without shifting down on fifth gear,the fidanza flywheel is actually a product you will notice instantly,the only downside is easier to stall the car with a lighter flywheel,oh and my wheel is actually work wheel meister 2 piece custom painted to orange

 

So you have a pretty extensive mod list for an R50, the kind of list I would like! I know right now I have 106 WHP. What are you at?

 

In a few hours i am going for a custom remap on the dyno, i am looking forward, and i hope i will not be dissapointed from the result :D

As far as engine components are concerned, i have Janspeed header with decat pipe, Supersprint autox cat back (centre resonator delete, center exit), K&N panel filter with custom air feed and stock resonator removed, Fidanza flywheel, Newman camshaft, and NGK iridium spark plugs. I always use Castrol Edge Sport 0W-40 oil. The car feels good, we will see...

 

Ok, I'll chime in here as well.

I did the camshaft (Schrick) with my cylinder head install - just like a couple others have mentioned, and I would suggest to do it that way. Just the cam by itself would maybe give you something, but nothing as noticeable and useable as a head + cam install would.

My mods are: air intake, exhaust, exhaust header + high-flow CAT, cylinder head (P&P), and schrick camshaft. (together with some NGK plugs).

As is, my car has 160K miles, and in the last dyno (about 3 years ago), it was at 120whp with 17" wheels - a bit heavier than stock.

This is with a stock ECU tune, which many people are saying is what's holding me back. I assume (and this is based on purely nothing), that with a proper dyno-tune, I could be up to 135-140 at the wheels. Which would be pretty sweet for a non-S. hehe.



Take care,
Leo.

PS: Gotta love that flat-spot at 3-4K range. lol. It feels horrible on the street, but as soon as it passes the 4200RPM mark, it's a new beast. Then I think of the transmission and how it's about to break, and slow it back down to 3500 or so... lol.

 

Thats amazing.

P&P heads? Who, and where?

 

Yeah, I got my cylinder head done by a local FL guy - Thumper Performance.

Thumper Performance Link.

Take care,
Leo.

 

I've seen a few posts that claim the same issue with the lighter flywheel. So what does one do when the light turns green? Do you have to hold the RPMs up higher than normal as you let off the clutch?

Yes, the close-up photo of the rims clears up the OEM issue. In your little thumbnail they appeared to be the same as the OEM...but actually much different when viewed up close.

So when I get around to making all these changes, how much time will you project before my 5-speed tranny ends up in the junkyard?