I've seen a few pictures of minis with engine dampers installed. What is the deal with them, I know they stop the engine lashing out and redirect the power to the wheels, as opposed to damaging your engine mounts. But are they really worth the money. Any pros and cons?

 

If you have an R53 MY05 or later, I reckon it's worth it. The damper on the cars is crap - I've gone through three.

The main drawback is that a stiffer damper is more likely to transfer the energy of the motor through the car. You may or may not get vibration at idle, but also when the engine moves from accel / decel those forces may transfer through the car - ie. more jerky - but taht will teach you to be smoother with the clutch and shifting...

for my money, I thought it was worth it...

 

Awesome, I read about the vibrations but I can live with that.

And Tit, in your photos there is a green MCS on a slant with the rear wheel off the ground, is that you and is that an action shot or a still shot haha.

 

nah..I don't think he was moving that fast, it was just the angle and the stiff suspension...

tbh..I can't even remember why I put those pics up! haha.

 

I wasn't really convinced the engine damper would really make a difference, but tried it anyway since it is a fairly inexpensive mod. I put on the TSW damper (purchased from AutoXcooper.com) and have to admit I was wrong. It really makes a difference. The initial acceleration is much better. This was just as good as changing the springs and rear sway bar for me.

 

Yea I just put one on my 2002 Cooper and so far I really like it....not as jerky anymore and the power seems to get to the ground better....really helped my car when it's in reverse! I did end up with a little vibration coming into the car but nothing I can't live with....I wonder how bad it's gonna be in the winter time when the car is really cold and stiff?

 

I installed a Lord of the Flies damper about a year ago. I liked this kit becuase it was a clean looking install when it was finished (it was an exercisie in patience and dexterity while I was putting it in since it's tucked between the frame and the engine). No probelm with vibrations. The best description I'd give for the effect is that it make the car feel more urgent. I punch the accelerator and the power seems to get to the pavement more quickly. Gear changes at higher RPMs are also smoother.

 

You put them up because they are kewl

With the dampers are there different models out now, or is there just one primary damper that everyone goes for?

 

There are two at this time, the VIP http://www.vipcustomparts.com/minicooperparts.htm

The TSW http://www.autoxcooper.com/tsw_engine_damper.html The NEW TSW is even better then the old one in everyway.

 

I've read several NAM threads regarding engine dampers. Some posts mention that they are really good for particular year cars. Which years benifit most from them? Why? Why not so much for the other years?

 

No really, I would like to know. Anyone with answers?

 

Engine dampers help all model year MINI’s by making throttle response and shifting (up/down) better. Torque gets transferred to the wheels instantly instead of having that built in lag in the drive train, because no torque is being lost during engine rotation. The other benefit is the engine damper saves the engine mounts from getting stressed. The MINI engine will rotate up to 3 inches under heavy acceleration or deceleration without an engine damper. On 04-06 MINI’s the upper oil filled engine mount will fail on a regular basis without an engine damper.

 

The TSW carbon fiber dampener works exceedingly well. Just put my on last week and loving it!

Barely noticeable vibration and very much worth every penny. You'll feel an instant difference.

 

The only caveat: Vibration stress is being transferred from the motor mounts, which were designed for it, to other metal, which was not designed for it. This doesn't mean it IS bad, but it could be. Also, the dampers don't eliminate motor vibration, they absorb a portion of it. So, how that translates to actual performance improvements is subject to variation and debate.

 

I don't know of any reports of damage to the areas where the TSW Damper mounts. I know there have been reports of damage with one that mounts lower/under front part of the engine compartment.

 

Has anyone heard of damage with the VIP engine damper? I bought that one because of the good praises I had heard about the unit. By the way, it definitely does work! Shifting is smoother for sure!

 

What about this kit? Looks like it may be worth a shot. Random website name but the products look good.

http://www.internetisseriousbusiness.com/

 

does anyone here have the urathane mounts and a damper? or does the damper eliminate the need for urathane mounts?

 

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i think i'm just going to go with the urethane bushings myself.

 

I just took mine off because I couldn't tell if anything was wrong with my car it idle because it had so much vibration. It made me very nervous all the time. I will say it does affect acceleration.

 

I just got my TSW engine damper, I will install it this weekend, is there any clearance issues with the TSW damper and a cooper non-s hood?

 

Yeah, I think I may buy the TSW V2 soon. Someone let me know how it goes. Im sure it will give the engine bay alittle bling too. Carbon Fiber ftw! haha. I have the S hood on my cooper haha...

 

For a better overall solution, look at replacing the existing bushings on the car with urethane ones. You get the same benefits as a damper at a lower cost and without adding another peice of equipment to the car.

Outmotoring.com has a great kit available here.

 

I have a 2004 MC bone stock that I bought second hand a month ago and I looked in the engine bay to see the spot where I would attach an engine damper and I found this. It looks pretty complex for an engine mount. Can anyone tell me what it is?

Murph