Does anyone know if 15% pulleys are any different in the UK vs US? I'm military stationed in england, and Don't want to spend $175 for a $100 pulley (which is really worth $30) but i digress. Does anyone know if the UK and US version use the same pulley sizes?

 

Yes they are. I don't think you are right about those pulleys being worth 30$, I'm not sure I'd trust a cheap pulley. Just stick to well known brands and everything will be fine.

 

KAVS is a good brand.

 

An iPad is a hundred bucks more in the UK!!... 15% is 15% anywhere you go..
don't let the Brits overcharge you!! VAT Sucks.. i can say that cause I'm a Brit.

 

Lmao. Thanks man.

The reason I said a pulley is worth $30 is because of its size and amount of metal. It's not the most complicated thing. I guess machining isn't the cheapest. But $100 seems like it's brand over anything else.

Anyhow yea they are over $175 here it's crazy.

 

Do you have stats on stock parts so I can see? I trust you know the answer, but some evidence would put my mind at rest, i'd hate to throw a 15% in there from america, and it's = to a 50% in England.

Anyhow the reason I say $30 is because it is a round piece of metal. What does that really cost? If a company specialized in that one part it would be around $30. not 100. Maybe there aren't many in stock. Maybe it's a special form of alluminum or steel?

 

I didn't look up any conversions,... But I'll say that 50% of 1 inch, and 50% of 26mm are so close to the same, you won't notice any difference in performance, even if there is a thirty-second (more or less) actual difference. I'd actually be surprised if there was any such difference. I would think that even a UK manufacturer would use millimeters as the unit of measure to make an aftermarket part for a European car.

That being said -regardless of manufacturing costs: Demand in the market place, and the retail price that competitors are offering are usually the biggest forces that set the price we'll pay.

Over here, they are around $100 I think for most. I personally like the Craven Speed (it's $10 more) pulley best but probably because I know one of the guys that works there -went on a run with him and a bunch of other guys from my local MINI Club too. I believe in buying from and supporting local small businesses. Also, I rather respect his ethics and integrity when he explained how much they value their vendors and therefore don't sell parts wholesale -not even to their friends or local club members. They all have to stick together to make a living out of such a small specialized market of MINI fanatics... We MINI owners don't exactly represent a very large portion of consumers in the world of automobile economies/markets... But I digress.

I was surprised to find one well reputed brand to be significantly more than the others,... M7 I think it was. I'm of the opinion that the Alta, WMW, and Craven Speed pulleys are all nearly the same in terms if design, quality of material used, and craftsmanship. Just get a quality part from a manufacturer with a good reputation of high quality. -I tend to agree with you that it's just a metal wheel, but like everything else in retail; they're generally priced as high as the market will bare.

I'm sure you know,... Don't forget the tool, smaller belt, and cooler plugs. Those things factored in, and I think my ~$100 pulley just became a ~$200 DIY. -Still the best bang for the buck from what I know.

 

The pulley will be the same in the UK actually. I am glad you checked though. You can find our (CravenSpeed) pulleys in stock in the UK from Lohen.

CS Supercharger Pulley UK

The also have the tool and the belt.

We have been working with them for a few years now and they have a great reputation in England.

-=Kellen

 

Now the question is. Did anyone upgrade twice and have a 15% lying around? And either way does anyone have a pulley puller I could borrow? And does anyone know the perfect belt for 15%?

 

Look in the market...they sometimes get sold used when a person upgrades to a 17% from a 15%...Nothing is free....
Same for the puiler...folks use then once, then sell them...they go FAST!! That way you can get MOST of the $$ you spent back...and no worries about somebody NOT returning a $$ tool.....
60535 is fine for a 15...a 532 can be used also (more common on the 17%).

 

Thanks a million. I'll have to keep an eye out.

 

One tip...
Since most folks here are in the states, shipping might become an issue...
BUT there is a pretty BIG modding movement in your area...LOL, home of the MINI...you can likely find one LOCALLY...
R53's are dying, getting parted out, etc....keep your eyes open!
Check with the local clubs....if somebody is local, they might even help you do the pulley....at one point, in the US, folks had pulley parties....with 5-6 cars, one tool, one experienced pulley installer....did one...others watched...then did theirs..sometimes with/without help...
Payment was often in the form of a 6 pack......

 

I'm american stationed overseas. 5 bucks to ship in USPS. Via apo. But you have a good point got my r53 for £3100 ~$4800

 

Not a special base metal, but you make the point in the first post. If there was enough volume for an entire company, they probably would be cheaper. But relative to say, Honda, MINI sells a whole lot fewer cars, and a relatively small percentage (worldwide) were MCS, and the supercharged cars only existed from 2002-2006. It's a pretty cheap bang for the buck.

 

Where is this 8 rib kit?? don't see it on the site!!

 

Reminder: just about every US based parts supplier will ship to APO.

Motor on!