With all the performance enhancing mods available to increase airflow, I see FMIC's, getting rid of the intake muffler , deleting the noise maker, of course the bigger turbo(which the computer doesn't like because of fix perimeters) and the CAI. When I was working at a shop that builds racing engines, I was taught that, a cylinder head port only flows as much as the primary choke point will allow. That being said, has anyone taken notice to how small the plastic tube is after the IC, above the right fender well, below the radiator support that connects to the strut tower ? Is there a mod for this ?

 

Yes. You can replace the factory parts with aftermarket boost tubes. But it doesn't really matter. The MINI will NEVER, EVER, be a really fast car in a straight line.

 

I am aware of the
Boost tube upgrades. However, I have not seen THAT particular tube offered. Hence the point I was trying to make. As far as being a straight line car is irrelevant. It's about having fun with any car you have and being happy with it and being happy doing mods to it.

 

Hot and cold side boost tubes seem to be a common mod among the heavily modded set. I have a cold side one on my car just for the muffler delete. No idea if the improved air flow vs pressure drop makes any difference.

I did notice, however, that a heavily modified S ran about 6 seconds faster than me last time I was at a road course. He ran about that much ahead of everyone including some new M3 cars too so it might have something to do with the driver.

 

There is a guy on ebay that sells a less restrictive stainless replacement for the cold side.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MINI-COOPER-S-R56-TURBO-COLD-UPPER-INTERCOOLER-PIPE-SET-/120715413872?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item1c1b330970#ht_5302wt_980

 

I picked up a set of the NM cold side pipes, and they still use the factory pipe that is along the top right side of the engine. I thought, like you, that this was a pretty significant restriction. There really is not much room for a different pipe there.

I didn't necessarily notice a difference in power (added Hot, Cold, and FMIC at once, along with updated AP tune), but my exhaust note changed from the mods on the intake side.

Have fun,
Mike

 

I think there is away to make something up. It'd be alittle tricky tho. I agree about the other side. Unless your gonna add a good tune your really not gonna notice a difference. Its still not gonna flow anymore air than the smallest opening in the system. And infeel its right there. I have chose to buy everything for the front suspension minus struts so far. I think there's more to gain from that than anything.

 

You all have to realize that it isn't as simple as "it can only flow what the smallest opening will". Restrictions to fluid flow, (and yes, air is a fluid), are cumulative.

4 restrictions of the same size will flow less than 3, 3 less than 2 and so on... Using CFD, (computational fluid dynamics is a finite element analysis f a fluid instead of a solid), you can accurately predict fluid flow in any system.

So, having less restrictions in any system will increase flow, even if you still have restrictions.

but, I'm just a dumb engineer, what do I know...

 

Correct me if I'm wrong please...

Replace the DP with a free flowing unit, and you reduce the HP required to get rid of the exhaust, meaning net power to the wheels is increased due a drop in parasitic HP reducers.

Replace parts of the intake with free flowing units and the computer will adjust the turbo speed (under boost) to meet its old flow targets? Netting no extra power UNLESS you do a tune, and allow the ECU to take advantage of the new free flow?

On a normally aspirated engine, I get the intake side of the equation, but how does the ECU respond on a turbo'd engine?

Thanks'
E

 

Yea me to. I'm just a dumb turbine tech in R&D department for an aviation manufacturer. Set up heads with Tim Zepp for 3 different cars that each set a national record. Another car won 7 races straight and clinched the division championship. Got 3rd place in engine masters challenge 2nd year entered. But we're just dumb engine builders doing it for fun.what do we know.

 

I feel you are totally correct. You can do all the airflow tricks you want. But if you don't have a proper tune, it ain't gone no where. That's one of the main reasons my car is back to OEM. No tunes until now with evolve. They get it right. I'll put the stuff back. Nice to discuss different parts to increase power until tunes come along tho. As well to gain knowledge. Until tunes arrive, I think countryboy is correct in another thread about suspension work. It's over looked. That being said, I've just bought all new bushing for the entire front. End links and struts are next then I'll do the rear. Evolve is fixing the tune issues as we speak tho

 

You probably think that something made from black plastic can make as much power as something made from chrome and blue silicone tubing, which has to be worth a minimum of an extra 10hp - though of course that's only when the bonnet/hood is open so bystanders can see them......

 

Angib... Really? Please put the flamethrower away.

Sprintcars defended his comments with his experience and successes. You may be right about the 'bling' and the crazy HP proclamations made by MANY of the manufacturers, but this is supposed to be a friendly forum. (And "tsk tsk!" to Sprintcars for his vitriol!)

Rant complete.

 

Your right summons. My bad. Sorry. I've sat back and ignored people taking stabs at people when it's really unnecessary. I've finally had enough. I never come back like that. As far as bling bling parts. I try hide everything I can. I'm a firm believer in chrome don't get you home or go faster. You open my hood it appears completely factory aside from the AEM intake set up

 

Kinda sorta... The ECU does nothing with turbine speed. The turbine spins at whatever is spins at. All the ECU really cares about are matching engine parameters in the stored lookup tables, and controlling spark and fuel to make it go.

Until it sees that boost is out of expected range in relation to everything else, it will happily just keep on keepin on. In closed loop it will try to keep AFR at whatever it's programed for. In open loop, it will keep in the stock (or whatever is programmed) tables.

So, if you make improvements in or out, or even if you make it worse, the ECU will just do what it can to control it. Once it's outside of it's programmed values, it will code. It will also default to some very safe values.

All tuning does, is move values in tables. More/less spark advance, fueling curves, cam timing, ... And yes that is a bit simplistic. But the ECU will make the best of what it's got until it can't. The same with a tune. It will do the best it can til it can't.

 

+1 . I think the sleeper OEM look on mods looks best. But even more to Sprintcars point: shiny colored bits won't make the car faster. Function before form.

Now to what Sprintcars's topic is all about. My question is: Maybe look to a shop that can fabricate parts for that section.... Most race car shops can do chassis and exhaust work, maybe they can do something to help you? I think Tyrolsport can fabricate items: http://www.tyrolsport.com/

As for the downpipe/exhaust: anything you can do to make the air in the exhaust (hotside of turbo, downpipe, and exhaust) hotter is for the better. Hotter air means thinner air (less air density/mass) making it easy to get rid of the exhaust. I suggest wrapping everything, but again as Sprintcars said, it won't be worth a crap until it's tuned.

 

OK so if I have my head wrapped around this...

If we make the intake flow better, I assume the ECU aims for a boost level (say 14psi at WOT) and if the flow is better as a result of a better intake, we'll make more power right up to the point were the ECU no longer has tables that cover the higher flow rates. At that point the ECU throws a code and goes into limp mode of some sort...

A tune in this situation would add values to the tables to allow us to go to higher flow rates before we throw a code and start limping?

 

And.....the stock turbo is kind of small. At high rpm's it starts to lose it's ability to supply all that mass flow. I'm an engineer too but I only work with O2 sensors and fuel injectors.

 

Ah, so you're the guy not letting me run a downpipe without throwing a code! Lol, jk

 

I build airplanes... BFD!

 

Ha, I run a nuclear reactor!

 

Hee, Hee...everyone's a motor man...good to see all of the possible "I can make it better" ideas flourishing, and I hope you guys get there, but realistically unless you have a real super brain flash, or if you have access to the same type of equipment, labs, testing facilities...etc...that the factory has you must realize you have a long road to walk.

 

OP, are you talking about replacing this part? Start playing the video around 0:40

 

I like the custom pipe, it would be better if the elbows were also steel too.

 

I used to do that in the Navy...