so i keep wondering why it is so hard to turbo swap the R53.

i know all the details involved with install as i have followed many others swaps on the forums for years, but its not that i dont get.

what i dont understand is why we couldnt do a turbo swap and set the turbo to be within the same boost parameters as the supercharger? cant you just set a 16 or 18psi spring in the BOV / wastegate like stock boost levels and "not" program the ECU? or at least not have to go aftermarket?

how would the car "know" 18psi from a SC vs a turbo? boost is boost ya? i realize the boost would "arrive" differently than in a SC, so some basic tuning wouldnt hurt, but why do we "have" to go aftermarket ecus, or huge turbos that put out tons of boost? is it just too much of a pita to turbo swap if your not going for huge power?

school me!

 

This is not the answer you are looking for, but, why not just get a turbocharged mini cooper and skip the headache.

 

Can't imagine that many have tried, 'cause really, what's the point? If you want a turbo without huge power, the factory has done that for you.
Who has said that you have to use an aftermarket ECU?

 

a few reasons; 1. i already have a R53, and since its not really "worth" anything near what i paid for it, kinda stuck with it till its cost feasible to swap it.

2. everyone rages about how turbos are so great; if the SC is going to dump out on me at some point, just considering other options.

3. i have this strange need to do everything that is difficult! lol. it would just be for the ability to say its a turbo converted R53 i guess...

 

Twin charge instead! :-)

 

im kinda curious as well esspecially if it is a small turbo, it will spool quickly itll be just like the SC, we already dont have super high compression

i think it is a good idea to swap cams..... but again i dont think it is neccecary, do need to get an electric water pump

 

Or why not keep the supercharger and do an RMW jesus head, cam and tune if you haven't already. If you've done a pulley, catback, injectors, etc. that'll probably put you over 240/250.

 

I love my R56S. The turbo does a great job. Delivers the torque really low. I love that part. However, there isn't a day that goes by that I don't miss that Supercharger whine. The best sound ever in a car.

If it was me, I'd just send the super charger out now. Have it rebuilt, ported, and polished. It'll be better than a new one. Slap on a pulley and get a RMW tune and you're golden. Of course your sig says "super modded" so perhaps you've already done all that...

 

superchargers die, im getting my ducks in a row before that happens =)

im awaiting time for my BVH/cam install, cash is waiting, i just need a weekend in advance that i can make my own

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...erted-r53.html

Couple people have done it ... but I don't think it was cheap -- $10k ish?

 

Supercharger> turbo IMO and I'm coming from a built b5 s4 background. (If you know anything about those gypsy machines) I love turbo'd cars don't get me wrong, but turbos can only spool so fast before they lag and you pretty much lose power from them. Superchargers spin with the engine thus keeping solid power through all rpms. Just my two cents.

 

So do turbos.

 

pretty close; i dont have meth, cam, injector upgrade or tune yet, but nearly everything else "bolt on" has been done performance wise.

looks like the consensus is that itll be cheaper regardless to keep the SC on R53s. again, it was more a thought that has been rolling around in my head, swapping the turbo and all; just wanted to know more!

 

You can get a SC for about $500-600 that is basicly new (I have a 6000 mile one off a wreck on the shelf...bought it years ago)....or you can rebuild one for $800....
Turbo's fail too...actually with more frequency than a sc....and usually a rebuild is more $$.
And the twin charge was made because doing a straight turbo only r53 proved to be unworkable with the stock ecu....
Remember.... With the stock sc, boost is DIRECTLY RELATED TO RPM....
With a turbo, not so much...boost varies also based on rpm, but load, which changes the exaust temps, which affect the velocity of the exaust gasses, which spin the turbo... This makes tuning a turbo pretty hard...heck few aftermarket places actually do it right...
IMO, if you want to experiment, go for it...
If you want a turbo car, buy one....making a sc car a turbo...good luck...better than trying it with a cooper engine wise....but still soooo many issues.

 

Turbos need rebuild after a while.

 

zippy wins with best technical explanation!
thanks! exactly what i was looking for.

 

I know I'm resurrecting an old thread......but with all of the new turbo stuff that's came out in the last year or so.....is the possibility of making a turbo R53 any more plausible?

It seems like the hickup is in the tuning......hell, the R53's have been around for 15 years and there are still just a few guys in the country that have the skills to tune one right (at least that's what everyone says). I've always wondered why the BMW DME's are such "white unicorns" when it comes to tuning.

There are guys out there with GM LS1 motors that they have put together in their garage with twin turbo setups, that they tuned on their own, making 1000hp on pump gas.

Why can't anyone seem how to crack the code on tuning the DME's in the Mini's. I think if that was a little easier, a turbo setup would be a pretty easy way to make some big power vs. the stock SC.

 

Hey IQ -- long time no talk -- I think that its plausible but no one ever really pursued it to much because of the cost / benefit. There are a few turbo R53s around.

1320 did one
Sneed speed did one

I don't think it was at all cheap. Also given the lack of space on an R53 -- you are going to have to relocate quite a few things.

I think most of these setups (and the LS1 in a Cavalier you reference) use a stand alone ECU.

 

All of the guys I know with huge hp twin turbo LSX motors use that HPTuner software to tune the stock GM Computer. There is actually a guy around my area with a TT lsx motor in an old Chevy nova that runs high 8's in the 1/4 mile....and he still drives it to work sometimes . Crazy!!

 

I stand corrected -- might be that there are a lot more GM/other ECUs (VW) on the market and worth researching vs. MINI/BMW ECUs out there.

I don't think until BMW went turbo there were HUGE HUGE gains to be had out of ECU tuning -- but I've never been able to afford a BMW so I don't know.

If I were to guess the demographic of a modder doesn't line up that well with the demographic of a BMW owner.

 

I think your last statement really hit the nail on the head

Not enough BMW owners out there that are willing to tune/wrench on their own cars. I'm guessing that the majority of them can't even change their own oil if their life depended on it

 

It isn't worth a vendor's time. The market is small and the demand is very low. It's not just tuning -- performance mod options in general are very limited for MINI. And this is not like Porsche where an aftermarket vendor can charge a high price to make up for the low volume.

 

from what I understand you cant stuff a big turbo into an R53, just not enough room from where the motor sits and where the exhaust port it. but there are some out there, another problem is the vendors that are doing this turbo conversion are making them full out races cars..... and that's a stupid amount of money going into it. the biggest cost would be making the manifold. then the turbo itself. I would still be surprised if the ecu couldn't handle the same 15-18 psi without touching it at all. someone just needs to go down this road

 

Isn't that pretty much the same for MINI performance parts vendors also?

 

Touché . Although the meaning of "high price" is all relative.