I give out props when they're warranted and I was thoroughly impressed with INSKIP MINI. I generally have my work done by an independent mechanic/specialist, however this time around I went with the dealership due to the relative complexity involved.

As we all know the N14's love to leak oil at the turbo. Mine was a slow seep. I also had a slow leak at the oil filter/cooler housing. During stop and go traffic I could see blue smoke rising from under my hood. I checked my oil regularly and changed it often with only Genuine MINI/BMW oil. I even kept an eye on the turbine housing for shaft play. Tight as a drum... Kept procrastinating..

Finally got around to getting it done this week. INSKIP even let me supply my own stainless steel oil line, banjo bolts from Detroit Tuned. I also supplied oil filter housing gaskets and turbo return line as well.

Total cost for labor wad $1070 which is entirely reasonable considering the "extra" parts they installed for me while they were in "there". This includes a coolant drain and fill! What Daryl quoted me was what I payed, not a penny more. That's pretty cool.

Heres the best part. I got an entirely unexpected boost in performance. Like HUGE. My R56 is tuned by Mario Palza/MANIC. Before this service my MINI ran really good. I changed the oil 2 weeks prior too. Tons of power, smooth, no dead spots in the power band whatsoever. Easily over 210 hp. Pulling out of the parking lot was a revelation. How the hell is this car making MORE power? Insane. When I say it feels like 20-40 extra HP I'm not kidding. Wow.

Long story short, if you have a leaking turbo, get it fixed! Not only is it good for your engine (duh) it will put a smile on your face too. And INSKIP did a great job too. 👍🏼

 

I guess the stars do align up once in a while. Am really surprised the dealer would install non-OEM parts..

 

Very true. With the exception of the stainless steel turbo feed line all the parts were OEM MINI. If anything they were happy it wasn't OEM because it's easier to install since it's flexible. It also won't leak down the road like the defective OEM part.

 

There is also a small possibility the dealership switched maps on my ECU by accident. I had it set on map 2, or "mid". Maybe they bumped it up to map 3? I'll have to order the SPS switch so I can toggle between maps and see...

 

Good to know. Over the years, I've heard good and bad about Inskip - and they've grown alot over those same years, so I imagine they're doing something right somewhere.

 

I think I may have narrowed down where my massive HP gains are coming from. It looks like they replaced the intercooler charge pipe (passenger side) which must have cracked during service. I wasn't charged for it, which is cool. So now I'm guessing I must have had a small, imperceptible boost leak in the intercooler piping. Prior to this peak boost was around 17 psi. Now it boosts to 20 psi without hesitation. I couldn't be happier. The difference is night and day