Taking a little longer than initially thought. Here is some installation ****. ARP Rod Bolts installed along with some powerflex bushings.

Well there goes the subframe



Getting excited thinking about the better suspension

Ick looks dirty in there

If i wasnt a total novice i'd almost think those were cracks.

ARP Bolts installed!

 

thanks for all the updates. I look at this almost every day!

 

Intercooler is in and the GFB DV+ is also put in. Suspension is starting today. Had an odd call in which i was told the aftermarket bump stops i got are the same size as the stock ones. Hmm that doesnt seem right? Well at any rate, im sure they are still better since they are different material and compression rate. Should still help with toe in cornering



Trailing arm inserts going in!

 

Last minute discussion with Mario, he ran into an issue with the GFB DV+, it was dumping boost and acting a fool. Putting the stock one back in tomorrow morning before I pick it up. Seems the N18s are super picky when it comes to Diverters. Our target psi is 23! Looks like i will be trying to return or sell the GFB if i can. Also some more install ****..


KONI-town!

Was recommended the stiffest setting. Softest to stiffest goes from the outside edge towards the bend. So looking at the holes in the current position they are on stiffest, after that would be less stiff and after that softest.

 

Ok guys everything is done for the tune and I have my MINI back in my hands. For anybody just joining in, I have the RPM Stage 3 tune from user "MarioKart". Got to play with alot during the 2 hr drive back home, couple notes:

1). Pulls like a monster wow! 23 psi boost if you push it.
2). The intake sound has changed, much more sophisticated sucking noise and you can hear the whine of the turbo quite loudly
3). The pops in sport mode with catless DP are great and you could easy scare a few people
4). Suspension feels nice and tight

Other notes as well, the car seems a bit jerkish from 1200-1900 rpm at 22% throttle position when accelerating. Basically very slowly accelerating or maintaining said rpm range (basically around 10-20mph) will re-produce said results. Almost feel like something rotating over a hump or someone jerking your shirt when you try to run. This might be indicative of a problem that i will look into later. To be fair though the turbo doesnt really kick in till 2100 rpm anyway so i can avoid the problem by driving it like a proper go cart . Next, i can definitely smell exhaust around the car, it isnt shy that it is catless. I'll have to get used to the smell and such, i suspect i may have the tiniest of exhaust leaks somewhere near the turbo as i can smell it there.

Also during the drive my NM Air Charge pipe popped off where the bottom 90⁰ silicone tube meets the blue metal pipe portion. There was a huge pop sound when i was at full boost. Yikers. Managed to ghetto rig it back up by hand tightening the loose clamp until i got home to fully tighten it.

Idle is a bit rough, between 750-790 rpm will give it time to settle out. Sounds fine mostly just sometimes sounds like it is about to stop for a sec then bam resumes. Weird to describe, i'll take a video next week to show it better.

Lastly, i will take some sound clip recordings later today or next week for you guys.

 

You have no cats, so it will have a smell from the exhaust. Plus, still might have some manufacturing oils to burn off, too.

 

List of installed parts updated. Will keep you guys posted

 

Did the Ultra braces get delivered yet?

 

Yes, 2 days ago.
I haven’t had a chance to do anything
with them yet except remove the
wrapping (about 50 feet of cling wrap
over a veneer of cardboard and bubble
wrap - all that took a while to remove).

 

Looking forward to seeing those braces installed on your own wonderful build thread Cristo, post some pics when you install!

Anyway, couldnt stand the smell of the catless in the front so did some investigating. My Vibrant 2.5 inch V Band was not tightly nutted down so i removed it, rotated it a bit, and re-tightened extremely tight. Less exhaust smell by my driver window now, ahh can have the windows down again. Removed heat shield over turbo and saw black suit around where downpipe connects. Props to Mario for what he did do when installing probably will buy a new exhaust gasket and install just to see if it fixes the exhaust leak. Ordered a scanner for my MINI so i can investigate that jerking im getting at low rpms.

Also noticed a ticking sound i didnt notice before? Might be related to my slightly rough starts i'm getting as i can hear the engine, as best as i describe in words, almost stalls then come back in less than a second, whole sound last maybe half a second like engine has a single hiccup.

 

Drove the front up on Rhino ramps
and put them in this am.
Feels a bit more solid on rough roads
and a little quicker steering response on
good roads. You have to take the
exhaust plate off to put the mid brace’s
back 4 bolts on, but it’s much more
solid than the OEM plate that you remove.
About 2-2.5” tall, but tucked up so
I’m only losing a little more than an
inch of ground clearance, and I’m
not lowered, so no worries there.

pics are a bit limited as not much room to
get a good view on ramps.

 

So my air charge pipe has popped off twice nice during high boost applications. Most recently 2 nights ago on the freeway. Loud pop and lost all boost and seemed limpish. Stopped and re-installed clamp and tightened the hell out of the clamps. Somehow my boost was not fixed. It kept surging to 14psi then immediately dumping. Sigh so in addition to new coils i will be getting now I have to figure out if i have a leaking air pipe or my diverter valve went bust. Not getting any codes or CELS.

Not sure which version of the diverter valve Mario installed. Im hoping the newest version 11658636606.
If it is version 11657593273 then well time to go to version above.
OR i could re-install the GFB DV+ and see if I can make it work...
Torque Pro indicating my little non code misfires are exclusive to Cylinder 3. I have a Foxcon 530 coming in the mail so that will be fun.

 

Love the build thread! A lot of good info on here as well. Do you have a link to the intercooler you ordered? For some reason, I can only find the silver ones and I would like to have a black one. Or did you paint it?

 

 

Thank you!

 

Alright so an update. I bought a Foxwell 530 (basically the same one as the Schwaben but it can read a bit more cars) and came up with the following. At some point I got a Super Knock Warning for Cylinders 2 and 3 and a general one too (they were labeled as not present). But i did have an active warning present for Auxillary Water Pump (error 3786- open circuit). I did notice my coolant temps never go above 185. Maybe it stuck open?

I definitely feel something going over a hump almost at low rpms and nothing feels right since that air charge pipe came off during high boost application. Maybe timing chain needs replacing or I have damage to my cylinders? Mario said my cylinder compression was fine and such before the tune and turbo install but i have no idea if he even looked.

Also when checking out cylinder operation smoothness I notice cylinders 2 and 3 were the lowest at idle and on accel cylinder 3 seems to go more negative than others (-3 compared to others at 0 or -1)



$189 via Foxwell and reads F series! Anyone in SoCal feel free to hit me up

Did not get any errors and i did invidually test via the scanner the diverter valve by opening and closing it manually. Didnt get any errors when doing so. On a quick total system scan I did get Footwell Module 2 Fail along with CAS and the CIC.

 

Pretty sure the Aux Water Pump is the little one used to cool the turbo after shutdown, not the main coolant pump. There was a recall on it for causing fire --- N14's. It's also possible Mario adjusted the tune so coolant temp stays around 185. Mine was set to 175. Maybe check with him before you start changing things.

I had lotsa grief with hose clamps not holding over 22PSI. Finally tried the "Tee" type, instead of the usual screw-thread type --- they seem to stay "normal" to the hose, instead of skewing themselves all over the hose. Still gotta tighten them really tight, but haven't had one come loose yet, and I'm pushing 30PSI sometimes.

 

Realized I haven't updated in a while and after a slew of PMs i thought i'd provide some info to help the community. Currently my car is in Mario's hands since November 13th Wednesday. He started taking it apart Saturday 16th. Messaging him on Monday it looks like it would take longer. I will say i notice a difference in communication between when I was paying him for a tune and install vs now when he said he'd take a look at no cost. Not bashing in any way, just seems most of my questions or comments go unanswered by him.

The reason I brought my car to him again recently is due to 2 things really: Misfiring on startup and low RPMs in cylinder 3 and a possible vacuum leak/boost problem. I bought a Foxwell NT530 scanner to investigate my car prior to bringing my car to Mario. Revealed a good bit and raised a lot of concerns for me. Also due to my installation of my exhaust it vibrates against the back bumper/fascia making engine vibration super noticeable which actually makes hearing the misfirings super noticeable. The following is what I have compiled so far in terms of conditions and data:

On startup: Anywhere from 3 -10 misfires in Cylinder 3 and every misfire only occurs in RPM range of 650-800

While driving: Only misfire in cylinder 3 during same RPMs 650-800 while sitting at a light. I want to note this is not as reproduceable as the startup misfiring

While driving: Less sucking noise than before, boost buildup is inconsistent. When throttling from 2k RPM to 3.3k RPM boost is -1 to 0psi then surges to 14 or so sometimes 20 until 4k then it dumps. Car feels sluggish on heavy accel like it has a air charge pipe disconnected. Average driving PSI went from .1 or -.1 consistently without throttling for boost to average -1 to -.3 while average driving

I also at some point before scanning had a super knock in cylinders 2 and 3 and a general super knock warning. I suspect during tune or before tune application.

Also had a Ab06 error related to shift interlock

I have re-arranged the Delphi coils i have and it did not change anything. All clamps were re-tightened with an impact wrench so i dont think its the clamps. You could still super easily squish the pipes with your hands. I also have no flipping idea which diverter valve Mario put in when he installed, i asked him for part number but he didnt know.

To say im a bit turned off by MINI modding right now is an understatement, between the Lyfts, the 5k i spent for Tune and install and 3k in parts, im pretty strapped for cash in the Mini department. Im expecting worse case scenario for me which is i might need engine work in the form of new pistons, chain, valve, valve guides and other items. Stay tuned

 

Small update for you guys, car is still with Mario. He messaged me today to inform me now we are chasing an oil problem. He isn't 100% sure what it could be but i have "excess oil on the head" and that i might need a new valve cover which is what he is investigating. What does excess oil on the head mean? How or what causes this? Did not get these questions answered by google searching.

Really don't have the money for serious repairs and my car is my livelihood, very frustrated to say the least. Stay tuned...

 

Gobble gobble just in times for Thanksgiving, the car is fixed!! Had a nice convo with Mario, we found the culprit!! My O2 sensor went bad causing my car to run incredibly rich. So rich in fact my spark plugs got black and burnt.

Mario said he did a leak down test, compression test, and smoke test couldnt find any boost issue. Thought it might be Valve cover but he checked O2 and spark plugs and bingo! O2 sensor crapped out resulting in alot of unburnt fuel and was the cause of my misfires in cylinder 3 and sometimes 2. Replaced it with a good condition used O2 and put new NGK1422s in. Guess i have an extra set now since i already had those installed. He went WOT and redlined a few times to fully make sure, all good now! I will double check though when i get the car back physically. Most likely will receive it Friday.

Also it occured to me I haven't named my headache inducing MINI, thought of the perfect name today. Will post after it gets a thorough detailing!

 

Update to the journal here, had a fun little session against a Dodge Magnum last night. Here's some data after that fun pull approx 1min after the result. I highlighted the more important info of that. Next time i'll create an actual data log.


Also i ordered some new tail lights for the clubman. As far as I know i'll be one of the first handful of people to have these on the forum. Supposedly plug and play no errors. Only thing i'll be missing is my flashing brake lights from the housing since i wont be able to install the top brake bulb nor the turn signal bulb into the new housing since those lights are already built into it. Had a nice conversation with Aaron from Outmotoring about them. Just wish I could find the clear ones but oh well these will do.

Also i'll be ordering the Spyder headlights (xenon version) and i'll be ordering a custom front splitter previously discussed over the weekend. Exciting times! Parts list updated

 

Here for a random 2am update. Tail lights came, happy holidays to me. These babies look pretty sweet! Will install tomorrow.

 

Alright thoughts and reactions. Very bright, nice color, doesn't look cheap. Fit was fine, the weather stripping/foam on the backside feels a bit cheap. Upon closing barn doors notice the slightest rubbing or resistance, if you put a little force behind closing the door its fine. After a dozen door closes i inspected the lights and they were fine. Reverse light only light that flashes on start up.





Yeah yeah i know the car is dirty

A link to a startup video can be found . Hazards (euro style), turn signal, brake light, and reverse. Also the vibration you are hearing at the end is my bumper and license plate vibrating from the exhaust tips vibrations

 

Interesting design on those. I prefer the OEM lights with the circles. You can code out the bulb check for the reverse light, if have a code tool.

Also, third brake light isn't working?

 

Huh didn't notice. Third light was working last week. Let me use my Foxwell to turn each on and see what the FRM is saying. Cheaper to get these than to buy the OEM LCI Clubman lights haha.