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I'm a little surprised your valves look that mucked up. I've been contemplating putting together a walnut kit for my car. I think you just convinced me to make it a priority. My Hampton has 116k miles...
I think the ECS kit without the compressor would be good then just get a cheap compressor from Harbor Freight or something. I was surprised as well by the pics. I definitely need an oil catch can too. Also oddly enough the clunking has disappeared for now.
Cravenspeed took me for a run! So here is pretty much the "next" project, Gauges. My plan is four gauges: Before+after air temp (intercooler), boost, oil pressure, ????? (you guys can decide the fourth for me). I pretty much had my choices of brand between Prosport and Autometer in my price range. I am not so picky that I HAVE to get Marshalls for the color matching, also I don't like Marshall since they switched to electric senders. The size I will be using is 52mm or 2-1/16", the same size. I'll be ordering 2 gauge pods first, oil pressure, and mechanical boost. I'm receiving a very special billet oil filter cap that has dual npt ports on them so adding an oil pressure gauge should be a piece of cake! After some research, this morning (I been typing this over the course of 3 hours doing various thing), decided on Prosport gauges.
I will be getting the 52mm Amber/White Mechanical Boost Gauge (216BFWABOSM.PSI). Thinking of mounting it to the left of the tachometer.
In terms of Oil Pressure Gauge, I will be going with the EVO Electrical Oil Pressure Gauge (216EVOEOP.PSI). Comes with the best sender they have and I don't need to worry about the speed of readings as it comes with a warning function, even if I don't see the low oil pressure I will at least hear a warning. Thinking 15psi should be my low.
On to the real good stuff, CRAVENSPEED! Boy, do I love these guys, was up bright and early to chat with them over my desires for my setup. Here was my problem, how do I get 3-4 pods on their usual 2 pod bracket, the Flexpod (Bracket A). First I inquired whether I could use their Splitter and Tibia extensions to add more pods. Sure no problem, should work. Then I got to thinking, what if I want to mount my phone nearby? Hmm. Then I inquired about this, was then recommended the Q bracket. Here's the problem, they only had one 52mm seperate piece in stock. The solution? They offered to have me order: the flexpod kit (bracket A) that comes with 2 pod holders, a separate pod, Splitter, Tibia extension, and they would ship them to me with the Q bracket also included. All I would have to do would be ship them back the A bracket with a prepaid label they will provide. Wow, talk about customer service! Also picked up the oil dipstick!
The total cost of the Cravenspeed gear was $340. The two gauges were $149. Parts list updated!
I think the ECS kit without the compressor would be good then just get a cheap compressor from Harbor Freight or something. I was surprised as well by the pics. I definitely need an oil catch can too. Also oddly enough the clunking has disappeared for now.
When I put mine together I ordered the walnut blasting kit from Bavarian Auto (apparently right before ECS bought them) and was a little disappointed to find the same media hopper at harbor freight a week later for much less. The BMW tools on the other hand were totally worth it. I use a Dewalt D55146 and it works quite well. The higher the CFM of the compressor, the better.
Here's my 3-gauge setup. Done without brackets, only the gauge pods. Going with four gauges, try one or two of these brackets --- https://new.minimania.com/part/G2NMI...nd-Accessories their gen 2 brackets A and S. Had my ProSport water temp and boost gauges since 2011, just haven't yet found a good place to monitor the water temp --- learned to add in a "correction factor". Third gauge, on top, is for WMI. If you're considering WMI as a mod, and the model you choose has a gauge, maybe that should be your fourth choice. Someday I'm gonna switch boost with WMI --- use the boost gauge a lot more often, and it would be easier to read if on top.
Here's my 3-gauge setup. Done without brackets, only the gauge pods. Going with four gauges, try one or two of these brackets --- https://new.minimania.com/part/G2NMI...nd-Accessories their gen 2 brackets A and S.
The Bracket A and S were what I was originally deciding between, Cravenspeed recommended the Q bracket for my needs. And yes, WMI should be the fourth. Almost through blowing all my "fun" money, will get HSF4 eventually...
When I put mine together I ordered the walnut blasting kit from Bavarian Auto (apparently right before ECS bought them) and was a little disappointed to find the same media hopper at harbor freight a week later for much less. The BMW tools on the other hand were totally worth it. I use a Dewalt D55146 and it works quite well. The higher the CFM of the compressor, the better.
Thanks. I have a Rigid compressor with similar specs, so I should be good on the compressor side.
That satisfying feeling getting all your boxes on the same day...
Okay so after some delays and getting some missing hardware (backplate and nuts) from CS, the cluster is built! The biggest POS was the nylon locking nuts. Also, I would have preferred having a physical install sheet for these products rather than try to navigate their webpages to find it in their install sections. They didnt have install instructions for some of the stuff I got too, but I figured it out.
I want to start off also with a special "F U" to the genius who decided the two T30 bolt holding the tachometer needed to be hard to reach and impossible to prevent from falling down into the plastic undertray around the wheel. Have it all asssembled, many adustments later it is looking great! Small issue I had, the Tibia extension arm (top center arm) is not threaded like the bracket itself, despite Cravenspeed's webpage indicating both ends are threaded.
Here is my POV sitting inside. Two gauges on top will probably be Oil Pressure and Boost, bottom right will probably be air temperature.
Next I received the newest batch of strut bars from Racing Dynamic. Came well packaged! Pretty straight forward, bolted on and torqued to 20ft lbs. Went on a twisty run, probably placebo but swear i felt the front end was more solid going through turns. For $140 on sale, not bad at all!
Quick update, have the GP belly pan and hardware for it ready to install. Also got the bits in for the JCW side skirts I picked up a while ago. Will start fitting some of that on this coming week.
Frustrated as ECS fumbled my order big time and wouldn't respond via email nor phone. "In stock" items that hadnt even been collected and boxed yet well past their shipping date. So no Turner Motorsport tow strap and Windshield sprayers (to fix my broken ones) for me. I am now looking at the Macht Schnell tow straps for BMW. I believe some of the models have the same threading as our tow mounts do.
Have started dry fitting the boost gauge, realized the hosing provided wont do so I need to pick up some vacuum hose lines. Shouldnt be hard at all, got a Alta boost tap from a friend which i'll be using for the tap "signal". Simple plug and play with the hose line to the gauge.
Small update, had many delays this week trying to get the MINI moving along.
One of the biggest delays is the Alta Boost Tap, when I got it used from a friend I didn't notice it didnt contain the bolt for it. Additionally, I come to find it is a super uncommon cut bolt, "#12 x 2.25" which you wont find at any local hardware store (I checked Lowes, Home Depot, Harbor Freight, and Ace). Contacted Alta but haven't heard back from them in over a week, figures . I can try sending them another email today I suppose but I ain't holding my breath. Im curious to see if there is a bottom for the bolt to hit, if not, then i can just get a #12 x 2.5" bolt and a little bit will stick in the air chamber. Will investigate this today.
Second delay, haven't set up my oil pressure gauge due to my Billet Oil Cap being shipped out via delay (it is my tap location for oil pressure) not a big deal though. It is arriving on Monday!
I'll be honest here, havent even gotten to the side skirts yet, apologies to all. I sort of got hooked on a new cosmetic project for the door sills so i'm procrastinating the side skirts..you'll see why.. (below is not mine but it will be exactly what I am trying to accomplish)
Also taking my car into a local mechanic on Monday to drop the subframe and figure out this annoying as hell clunking. Cold weather seems to bring it out. Also I heard from someone polyurethane bushings need greasing once a year, can anyone confirm? By the way, im not in an area that sees much rainfall (supposedly water shortens the lifespan of the grease). Also first oil change since the tune, it has been about 4k miles.
Now for some progress photos:
Zip ties didn't work so ended up using a 6mm hose clamp. Also had to trim the Cravenspeed gauge back plates to accomodate the boost gauge standoffs. Keep in mind this is a mechanical boost gauge, no sender necessary.
Heat shrinking and connected the boost gauge wires to longer 14awg wires. At the ends of the wires I will be using "T Taps" to splice into accessory power and ground.
Which boost gauge is that? The hose clamp shouldn’t be needed. If it is, your hose is too big.
Where did you pick up those door sills from? Flashy! Your passengers are going to be too hypnotized to get in
The hose that came with the gauge didnt fit the 3/32 barb on the Alta boost tap, had to buy tubing from home depot. They didn't have 1/8 at all and the next best size was .170" ID and 1/4" OD. It is fairly snug but I got the clamp just incase, it really wasnt super necessary. Honestly i just want to trash the Alta Boost tap with how much i've had to go through just to install a dam boost gauge, already been delayed by 5 days and still waiting on Alta. Bolt is custom size, customer support via email and fb has been dreadful, and the plastic threads on the barb concern me greatly.
Alright folks, it finally arrived!! I present to you, the first Aluminum oil cap for our MINIs! Super impressed with the tooling and quality. Gasket sits nicely, 2 taps for oil pressure and temp, precise and quite sharp threads. Feels super solid. Credit goes to Merx Tuning out of Germany in addition to my man "Forge" (not associated with Forge the maker of intercoolers) on here.
Some notes to ensure proper operation: Do not roll gaskets on to the cap because the threads are super sharp and WILL rip it up. The sping+perch is universal and will fit any common MINI filter
Looks nice! The only issue I have is the sensor locations... Every time you replace the filter, you’ll have to remove the sensors, or at least remove the wiring from them. Instead of have the sensors in the cap, a better place would be in the filter housing, so you wouldn’t have to remove them all the time.
Looks nice! The only issue I have is the sensor locations... Every time you replace the filter, you’ll have to remove the sensors, or at least remove the wiring from them. Instead of have the sensors in the cap, a better place would be in the filter housing, so you wouldn’t have to remove them all the time.
I will agree it is NOT PERFECT per say, but way better than the alternative which is more difficult. But to be honest, it seems a 2 second job to remove the cap and sensor wire due to...
Very easy to disconnect wiring when removing the cap. Oil pressure sender and wiring connect via waterproof connector
Uggh..what a hard couple of days. So to start off with, special F U to Alta for somehow still surprising me with how bad you guys are. I picked up an Alta boost tap not long ago. Now, I was missing the screw, so after some digging I found it is not a common size, #12 x 2.25". All my local hardware stores didn't have it. I emailed Alta and was basically told to F Off in nice terms. Something something covid + fires + it is too expensive to ship you out a bolt . In my anger I threw more money at Cravenspeed for their boost tap, $40.
Better news, finally took my car to a very trusted and highly recommended MINI mechanic in my area, and I was blown away! Super friendly, my new future track pal too! Car drives even better now! He performed an alignment for my exhaust, inspected suspension and did a wheel alignment.
First, I want to say this in regards to Mario. As many know, he tuned my car and his mechanic installed almost all my mods. I love Mario, he is a great tuner and pretty good with customer service, these next comments are directed at his mechanic. HOW THE HELL CAN YOU LEAVE SO MANY BOLTS UNDERTORQUED!!!!??? My mechanic said verbatim, "I have never seen so many loose bolts in my life. Not sure how this was allowed to roll out of a shop." Semi expensive lesson to learn that the mechanic Mario uses to do complete work, doesnt torque properly, SCARY!
Car drives like it is on rails and the clunking is gone, love it! New Powerflex front sway bar bushing installed (23.5mm version). Also discussed future suspension options. The shop has a close relationship with Billstein and KW engineers, they got something special cooking it seems. Discussed possible custom valved BC coilovers and thd shop is getting custom fixed Vorshlag plates made, sounds tasty. Basically the next step would be to get Vorshlags to get more camber adjustment, adjustable endlinks and rear control arms, AND my mechanic Mark also wants me to get some more castor. Also here are my new alignment specs...
So after some discussions with fellow NAM members here and on the MINI Discord server, I think we may have found the phantom oil belch "leak"...
This little hose is the suspected culprit folks. Oil is being siphoned through this into my intake at high boost.
Now, I am not very good at explaining this so I will quote one of the discord and NAM members here, I_Forge_KC, "When you turn your car off all of the oil vapor inside the crankcase cools off and condenses (i.e. shrinks). This causes a slight negative pressure in the crankcase. This isn't a big deal except that it makes startup just a hair harder. The US (CARB) requires mfgs to prevent poor startup emissions so PSA built in this checkvalve that will let air in but not out. The problem is that it lives in a harsh environment and it's a jellybean part that readily fails.
By capping this off you create a super small but measurable increase in emissions (at least by CARB/EPA standards). No harm will come. Cars sold outside the US don't have this function at all. When said jellybean dies, it allows oil to weep up the tube and into the intake via a syphon effect."
To sum up, we suspect that part has failed on my vehicle and under certain conditions oil vapor is being sucked into my intake. The elbow leading to the turbo inlet, specifically under the Y pipe part on my NM intake, has some black oil on it. Blades on the inlet have light soot on them. No oil residue inside the turbo housing. Bottom discharge elbow before the intercooler has light amount of blackish oil. When turned and oriented, the intercooler didnt drain any oil. No oil in the air charge pipes before the throttle body. This leads me to believe it is either from PCV or Crankcase.
The solution is easy...
#9 is the ticket right here.
M16 x 1.5 oil pan plug is all I need to plug that. Once I plug that the only source for oil vapor in the intake tract would be the pcv which I will then get a catch can for. I'm too scared to tap my head like Tigger2011 did for the n18 engine, hence why I'm just plumbing to the PCV.
On another note, I got the Cravenspeed Boost Tap yesterday so I will be installing the gauge today or possibly tomorrow night, we'll see.
So, #9 in the second schematic replaces #2 in the previous schematic? Is the check valve the part on the tube that goes into the crankcase fitting? I'll have to look at mine next time I'm under the car for maintenance...
. I can try sending them another email today I suppose but I ain't holding my breath. Im curious to see if there is a bottom for the bolt to hit, if not, then i can just get a #12 x 2.5" bolt and a little bit will stick in the air chamber. Will investigate this today.
