Any chance you can get feedback from the turbo guys about the WG arm length? Would be nice to know if it's the wrong part number or the diaphragm was shot.

 

@oldbrokenwind we have a pretty decent relationship, so I think the odds are pretty good that I'll get some information back. Either way, I'll post here with a follow-up.

 

Received the replacement turbo today. It's so shiny and new .

For now the assumption is that the previous turbo may have had an incorrect hot side. It would appear that the arm the links the wastegate actuator and the wastegate flap was too long. I'll follow up when I know more.

I replaced the DV with the Forge Recirc. Now that I know the Forge wasn't the problem, I'm going to give it another try. I used blue thread lock on the cap, so the should solve the loose cap issue. I'm still waiting on an oil filter, some hardware and Liqui-Moly Turbocharger Additive to arrive from FCP Euro. I would have gone with three day shipping if I had know this thing was going to arrive so quickly.

 

And a Guinness on the side...
That helps no matter what the situation.

 

She's all back together and running great. 22.5 lbs at the snap of a finger, so I'm pretty pleased.

In no particular order:
☑ All new studs, nuts, hollow bolts, washers and gaskets.
☑ Primed the turbo with Liqui-Moly Turbocharger Additive.
☑ Motul 300v 5w-40 and a fresh OEM filter.
☑ Flushed coolant and replaced with fresh BMW Coolant.
☑ Removed all loose gravel from the subframe and bumper support.
☑ Replaced DEI Titanium Wrap on downpipe.

Our adventure in the gravel ate some of the titanium wrap on the downpipe, so I gave it a fresh wrap. I also discovered the mounting adjustors for the downpipe. It took six years to figure that out

 

Looking at the wrap on the downpipe kind of makes me want to pull mine and wrap it, hopefully I’m not kicking myself for not doing it. Glad you got everything sorted.

 

Back to the track and she how this all works?

 

That depends on when the powers that be lift the travel restriction. We start another mandatory quarantine on Monday and had a 50 mile travel restriction during the leave period. No set expiration date on the mileage restriction so I'm in limbo. I risked UCMJ for track time enough last year, playing it safe in '21 😂

 

Happy New Year!

I hear you on that one!
My MINIs and Jeep have probably seen less than 100 miles, total, in the past 2 months. I’m staying to home.

I thought maybe your would like a little diversion to carry you over to your next track event... Here are links to videos I have posted of me this past season with my JCW at WGI and with my R56S and LRP

 

A few laps around Road Atlanta. Not the quickest or the smoothest, but still pretty fun. This was with the dead turbo.

@Eddie07S your videos definitely got me thinking "why am I not doing this"

 

Quick enough to not really notice that you had a dead turbo...
Car sounds really good.
And you lapped that BMW, if I am not mistaken.

I have a friend who has told me that Road Atlanta should be on my list of places to go to. No doubt that it is a great MINI track.

I did get a chuckle at 2:35... Hand off the wheel to shift. Nah... Back to the wheel, then back to the shifter and then shift. I thought that was my own patented move...

I am curious about how you take T1. You clearly have a lot of experience on this track and have a really good line around it. However, your line through T1 is different from what I expected. At the exit of the turn you are still a ways from fully tracking out to track edge. I am curious as to your thoughts for taking that turn.

 

Thanks Eddie. I agree with your friend, Road Atlanta is a lot of fun!

For T1 I probably need to turn in a hair later. The turn has some "free camber" available so I try to make use of it by not tracking out too far left. I actually need to get a little further right into the pit exit so that I can set up straighter for T2. If I over cook T1 I'll track out, but then I have to scrub a lot of speed to make T2 and T3. Trying to turn in a little latter on T1 and then pulling inside to the pit exit kind of sets me up in a straight line for T2. That allows me to brake later into T2 and carry more speed through T3.

Here's the NASA "school line":

 

Thanks

I was thinking that part of that had to do with setting up for T2. I have seen in the IMSA race videos that the drivers set up for T2 from the center of the track which would mean doing something different for T1.

Looking forward to a video with full turbo...

 

Somebody posted pictures of this event on Reddit (r/cars), and I spotted your MINI in one of the pics... unless there was another dark blue R56 at Road Atlanta recently!

 

Thanks for the heads up!

Too bad I recently deleted my Reddit, Discord, and FB accounts

 

Well, that would explain why you didn't see it. haha

Hoping to *maybe* get to Road Atlanta this year with our new MINI, but not sure I'll make the NASA March date. I think I need to do the JCW brake kit in advance. I'd hate to find out the stock MCS brakes aren't up to the task in the first session of the first day.

 

Right on, I hope to see you out there!

A lot of people say that the stock brakes are fine if you just upgrade the pads and fluid. I totally ignored that and went with a bigger brake set up .

 

Typically the stock brakes on a S model are fine, depending on the level of driver you are. As Scott said, pads and fluid are a must. For pads go with the Carbotech XP10s front and rear.

If you upgrade to the JCW brakes, talk to the dealer (if you are friendly with them) or an indi mechanic with the BMW software to see if there is an ABS software change that needs to be made when those are installed. There was for my R56. This especially affects the eDLC (electronic LSD) and, if you run with the traction control on (which I do) it affects that also. On my R56, after I put on the bigger front brakes, I had issues with both of those before I made that update.

 

Same, there were never many MINIs out there when I did track days in my old MINI. I think just one, ever, in fact. It would be nice to see more out there.

Agreed on the brakes. With my old R56 Cooper, I never had to do anything (except fresh fluid). I used stock calipers, rotors, and even pads! I'm sure a more experienced driver could have roasted them, but they worked for me even at Sebring in the summer. It was great because I could drive to the track, track it, then drive home.

But this car with the JCW tuning kit has nearly double the power, but the brakes aren't much different, so I don't think I want to risk wasting a whole trip/weekend because the stock brakes aren't up to it.

But can I use the stock pads again? haha Might need to bring some backups!

 

I've been trying to find more people who have tracked their F56S with stock brakes, but as you guys know, there aren't a lot out there.

The ones I've found have said stuff like "the brakes were toast after 1 lap" even with better pads, IIRC. But, I would *think*, like you said, that pads and fluid would be OK, maybe not great.

Good reminder about the programming. I figured if I did the work myself, which I plan to, I planned to take it in. I've got a good relationship with the Service Manager, so I'm not worried about that, but need to remember to do it!

 

If I had put the MINI JCW brakes into the R56 S, the dealer said that they would be happy to do the software update. As it was, I put Wilwoods in and they “officially” refused (but did it anyway... ). The F56 MINI JCW brakes are fantastic, although a little hard to find real track pads for. Carbotech and G-loc are out there from Waymotors, as an option. I don’t know how good the MINI JCW pads are on the track, but they could be. I never tried them. I went straight to a track pad.

I have come across a lot people who track their cars and complain about the brakes even with “track pads”. In talking to them I have found out that a lot of times they “upgraded” to “Street/track” pads. One particular MINI driver argued with me that there was something really wrong with his brakes not the pads he put in. I had a spare set of Carbotech XP-10 pads that I told him that I would install and that he should not spend his time at the event being miserable with his pads. He begrudgingly changed out his pads at lunch time. The next time I saw him was coming back in from his next session... Grinning from ear to ear and more than willing to pay the $50 I wanted for the pads... I think he said something like “they are amazing”! In my mind, “street track” pads are like all season tires, they don’t do anything really well. So, for the stock S brakes, upgrade to a real track pad and fluid and I think you will be fine.

But as you gain experience and learn to brake later and harder, that single piston, cast iron caliper will become your limiting part. They will heat soak after time and the brakes will become softer. I don’t think it is the fluid boiling, as I have been told that is “foot to the floor”. So sooner or later a brake upgrade will be warranted.

You could try removing the dust shield to get cooling to the rotors, but I experienced cracked rotors from doing that. There was too much cooling on the inside of the rotor, which is from the MINI brake ducts blowing on the rotors, and not enough cooling on the outside of the rotor... Yes there is alway something limiting a car that is taken to the track.

Hope this helps...

 

Thanks! I expect you're right on the money. Track pads and fluid would probably work. And I like your all-season analogy, which is basically using pads that aren't actually good at anything.

I was a little "spoiled" with my old, slow Cooper that worked with stock pads because it was so "low maintenance." It's a lot easier if you don't have to be changing out pads before and after, BUT also a big pain if you roast them!

I'm definitely planning to do the big brakes at some point. Gives a bigger buffer than the stock ones. But maybe I don't need them if I have real track pads. I'll see if I can find any other reviews from people who have tracked their F56 MCS with *actual* track pads.

Or maybe I can get signed up for one of the one-session track days just to see how it goes. We'll see! Thanks again.

 

Oh, one other thing, the Carbotechs are kind to rotors and I would put them in a few days or a week before an event and take them out after I got home from the event. Driving around town with them in was not a problem except for some squealing. The rear track pads on my R56 went in 2 years ago and I have yet to take them out. I just switch out the fronts. Also, I had no compatibility issues between the Carbotechs and the stock pads.

 

Good to know. That would make it easier. I wouldn't mind squeaking too much. My wife may disagree if we're driving from Florida to Atlanta, though. haha

 

Just finished a great weekend at Roebling Road Raceway.

Here is a one minute, twenty five second glimpse of what went on for about six hours. Thirty minute sessions are the way to do it.

The car did great, but I'll go into that after I get some rest.