i have a 2005 mini cooper non s and am wondering how i could keep the 14.7:1 ratio if i were to start moding with an shorty ram air and a borla exhaust. would i need to up grade the spark also. if i do then would it be better if i individually supply power to the plugs or just upgrade the plugs and wires possible a new msd ignition. Plus trying to squeeze as much hp as i can out of the R50 anyone have any tips with out selling the car i have.

 

What does 14.7:1 have to do with mods? What exactly are you trying to do? Keep GREEN, at the same time up the power?

 

I am sorry this is all new to me i do body work and i started going to school for auto mechanics. when i was talking to my professor he was saying something about when you start modding out your car it is a chain reaction. i know i wont be getting more then about 150-175 hp out of the non s cooper. i just didnt know what steps to take should i start with intake exhaust plugs wires or dont i have to can i just go with the intake exhaust. and will that pick up the mpgs

 

Generally there's an inverse relationship between increased HP and fuel mileage - you know that, right?

Most real HP gains for an R50 come with a new head/cam/exhaust, but you also need to upgrade the fuel system with larger injectors and revised tuning of the ECU...I don't think you need to upgrade the ignition for the small changes you're talking about, and the stock computer will manage the A/F just fine.

Just as your teacher says, it becomes a chain reaction, one change begets another......

You can get small incremental increases (5-10 hp) with an ECU tune, a cold air intake and a freer flowing exhaust, but you won't see any real HP gains without doing what I said before, and your mileage will go down, not up.....not only are you using more fuel to produce more HP, but the extra "go" available means you'll have your foot in it more often!

There's a reason most will folks simply advise you to sell your car and buy an S, all that work is already done, and the mods to a forced induction engine yeild larger results.

You know how they say a little knowledge can be dangerous? The 14:7 ratio you referenced is th air fuel ratio - but you don't want it exactly the same thru all engine running conditions, there are times when it must be much richer than that, and others when it can be lean almost to the point of no fuel at all (decelleration or coasting for example) .

You have a great deal more to learn before yo go mucking around with your A/F ratio, I think limiting yourself to simpler things like a cold air intake and a free flow exhaust while you learn is a good idea, just don't expect big HP gains from small changes like that.

Also, not to beat a dead horse, but the biggest gains in performance often come from educating the driver - take some driving schools and you'll understand what I mean.

 

ok i see what you mean so pretty much it turns into a money pit in the long run. is there anything i can go to get better gas mileage

 

anything with rotational mass ... get lighter tires and rims, a light weight crank pulley would also help. on top of that take anything out of the car that you dont need.. aka weight reduction lol. a tune will also help if done correctly. also it be wise to invest in a gauge like the scan gauge or ultra-gauge so that you can see how your driving habbits effect your gas mileage .. i recommend the ultra gauge as its much cheaper at only $59.99 and does everything that the scan gauge does while looking much nicer at the same time.

 

yeah, i wouldn't waste any money trying to up the power on the non-s. what are they like 115 stock. thats a joke. go trade for a S.

14.7:1 is stoichiometric for gasoline engine. It will provide complete combustion n theory. Thats why you have 02 sensors. For the computer to monitor this and to maintain as close to stoich as possible. This is beyond an "ordinary person" control, modding your car will no effect anything. Now on a supercharged engine, you can really screw things up, especially leaning out the fuel mixture due to high boost and the size of the injector and the computer not being able to control the fuel mixture due to the flow rate of stock injectors.

like the previous post said, the best thing to do for yourself is educate yourself.

I can answer almost any question you might have. If you're in California, emissions becomes and issue when you start modifying, especially anything that has to do directly with the fuel system.

 

i have the 60000 mile inspection coming up i have herd that it is going to cost a pretty penny to do. do you know anything about this?