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Too funny that you had to search for it. After reinstalling everything again - and really taking my time, I have the following codes: 1109, 1242, 300, 1689, 222. 123, 1229 and 5E19. Sheesh.
Used the starting fluid trick to get closer to where the vacuum leak is. Wow, I've learned so very much over the past week or so.
All my throttle, 2/3'd torque value, vacuum, etc. problems are not the throttle body, nor the BPV, not even the MAP or T-Map sensor.
It is/was (or appears to be) my supercharger charge pipe. I can see that the ear that holds the charge pipe onto the supercharger gave way and the charge pipe has disconnected slightly.
Right now I'm in the middle of tearing everything apart. Replacement charge pipe should be here the middle of the next week, so I'll tear it apart now - wait for the part - then reinstall everything.
We'll see how everything shapes up over the next week or so.
Too funny that you had to search for it. After reinstalling everything again - and really taking my time, I have the following codes: 1109, 1242, 300, 1689, 222. 123, 1229 and 5E19. Sheesh.
Used the starting fluid trick to get closer to where the vacuum leak is. Wow, I've learned so very much over the past week or so.
All my throttle, 2/3'd torque value, vacuum, etc. problems are not the throttle body, nor the BPV, not even the MAP or T-Map sensor.
It is/was (or appears to be) my supercharger charge pipe. I can see that the ear that holds the charge pipe onto the supercharger gave way and the charge pipe has disconnected slightly.
Right now I'm in the middle of tearing everything apart. Replacement charge pipe should be here the middle of the next week, so I'll tear it apart now - wait for the part - then reinstall everything.
We'll see how everything shapes up over the next week or so.
John
Good luck with the fix!
Those M45 charge pipes are a woefully flimsy, finicky, and unreliable design.
Harrop TVS900 uses this heckin' chonker:
Smoothed out the inside for better flow. Was as rough inside as out!
It's getting TimeSerts pre-emptively installed in the throttle body flange, then, off to the powder coat guy to match my intercooler horns....
I also have a manifold log waiting on me getting the extra tap for the boost/vac gauge done, then more powder coat to match....
Last edited by joe_bfstplk; Mar 28, 2026 at 12:55 PM.
I don't think I'll do a BVH anytime soon and as long as the Eaton SC runs well, unlikely for a Harrop kit either. Time will tell though and it'll depend on how much I race this year.
Often so, but still so true "The road to more power is strewn with cash" and I have other projects going. I've ticked off a couple of the projects (like my new drum coffee roaster), but the camper AC, the buildout of the bathroom in the basement (last item on the basement remodel) and the upcoming (potential) house move take priority.
The current plan is to get the MCS running well before I add anything more. Though I do have a 60mm TB ready to go on from WMW, the plan is stay with the stock TB until I get add the TPE Precision charge pipe and intake manifold when finances allow. Maybe even a Harrop and BVH down the road.
However, the $ choice between Harrop and TPE parts isn't as bad as I thought. At ~$3k for the TPE parts and ~$4.1k for the Harrop kit, it makes me wonder...
I don't think I'll do a BVH anytime soon and as long as the Eaton SC runs well, unlikely for a Harrop kit either. Time will tell though and it'll depend on how much I race this year.
Often so, but still so true "The road to more power is strewn with cash" and I have other projects going. I've ticked off a couple of the projects (like my new drum coffee roaster), but the camper AC, the buildout of the bathroom in the basement (last item on the basement remodel) and the upcoming (potential) house move take priority.
The current plan is to get the MCS running well before I add anything more. Though I do have a 60mm TB ready to go on from WMW, the plan is stay with the stock TB until I get add the TPE Precision charge pipe and intake manifold when finances allow. Maybe even a Harrop and BVH down the road.
However, the $ choice between Harrop and TPE parts isn't as bad as I thought. At ~$3k for the TPE parts and ~$4.1k for the Harrop kit, it makes me wonder...
John
Why not both? You don't need *two* kidneys, right? :D
So here is the offending charge pipe. There should be an extension on the charge pipe for a bolt. Mine is broken.
When putting it back together, be sure to pull the green gasket from the charge pipe and install onto the SC, then press on the charge pipe and bolt it up. If you try to put the gasket in the charge pipe and then on the SC, it's a no go. The edge of the green gasket against the SC is plastic hard, the edge/side that goes on the charge pipe is sort of squishy and it will attach quickly.
I didn't have longer bolts for the service mode. I had a Home Depot tote that I turned upside down. When the car is on jack stands, the radiator only needs to be lifted ~1/4" (at my jack stand height) and it sits on the tote without putting any stress on the radiator hoses.
Lastly, I went on Amazon and bought one of these (down below). Getting to the bolt on the charge pipe is crazy tight without removing the radiator. Using this tool made it cake and pie (piece of cake / easy as pie.
BTW, two of my inner fender liner (plastic) attachment screws broke during disassembly. Amazon had them in stock and they'll be here tomorrow morning along with the impact ready offset extension wrench.
FWIW, I haven't attached the new charge pipe as it arrives tomorrow. Once I put everything together, I'll start the car to see if all the vacuum issues are gone. If the vacuum leaks go away after the charge pipe reinstall, the car goes back together. If they don't go away, the car is already apart to start figuring out where the other leak/s are. I already purchased the vacuum line that goes to the BPV, so that'll go in too along with new plugs (all purchased from WMW).
Hope this all helps!
Cheers,
John
Last edited by JH-Evergreen; Mar 30, 2026 at 03:30 PM.
So here is the offending charge pipe. There should be an extension on the charge pipe for a bolt. Mine is broken.
When putting it back together, be sure to pull the green gasket from the charge pipe and install onto the SC, then press on the charge pipe and bolt it up. If you try to put the gasket in the charge pipe and then on the SC, it's a no go. The edge of the green gasket against the SC is plastic hard, the edge/side that goes on the charge pipe is sort of squishy and it will attach quickly.
I didn't have longer bolts for the service mode. I had a Home Depot tote that I turned upside down. When the car is on jack stands, the radiator only needs to be lifted ~1/4" (at my jack stand height) and it sits on the tote without putting any stress on the radiator hoses.
Lastly, I went on Amazon and bought one of these (down below). Getting to the bolt on the charge pipe is crazy tight without removing the radiator. Using this tool made it cake and pie (piece of cake / easy as pie.
BTW, two of my inner fender liner (plastic) attachment screws broke during disassembly. Amazon had them in stock and they'll be here tomorrow morning along with the impact ready offset extension wrench.
FWIW, I haven't attached the new charge pipe as it arrives tomorrow. Once I put everything together, I'll start the car to see if all the vacuum issues are gone. If the vacuum leaks go away after the charge pipe reinstall, the car goes back together. If they don't go away, the car is already apart to start figuring out where the other leak/s are. I already purchased the vacuum line that goes to the BPV, so that'll go in too along with new plugs (all purchased from WMW).
Hope this all helps!
Cheers,
John
That tool looks really useful. The crate, too.
Given the missing/broken tab on the pipe, a replacement is a solid idea. At that point, it's down to the difference in price between a new factory pipe and the TPE one. I have chosen upgraded parts nearly every time in that sort of repair scenario. Race car parts on the cheap, because a big part of cost is ameliorated by the repair cost with stock parts....
Sometimes, the race car part ends up being le$$ expen$ive than $tock Cooper $ part$....
Yep, I get it - that's normally my course of action too - lots of parts replaced and where I could, I upgraded.
The stock part is $499 new, used was $280.
TPE part is $500 and 2-3 weeks for delivery. I reeeeaaallly wish I could have waited for the TPE part.
Given how (relatively) easy it was to put the car into service mode and remove the charge pipe, I'll probably replace the charge pipe with the TPE part when I buy the TPE intake.
Regardless both are on my upgrade list and I'll probably do both when funds allow.
John
Last edited by JH-Evergreen; Mar 30, 2026 at 04:16 PM.
Yep, I get it - that's normally my course of action too - lots of parts replaced and where I could, I upgraded.
The stock part is $499 new, used was $280.
TPE part is $500 and 2-3 weeks for delivery. I reeeeaaallly wish I could have waited for the TPE part.
Given how (relatively) easy it was to put the car into service mode and remove the charge pipe, I'll probably replace the charge pipe with the TPE part when I buy the TPE intake.
Regardless both are on my upgrade list and I'll probably do both when funds allow.
John
I've had my eye on their intake for a while, but want to get the BVH and intake at the same time, so I don't have to drive around with the ported intake on a stock head waiting for BVH money.... I opted to get the 3D printed cone filter lid for stock airbox made by a friend who needed a bit of work to earn some $$$ to get on his feet in his new apartment. Still waiting for delivery. For what I gave him, I could have gotten the TPE unit. I am getting to the point where I would rather help a complete stranger that I am likely never to see again than help someone I know....
Replacement charge pipe arrived yesterday afternoon and I spent last night putting the Mini back together.
It was too late last night to take a test drive but took it for a spin this morning - no codes whatsoever and no limp mode. I did my 5 mile loop like normal and pushed the car fairly hard and it runs great. I want to get the motor really warm to test whether it is truly fixed, but not today.
I will relay back to Jan who put me on the track of possible failures and have him add a charge pipe gasket failure to the list of items that can cause the 2/3 Torque Value code. Another thing for people to look for is a sheared plastic tab on the charge pipe (part of the charge pipe failure) if they get the code.
All good for now and the Mini appears to be truly fixed. It's a good day...
Oh and FWIW, the Amazon plastic inserts for the fender liner worked great too.
John
Last edited by JH-Evergreen; Apr 1, 2026 at 08:45 AM.
Updated Jan (RMW) on the fix, then went down the path of what potential "upgrades" are next.
Jan immediately said that the BVH was the biggest bang for the buck addition of fun for the car. After exchanging a few emails, Jan noted that a larger TB, 450cc injectors, header and cam would make the most sense for what I seek in the car, yet still be uber reliable and very streetable - I think I'm in.
If I do go with a BVH adding the above items would only increase the power if a BVH is added, but I'd likely need to add 550cc injectors. A BVH runs about $3k so out of my budget with everything else for now. The RMW Power Kit with the shorty header, cam and injectors is ~$1900. Since I already have the 60mm TB, it looks like that kit is next. Since I already have a Jan tune, and if I buy the parts from RMW, Jan will retune the car for no charge. I may have a small charge for the WMW 60mm TB, but that's okay with me. RMW reports 200-215 HP with these adds and a good SC.
Since I'm not looking for ultimate performance, just a fun streetable car that does well in AutoX and a few open lap days at High Plains Raceway. I'm about 98% street driving and Otto isn't my daily driver, but I do drive the car pretty hard all the time.
I also thought about a Harrop SC kit - and it does make more power lower in the RPM range, is more efficient and a fairly drop dead simple install, but to really take advantage of the gains in power, I'd still need to add all the above items too - including a BVH. Cost is a big factor as with all the above though and a replacement/rebuilt stock SC is MUCH cheaper - though less efficient and more power in higher RPMs.
So, I keep going back to the RMW Power Kit for the biggest bang for the buck - at least for me. Well, I know what I will be doing next month (or the month after)!
Updated Jan (RMW) on the fix, then went down the path of what potential "upgrades" are next.
Jan immediately said that the BVH was the biggest bang for the buck addition of fun for the car. After exchanging a few emails, Jan noted that a larger TB, 450cc injectors, header and cam would make the most sense for what I seek in the car, yet still be uber reliable and very streetable - I think I'm in.
If I do go with a BVH adding the above items would only increase the power if a BVH is added, but I'd likely need to add 550cc injectors. A BVH runs about $3k so out of my budget with everything else for now. The RMW Power Kit with the shorty header, cam and injectors is ~$1900. Since I already have the 60mm TB, it looks like that kit is next. Since I already have a Jan tune, and if I buy the parts from RMW, Jan will retune the car for no charge. I may have a small charge for the WMW 60mm TB, but that's okay with me. RMW reports 200-215 HP with these adds and a good SC.
Since I'm not looking for ultimate performance, just a fun streetable car that does well in AutoX and a few open lap days at High Plains Raceway. I'm about 98% street driving and Otto isn't my daily driver, but I do drive the car pretty hard all the time.
I also thought about a Harrop SC kit - and it does make more power lower in the RPM range, is more efficient and a fairly drop dead simple install, but to really take advantage of the gains in power, I'd still need to add all the above items too - including a BVH. Cost is a big factor as with all the above though and a replacement/rebuilt stock SC is MUCH cheaper - though less efficient and more power in higher RPMs.
So, I keep going back to the RMW Power Kit for the biggest bang for the buck - at least for me. Well, I know what I will be doing next month (or the month after)!
John
Keep us posted. Interested to hear about RMW BVH head/cam if you get one. I have my old M45 here in good shape, sitting on a shelf in a box, with 120k or so miles on a rebuild and port job by Stiegemeier over in MO. The porting added anout as much as the 17% pulley did, per the "butt dyno" seat-of-the-pants measurement....
Last edited by joe_bfstplk; Apr 6, 2026 at 12:35 PM.
@joe_bfstplk Will do. First is closing on the new (to us) house on 5/6, so it'll be EOM May before I get more Go-Fast-Parts.
BTW, when (re)-installing the charge pipe - especially if someone else has done work on your specific MCS, make sure that the bolt that holds on the charge pipe is the one that has a stand-off so the bolt head doesn't smash the charge pipe mounting tab against the SC.
It appears that the specific bolt used is only to hold the charge pipe snug against the SC inlet, not to be firm/fixed agains the SC. Further, it appears that someone before me used the wrong bolt and made it a hard connection between the charge pipe and the SC which contributed to the charge pipe tab breaking off. That's a no-go as the engine vibration will cause the charge pipe tab to break - and that's exactly what happened to me (again).
So, I had to buy another used charge pipe, this time with both the gasket and the correct bolt. Parts should arrive by the weekend. The good news is that I know how to put the car into service mode and replace the charge pipe, so I'll be faster this time. All good!
Finally was able to do ~50 miles on the car this past Sunday. No thrown codes, emissions or rich. Drove slow and fast up hills, around corners and the car performed admirably.
I'll start driving the car daily now that Paul is sold and off to a new home, and see how it goes before adding more go-fast parts. Also, we're closing on the new to us home next week, so packing is a priority.
Spoke with Jan at RMW again and the plan is still their "RMW Power kit without tuning" which includes 440cc injectors, the RMW shorty header w/cat and the Dominator Cam. I'll place the order after we close on May 6th. By the time we've moved in and I have the garage set up, the parts will be arriving. Just in time to try out the new to me compressor and air tools.
RMW claims 200-217 HP with their Power Kit. Jan/RMW has already tuned the car as it sits, so buying the speed kit without the tune is the one for me as Jan/RMW updates their tune for the new parts at no charge (once you buy one RMW tune and you continue buying go-fast parts from RMW).
Once the next set of parts are installed, the plan is to do a dyno run on the car to see what power is actually being developed. Once I have a baseline run, we may fiddle with the tune to optimize, but that will be on Jan too.
Then it's race season for AutoX and some open lap days. The budget for the year is sort of shot in the a$$, so it might be fewer events that I wanted, but there's next year too.
Next update should be after we move and the new parts are installed.
John
Last edited by JH-Evergreen; Apr 27, 2026 at 03:22 PM.
I was getting ready to do an oil change on Otto and noticed grease on the lower driver's side A arm. To get a better understanding of the situation, I took Otto to Schomp MINI in Littleton. Turns out both CVs have torn boots and they quoted ~$1400 to put new boots on the CVs.
NOTE: MINI dealers do a pretty good job of thoroughly inspecting the car with the oil change. They video tape the whole thing so you can review it later. Overall it's a great way to get an unbiased assessment of a car, which I appreciate. However, Schomp only has one R53 tech so work is backlogged a bit (all the time) which means wait times can be long.
Instead of having the dealer do the work (or me do the work as I have absolutely no time available with the recent house move) I called Euro Werkz in Denver (spoke with Odis who is a great guy) and drove there after the dealer changed the oil. They spun me a good deal at less than the dealership for new CV boots and will work with CVJ (local axle rebuild company) to put new axles in Otto if the old ones are toast (which I suspect they are).
So (again) no AutoX this weekend with the Porsche Club at the Watkins airport. Next AutoX is in June and Otto should be ready. Now here's hoping that Euro Werkz completes the work quickly as Alexandra and I are driving to Arkansas, then to Texas over Memorial Day weekend.
The good news? My AutoX helmet finally arrived and it fits.
