I am interested in everyones opinions on the clutch stop. My 2012 JCW clutch travel is EXTREMELY short compared to my 2004 BMW 330i. I don't see to much advantage of making it shorter than it already is.

 

Does anyone know how to bleed the clutch on these R56 MCS?

 

Installed clutch stop today - totally love it! This is the single best low cost mod for a manual tranny car. This is on my 2013 R56s. I got the latest variant with a total of 5 shiny, thinner disks (one of which has the rubber pad attached, plus one slightly thicker plastic disk (for the other rubber pad). I removed 2 disks, and like it just like that. Shifting is soo much nicer. No problem starting and clutch is definitely fully disengaged when fully depressed. 'Lost' about 1.5" travel (that's how it feels), with maybe about 0.5" - 0.75" travel before the clutch engages. Did I mention I love this thing?

Next: torque arm inserts.

 

+1.

I have my clutch stop. Just haven't installed. Its been cold for a while and the roads have been covered for a while. I want to wait 'till they clear up so I can feel how it is when I shift with normal roads.

Both Torque Arm Inserts coming soon! And probably a Diverter valve to follow!

 

I also ordered and installed the clutch stop. I ended up leaving all of the spacers in mine and it works like a charm. Thanks for the suggestions.

 

Another cheap mod...

AFE Dry Drop In Air Filter

 

Does anyone think that upgrading to the JCW air box intake would perform and/or sound a little better than the regular MCS air box flat filter type?

 

Have installed the clutch stop, Way diverter valve and the engine mount bushing from Way.

Seems a little tighter and peppier however I'm still feeling quite a bit of torque steer. Anything more to be done about that? Or is it just part of the motoring experience?

This is the first front wheel drive car I've been the primary driver on in a long time. My wife has had them but I've been driving trucks and Mustangs. Yee haw.

 

If you're coming from rear wheel drive vehicles then you'll always notice the torque steer. You could also replace other suspension bushings to help alleviate some of the steering, but it's always going to be present since there is a difference in length between the front axle shafts.
Given time and experience with the car you'll notice it less, but on hard accelerations it'll rear its ugly head and remind you it's there.

 

As someone mentioned before:

1. 22MM Rear Sway Bar
2. Air Intake
3. Third Brake Light Pulsating
4. Drop the Runflats

I did the Drop In Filter, so that I can do the Hotchkiss 22MM from Helix. It is like night and day for both. I spent around $370 for RSB, Install, and the Drop In Filter.

I have non-S Roadster that had the 16MM OEM. If you have to brake when you make the curves...it's time for a RSB...

$30 for the Third Brake Pulsating Brake Light really works well...people do back off your bumper when they see it.

Ditch the Runflats...enough said.

 

You could upgrade to Powerflex control arm bushings for the front sway bar and front control arm, the stock one are soft giving you a loose front-end.

 

Yeah, tires are one upgrade I did over the past couple of weeks. Got some OEM wheels off Craigslist for a hundred bucks. One had a flat spot on it so sent it off to be refinished. Turned out really nice.

Then I got some Conti Extreme Contact DW summer tires.

Now I can feel the road/tire instead of feeling like I'm riding a buckboard.

I will keep the runflats for next winter though.

 

PS Didn't have another set of TPMS senders for these wheels and didn't bother to swap the other ones over. Will just check my pressures once a week like on all my other cars.

 

Probably falls well beyond minor mods, but as others have said ditch the runflats + go with non OEM rims. I took ~70lbs of unsprung weight off my car and it really came alive.

 

How did you take 70 lbs of unsprung weight off your Mini? We talking about just wheels and tires here?

 

I could see possibly 3lbs per tire. That's even including going from and 18" tire size to a 16" tire size.
So that's 12lbs total pounds dropped off for the tires.
58lbs left to drop in wheel weight.
Now the wheels. The R109 double spoke wheels weigh in at about 25.4lbs each. As far as I know that's the heaviest wheel. So 101.6lbs total in wheel weight.
drop 58lbs off that 101.6 and we have 43.6lbs left in total wheel weight. Which then breaks down to the wheels being 10.9lbs each.
Extreme example. Possible? Yes. From the post it would appear it was an estimation. Perhaps just rounding up slightly b/c they didn't have any hard figures?
But the point of all this, yes its possible. But to get wheels that light will cost you a very shiny penny.
I would say 60lbs its more realistic. Still extreme.
For me I only lost 13.6lbs. But that's because I had one of the more light weight OEM wheels already, so I had less to loose. Plus I went from a 16" to a 17". So that's a trade off too.

 

I estimated 4.5 lbs saved per tire (yes I did downsize from 17 to 16) but did not put those on the scale so perhaps 3 saved is more accurate? But if rims and tires are a minor mod, then throw in an accessport and some FSDs while you are at it.