R56 Non Turbo to Turbo engine...
#1
05-19-2014, 11:22 AM
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Non Turbo to Turbo engine...
Hi all,
Before I begin let me stop you from that quick ever so popular reply. Yes buying an MCS might be cheaper and easier. Yes I've heard every negative blah blah blah...
For those who have been following the other thread about this I decided to start my own, to one, stop hijacking the other members thread and also have a place to discuss and document my conversion.
The Plan....
Right now the plan is to replace my current engine and internals (including supporting mods etc) for that of an MCS effectively turning it from a non turbo to a turbo then give it a stage III tune.
The Current Snag...
We have the engine and most of the internals but the snag we have right now that we are trying to figure out is the ECU. We are hoping to just use the current ECU in my car and wondering if anyone has done this type of a conversion before. If so how did you handle the ECU? Can it be reprogrammed to accept the turbo or do we need to use the ECU from the new engine? If anyone has done this or has documentation on this we'd appreciate it. Once this is overcome we can begin work and I'll start posting pics, video and blogs of the conversion.
Thanks and stay tuned!
-D
Before I begin let me stop you from that quick ever so popular reply. Yes buying an MCS might be cheaper and easier. Yes I've heard every negative blah blah blah...
For those who have been following the other thread about this I decided to start my own, to one, stop hijacking the other members thread and also have a place to discuss and document my conversion.
The Plan....
Right now the plan is to replace my current engine and internals (including supporting mods etc) for that of an MCS effectively turning it from a non turbo to a turbo then give it a stage III tune.
The Current Snag...
We have the engine and most of the internals but the snag we have right now that we are trying to figure out is the ECU. We are hoping to just use the current ECU in my car and wondering if anyone has done this type of a conversion before. If so how did you handle the ECU? Can it be reprogrammed to accept the turbo or do we need to use the ECU from the new engine? If anyone has done this or has documentation on this we'd appreciate it. Once this is overcome we can begin work and I'll start posting pics, video and blogs of the conversion.
Thanks and stay tuned!
-D
Last edited by Dfrontiera; 05-19-2014 at 11:34 AM.
#2
05-19-2014, 05:30 PM
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#3
05-19-2014, 06:29 PM
6th Gear
#4
05-20-2014, 02:26 AM
Good news bad news
I have some good news and bad news for you.
Bad news first:
The non S ECU will NOT work. Reprogramming that ECU to handle the extra computations involving the added A/F and A/F parameters will involve physically soldering added circuits to the board.
You also unfortunately can't mount a turbo either. The S has a reverse flow engine, the manifold faces out/ the radiator. Therefore the down pipe HAS to run down the MIDDLE. That's not just for looks. The NON S exhaust mounts run To the LEFT. AND the non S tranny which is TOTALLY different from the S and not anywhere strong enough for a turbo has this part that the S tranny doesn't ( obviously) that runs RIGHT in the day of where the turbo down pipe would be on the S. Which is why the S doesn't have it.
So you'd have to weld exhaust mount points to your frame to run the turbo down pipes, weld off/ grind off parts of the tranny is not completely replace it. Not to mention you'll have to drill holes into either your oil pump or your engine block so you can feed your turbo with oil. And you'll need the bigger oil sump off the S as well.
By the time you're done welding and sawing your frame it's so weak you'll bend it in your first turn with all that extra power, understeer like a 1927 caddy, crash and die.
So unless you're putting it on to just be able to say you did it, it can't be done, physically.
This is from personal experience. I sold the scrape metal that was my old Non s after I chopped it up to try and put a turbo in. And bought an S. It's not only cheaper it's 100 times safer.
The good news:
You can EASILY supercharge your non S. Like stupid easy and stupid cheap. The exhaust can run the same route, the manifolds don't even need to be changed nor do the downpipes. You don't need new oil lines. All you'd need to change to add a supercharger on is the intake. However stronger you make the engine the more boost you can add. It's a win win. And a supercharged coop is MAYBE 10-20 HP weaker than a turbo one. That's a huge maybe. Factory specs originally stated the diff between a 2006 coop and 2007 coop was 4 HP. That's right. FOUR.
In my opinion you're barking up the wrong tree. You want a supercharger. But hell what do I know.
Bad news first:
The non S ECU will NOT work. Reprogramming that ECU to handle the extra computations involving the added A/F and A/F parameters will involve physically soldering added circuits to the board.
You also unfortunately can't mount a turbo either. The S has a reverse flow engine, the manifold faces out/ the radiator. Therefore the down pipe HAS to run down the MIDDLE. That's not just for looks. The NON S exhaust mounts run To the LEFT. AND the non S tranny which is TOTALLY different from the S and not anywhere strong enough for a turbo has this part that the S tranny doesn't ( obviously) that runs RIGHT in the day of where the turbo down pipe would be on the S. Which is why the S doesn't have it.
So you'd have to weld exhaust mount points to your frame to run the turbo down pipes, weld off/ grind off parts of the tranny is not completely replace it. Not to mention you'll have to drill holes into either your oil pump or your engine block so you can feed your turbo with oil. And you'll need the bigger oil sump off the S as well.
By the time you're done welding and sawing your frame it's so weak you'll bend it in your first turn with all that extra power, understeer like a 1927 caddy, crash and die.
So unless you're putting it on to just be able to say you did it, it can't be done, physically.
This is from personal experience. I sold the scrape metal that was my old Non s after I chopped it up to try and put a turbo in. And bought an S. It's not only cheaper it's 100 times safer.
The good news:
You can EASILY supercharge your non S. Like stupid easy and stupid cheap. The exhaust can run the same route, the manifolds don't even need to be changed nor do the downpipes. You don't need new oil lines. All you'd need to change to add a supercharger on is the intake. However stronger you make the engine the more boost you can add. It's a win win. And a supercharged coop is MAYBE 10-20 HP weaker than a turbo one. That's a huge maybe. Factory specs originally stated the diff between a 2006 coop and 2007 coop was 4 HP. That's right. FOUR.
In my opinion you're barking up the wrong tree. You want a supercharger. But hell what do I know.
#5
05-20-2014, 07:19 AM
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Location: Wisconsin
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I don't have a line on aftermarket engine management system yet. But we are working on that. I have an email to ECS Tuning explaining the situation so hopefully I'll hear from them soon. Right now we are waiting on our ECU expert to setup some time to check out my current ECU to see if it will work. If not then we will start looking for a replacement system that will work.
And your assessment is correct. The ECU is the biggest pain of the whole project. Everything else should work like clockwork since the engine bay's are exactly the same. it's just the internals that are the problem. There is also the minor issue of the current body allowing for the intercooler and exhaust but that's easily remedied with the JCW body kit we are putting on to replace the current one.
-D
#6
05-20-2014, 07:35 AM
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Location: Wisconsin
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I have some good news and bad news for you.
Bad news first:
The non S ECU will NOT work. Reprogramming that ECU to handle the extra computations involving the added A/F and A/F parameters will involve physically soldering added circuits to the board.
You also unfortunately can't mount a turbo either. The S has a reverse flow engine, the manifold faces out/ the radiator. Therefore the down pipe HAS to run down the MIDDLE. That's not just for looks. The NON S exhaust mounts run To the LEFT. AND the non S tranny which is TOTALLY different from the S and not anywhere strong enough for a turbo has this part that the S tranny doesn't ( obviously) that runs RIGHT in the day of where the turbo down pipe would be on the S. Which is why the S doesn't have it.
So you'd have to weld exhaust mount points to your frame to run the turbo down pipes, weld off/ grind off parts of the tranny is not completely replace it. Not to mention you'll have to drill holes into either your oil pump or your engine block so you can feed your turbo with oil. And you'll need the bigger oil sump off the S as well.
By the time you're done welding and sawing your frame it's so weak you'll bend it in your first turn with all that extra power, understeer like a 1927 caddy, crash and die.
So unless you're putting it on to just be able to say you did it, it can't be done, physically.
This is from personal experience. I sold the scrape metal that was my old Non s after I chopped it up to try and put a turbo in. And bought an S. It's not only cheaper it's 100 times safer.
The good news:
You can EASILY supercharge your non S. Like stupid easy and stupid cheap. The exhaust can run the same route, the manifolds don't even need to be changed nor do the downpipes. You don't need new oil lines. All you'd need to change to add a supercharger on is the intake. However stronger you make the engine the more boost you can add. It's a win win. And a supercharged coop is MAYBE 10-20 HP weaker than a turbo one. That's a huge maybe. Factory specs originally stated the diff between a 2006 coop and 2007 coop was 4 HP. That's right. FOUR.
In my opinion you're barking up the wrong tree. You want a supercharger. But hell what do I know.
Bad news first:
The non S ECU will NOT work. Reprogramming that ECU to handle the extra computations involving the added A/F and A/F parameters will involve physically soldering added circuits to the board.
You also unfortunately can't mount a turbo either. The S has a reverse flow engine, the manifold faces out/ the radiator. Therefore the down pipe HAS to run down the MIDDLE. That's not just for looks. The NON S exhaust mounts run To the LEFT. AND the non S tranny which is TOTALLY different from the S and not anywhere strong enough for a turbo has this part that the S tranny doesn't ( obviously) that runs RIGHT in the day of where the turbo down pipe would be on the S. Which is why the S doesn't have it.
So you'd have to weld exhaust mount points to your frame to run the turbo down pipes, weld off/ grind off parts of the tranny is not completely replace it. Not to mention you'll have to drill holes into either your oil pump or your engine block so you can feed your turbo with oil. And you'll need the bigger oil sump off the S as well.
By the time you're done welding and sawing your frame it's so weak you'll bend it in your first turn with all that extra power, understeer like a 1927 caddy, crash and die.
So unless you're putting it on to just be able to say you did it, it can't be done, physically.
This is from personal experience. I sold the scrape metal that was my old Non s after I chopped it up to try and put a turbo in. And bought an S. It's not only cheaper it's 100 times safer.
The good news:
You can EASILY supercharge your non S. Like stupid easy and stupid cheap. The exhaust can run the same route, the manifolds don't even need to be changed nor do the downpipes. You don't need new oil lines. All you'd need to change to add a supercharger on is the intake. However stronger you make the engine the more boost you can add. It's a win win. And a supercharged coop is MAYBE 10-20 HP weaker than a turbo one. That's a huge maybe. Factory specs originally stated the diff between a 2006 coop and 2007 coop was 4 HP. That's right. FOUR.
In my opinion you're barking up the wrong tree. You want a supercharger. But hell what do I know.
However, later 2008 models actually do have an ECU that was a duplicate of the 2008 MCS models and will be able to handle the turbo it just wasn't utilized. This made production cheaper since they didn't need to make two different ECU's. My cooper was made during the boarder line of this conversion but we believe it falls within the newer ECU and build so an MCS engine bay swap should be possible. As you mentioned though there will still be plenty of work needing to be done because of the downpipe and exhaust. We are also considering the added torque and power to the transmission. We are probably going to replace it or rebuild it so it'll work But this is about 100 steps down the road. Right now we are still on step 1
At this point we are just working on figuring out logistics, what needs to be done, what can be done, and what can't. We are optimistic that this will work though.
As always I'll be keeping you guys updated as we work through everything. My hope is that this thread and my trials and suffering (because I know there will be plenty of that as well) will help people make the proper decision and understand what is involved when deciding if you want to turbo your base cooper or not.
Happy Motoring!
-D
#7
05-21-2014, 12:11 PM
Trending Topics
#8
05-22-2014, 10:49 AM
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Join Date: Nov 2011
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Supercharger?
I have some good news and bad news for you.
Bad news first:
The non S ECU will NOT work. Reprogramming that ECU to handle the extra computations involving the added A/F and A/F parameters will involve physically soldering added circuits to the board.
You also unfortunately can't mount a turbo either. The S has a reverse flow engine, the manifold faces out/ the radiator. Therefore the down pipe HAS to run down the MIDDLE. That's not just for looks. The NON S exhaust mounts run To the LEFT. AND the non S tranny which is TOTALLY different from the S and not anywhere strong enough for a turbo has this part that the S tranny doesn't ( obviously) that runs RIGHT in the day of where the turbo down pipe would be on the S. Which is why the S doesn't have it.
So you'd have to weld exhaust mount points to your frame to run the turbo down pipes, weld off/ grind off parts of the tranny is not completely replace it. Not to mention you'll have to drill holes into either your oil pump or your engine block so you can feed your turbo with oil. And you'll need the bigger oil sump off the S as well.
By the time you're done welding and sawing your frame it's so weak you'll bend it in your first turn with all that extra power, understeer like a 1927 caddy, crash and die.
So unless you're putting it on to just be able to say you did it, it can't be done, physically.
This is from personal experience. I sold the scrape metal that was my old Non s after I chopped it up to try and put a turbo in. And bought an S. It's not only cheaper it's 100 times safer.
The good news:
You can EASILY supercharge your non S. Like stupid easy and stupid cheap. The exhaust can run the same route, the manifolds don't even need to be changed nor do the downpipes. You don't need new oil lines. All you'd need to change to add a supercharger on is the intake. However stronger you make the engine the more boost you can add. It's a win win. And a supercharged coop is MAYBE 10-20 HP weaker than a turbo one. That's a huge maybe. Factory specs originally stated the diff between a 2006 coop and 2007 coop was 4 HP. That's right. FOUR.
In my opinion you're barking up the wrong tree. You want a supercharger. But hell what do I know.
Bad news first:
The non S ECU will NOT work. Reprogramming that ECU to handle the extra computations involving the added A/F and A/F parameters will involve physically soldering added circuits to the board.
You also unfortunately can't mount a turbo either. The S has a reverse flow engine, the manifold faces out/ the radiator. Therefore the down pipe HAS to run down the MIDDLE. That's not just for looks. The NON S exhaust mounts run To the LEFT. AND the non S tranny which is TOTALLY different from the S and not anywhere strong enough for a turbo has this part that the S tranny doesn't ( obviously) that runs RIGHT in the day of where the turbo down pipe would be on the S. Which is why the S doesn't have it.
So you'd have to weld exhaust mount points to your frame to run the turbo down pipes, weld off/ grind off parts of the tranny is not completely replace it. Not to mention you'll have to drill holes into either your oil pump or your engine block so you can feed your turbo with oil. And you'll need the bigger oil sump off the S as well.
By the time you're done welding and sawing your frame it's so weak you'll bend it in your first turn with all that extra power, understeer like a 1927 caddy, crash and die.
So unless you're putting it on to just be able to say you did it, it can't be done, physically.
This is from personal experience. I sold the scrape metal that was my old Non s after I chopped it up to try and put a turbo in. And bought an S. It's not only cheaper it's 100 times safer.
The good news:
You can EASILY supercharge your non S. Like stupid easy and stupid cheap. The exhaust can run the same route, the manifolds don't even need to be changed nor do the downpipes. You don't need new oil lines. All you'd need to change to add a supercharger on is the intake. However stronger you make the engine the more boost you can add. It's a win win. And a supercharged coop is MAYBE 10-20 HP weaker than a turbo one. That's a huge maybe. Factory specs originally stated the diff between a 2006 coop and 2007 coop was 4 HP. That's right. FOUR.
In my opinion you're barking up the wrong tree. You want a supercharger. But hell what do I know.
#9
05-22-2014, 11:58 AM
I'll hold my tongue on all the reasons that this seems like a really dumb idea as I'm sure you've heard them, but would like to hear why, in spite of all the apparent reasons not to, you want to do this? I can understand and even get behind doing crazy stuff to a car if there's a benefit to it or if the end result would be something cool and unique or even if it just saved money, but if there's anything like that here I'm not seeing it.
And just out of curiosity (and I mean no disrespect by this): how old are you?
And just out of curiosity (and I mean no disrespect by this): how old are you?
#10
06-03-2014, 09:03 PM
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Supercharging the engine is definitely a possibility. Probably a last resort type thing if all else fails. However, while talking with my turbo yoda, our ECU guy and Mini themselves this may be more than possible. The thing is that the 2008 Base Cooper had 2 types of ECU's depending on when it was built. The first ECU and earlier models are as you describe it. They won't work for a turbo or new engine. There are also issues with mounting points etc...
However, later 2008 models actually do have an ECU that was a duplicate of the 2008 MCS models and will be able to handle the turbo it just wasn't utilized. This made production cheaper since they didn't need to make two different ECU's. My cooper was made during the boarder line of this conversion but we believe it falls within the newer ECU and build so an MCS engine bay swap should be possible. As you mentioned though there will still be plenty of work needing to be done because of the downpipe and exhaust. We are also considering the added torque and power to the transmission. We are probably going to replace it or rebuild it so it'll work But this is about 100 steps down the road. Right now we are still on step 1
At this point we are just working on figuring out logistics, what needs to be done, what can be done, and what can't. We are optimistic that this will work though.
As always I'll be keeping you guys updated as we work through everything. My hope is that this thread and my trials and suffering (because I know there will be plenty of that as well) will help people make the proper decision and understand what is involved when deciding if you want to turbo your base cooper or not.
Happy Motoring!
-D
However, later 2008 models actually do have an ECU that was a duplicate of the 2008 MCS models and will be able to handle the turbo it just wasn't utilized. This made production cheaper since they didn't need to make two different ECU's. My cooper was made during the boarder line of this conversion but we believe it falls within the newer ECU and build so an MCS engine bay swap should be possible. As you mentioned though there will still be plenty of work needing to be done because of the downpipe and exhaust. We are also considering the added torque and power to the transmission. We are probably going to replace it or rebuild it so it'll work But this is about 100 steps down the road. Right now we are still on step 1
At this point we are just working on figuring out logistics, what needs to be done, what can be done, and what can't. We are optimistic that this will work though.
As always I'll be keeping you guys updated as we work through everything. My hope is that this thread and my trials and suffering (because I know there will be plenty of that as well) will help people make the proper decision and understand what is involved when deciding if you want to turbo your base cooper or not.
Happy Motoring!
-D
Can you tell me when the build month breaks are?
#11
06-04-2014, 11:22 AM
I'll hold my tongue on all the reasons that this seems like a really dumb idea as I'm sure you've heard them, but would like to hear why, in spite of all the apparent reasons not to, you want to do this? I can understand and even get behind doing crazy stuff to a car if there's a benefit to it or if the end result would be something cool and unique or even if it just saved money, but if there's anything like that here I'm not seeing it.
And just out of curiosity (and I mean no disrespect by this): how old are you?
And just out of curiosity (and I mean no disrespect by this): how old are you?
Sometimes you just sit back, have a cold one, and watch the splatter pattern on the wall.
a
#12
06-05-2014, 08:35 AM
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Haha... Sometimes... maybe this time, and maybe not. We'll just have to see but believe me when I say I've heard it all and I've seen all the posts against. Still gonna do it though, provided we can.
One of the reasons here is to replace the current engine which has a lot of miles on it already, and while it probably could have another 100k on it before being a big problem I've decided to do it now, and if I'm replacing the engine why not have one with a turbo. Sure it sounds like a PITA but honestly what isn't when dealing with any mechanical issues on a Mini??
As for an update on whats going on with the current project I've been waiting to hear back from my Obi Turbo Kanobi and just yesterday got a message so I'll be contacting him this week to discuss the issues with the ECU which is the biggest PITA for the whole project.
-D
PS, someone asked how old I am... I'm 36
#13
06-05-2014, 08:27 PM
#15
06-06-2014, 06:46 AM
You've got a year on me then. Like I said, no disrespect intended - you don't come across like a "dumb kid" or anything... Just seemed like one of the likely reasons for conceiving this sort of thing was "Mom and Dad won't buy me an 'S'". Faced with such obstacles at 16 (not that my parents ever bought me a car) I might have come up with something like that. I seem to recall musing briefly at 16 on the possibility of converting my '85 Chevy Cavalier to rear wheel drive and installing a 350 in it. 
Would agree with Porthos - seems like the easiest and least problematic way to do it would be to get the engine, ECU, wiring harness and supporting bits out of the other car, rip everything out of the non-S and install the other stuff. There'd still be the physical modifications to the car to make according to other posts in this thread, but at least you'd be saving yourself the headaches with trying to adapt electronics that weren't made to control that engine.
Are you at least planning on doing something special like built internals and a huge turbo or something?
Maybe you could fit a 350 in there...
Would agree with Porthos - seems like the easiest and least problematic way to do it would be to get the engine, ECU, wiring harness and supporting bits out of the other car, rip everything out of the non-S and install the other stuff. There'd still be the physical modifications to the car to make according to other posts in this thread, but at least you'd be saving yourself the headaches with trying to adapt electronics that weren't made to control that engine.
Are you at least planning on doing something special like built internals and a huge turbo or something?
Maybe you could fit a 350 in there...
#16
06-06-2014, 10:48 AM
Join Date: Mar 2014
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You've got a year on me then. Like I said, no disrespect intended - you don't come across like a "dumb kid" or anything... Just seemed like one of the likely reasons for conceiving this sort of thing was "Mom and Dad won't buy me an 'S'". Faced with such obstacles at 16 (not that my parents ever bought me a car) I might have come up with something like that. I seem to recall musing briefly at 16 on the possibility of converting my '85 Chevy Cavalier to rear wheel drive and installing a 350 in it.
Would agree with Porthos - seems like the easiest and least problematic way to do it would be to get the engine, ECU, wiring harness and supporting bits out of the other car, rip everything out of the non-S and install the other stuff. There'd still be the physical modifications to the car to make according to other posts in this thread, but at least you'd be saving yourself the headaches with trying to adapt electronics that weren't made to control that engine.
Are you at least planning on doing something special like built internals and a huge turbo or something?
Maybe you could fit a 350 in there...
Would agree with Porthos - seems like the easiest and least problematic way to do it would be to get the engine, ECU, wiring harness and supporting bits out of the other car, rip everything out of the non-S and install the other stuff. There'd still be the physical modifications to the car to make according to other posts in this thread, but at least you'd be saving yourself the headaches with trying to adapt electronics that weren't made to control that engine.
Are you at least planning on doing something special like built internals and a huge turbo or something?
Maybe you could fit a 350 in there...
So... that being said I'm considering my options. I was really hoping this could be done because at first, if the ECU wouldn't have been such a pain we were gonna be able to do the entire project for roughly $4500 not including what I could get for my current engine and internals... (which I guessing would take at least 1500 from the price tag)... But the timeframe is a big problem. I'd have to get a second car just to wait for my car to be finished and at this point that just isn't feasible. So I need to decide if I want to move forward, just buy a used S and transfer all my mods to it, or do some sort of trade.
I was hoping to have some great news or direction others could go using my project as an example but in the end the most feasible option is the one that happens.
-D
#17
06-06-2014, 03:26 PM
You could have an ECU coded to your car to except a JCW engine from the dealership. You are going to tack on another grand to the overall price but, it will work. Just rough estimate between a JCW engine, turbo, supporting mods, ECU, coding, and labor you are looking at $10k easy.
The other thing though that you are not thinking of but, actually really doesn't matter because it will work is the fact that you will have a none S hood on the car and the back bumper too. I myself am thinking of swapping my S hood and rear bumper out for non S parts to give a sleeper look. For all of you out there that say this will not work, you are wrong so don't even throw counter arguments into this because the Goodwood has a turbo and does not have a hoodscoop.
The other thing though that you are not thinking of but, actually really doesn't matter because it will work is the fact that you will have a none S hood on the car and the back bumper too. I myself am thinking of swapping my S hood and rear bumper out for non S parts to give a sleeper look. For all of you out there that say this will not work, you are wrong so don't even throw counter arguments into this because the Goodwood has a turbo and does not have a hoodscoop.
#18
06-06-2014, 04:28 PM
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#19
06-06-2014, 05:58 PM
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#21
06-06-2014, 07:24 PM
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Hi all,
Before I begin let me stop you from that quick ever so popular reply. Yes buying an MCS might be cheaper and easier. Yes I've heard every negative blah blah blah...
For those who have been following the other thread about this I decided to start my own, to one, stop hijacking the other members thread and also have a place to discuss and document my conversion.
The Plan....
Right now the plan is to replace my current engine and internals (including supporting mods etc) for that of an MCS effectively turning it from a non turbo to a turbo then give it a stage III tune.
The Current Snag...
We have the engine and most of the internals but the snag we have right now that we are trying to figure out is the ECU. We are hoping to just use the current ECU in my car and wondering if anyone has done this type of a conversion before. If so how did you handle the ECU? Can it be reprogrammed to accept the turbo or do we need to use the ECU from the new engine? If anyone has done this or has documentation on this we'd appreciate it. Once this is overcome we can begin work and I'll start posting pics, video and blogs of the conversion.
Thanks and stay tuned!
-D
Before I begin let me stop you from that quick ever so popular reply. Yes buying an MCS might be cheaper and easier. Yes I've heard every negative blah blah blah...
For those who have been following the other thread about this I decided to start my own, to one, stop hijacking the other members thread and also have a place to discuss and document my conversion.
The Plan....
Right now the plan is to replace my current engine and internals (including supporting mods etc) for that of an MCS effectively turning it from a non turbo to a turbo then give it a stage III tune.
The Current Snag...
We have the engine and most of the internals but the snag we have right now that we are trying to figure out is the ECU. We are hoping to just use the current ECU in my car and wondering if anyone has done this type of a conversion before. If so how did you handle the ECU? Can it be reprogrammed to accept the turbo or do we need to use the ECU from the new engine? If anyone has done this or has documentation on this we'd appreciate it. Once this is overcome we can begin work and I'll start posting pics, video and blogs of the conversion.
Thanks and stay tuned!
-D
#22
06-09-2014, 10:56 AM
Join Date: Mar 2014
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His Mini is a non S model which comes from the factory stock, adding a turbo to his Mini makes it non-stock, modified as in not stock. You did read the first post correct? It sure doesn't seem like it though from your response. His Mini as it is stock is a Mini Cooper period, no S.
-D
#23
06-29-2014, 07:26 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Antioch,CA
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His Mini is a non S model which comes from the factory stock, adding a turbo to his Mini makes it non-stock, modified as in not stock. You did read the first post correct? It sure doesn't seem like it though from your response. His Mini as it is stock is a Mini Cooper period, no S.
1)Same year or newer as the body
2)All smog devices for the engine are in place
3)It was offered in the same body platform
Just have a lot of redtape and going to smog referee's
#24
06-30-2014, 06:30 AM
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Location: Wisconsin
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This is correct, and doubly so for my case. I live in WI where all the laws are very lax. I could put an old 78' charger engine in my Mini with a full cat delete and the only thing the police would ask is how I got it all to fit in the bay... If I were in CA it would be a totally different story where I heard there is a special task force that specifically goes after modded cars.
The real issue right now is my direction on this project. I haven't given up hope that I could have this done but there have been several snags that have come up so it's on hold for now while I consider all my options. I'm even considering just buying an S. (And IF I did I wouldn't consider this a defeat of the current project, you can never have too many Mini's
) I'd then turn the S into a full track car while my Justa remains my daily driver... But this is just one of many options I'm considering and if I can replace the engine with a turbo on my Justa will. But it'll have to get tuned at the manufacturer which is the problem.Happy Motoring
-D
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