I swear, my car is resisting my efforts at adding some minor mods to put a little sharper edge on the JCW.

Early in the year, I added a DT bpv. The boost came on hard and fast, but the engine didn't know what to do at part throttle, so it was difficult to drive smoothly. Went back to the stock part (for now).

Little while later, based on a recommendation I read, I added the Dinan throttle body. Same part-throttle driveability issues. Went back to stock.

At AMVIV, I had Randy Webb install a Milltek catback for a groovier sound. This one went on ok, and there are no issues with it, but the kit was missing the bolts that attach it to the flange off the cat, so Randy's wife had to hunt down a pair at a Vegas hardware store. :impatient

Recently bought an Alta pulley, hoping to get a couple more pounds of boost. Planned to have the belt replaced at the same time with a new JCW unit. The shop can't get the JCW pulley off, and they feel they can't do it without damaging the blower and pulley. I told them to leave it for now and just replace the belt, since they had previously mentioned that the existing belt is starting to fray a bit. They just called and said that the belt tensioner is also bad and that they can have the part tomorrow.

The car went in the shop on Tuesday for a three-hour tour. Now I won't have it back until Friday.

It appears that my car does not want me to deviate from stock JCW, and is now also doing the "oh, btw, this part is broken too... just as a reminder to stay in line" thing. Dude, WTF?!?!?!

The shop hasn't said anything about the Madness air filter replacement, so maybe we snuck that one by without notice. I'm just crossing my fingers that I don't chuck a piston now because of it.

grrrrr.....

 

The spirit of John Cooper (RIP) isn't going to let you get away with slapping on aftermarket parts that easily!

Here's hoping you have no problems with the replacement tensioner and CAI!

 

Well, the belt tensioner will just be a factory replacement. The Madness filter is just the element that drops in the JCW airbox, which is probably how we slipped that one by.

What's gonna happen when I finally go for the RMW head???

 

BOOM!

J/K J/K

I certainly hope not. G/L with continued mods....although it sounds like your MINI is saying

 

Maybe I should have named my car Damien.

 

The car was saving you some money. I do not think you would have noticed any increase going from the JCW (14.3 or 14.7 depending on who you beleive ) to a 15% pulley. If you were going to the 17% you MAY have realized a 1lb boost but it's debatable .

 

OK, this is really weird. They said they couldn't get the JCW pulley off. They left it on. They put a new JCW belt on. They put a new belt tensioner on. They left the Alta pulley in the box in my car.

Somehow I've lost a couple lbs of boost. I used to get 13lbs max, now I only get 11lbs. I thought stock, non-JCW MCSs got 11lbs of boost. I know they didn't install a better flowing head. This flippin' car is driving me nuts lately!

My car feels like it weighs 4,000 pounds. It feels like I have to bury my foot to get it to move, and then it feels like it's being pushed through molasses. While the car was in the shop, I had a Kia Sorento SUV as a rental for a few days. That thing had an automatic, I presume a V6, and lightning quick throttle response. Not a ton of power once you were moving, but from a stop you'd barely touch the pedal and it would take off, effortlessly. When I got my car back, it was a drag as far as acceleration. Felt like a total turd. How crappy is it when a cheapo rental SUV is more fun than your MINI? (the seats and pedal position in the Kia were about the worst ever, though - I was never comfortable when driving it)

I feel like everything's functioning ok, but the damn thing's not working the way it should. WTF???

 

1. Take it back and have them test the boost. OEM JCW should feel like 1800 lbs (with tire spin in the first 2 gears), not 4000Lb.
2. Helix is pushing 19% pullies as reliable for a JCW setup. (Requires GIAC programming.