I know there was always a lot of debate with CAI's on the older MINI's (sound cool if you were into it, but basically added only 1-2 HP under very optimal conditions ie not noticeable gains), so I came up with a question:

Anyone thought of modifying the brake cooling ducts to send a little extra air to the air box also? I was just curious, because I always thought that those scoops were CAI ducts until I did a bit of research on the topic.

 

Unless it's a dedicated sunny day driving track car I wouldn't recommend having CAI ducts that low.

 

based on the intakes used in my aircraft's jet engines, I could just design my ducting so that it has a sharp upward turning intake duct and a straight and smooth "return" duct. This will create an inertial separator that allows low inertia air molecules to travel upward into the intake while relatively high inertia water, dust, and debris follow the straight path of the return duct back into the brake cooling duct.

Still, a good point. I would not have thought to consider that system without you having reminded me about the potential problems of a low level intake.

Anyone else got thoughts?

 

Copying the Pratt's pt6 typical inerta sep will result in near zero gain and add risk of failure, due to water injestion, and dirty the filter at the least faster...the velocity of the air is so low, I bet the bend would need to be huge...then look for SPACR FOR A DUCT.......there is a reason the seperator can be opened and closed....let's face it, there is a ITT/EGT penalty for its use....not saying it might not be possible, but is it feasable...no IMO...risk vs reward...added risk, nill reward...let's face it, most turboprops LIKE to injest water to an extent (the old stuff even used water or water meth injector for extra power on hot days)..look at the tq+ITT/EGT in moderate/heavy rain..ignitors on if needed, lol..I'm an old former freightdog, can you tell?! Lol. But water in a piston car motor...equels hydrolock..boom!! New motor..folks even did this in heavy rain or deep pudels in early gen1 cars till mini modified the intakes....
I would leave well enough alone...if the snorkel tube next to the radiator is still connected or directed to the general area of the CAI, I think you are good to go....
To put it simply, the bottleneck is not lack of air once ANY CAI/JCW intake is on the car!!
Interesting idea...keep thinking!!

 

I may have more faith in a PT6 engine that you do lol, but I also wouldn't presume to just copy one in like that. You are right, the bend would have to be more because of the lower velocity air and the larger amount of "stuff" in the air at ground level vs thousands of feet up.

Still, I see your point about the critical importance of keeping water splashes out of the engine. Maybe I will just go with a good cloth filter in the original box and leave well enough alone...

I would have to go peek around in the engine to see how much room there is for one thing. I don't think there is much, so the idea may not be feasible from a space perspective anyhow.

*sigh*

If anyone else can think of outside the box ways to route some extra air to the box though, let us know

 

Oh...I trust the pt6 far more than a garrent (yes..did lose one on a sa-226, but the water/meth injection was great, not to mention being able to say I had a RATO(ROCKET ASIST TAKEOFF) in the tail if I lost a motor at v1 was great.....
Back in '99 I was flying up in AK...company had a hour wavier for the pt6's twins (piper navjho factory conversions, t-1040-t3's (under part 135), but not the be1900c's that were under 121) , hauling mail, ups, and passengers.... Company had a waiver on the hour limit on the motors...but not the hard cycle limits on the turbine wheels...but the company, now defunt, would buy runout pt6 motors, and run them till they blew, or the turbine wheels hit their limits...let's just say EVERY start was VERY WARM...lol...the top time motor had abot 9600 hours since OVERHAUL....
Spents lots of time in a caravan and pc12 too...sometimes between JFK and Nassau Bahamas on the direct routing...3+ hours from land, 6+ hr trip, usually at night.. (damm cold water too!!), ONE PT6...
Aww...gotta love flying...beats working!!!

 

never flew anything without a turbine in it (other than a Cessna that I got 14.0 hours in) but I would love to hear your experience with a water/meth engine in an airplane. Done some research on it since I am considering putting a kit in my new F56. Ever ran a kit in your MINI? Even if you never did I would still be interested in hearing how it worked in an aviation context.

 

So I was playing around today & took out the stock air filter box. In the bottom section (pre-air filter), at the back-right corner there is a small compartment that opens into the air box just below the air filter.


The small compartment contains a... plunger-type thing, on the outside wall, with a spring holding it closed. On the outside of the air box at the back is a tube that terminates over the plunger area.


My best guess is, if negative pressure builds inside the air box, the plunger thing will open (get sucked "into" the box) allowing an extra intake path for air (air from inside the engine bay) to get pulled into the air filter box.


Can anyone confirm?

 

i did a mod on my 2007 chrysler 300c 5.7 hemi called chilly air. i removed a plastic piece on the lower drivers side front. and put some sheetmetal to block off radiator heat and used the airraid cai. but no direct ducting. helped me get my stock 5.7 with a few bolt-ons and tuning set racord with a 12.90@108mph. stock converter and gears. so maybe there is some gains in the mini also.