I'm a little new to the forums and the Mini scene...I recently purchased a 02' MCS with a bad cylinder head. The woman who owned the car prior to me had a JCW kit installed from the dealer at 50k. The car now has 105k. Before I ask my questions I will give you the background on the car so everyone knows about the car.

When I bought the car I had the head rebuilt due to 2 bad exhaust valves on cylinder 2 (which upon reading up on the R53's I have found it's quite common). While I had the head being rebuilt I decided to rebuild the supercharger and replace/modify a few misc parts while I had the front end apart.

I have driven the car for about 1k miles and the car just doesn't seem to be what I thought it would be...keep in mind, I have never driven a MCS or even a Mini before this. My previous car was a 00' S4 with GIAC software so this Mini just doesn't feel fast at all...


Here is a list of what I have done...

Cylinder head rebuilt and exhaust ports were port matched to the header
Rebuilt supercharger
DTBPV
16% pulley upgrade
New serp belt
Misc gaskets(supercharger outlet, H20 pump, intake & exhaust manifold, etc.)
Also running new plugs. Bosch Platinum+4
New plug wires

Now, on to my questions and problem...

I can say that when I hit WOT off a roll in 1st gear I get no tire spin with TCS off. From what I have heard these things are supposed to be snappy with the JCW kit and pulley upgrades. With a boost gauge I get an instant 9-10lbs of boost and then it steadily goes up to 13-14lbs until redline. Car pulls no codes since it has been rebuilt. I've tried to reset the ECU, that doesn't seem to help. I also notice a slight bog or almost like timing is being pulled when I am driving the car normally and the throttle is just god awful slow to respond to my foot hitting the pedal (I have been looking into the Sprint Booster).

Is this all normal? Do I have a boost leak someplace? Are the plugs totally wrong for the car? And will the Sprint Booster really take care of the amount of boost you will receive from hitting WOT quickly?

I figured maybe because I have the head and exhuast flange ported this would bring the boost down a little because the flow is much higher but is that too low of boost levels for a JCW Mini with 16% pulley and all the other small upgrades? Like I said, I've never owned a Mini before so I have zero idea what it should feel like...

Also, is there any local Mini meets around the Albany, NY area? I'd be interested to talk with some other Mini owners and get their ideas. Perhaps even let them test drive my car to see what they think...

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

I think that boost level of 14' is about about right (might be 1-2 low depending on temp and altitude, and SC wear...) since the JCW head is Mildly ported, and you have the intake/exhaust ported, (it flows a bit better than a S, so the PSI of boost will be a little lower) (it seems on most stock MINI's S, one % reduction will give about a 1 PSI increase..so 15% get about 15 PSI, etc).....The timing Might be getting pulley back due to intake temps (was the car heat soaked when you feel this? IF so...you are likely right)....so you may be right...good gas (93) is most likely what you are using, and I'm guessing the plugs are pretty fresh (they should be changed at every inspection).....

As for lack of tire spin...depends on your tires....if you want muscle car spin, you need a modified MINI with 250 HP (or really cheap tires), you likely have about 200 hp now, and you are likely running a bit lean....(2005+ JCW's with a CAI and bigger injectors would do 210BHP, yours was rated at 200BHP new, before the pulley)... a set of bigger injectors and a tune would really make you sat "WOW", but remember...you have 100,000+ miles on it.....

If i were you, I'd put on a CAI (with the new filter of course, the stock MINI airbox is VERY restrictive, and get the filter filthy very fast!) and get bigger injectors, and a custom tune, maybe a camshaft depending on your driving style....and I think the car will do more of what you expect...remember the MINI is fast, but it is more about handling than about sheer power!!

Since you have so many miles...I would inspect it carefully...it sounds like it has had a tough life...since it is on its 3rd head (OK, it only had one fail for sure, but cracking a head at 50K is a good reason to install the JCW upgrade with a new head, so maybe 2), I would look deeper...
One thought....I might be tempted to do a compression check....I suspect the head burned the valves from using low octane gas...just a guess....but it might be indecitive of lower compression from the abuse...
The Plugs..should be the same temp as JCW plugs...from your list can't tell the temp...if they are standard "S" plugs, they are too warm...if they are JCW plugs you are fine (JCW plugs are 1 step cooler than stock S plugs)....most S drivers run JCW plugs if they have a pulley.

One more thought...inspect the IC boots...look for signs of leakage, or any oil, etc...and if you look around the BPV, you should be able to check for other possible leakage...., or do the Vacuum gain Mod to get a bit more boost sooner....then again, it could be sticking open a bit...loosing a bit of boost......

Good Luck...I hope I'm nor sending you on a wild goose chase, but perhaps if you drive another r53 MINI you can compare it to your own...maybe someone local will chime in!!

 

Ditch the Bosch plugs ASAP!!! They have a tendency to back out even when torqued to the correct setting. The last thing you need right now is damage from a sparkplug popping out.

And a Sprint Booster will not help you out with boost. It will make the car more responsive and less sluggish feeling. No new power is generated with the SB. In a nutshell, it just speeds up the signal in the accelerator pedal. Do a search in here on SBs. There's a ton of threads on them.

 

ZippyNH

I had the same thoughts about the car myself...I figured that she had the kit put on the car because she blew it up once before. I think after the second time they probably gave her a good deal on a new Mini at the dealer...As for the tire spin, I mean I don't expect it to roast the tires off but I know my old mk2 VW GTI's were more impressive off a roll and in the low R's than this thing and it had 130 or so ft-lbs of torque! But it could be a number of things why they feel that way (gear ratio, tires size and quality, etc.).

I will definitely look into the tune you suggested though. I'll take your advice on these cars since it seems like you have been around them long enough the know what works the best. Thanks!

Fatherdeth,

Would you suggest the same plugs that Zippy suggested from the JCW car? I've looked at a lot of posts about different types of plugs but it seems like everyone has different views on the best ones....I know my S4 was very finicky when it came to plug selection but everyone you asked pretty much ran the same plugs when they installed GIAC or APR software.

 

Most folks seem to like the NGK's or even Brisk plugs.....
when you swap them, use a torque wrench (and re-check them later)...MANY folks have blown spark-plugs out, and had to get heli-coils/new heads for this reason.
Denso plugs also seem to be known for loosing too....

The one disappointing thing, I think from the start, about the MINI is the lack of tourqe from a dead stop....just a tiny bit and it picks up, but below maybe 2000 rpm....and it is pretty weak. A tune does help, as do a smaller pulley...just like the BPV you have it helps you build boost at lower rom....a good tuner will adjust the throttle sensitivity(make it more like what you expect), along with making the DSC to less agressive, making a tune a very good deal for most folks. I got a tune from Jan at RMW...my motor runs smoother, more powerful, and with better torque. For about $350 plus about $100 for the dino time, it is a great deal, especially since you will likely not need the sprint-booster once it is done!
At the recent CT tune, one guy brought his un-modified Mini S with the JCW engine kit...if I remember right he picked up about 10-15 Hp, with a slipping belt....and he had the same package as you, the JCW 200 (no airbox or bigger injectors).
One thing I would do....check out the "SEA-FOAM" threads....buy a can of the aerosol version (not the deep creep), or the liquid, and slowly drip in or spray about half to one third of a can to the PCV hose (just unplug the hose from the PCV valve), shut the car off, then let it sit for 20-25 minutes. Then re-start, idle for a few minutes till the smoke lightens a bit, then go out and drive it hard till the rest of the smoke disappears....I bet your car will run better!! It will clean up the intake, and the sensors....
This should remove the carbon from the cylinders, etc, and might help you with your timing pull a bit...but when it is heat soaked on a hot day, it will still happen a bit...the disadvantage of running a pulley...so just keep the car moving!!

 

Yeah I've also read some threads about spark plugs blowing out of these cars...what a strange problem! I will definitely look into getting the NGK's again and also the SEA-FOAM.

I also wondered about the belt slipping when I first put the car back together. I eventually installed a new belt and noticed some boost return when I did this. I just hope the pulley isn't slipping a bit. I'll have to look into that as well...

The tune sounds like a good idea though. I was going to buy a Sprint Booster but from what you are saying, it might be a better idea to get the tune done. And it might cost close to the same price!