Upgrading the TSW R53 MINI Cooper S

Discussion in 'Car Builds, Projects, Idea's Experiments' started by Mike, Dec 21, 2009.

  1. Mike

    Mike New Member

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    This is just a teaser for now. I'll put together a complete post ASAP.

    miniteardown.jpg
     
  2. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    Looks like now would be a good time to check that oil pan gasket for leaks.


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  3. goaljnky

    goaljnky New Member

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    Something's missing.
     
  4. cct1

    cct1 Well-Known Member
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    Yeah, looks like they're going the weight reduction route. Be interesting to see how that does at the track, looks like it's missing an essential part or two. Or maybe this is the first MINI Rickshaw? That hasn't been done yet, love to see THAT on a dyno.

    I see all the parts that have been taken off; when the time comes, please not only tell us what you replaced it with, but why you replaced it with that particular piece--for those of us who don't have enough knowledge to know what we're doing, but enough to be dangerous....
     
  5. minimark

    minimark Well-Known Member

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    New tube front clip?:sosp:
     
  6. goaljnky

    goaljnky New Member

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    I think I got it. Unibody to an I-beam frame conversion? :D
     
  7. BThayer23

    BThayer23 Well-Known Member

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    Can you mount an LS1 transversely?

    ls1tard.jpg
     
  8. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    Front swaybar upgrade?


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  9. TGS91

    TGS91 New Member

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    The anticipation is killing me!! ;)
     
  10. cct1

    cct1 Well-Known Member
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    Just got off the phone with Mike... It's nothing more than an aero grill install gone bad. Apparently the backs of one of those plastic clip fastener thingies popped off during the install, and those TSW guys, as OCD as they are over there, won't stop until they find it.
     
  11. minimark

    minimark Well-Known Member

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    :idea:I got it!!! It's contest, whoever can put it all back together get's a FREE SET OF JACK POINTS!!!!!
     
  12. agranger

    agranger MINI of the Month June 2009
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    I know... It's a cat-back exhaust! You just didn't wanna take the sissy route of installing it the easy way!
     
  13. agranger

    agranger MINI of the Month June 2009
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    Sorry... it's been done... but TSW would make it TRACK-READY!

    [​IMG]
     
  14. cct1

    cct1 Well-Known Member
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    Nice try, but those are obviously powered by electricity--I see some yellow writing on the side there. Which means we now all know what they're doing with all those electric MINIs that apparently aren't quite ready for prime time....
     
  15. Mike

    Mike New Member

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    #15 Mike, Dec 21, 2009
    Last edited: Dec 22, 2009
    OK, OK, Here's a bit more.



    [IMGL]http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s212/mvalant/tsw/CIMG3089.jpg[/IMGL]







    First, the patient, my 2003 MCS. This car has been a good friend since I bought it new, despite the years it has spent on the track and at the autocross.













    [IMGL]http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s212/mvalant/tsw/CIMG3096.jpg[/IMGL]







    The car has a lot of suspension mods (from KW V3 coilovers and camber plates to adjustable swaybars at both ends) and brake mods (TSW BBK and so on), but the engine has remained almost untouched. I've had a 15% reduction pulley, a cold air intake, a performance exhaust, and a 2004 copy of MTH Cartune software since, well, 2004. That was it.











    Now it's time to add some 'go' to this MINI. My plan is to keep the car streetable and fairly docile, not to mention long-lived. This is both for convenience and to keep the price tag as low as I can. So, here is the list of modifications I will do this time around:


    1. The stock cylinder head will go on the shelf, and a ported cylinder head will replace it. I ported the cylinder head myself. Now before you say, "dude, leave that to the pros," hear me out. My dad opened a car shop when I was about six years old, and I grew up there. I ported my first cylinder head about 20 year ago when I was 17. I'm certainly not a pro, but I am an accomplished engine builder and a mechanical engineer. I'll post a few pictures of the ported head later.
    2. A fairly hot camshaft. Too bad, I can't say which one just yet (I'm embargoed until I'm told it's OK to say).
    3. The clutch is dead, long live the clutch. Scratch that - kill it with fire! It was the wrong clutch for this car (Clutchmasters FX100 to name names). I'll be replacing it with the Valeo one-piece flywheel clutch kit. This will also replace the SPEC aluminum flywheel. Sounds overall like a step backwards, doesn't it? Well, quite frankly I'm tired of the clacking gearbox noise, and I want it to go away. The Valeo kit is really cost-effective and allows the car to be much quieter than the lightweight flywheel. I'll save up my pennies and put an OS Giken Super Single clutch in the car when and if I put a safety cage in the car and make it a trackday-only car.
    4. Yep, the oil pan is leaking badly. A new gasket is in the mail. In my case the leak is right behind the flywheel at the rear of the engine. How about you guys, where did the leak show up for you?
    5. While I'm in there, I'll replace the rear main seal.
    6. New spark plugs (NGK Iridium IX) to replace the Denso IK22 plugs. I got about 60K miles out of the Denso plugs. Some folks have reported that their Denso plugs died much sooner.
    7. I'll be adding a wideband O2 sensor. I chose an Autometer Ultralight gauge mainly because it matches the oil pressure and boost gauges already in the car. I have no idea yet how I'm going to mount a third gauge on the steering column, but I do want it in front of me.
    8. A few odds and ends, such as the upper radiator hose (for some reason it was rubbing on something and is nearly punctured).
    9. And finally, when all of this is done, ROAD TRIP! I'll be driving the car from Mojave, California out to Mynes Performance for tuning. We'll add Bosch 550cc injectors when I get there.
    So, on with the teardown pictures.

    [IMGL]http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s212/mvalant/tsw/CIMG3099.jpg[/IMGL]






    First, remove the nose and the heat exchangers. Well, except for the A/C condenser, which is a bit in the way but not too bad.












    [IMGL]http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s212/mvalant/tsw/CIMG3101.jpg[/IMGL]






    Next, remove the subframe.












    [IMGL]http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s212/mvalant/tsw/CIMG3103.jpg[/IMGL]





    Now here's an interesting side story. Look carefully in the center of the picture, and you'll see a strange pattern on the bell housing. It looks like the bell housing has a small tattoo of a wheat biscuit or something (hey, this Shiner Bock beer is good, lemme tell ya!). Anyway, a few years ago, I installed a brand new SPEC flywheel and clutch. A month or so later, the alignment dowels backed out of the flywheel and rolled around between the flywheel and the bell housing, punching holes in the gearbox and generally {bleep}ing up the car. SPEC happily replaced the flywheel and clutch, but as for the gearbox, I was on my own. Fortunately, I had a good friend with a killer welding machine (Miller Dynasty DX with all the accessories) and a weekend to kill. Peter Chris Skarzenski earned "friend for life" status - thanks again, man. The welds are still awesome.










    [IMGL]http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s212/mvalant/tsw/CIMG3123.jpg[/IMGL]





    Here's a neat trick. Once the gearbox is loose, it gets pretty heavy. The front crossmember makes a handy gantry crane if you add a couple of small C-clamps and a motorcycle tie-down.














    [IMGL]http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s212/mvalant/tsw/miniteardown.jpg[/IMGL]





    And so here is my car as of today. The engine is held in by one bolt. When I get the transmission back in place, I'll pull the oil pan and get the pan gasket replaced.

    Oh, and a fair question could be, "while you've got the pan off, why not have a boss welded on for a temperature sensor?" The act of adding a sensor port or auxiliary port is sometimes referred to as "scarring" in engineering circles. So why don't I add that scar? Well, I don't have my own TIG welder (yet...) and I don't have the time or $$$ to have someone else do it. Next time...













    .
     
  16. Ryephile

    Ryephile New Member

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    Looks like a standard oil change to me :aureola:
     
  17. goaljnky

    goaljnky New Member

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    That's not yellow. That's gold. It must run on pure Pimp. Flavor Flave!!!
     
  18. Mike

    Mike New Member

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    Massive edit to the post above, fyi.
     
  19. cct1

    cct1 Well-Known Member
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    #19 cct1, Dec 22, 2009
    Last edited: Dec 22, 2009

    Go figure, learn something new every day. I thought Flavor Flav's only involvement with the MINI was the R56 center speedo design (had to be at least as big as the clock around his neck).

    Just when I thought the world was safe from that dude, he shows up on yet another commercial last night. And I read he's entering the 1 million dollar superbowl commercial contest... THAT should be interesting. If there's any chance Bridgette Nielsen is in it, and it actually airs, think I'll be listening to the game on the radio this year....

    Anyway, can't wait to see the end result of all that work, and this "hot cam" is definitely of interest....This couldn't have come at a better time--now that the brakes and suspension are pretty good on my car, I'm hoping to get the engine boosted a bit, and the suspension corner weighted, before next track season. Although I still think all this work is nothing more than a missing aero grill retaining clip....
     
  20. Ryephile

    Ryephile New Member

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    Good luck on all that! A ported cylinder head+cam should wake up the car nicely. The NGK's are much better than the Denso plugs, however the Brisk plugs are even better just in case you haven't already pulled the trigger.

    Speaking of "while you have the oil pan off"; why not add an oil baffle to curb any potential starvation?
     

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