Engine Drivetrain 1st Gen Cooper S RMW Custom Tune Party in Austin, TX, Oct 15/16

Jan is coming back to Austin, Texas! The last RMW tune in Texas was this time last year, so our local opportunities are rare. This event will be a repeat of the successful party we had last year. Come by to get a tune or just hang out and watch MINIs throw down some numbers.

All day Friday and Saturday October 15/16. As we fill up, I will take some names for standby/waiting list in case someone drops out or we get ahead of schedule. Lunch is provided both days, something simple like pizza.

Preliminary Costs:
1st Gen S: $400 for the tune
2nd Gen S: $550 for the tune
Retunes: $125, Dyno time at $115/hr billed in 15 min increments.
I will need a deposit to lock-in your slot, but more on that as we get closer.

We will be at a shop in the SW Austin area.
Classic Jaguar : Jaguar High Performance Parts and Restoration
They specialize in Jaguar Restoration and Performance Parts. They are a very large and well known quality shop that does it all.

About RMW
RMW is the tuning choice for the top racers in the USA. Last year marks the first ever National Championship on the Road for MINI. RMW also brought home a 2nd place and two 3rd place finishes at the NASA Nationals. RMW is the only MINI tuner to ever do this. RMW also tunes the only Porsche to win a race in Grand Am in 2010. RMW is the racer's choice!

Adding the Pre-Tune checklist
Adding some compiled info from a few different sources on what we need to do to get ready for a custom tune on a dyno, including what Jan recommends.
1. Over half the hole showing in the tensioner for an R53. If you have less than this get the NAPA Belt# 060535 belt for the 15% reduction SC pulley. See post #30.
2. New plugs if yours are more than 10K miles old, Jan may bring some plugs for us to purchase on the spot. I believe he recommends Brisk plugs and has a few diff models based on the car and any mods. Let me know if you want Jan to bring you plugs.
3. 93 octane gas if you are local to Austin, Chevron/Shell is usually the best. Just make sure you don't change your octane for the tune.
4. Make sure your boots on intercooler are not worn/torn/old. Don't waste boost, and engine performance on a leak.
5. Make sure you have no check engine lights, review any specific issues with Jan.
6. Make sure your exhaust is NOT leaking
7. Clean air filter
8. Enough oil and coolant, may also want to ensure your oil is relatively fresh, < 3K miles.
9. Non slipping clutch
10. For R53, 380cc injectors if 19% or 15/3% or 15/2 or 17/2 etc. If you plan on running your car on the track it's always better to have 380cc injectors over the stockers. If you have a BVH or a cam then you may need even larger than the 380s.
In general, make sure you car is in good condition. The last thing you want is to waste time and $$ sitting on the dyno with a problem.

Mods:
If you are contemplating any engine performance related mod anytime soon, get it done before your custom tune to tie it in and optimize performance gains.

Friday October 15
1. 08:30am mini_racer R53 (SLOT LOCKED-IN) retune
2. 10:00am Alan R53 (SLOT LOCKED-IN) retune
3. 11:30am Gene R56S (SLOT LOCKED-IN)
4. 01:00pm Todd Wilson R53 (SLOT LOCKED-IN) retune
5. 02:30pm futuremini R56S (SLOT LOCKED-IN) retune
6. 04:00pm s00perc00per R53 (SLOT LOCKED-IN)
7. 05:30pm RonsMinnie R55 (SLOT LOCKED-IN)
Standby/Wait list: Cheezeit R53, Smilie R53

Saturday October 16
1. 08:30am MidOhio R53 (SLOT LOCKED-IN)
2. 10:00am weezer2282 R53 (SLOT LOCKED-IN)
3. 11:30am GreyLens R56S (SLOT LOCKED-IN)
4. 01:00pm Davidoyo R56Sa (SLOT LOCKED-IN) retune
5. 02:30pm puresilvermcs R53 (SLOT LOCKED-IN) retune
6. 04:00pm Wadodude R53 (SLOT LOCKED-IN)
7. 05:30pm 90intherain R53 (SLOT LOCKED-IN)
Standby/Wait list: uMouse R56S retune
Arrive at least 30 min early for Slot #s 1-3, and 60 min early for Slot #s 4-7. Add an extra hour if you need to change injectors, spark plugs, or serpentine belt. Also, I will accept a few standby positions for each day. Let me know if interested and the earlier you get there the better.

 

OK, I'll pencil you in for 10am as a placeholder, plenty of time to change though.

 

No, that is not correct. A JCW 1st or 2nd gen car can also be tuned. From what I have read the 2nd gen JCW have some of the biggest gains from an RMW tune.

So, if you are interested, it is good for you that he does not charge by the hp/tq gain.

 

Welcome to MA, and sure not too late. What day/time works best for you and I will accommodate as best as possible?

 

Thanks Nathan, yes I will post a checklist and 1.5hrs is exactly what I am scheduling per vehicle. Since we can bill on 15 min increments, we only have to pay for the actual time on the dyno. Oh, and I will need a deposit to lock-in your slot, but not just yet.

And here is a little background info on the tuning process.
I will post some details later of some of what is tweaked inside the ECU. In a nutshell though, there are many parameters and maps/tables that can be changed. The tuner will get a baseline reading on your car including the dyno and the ECU. Then he makes his changes and uploads to your ECU and keeps iterating until your ECU/car is tuned for maximum performance.

A custom tune like this really optimizes what you already have and it can make a huge difference. Most people report better performance throughout the rpm range and many even get better fuel economy as well. While peak performance values are increased, and sometimes very significantly, to me the real value is in the everyday drivability and performance increase at lower rpms. Most of us typically do not hit the redline very often, if ever, and that is where the peak numbers are, at least for HP.

It is impossible to know exactly how much you will gain since every car is different, even with the same parts. BTW, this delta from car to car, is exactly why a custom tune is so valuable. These differences as well as difference in useage models, climates, available fuel, engine condition, etc are why our cars come from the factory essentially de-tuned, they must be safe for basically any operating conditions. Anyway, hopefully Jan will chime in with some data, but from what I have read a good guess would be a HP/TQ gain of ~12/12 from the factory tune. It could be a little less, and it could be much much more. It is probably better to take a look at some dyno plots to seem the real value, I think one of the guys from last year posted his plots. Again, I am not qualified to give you numbers, Jan is the guy that needs to say something here.

 

OK, I added the pre-tune checklist to the OP. I will add the schedule to the OP as we get closer.

Also, Wadodude and Greylens I have you penciled in.

At this point we are approaching critical mass, and about halfway full.

 

Ok sure, I will pencil you in for a Saturday slot.

There is nothing on the Jag site about this event, they are simply a great shop with a dyno in good condition with plenty of awesome Jags to view.

 

Ok, I just added the sign-up list to the OP since we just have 3 open slots left. We will have room for at least one alternate for each day in case we are running ahead of schedule.

PM me for deposits to lock-in your slot.