Bill's Web Space: 2005 Mini Cooper S (R53)



 

 

Click on thumbnails below for larger PICs

 

 

I had been thinking about the '05/'06 supercharged Mini Coopers (aka best years of the R53) for a while, and had even come close to buying one the year before. The R53 designated Mini Cooper S comes with a 1.6 liter, Roots-type Eaton M45 intercooled supercharged Tritec motor (W11) that was co-developed by BMW and Chrysler and manufactured in Brazil- the car otherwise manufactured and assembled entirely in the UK.
Travel within my 6 hour driving distance circle for business became more prevalent and justified the purchase of this high mileage, but immaculate Mini Cooper S. The interior usually tells the story and this one was like new after 109,000 miles. After a quick test drive and assessment followed by some negotiation the next day over the phone with the dealership that had the car, I closed the deal, picked it up and drove it out of state on Monday of the following week. I started immediately down the mod path but more on that later. More information on the Mini Cooper can be found at the Mini Wikipedia. This Mini came with the Harmon Kardon stereo system which sounds surprisingly good for an OE system (reviewed HERE, adding amplifiers to HK system HERE, and door fixes to make it sound better HERE).
Here are some pics I took the first few weeks I had it, some on HWY 28 (Hellbender) on the way to and from the 2010 Minis on the Dragon GTG:

 

Since the prior (and only other) owner had replaced the run-flat tires with better non run-flat tires, I opted to create my own mobility kit consisting of an old air pump and a tire plug kit stored in the driver side rear hatch compartment. In the other compartment, but not pictured, is a roll of duct tape and some screwdrivers/wrenches- covers fit back on both compartments fine and no rattles. Jumper cables stored in a bag under the driver seat:

 

I typically use Rain-X and ONLY use the wipers when it is not raining hard enough for the Rain-X to be effective. The wipers on the Mini are kind of hideous, so that and the fact that the wipers did not work great was an excuse to replace with some Bosch Evolution wiper assemblies- 4818 (18") for the drivers side and 4819 (19") for the passenger side:

 

CG-Lock installed, they have been redesigned from the originals I have installed in the BMWs. Provides stability so there is less sliding and repositioning in seat, as seen in the promotional video HERE.
Install instructions HERE, install video HERE.
I had some issues with the first revised CG lock I installed, it felt to me like the knurls on the locking rod were not machined as deep as the first generation ones I had in the BMWs. I sent CG-Lock an email and they promptly replied with a response and sent me another CG-Lock with a return envelope for the defective one- Great customer service with no hassle- THANKS BRUCE The replacement CG lock works as well as I have come to expect from the use of the first generation models.

 

I needed a new upper motor mount to replace the failed/leaking OE oil filled mount, I knew this when I bought and made the deal on the car. In the search for a new mount, I came across the TSW Upper Motor Mount made of "Street" durometer poly and no oil to leak out and cause the mount to fail. These are the kind of parts I like to upgrade to when replacing OE, parts that will last longer and/or provide better performance. I found Way's business online when trying to locate a local Mini business that stocked these, I stopped by his place on the way in from out of town. Way is a great guy to talk to and knowledgeable when it comes to Minis- he races them so he knows a thing or two. I also bought his WMW Pulley Package which included a WMW 15% Pulley, NAPA Belt (P/N 060535-smaller for the new pulley), Colder Heat Range Plugs (NGK P/N BKR7EQUP replacing stock NGK BKR6EQUP, same as JCW), and a Detroit Tuned Tensioner Stop. I picked up a belt tool (to release tension in the tensioner to change the belt) and some Powerflex poly bushings (P/N 103-950) for the belt tensioner damper. I figured since I had to jack the motor up to install the new mount I should go ahead and do the pulley and associated parts installation at the same time
Way let me borrow the loaner pulley puller, the CravenSpeed one that does not require removing the tensioner assembly
The pulley makes a noticeable difference in the low end and I now have peace-of-mind knowing the new belt and tensioner damper bushings/stop are installed. The TSW mount feels a lot more solid than the OE upper mount, some minor NVH but nothing I would complain about.
My DIY guide for all of this can be found HERE, the TSW upper motor mount instructions can be found HERE, and the various pulley DIY guides are listed at the bottom of this page under DIY Guides- I used a little from all of these for my installation.


 

[UPDATE]
I discovered that with ~30k miles and about 8 months of use, the PowerFlex tensioner damper bushings were shot. I found on the NAM forums HERE and HERE that there was a manufacturing issue/defect for some of these and it was highly likely that I had gotten some of the bad batch. In my correspondence with PowerFlex USA I found that all of their bushings have a LIFETIME WARRANTY and that I should return these to Way to get a new set- which Way was quick to do, I picked them up the next day (THANKS WAY!). The material of the new bushings feels a good bit stiffer than the failed ones so hopefully these "correct" batch bushings will last.
Before finding out the bushing replacement would be a quick turnaround, I looked into ordering a new tensioner assembly since the damper is not available separately. The best price I found was a Gates labeled tensioner assembly (P/N 38404) at Rock Auto for ~$100 shipped This was about 25%-50% less than the other online prices I found. After it was delivered I opened the box to find the same OEM Litens tensioner that is on the car now, what a deal. I'll store it as a backup until I need it.


 

With the upper mount having been bad for an undetermined amount of time, I figured the lower mount had been taking the brunt of the motor movement and was likely bad as well. In anticipation of this, I went ahead and picked up the street version (durometer of 70A vs 88A for "Race") of the BSH lower mount (P/N 10330101) from Helix at MOTD. This mount eliminates bushing material at the trans mount end and has a significantly stiffer Delrin bushing at the firewall mount end. A little more NVH but nothing I would complain about (but several on NAM have) and a LOT more connection- shifts are SOLID now with not-a-lot of motor movement. If it is like other VF poly mounts I have used on other cars it should bed in after 1k miles or so and NVH will decrease, I will update this review then.
The lower mount is removed using a 16mm wrench on the larger bolts (2) that hold the mount in, and a 13mm wrench on the trans bracket bolts (4). I drove the car up on Rhino ramps before the R&R. The mount can be removed without removing the trans bracket but it is a bit harder to install the less compliant BSH mount- go ahead and make it easy, remove the four trans bracket bolts and bracket along with the mount. Installation starts by loosely starting the mount/firewall bracket bolt, then the mount/trans bracket bolt, and then the four small bolts that hold the trans bracket to the transmission. Starting the bolts may require moving the motor with one hand while starting with the other, it should be fairly easy to swing to the front or back. Once all are started they can be torqued to spec, starting with the (4) trans bracket bolts.
As speculated, the lower mount had started to tear (in addition to being soft) so it was due for replacement.


 

The Mini badge on the rear of the car (P/N 51147026186) had lost the clear coating and looked sad, so I replaced it with a new one from Classic Mini. Jayson is the NAM contact at Classic for discounted parts, phone 440-585-9950 or email bmwparts@driveclassic.com - ask for the North American Motoring forum discount (~20%).
The old one was definitely stuck on good, in addition to the heat gun and blow dryer you may want to use some REAL dental floss to saw away at the tape under the emblem to release it. I used some brake cleaner to make sure all wax/grease/etc was removed so the new emblem would adhere well. The new emblem comes with double-sided tape, just align the pegs on the back with the holes in the hatch and apply light pressure to set the adhesive on the double-sided tape.


 

When I start thinking about buying a car, the first place I go is to the web forums to see what common issues are. One issue I found was with ignition coil corrosion. Typically this occurs on the #3 terminal, for me it was the #4. I used a Dremel to try and remove most of the corrosion and even had to use a small cutting disc to regrind the ridge on the pin, I figured this would work short-term (and actually used with no issues for a week or two). The wires were original and showed signs of boot deterioration so I ordered a new MSD coil (P/N 8239 for flat terminals, brass terminals so maybe better with corrosion) from Amazon.com (cheapest shipped price of $69.95, will say it does not fit Mini but it is the same coil you will buy for more money from a Mini vendor) and picked up some new Magnecor 8.5mm wires from Helix at MOTD.
To easily access the spark plug wires for removal from the plugs, I removed the intercooler air diverter using a Torx 30 driver- 4 bolts, two short bolts on bottom and two longer ones up top. The cylinder order is simply 1-4 left to right and the coil order is 1-4 starting at the lower left and moving counter clockwise. If the coil is removed for cleaning or replacement and the plug has to be removed, the little red locking clip in the plug needs to be pushed toward the passenger side of the car (your left facing the motor) enough to disengage the locking mechanism or removed entirely from the plug- the plug is then removed by pulling it off towards the firewall with a little force. Note the orientation of the clip when removing, the ridge on the left side that you will use to pull it faces up. The MSD coil has other applications so it comes with no mounting hardware and also comes in a round and flat terminal version. Because the sleeves are in the MSD coil but also on the OE mounting bolts, rather than modify the MSD coil or the OE bolts, I sourced 4 Hex head stainless steel bolts (M6x1.00x50) at the local ACE Hardware and also got some stainless steel washers and a few rubber washers for each bolt. The OE coil had rubber spacers under the bolt heads for vibration isolation to some extent and I felt since I was not reusing these, the rubber washers might provide a little isolation from vibration. I used LokTite and was careful not to crank on these bolts, the brass inserts they screw into CAN be pulled out with force. The OE bolts somewhat alleviate this by their design which prevents over tightening- the sleeve around the OE bolts goes through the rubber base vibration isolators and is flush with the inserts preventing any airspace that the inserts could be pulled into and allowing the bolt to feel tight. So just a heads up, just snug them down and let the LokTite do its job. The OE rubber spacers were left in place for the base, I knew the bolts were tight enough when the rubber washers on top started to compress, since the bolt sleeve does not exist above/below the MSD coil, the bolts will not "feel" tight when they are where they need to be, this is an eyeball measurement. I may try to fabricate some spacers to replicate the added length of the OE sleeve so that the bolts are tight but allow the coil to float on the rubber isolators like OE.....
I felt that the car performed more consistently with the new coil and wires, but it probably would have done that with new OE parts too. But the parts installed were cheaper or not much more than new OE so......

 

I bought a few things at MOTD in the hour or so I was able to go hang out, one being the DDM Works Intercooler Diverter purchased at Way's tent, Way Motor Works. The installation was easy, remove OE intercooler diverter using Torx 30 driver (4 bolts, two short bolts on bottom and two longer ones up top) and install DDMW Intercooler Diverter. The supplied screws with washers are fed through the top and into the rubber washers provided and then installed using a Hex wrench. It looks better and the theory is sound....



 

I got tired of the non-hard-wired radar detector, this is usually one of the first things I do when I get a new car. So, I ordered a direct wire adapter on eBay for $7 and decided to install it before heading back out of town. I installed the radar detector on the driver side of the rearview mirror, it is not in the way of the sun visor positioned there and the volume is a little louder- it can be hard to hear at interstate speeds with the windows down. I found that the detector bounces less if it rests on the rearview mirror, so I used some felt tape to eliminate noise and friction.
Passport 8500 X50 (manual HERE) is the current detector used, functions as voltage guage between alerts and is not easily noticed looking in from outside. Not quite as good as the V1s I have in the BMWs but I already had it and it works- just no arrows
The power wire is run from the detector, across the top windshield trim, around and down the front of the a-pillar piece, and finally down to the fusebox tucking the wire behind and between trim pieces as I went. Since the wire was not fused, I used a volt/ohm meter to find that the left side of the fuse is the 12v side- I wrapped the 12v+ wire around the right spade of the fuse and plugged it back into the fusebox (this is what we did before someone invented fusetaps). Now the detector shares the same fused circuit as the defroster (lowest right corner 5A fuse looking at the fusebox). The ground wire was tucked under a bolt under the driver side access panel on the way down to the fusebox. This fuse position only powers the detector when the car is running and not when key is just in the accessory position.

 

Windows Tinted 35% by Mr. Tint (aka Barry Wood, H:(770)963-7924 C:(404)392-8007). The tint strip at the top of the windshield helps conceal the radar detector located there:

 

Alta Performance Intake Silicone Hose (Blue) and Alta Performance Intercooler Silicone Couplers (Blue) installed, purchased at North American Motorsports.
It also seemed like a good time to install a drop-in aFe air filter (P/N 30-10103) for the OE airbox.
The intercooler frame/air diverter is removed (4 T30 Torx screws). The rubber bellows that hold the intercooler to the air horns are removed next, also 4 T30 Torx head screws for the bellows clamps. Once the clamps are removed the intercooler can be pulled out of the larger bellows and then the smaller bellows and removed.
With the intercooler removed the intake hose is easily accessed. I used a flat blade screwdriver to pry apart the factory press clamps, just insert in the gap and twist. Once the top clamp was removed, the bottom was next. It may take a longer screwdriver to reach/remove this one. With both ends of the intake hose free, it is easy to flip the hose up and on its side to access the smaller hose clamp, removed with a pair of pliers. Installing the hose is easy to do in reverse order after the filter has been installed.
There are two Torx head screws that hold the airbox lid on, after these are removed (and the battery wire holder also pulled up/out and to the side) the lid is tilted back/up and removed. The old filter lifts up and out. This is a good opportunity to use a shop vac to get all of the dirt/leaves/debris out of the airbox before installing the new filter and the airbox lid. When installing the new intake hose I found that the smallest hose with new supplied clamp could be installed first, and then the lower clamp- both of these bolts are easily reached and tightened with a ratchet/socket with the IC removed. The upper part of the hose did not line up perfectly with the airbox so I held it in place while tightening the upper clamp.
Once the new silicone intake hose and air filter are installed, the intercooler can be reinstalled with the new silicone couplers. I tried this a few different ways and found the best was to seat the smaller side of the intercooler FIRST and then the larger side LAST. When installing the clamps, be sure they are tight, if they are loose or leaking they can be made tighter by removing some material with a small file on both the male and female opposing sides of the clamp- I did not have to do this with mine as they were tight.
With it all back together it feels better, looks better, and might have gained 1HP on the dyno .....but mods are what I enjoy doing, and these silicone hoses should last a long time.

 

Old license plate taken out of retirement....4CEFED4 (Read Force Fed Four Cylinder)

 

RK3 shift knob from UUC Motorwerks (archived ad/details HERE) and shifter/hand brake boots from Redline Goods installed. I didn't care for the shifter height/throws so I decided to shorten it a bit, about 1.75". The plastic chrome on the OE knob was worn a bit so this was a good excuse to source a new knob from UUC- this also worked with my approach to shortening the shifter since the UUC knob relies on a hex screw (2.5 mm HEX wrench to install) to hold it in place and not the OE retention system. I waited a while for this knob and it seems that it is NLA even though I was able to place an order for it on the UUC website, Arjun was able to dig one up for me though after I contacted him (Thanks Arjun!). Surprisingly, the OE shift knob is weighted but just a little less than the RK3's ~22 ounces.
The OE knob is removed with some upward force, I usually put the shifter into 4th gear and pull up/back- be careful not to hit yourself in the face/head with the knob You will now be able to see a plastic piece that resides in a channel on the metal shifter, this is the OE knob retainer and some space that allows for the shift boot to slide up and down. The only way to remove this piece is to cut it off- I used a Dremel with a cutoff disc. I made a cut down the front and was able to remove the piece intact, it might be possible to relocate the piece to work with an OE or Whalen knob that needs it. I cut off ~1.75" of the metal stick using a die grinder and cutoff wheel, I used a plastic grocery bag to catch most of the metal dust but in retrospect should have used tape at the bottom to tightly seal the bag to the shifter rod and reduce the celanup from the metal dust that got through the small area around the hole. Once the piece was cutoff, I used a metal file to smooth the edges and then removed the bag of plastic/metal shavings. since the UUC knob was sized for the larger part of the shifter and not the recessed part where the plastic piece used to be, I used some cloth tape to make the UUC bushing inside the shifter tightly fit on the shifter.
The shifter boot is attached to the base which snaps into the center console, a zip tie hold it to the shifter. This piece has four locator pins so it is important to line these up when snapping it back in. The boot is held to the base by having points around the boot stretched over retaining clips in between two pieces of the base and somewhat glued. The zip tie is cut off and the boot and shifter base are removed. The base pieces can be carefully seperated by pushing the outer ring (or using a flat blade screwdriver) to allow the inner piece to seperate, the shift boot can then be removed (I used needle nose pliers). Note the orientation of the boot on the base prior to removing and make reference front/back marks marks if needed- you don't want the new boot attached to find it is not the way you want it. The new boot will have to have holes cut in it to attach to the base, this can be done with a new sharp razor blade or Xacto knife using the old boot for reference. I used quick-dry SuperGlue to attach the boot to the inner ring in between mouting holes, it has been my glue of choice in the past. Once the boot has been attached to the inner ring, the outer ring can be carefully snapped back on. The boot is turned inside out and a new zip tie is used to secure it to the shifter. The base is then carefully snapped back into the center console.
The process with the new parking brake boot installation is similar. The handle will have to be removed- using a small screwdriver to help the trim ring at the front of the handle can be snapped off (careful not to damage the plastic) and the handle can then be pulled off. To remove the boot, pinch the boot at the back and pull up to unsnap at the rear. Working your way to the front, there are retainers on either side that you will need to push down/in and then pull up as they release. These side retainers are easy to break so go slow. The front is then unhooked after cutting the zip tie that holds the boot to the handle and the boot can be removed. As with the shift boot, the new boot will require some cutting to work with the base, I lined up and glued the front and rear and worked around the sides from there trimming and gluing. Once the new boot is attached, it can be turned inside out and reattached using a zip tie and then slipped in at the front and snapped down on the sides and back. The handle is reinstalled and the silver piece that retains the handle snapped on.
So how does it feel? I know there are a lot of naysayers regarding cut shifters and I would agree on some cars. But for this car, cutting the stick down made the shifter perfect for me, so perfect that I am not sure I will be installing the Helix SS and/or the B&M bushings. The shifts are short enough and feel much more solid. Compared to aftermarket shortshifters out there that replace the shifter (B&M, etc), the cut shifter in my car is about the same height above the pivot point. Reverse is a little harder to get into, but not bad enough that I have any regrets. Cutting the stick coupled with the weighted UUC knob really improved the shifter more than I would have believed prior-YMMV.

 

22mm forged solid adjustable rear sway bar from Mini-Madness installed, MM instructions HERE. Since I have used Hotchkis in the past with good results, I looked at the Hotchkis Competition hollow bar but found some issues on other forums where the hollow bars failed (see some examples HERE and HERE). After reading the Whiteline white paper HERE and giving it some more thought, I decided that the added weight was not an issue and that I preferred the stronger forged bar to the hollow bar and went with the MM bar.
I looked at several different installation guides to get a feel for different ways to approach this, found below in the DIY section. It is not required to have a helper but it does make it a little easier when removing the old bar and inserting the new bar- I was able to convince my wife to put on some dirty clothes and come help me.
The basic steps are the same, I have included the TIS torque specs with converted lb/ft numbers that you can verify HERE: the car is raised and placed on jack stands, the rear wheels are removed, the brake lines and wiring are removed from the rear shocks, the lower shock bolts are removed, the upper shock bolts are removed, the sway bar endlink bolts are removed, the swaybar bushing bracket bolts are removed, the four subframe bolts are removed, a pry-bar is used to push the subframe down to allow clearance for the sway bar to be pushed from the right side to the left side where the old bar is pulled out (careful around the battery wire in the center for S models), installation is reverse of removal with some grease on the new bushings and paying attention to torque specs.
I could not get the front bushing bracket bolts out until dropping the subframe, but that was not a problem. The grease that is supplied with the MM bar is something I have NEVER seen before, it is very elastic and sticky and I'm not sure it will ever go anywhere now that the bar is installed.
The weekend after installing I was able to hit some of the local mountain roads, WOW- what an improvement, this should be one of the first mods anyone does.

 

Lower mid brace from GT Tuning installed. Easy 10 minute installation: Drive car up ramps, remove 4 bolts with 16mm ratchet, install bar and reinstall bolts, torque to 74 ft/lbs- DONE. The brace strengthens the weak area where the front subframe bolts on either side of the exhaust tunnel, I can feel the car wanders/tramlines less and overall feels more solid.... to be honest, a lot more than I expected from this brace. I expect that when the MM subframe brace arrives it will improve even more.
The Mini2 intro thread for this brace can be found HERE and the thread on NAM that convinced me to try this brace and the MM brace paired can be found HERE.

 

Day trip to North GA Mountains for some driving - weather did not cooperate though. Some rain and fog restricted how enthusiastic driving could be but, WOW, the MCS is great with just a rear sway bar upgrade. Stopped off at Chestatee Overlook (off HWY 60 on the way to HWY 180, aka Wolf Pen Gap/Little TOD) for some pics, normally you can see mountains in the background. Power steering pump was not cooperating either, it decided to be in off mode for 90% of this trip- will be replaced soon:

 

Rogue Mini Eyes from Motoring Alliance installed (archived store page HERE). I cleaned the plastic with brake cleaner to remove all oil/grease/wax prior to application. I had just returned from a 10-day business trip so please excuse the DIRTY Mini .

 

Cabrio braces from Way Motor Works installed. These are OE braces that come installed on the Cabrio to stiffen the chassis up, can't hurt to have them on a hard top car and at the price it is hard NOT to install them. Ways package comes complete with the T30 Torx head bolts to install the braces using factory supplied bolt holes. The part numbers for the braces are 51617123515 (left) and 51617123515 (right), the bolts are 07146957269 (8 required). Cabrio Brace thread on NAM is HERE.
My installation DIY can be found HERE.

 

No cost mod- Removing the MINI engine plate to uncover the 1.6L 16V molded into the valve cover.

 

JCW Floor Mats from Classic Mini installed. Jayson is the NAM contact at Classic for discounted parts, phone 440-585-9950 or email bmwparts@driveclassic.com - ask for the North American Motoring forum discount (~20%).
These floor mats are heavier duty rubber with a checkerboard pattern molded in, they should provide the lasting power/protection of the rubber mats but with a little more style:

 

JCW Sports Steering Wheel purchased from UK vendor Mini Genuine Parts. I initially contacted Jayson at Classic Mini but he confirmed the US supply of JCW steering wheels was dried up. The exchange rate is not bad right now so it ended up being about the same price. I bought the leather and Alcantara version (P/N 32300403545) and was limited to the bottom center CF trim piece (P/N 32300403582) since I have the multi-function switches. The wheel is about the same diameter as the Sports package wheel I had, maybe a little thicker, and much better feeling materials covering the wheel. Swap takes about 30 minutes taking your time,
My DIY guide can be found HERE, Motoring File review is HERE.

 

The power steering stopped working for a day or two so I assumed the electric pump had finally gone to power steering heaven after 110k miles (but it ended up lasting intermittingly for about another 6k miles until I finally replaced it). I found a NEW (not remanufactured that some sell as new) ZF power steering pump at Steering Components Plus (doing eBay business as seller jorgenauto) for $474 shipped with no core charge/requirement (example eBay listing HERE).
This would leave me with one out of the car to send in for a rebuild, BBA-Reman (also eBay store HERE) offers a lifetime warranty and the rebuild of mechanical/electrical parts for $200 (example eBay listing HERE).
I also ordered a SPAL replacement fan, my fan was still working but I felt if I was installing a new pump, I would go ahead and replace the fan as well. The SPAL P/N VA32-A101-62A was only $60 from A1 Electric, their P/N is 30103018. This fan is a direct replacement for the Mini fan except the power wiring harness has to be spliced into the Mini plug that you will remove from your dead fan. The SPAL fan is made in Italy and reputed to be better than the "other" manufacturer(s) fans that were used, and ordering this way is a LOT cheaper- I don't mind splicing in a harness connector.
THANKS to MikeL at NAM for finding this
Also critical is the choice of power steering fluid, our electric power steering pump takes ONLY Pentosin CHF 11S, the cheapest I found it locally was at NAPA for $22 out the door, it takes a little less than a can if changing out the pump.
I also sourced the OE fan duct and panel from Moss Mini, they had it conveniently packaged in kit form. This duct provides air to the fan but offers a little more protection to keep road debris from getting into and stopping the fan.
My DIY guide for the power steering pump replacement, fan replacement, and OE fan duct can be HERE.

 

After installing the JCW steering wheel, the plastic and rubber parking brake handle looked cheaper than it did originally.....and it looked pretty cheap then. I purchased a JCW brake handle from the UK, the only difference being the UK part has the JCW logo facing the passenger seat (driver in UK)- no big deal for me since it was $50 cheaper than the US one. I figured the JCW brake handle would attach like the OE one.....but it does not. The OE handle is released by lifting a locking pin and sliding off (disassembly up to this point detailed earlier in mod life HERE). The JCW part, as explained in the Mini supplied instructions HERE show that it has to be glued on. Oh well, some of the forum guys have had success wrapping the metal handle with tape and then force fitting the handle. I started down that path originally but after a few attempts decided I didn't want to go that route. I decided to glue it on semi-permanently using E6000 adhesive. This would make it solid and if I ever wanted to remove it I could just twist it off (albeit with some force) and peel off the E6000- very similar to silicone but a little stronger bond with less elasticity. The leather bottom has finger indentations and feels/looks so much better.


 

DDM Works R53 Cold Air Intake from EuroSport Design installed. This intake encloses the reusable UNI filter and is integrated with a new rear piece that replaces the OE piece- no cutting so return to stock is easy. The intake seems to offer a bit better acceleration and a lot more supercharger noise .
My installation write-up can be found HERE


 

M7 Aerogel EX Heat Shield installed to reduce heatsoak from exhaust manifold (and future header). Easy to install, I just removed one of the bolts/wire harness holders from the valve cover using a ratchet/extension/8mm deep socket and swapped it with a regular bolt on the other end of the valve cover. This allows the grommets on either end of the heat shield to have an anchor point. This heat shield is like a flexible mat and was tucked in over the existing heat shield and around the perimeter. M7 installation instructions are HERE. Product Release information with infrared comparison pics is HERE.

 

John Cooper Works (JCW) R53 Sport Brake package from Classic Mini installed. Jayson is the NAM contact at Classic for discounted parts, phone 440-585-9950 or email bmwparts@driveclassic.com - ask for the North American Motoring forum discount (~20%).
The JCW R53 brake system includes new larger front calipers/rotors/pads and rear pads for a matched system- original rotors are 276mmx22mm, new JCW rotors are 294mmx22mm. I also decided it was a good time to install stainless steel brake lines from Way Motor Works and flush the lines with ATE Typ 200 brake fluid. The brake bleeding was the worst part, usually the Motive pressure bleeder makes a full system bleed a half hour job, but it seems air snuck in somewhere so the Motive bleed was followed by the wife-manual-pump-and-hold-while-I-wrench bleed. I'll let you know after the prescribed 200 mile break in how these brakes are I will be painting the rear calipers to match soon.
Motoring File JCW R53 Brake details can be found HERE and Motoring File JCW R53 Brake review can be found HERE.
Mini installation instructions for the JCW R53 brakes can be found HERE.
My installation write-up can be found HERE:


 

Lower stress bar/brace from Mini-Madness installed,the thread on NAM that convinced me to try the already installed TT lower mid brace and the MM brace paired can be found HERE.
I purchased the new brace from the NAM classifieds but since it came without hardware, I sourced that from MM. No instructions were included and I could not find any on the web but once you see where it goes it is fairly easy to see what needs to happen. After I had the car up on Rhino Ramps (parking brake on, rear wheels chocked), the control arm bushing bracket to body bolts on either side were removed using a 16mm socket/ratchet. These bolts are one time use, angle torque bolts (aka torque-to-yield bolts)- I have the TIS spec below, ~43.5 lb/ft and then 90 degrees additional rotation. I held the bar in place with one hand while installing the replacement hex head bolts with washers using a 7mm HEX socket/ratchet, these are installed loosely so the front bolt studs will line up and go in- If you cannot line them up and start them in the holes than the rear bolts are not loose enough to give you some play. The bolt studs have a 5mm HEX head used to install them/adjust them for fit with the nut, mine were able to hand thread in. I threaded these in so that they would be flush with the top of the nuts when tightened. After the studs are installed, the nuts can be installed hand tight. After using a torque wrench to tighten the rear mounting/control arm bushing mount bolts, a 13mm socket/ratchet was used to tighten the front bolts- no torque spec available so I just made sure they were subjectively tight (not gorilla tight). This brace should work well in concert with the other braces.

 

GT Tuning Aerobox Strutbrace installed, GTT installation instructions HERE. The Mini2 intro thread is HERE.
This brace is almost too nice to install on the car and I briefly thought about hanging it on the garage wall. Easy installation- make sure car is on ground with wheels loaded, remove three bolts per side from the strut towers (six total) using a 13mm socket/ratchet, place brace in place being careful not to pinch the hood release cables, install new Nylock bolts and washers provided, tighten to 25 lbs/ft. As noted in the GTT instructions, the brace is designed to not interfere with the hood closing (a problem that other bars have) and is designed to make contact with the airbox to allow for that. The DDMW airbox I have installed would have cleared but one of the bolts for the lid was in a place that lines it up with the bar so it is just touching, no rattling or worries though and the hood closes perfectly with no interference. There is a notch cutout for access to the oil filler cap, I have put oil in since installation and can say it works well enough. This bar is SOLID and the car feels more solid post install.

 

While installing both of the braces above I also changed the oil for my first time. In anticipation of this I had already purchased the BMW/Mini Oil Filter (P/N 11427512446) and a Fumoto Oil Drain Valve (P/N F-106) to replace the oil drain bolt. I also had some Amsoil 5w40 European Synthetic left over from my VW days and decided to use this for the Mini (BMW Synthetic 5w30, P/N 07510017866, is factory fill).
I also found Randy's DIY guide helpful.
To start I took the car for a half hour drive to get the oil nice and warm- not only will it drain faster and more completely but the particulate that settles is now suspended in the oil when I drain it. After driving the car up on Rhino ramps and chocking the rear wheels, I removed the PSP fan duct using a Phillips head screwdriver to release the four screw retainers. With this out of the way I was able to access the oil drain bolt at the rear of the oil pan.
Placing a drain pan underneath, I removed the drain bolt using a 13mm wrench- the drain bolt and oil will be HOT so if you have some rubber gloves, that may protect your hand somewhat- please don't hold me responsible if you burn yourself . After most of the oil had drained, I moved to the top of the motor to loosen (but not yet remove) the oil filter canister lid using a short 36mm socket and a long 3/8" ratchet. Unscrewing this all the way out but letting it sit in the canister, I would say for 5-10 minutes, allows some more oil to drain out and makes less of a mess when you do remove it. It is tight and the motor is still HOT (be careful not to burn yourself), but the oil filter canister lid and oil filter can be removed by pulling out and straight up. Once out, the canister lid can be cleaned up and the new O-ring that came with the oil filter replaces the old one (don't forget to apply some new oil to the new o-ring, this will help it seat correctly when reinstalled in the housing and prevent it from getting stuck on next removal). The filter is pressed into place without the lid, rubber seal towards the motor or down, in the filter canister/housing on the motor to stretch the hole on that end, then removed and placed in the canister lid and pressed on to the center, again the rubber seal side of the filter should be outside the lid. The filter and canister lid are reinstalled, I recommend pushing the filter/lid assembly into place in the canister and hand starting to avoid cross threading, then hand tightening using the ratchet and 36mm socket.
Time to go back underneath the car, the Fumoto valve was installed hand tight and then 1/4 of a turn with a 19mm wrench. Before installing the valve you may want to open and close the valve a few times to make it easier the first time you use it. To bring the oil up to the full mark, I used 5 quarts of Amsoil 5w40. Last but not least, start the car and let it idle for a while, make sure there are no leaks, and replace the PSP fan shroud if your car has one.
I usually wait for the oil counter to read 7500 miles left before I do an oil change and then again when it reaches 0, two for every single BMW/Mini recommended oil change. When you get to zero and want to reset the oil service counter you can follow the instructions HERE.

 

If your car has some miles/years on it and you notice oil residue around the oil filler cap, chances are it is time to replace the oil filler cap o-ring seal. After it cooks from the heat of the motor over time it starts to lose its rubber characteristics to become more like plastic and flattens out a bit, note the before and after picture differences. Easily replaced with P/N 11127514981 :

 

TSW Billet Jack Points from Way Motor Works installed- TSW installation instructions HERE.
My car came with 3 of 4 jack points, from the side skirt damage I am guessing the other one decided to come off while the car was being jacked up. The OE plastic jack points hang down low under the car begging to be ripped off. I decided rather than waste money on the single OE jack point I would just upgrade to the TSW billet jack points- Not only lower profile but more secure mounting. The jack points come with everything needed to install them, even the LokTite.
I started by removing the plastic OE jack points, there is a plastic insert that is pushed up into the center for a pressure fit. I used a flat head screwdriver and/or flat prybar between the jack point and the car to pry them down, this resulted in the pin being pulled out and low enough that I could use a screwdriver to pry the center pin the rest of the way out....you could also use pliers to pull the pin out for this step. Once the center pin was removed it took one good pull and the OE jack point was off.
After the OE jack points were removed I went back to the bench to get the TSW jack points ready for installation. The smaller HEX head bolts are inserted in the outer holes and tightened using a 3/16" HEX wrench after applying LokTite. I repeated this step until all four points were completed. These two bolts serve to align the jack point with the slot at the mounting point on the car. The center bolt was then placed through the center hole from the inside and the toggle nuts threaded about halfway down- LokTite applied towards the base of the threads (from 1/2 to 1 inches from the bottom) where the toggle nut will end up when tightened during installation.
The toggle nut is pinched and pushed through the mounting slot on the car. Tightening involves pulling the jack point down to apply pressure to the toggle nut while tightening the bolt with a Phillips head screwdriver. As the bolt is tightened make sure the outer HEX screws seat in the slot and hold the jack point square during final tightening. It is VERY easy to strip out the toggle nut so get it tight enough that the jack point will not twist but not gorilla tight. Repeat for remaining jack points.
It is easy to see that these will not be as easy to rip off since they are tucked in tighter to the car body and they should last a while longer as well.

 

I had been looking at M7 and Voltage hood scoops but in carbon fiber they were big $$$ and made to order. I also had seen some Palo Uber London hood scoops but the company is no longer in business. I was perusing Craig's List one day and happened to find one on the other coast, it was a Palo Uber CF scoop. After some discussion over email with the seller I decided to buy it and try it out. It was in great shape and the price was right, I am still deciding if I like it or not.
The look is definitely more aggressive and I like (love) carbon fiber.....it was easily installed, two plastic pieces are unsnapped and removed to access the forward bolts/nuts, the rear bolts/nuts are shared with the plastic intercooler air guide under the hood. Some have removed this piece entirely due to poor fitment with the aftermarket scoops, I was able to leave mine in place with no issue.

 

Attended the MiniCross at Mini Takes The States 2010 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway on August 7th. My wife, my son, and I all got a chance to drive/ride in the new R56 Minis on an autocross course and at the end of the event the organizers even let guests have some fun in their own cars on the course before they tore it down.....lots of fun but HOT. Big THANKS to the local dealerships and Mini for putting this together!

 

SuperSprint Header/Performance Metallic Cat and Ireland Engineering Exhaust installed.
Both of these items were found on different Mini forum classifieds- the header was used for a few weeks but the cat was new, the IE exhaust was used for a brief time and came with nicer Alta tips. Since they were installed at the same time I cannot speak to sound/power differences from OE for each one but with the header and exhaust both installed, both sound and power increased (or sound/feel like it). The header exhaust combo does not sound like it is connected to a 1.6L 4 cylinder motor at all but something larger- low aggressive tone and lots of amplified burbles and pops. I can't say that I notice a lot of drone either, I am very pleased with this setup. There is some discussion about this IE exhaust on NAM HERE.
My header installation is detailed HERE, the exhaust was a simple R&R. The IE exhaust did take a bit of adjusting to fit but for the price has got to be one of the best values out there for this car. The construction is great, I prefer the passenger side/single muffler approach, it has to weigh half as much as OE, and the fitment issues were no big deal in the grand scheme. I did order the new "big mouth" single tip to see if I like it better than the Alta dual tips that came with it from the previous owner. Installing the IE "big mouth" tip required some grinding and bending to center and hang the tip....but I think it looks good. Hylomar EAP5 exhaust assembly paste was used on the slip joints to ensure a better seal.
TIS instructions can be found here for both: Exhaust System (Cat-Back) and Exhaust Manifold (Header).
SuperSprint Header Design For 02-06 MINI Cooper S video is HERE (Right Click > Save As).


 

Forge Motorsport Aluminum Coolant Expansion Tank from Way Motor Works installed.
When I noticed water coming from the seam of our infamous Mini coolant tanks, I decided to replace it once with something better that would last instead of continuing to go through OE coolant tanks every few years. To start, I used my TopSider to drain all fluid from the tank and even a bit from the lower hose. The side/upper and lower hoses can be removed after pliers are used to slide the clamps off and farther out on the hose. Using a 10mm wrench to remove the single retaining bolt, the tank can be tilted forward and lifted out- note that the lower locating pins do not give up easily so PULL. The tank can be removed without removing the ignition coil, I did remove the rear ignition wires and plug though. The Forge tank installs the same way as the OE one just removed, you may want to cover the exposed ignition terminals with tape so that the tank does not get scratched while positioning it and connecting the hoses. After this is done reinstall the retaining bolt and relax- no worries now that the OE coolant tank might leak or explode at a less opportune time (REALLY, what was Mini thinking when they designed and redesigned this piece???).
Forge installation instructions are HERE.

 

I had been thinking about buying a used/new aerokit or at a minimum painting all of the black trim. When perusing the forum classifieds I found that forum user Professor had a front aero bumper, aero grills, painted arches and skirts, and rear GP trim and wanted to trade for stock pieces plus the cost of the swap so I sent him a PM expressing interest. After sending some pics of my pieces to him and getting prices on the new pieces I needed and clips, we decided to do the swap. I left at 1AM to drive up to KY from GA (about a 900 mile round trip), after getting there the transplant for my car took a few hours and I was back home by 8PM (Longggg Day).
BIG THANKS to Aaron since he did 99.9% of the labor .
The car already looks great, but after the upcoming springs and wheels installation should look a LOT better.......

 

Apex Suspension Systems springs found in NAM classifieds and Hotchkis rear adjustable control arms from Way Motor Works installed.
I had been looking at TSW springs as a stopgap until I get coilovers but I found these lightly used APEX springs CHEAP. I emailed APEX about spring rates and they are 28 N/mm (~160 lb/in) for the front and 36N/mm (~206 lb/in) for the rear, a little more than OE but not super stiff and most important are linear and not progressive. I don't think the front spring rate takes into account the progressive bump stop. They lower the car slightly more in the rear than in the front to reduce the factory rake and level the car- they are listed as 30mm drop all around. APEX is based in Holland and seems to have a quality spring at a value price, they can be sourced from Moss Mini.
The Hotchkis Control Arms are adjustable to bring the camber back to spec after lowering, and a bit stronger then OE as well. These are the important piece when lowering the car, the front does not change enough to warrant camber plates but the rear needs some help as the camber is increased noticeably.
The car now corners flatter but no perceived increase in ride harshness (they actually might be less harsh than OE and seem to be better matched to the OE damping rate).......I think the APEX springs are a winner and I'm not quite sure why there are not more threads about these springs on the forums.
My installation write-up for both springs and RCAs can be found HERE, Hotchkis RCA installation instructions are HERE.

 

Konig Feather wheels and Hankook Ventus V12 Evo tires (215/45/17 size) from Kauffman Tire installed. The Konig wheels come with plastic hub-centric rings but I decided to not use/replace them with metal hub-centric rings from Discount Tire Direct. The plastic rings have been known to not do so well in aggressive driving (like melting). 73mm OD by 56.15 ID was the recommendation and they fit perfectly.
The Konig Feather wheels weigh 16.8 lbs to the ~25 lb weight of the OE oxymoronic "Superlight" wheels. I had originally ordered Dunlop Star Spec Direzza Z1 tires but they did not arrive in time so I had to go with my second, but cheaper, choice. I agree with the Car and Driver Review that the Hankook V12s do not provide a LOT of feedback but they are deceptively sticky.
MotorTrend has an article on Hankook and the V12 HERE.
Auto Bild Sportscars article on the 215/45R17 (same size I bought) is HERE

[EDIT] If you get tired of the center caps that came with the Feathers, the Helium center caps fit and are available from Goodwin Racing, I think they look better: