My Other Project: 2006 R53 MINI Cooper S

[Poker2009]

Found this thread really interesting.

Would 17" wheels work well on a fast road setup car, as there seems to be a lot more tyre choice than for the 16"?

I was thinking 205/45/17 Michelin PS4 with OZ Ultraleggera 17/7 and a 37 offset.

That's a great set up.

I also run 17x7s with 215/45s at the track for the extra grip. But 205/45 is the factory size for those with the optional 17s.

Good to get your approval! So 205 or 215? I'm not worried about factory setups!

 

[Ken White]

Thanks MaxA for the feed back.

Always been a manual driver but thought would get some feedback. Will take a test drive when ready in the auto and then the manual with the 2 ltr engine. Should show up if there is a lot of difference.

 

[MaxA]

Looking back at the maintenance in 2020:

replaced the original (2006!) battery, new one is a bit crap sadly
replaced the auxiliary/supercharger belt
replaced the valve cover gasket (and cleaned up the oil leak)
replaced the spark plugs with colder NGK plugs
replaced the big engine mount
replaced the fuel filter
replaced the coolant expansion tank
installed Brembo Motorsport rear brake discs and Carbotech AX6 pads
replaced the brake fluid (with Motul RBF600)
replaced the xenon headlamp bulbs (and one ballast) and a brake light - what a ballache!
changed the engine oil and filter
topped up the power steering fluid
reinstalled the front wheel studs
in relation to the BBK, sourced new front floating discs from Reyland Motorsport and AP hardware for the hats, with new Carbotexh XP8 pads and new caliper hardware....
sourced new Federal 595-RSR summer tyres
removed the rear seats and fitted the GP "seat delete" insert
installed the Sparco bucket for the summer season

And I as removed the skid plate for access, I see that I need a new front lip... :what:

I still need to do the supercharger service, but as it takes an estimated 8 hours, sufficient time hasn't been found yet after all this stuff. :wack:

 

[MaxA]

I've got a new front underlip (sic) on order and some fresh hardware for the skidplate, so that's soon sorted; there seems to be an oil leak from the crank position sensor, so that'll get sorted when we pull the front end off to service the charger, and replace the coolant and water pump. It's only done 37k km since the engine was removed for a hotter cam (and when all seals and gaskets were replaced). Hmm. :dont know:

We also installed a downgrade: R56 (or R53 'John Cooper Works') front brake calipers with Pagid drilled and grooved discs and pads, and HEL brake lines, to make it a bit easier to drive in the winter. The big brake kit can go back on for the summer track season, along with the bucket seat, it's a fairly easy swap.

Apart from that, we reinstalled the rear seats and belts, and the standard front seat so that my son can learn to drive. The Sparco bucket is fixed for me and not quite ideal for a lad measuring 1.90m with size 46 feet.

I haven't driven this for a while, it is such a hoot.

 

[MaxA]

After all that maintenance, it's a bit annoying that I now need a new front right speed sensor, as it buggers up the DSC, TC, ABS and TPM. But for 25eur I can't complain too much. We just have to drive around without any driver aids, but since I am hardcore/badass/internet driving hero, that's no problem. Actually, it is a bit crap, and annoying as the TC comes in hard until I remember to turn it off... so the part is on the way. Just as we got another chunk of winter, -17c and more snow. :bandit:

At least it looks like the we'll be able to make the season opener at Ahvenisto in April.

 

[MaxA]

Well, it might only have cost 25eur for the part, but it was nearly three hours to carefully drill out and replace the wheel speed sensor without damaging the ABS ring, which would probably have required a new hub. What a ballache. And I should have put the car into the garage, instead of trying to work in 1c and sleet.

And it also looks like my aux belt tensioner has leaked its oil, so a new one is on the list. Hopefully we can put this together in time for the season. :?: Right now though, it's still winter.

 

[MaxA]

As I mentioned in the Mr White thread (this is the Mr 'Dirty' Brown thread), spring is coming and I fitted some summers, 205/45-17 Continental Sport Contacts wrapped around a set of 17x7 ET37 OZ Ultraleggera that I've been storing for a friend (don't worry, he got a set of pre-loved Yokohama AD08s which are mounted on his track rims...) as a sort of test fit - when I load a picture you'll see they're white - on a dark grey car with a black roof. I quite like the look.

I do have my own summers but they're Federal 595-RSRs and they're - well - awful in the cold, so I'll be better off on the Continentals for a few weeks, just as the Continentals are better than a set of fully studded Nokian winters when it's over 0c, specifically in that zone around 5-6-7c when they just spin up, or the car's DSCII (dynamic stability and traction control) just cuts all the power... :frustrated:

 

[MaxA]

Still chipping away at the maintenance; we reinstalled the aluminium skid plate and replaced the front lip, and I really need to clean up the block and replace a couple of o-rings and whatever other orifice is weeping oil, but I'm saving that for the spare weekend when we can pull the whole front end off, remove the supercharger and get better access.

I did find a new Planted seat base which should help me mount the Sparco Evo II bucket maybe 10mm lower than the Sparco seat base, or perhaps even accomodate the factory sliders if I feel the need. I still have the car in MOT-friendly full standard four seater interior mode right now; this'll change by the first track day of the season in mid May.

 

[MaxA]

MINI Trackdays 2021

Not too much in the club calendar yet this year, nothing in June for some reason (there's never anything in July as that's the holiday month).

Sunday 15 May BTCF Ahvenisto
Sunday 30 May BTCF Alastaro
Saturday 7 August BTCF Ahvenisto
Sunday 15 August BTCF Alastaro
Saturday 18 September MCFF Ahvenisto

And just the same two tracks as usual... :what:

Hopefully we'll get our injections soon and life will return as we knew it.

 

[Marky911]

Fingers crossed you get some use out of it Max.
Small price to pay I guess, until we get back to normality... hopefully. :thumb:

 

[MaxA]

Fingers crossed you get some use out of it Max.
Small price to pay I guess, until we get back to normality... hopefully. :thumb:

Well, I've managed both track days this May, and I'm surprised just how much the old Nitto semi's can still take, they get nice and warm just as my stock "JCW" street brake set up starts to go soft.

The MINI's in learner spec at the moment, so my son can practise and take his driving test. This means it has the extra passenger side brake pedal, the full interior (no Sparco bucket seat), and stock brakes. I can't wait for him to pass so I can get the big brake kit back on and the bucket back in for some proper laps.

And I must remember to turn the TCS/DSC off otherwise I get all sorts of dashboard lights (ABS, tyre pressure).

 

[MaxA]

I'm delighted that my boy passed his test - first time! - and we can now resume normal service with the MINI. The poor chap has had to learn in a modified car, with a touchy lightweight flywheel and a tendency to stall. Although at the moment it's rocking a normal brake set up. And he's been 'limited' to 3000rpm to keep speeds down.

We've been away but I plan to reinstall the Sparco on a new mount so we can maybe fit the sliders (as the boy is taller than me at 191cm vs my 180cm), and then I plan to let him out on the track to continue his learning journey.

There's a track day coming up on the 15th at Alastaro which is a nice friendly flat track for beginners. It now occurs to me that we should invest in a decent helmet for him.

 

[MaxA]

It's winter so the R53 is back in winter spec: ordinary seat, ordinary brakes and full interior, the winter wheels fitted (16x7 Team Dynamics with 195/55-16 Nokian Hakkapelitta7 studded tyres) and the à–hlins softened right off for grip.

The poor thing is filthy as it's almost impossible to keep it clean when it's this cold ... it needs to be able to dry out a bit before you head outside at -10c as otherwise everything tends to freeze shut (even if treated with a bit of silicon).

 

[MaxA]

I didn't mention that I took my son and nephew - both with their newly minted driving licenses - up to Alastaro in the late summer so they could take it to the track.

For absolute beginners, they did well, even if my instruction could be better, but they're just not used to being so busy in the car, with not just accelerator and brake but clutch and gearbox, as well as steering wheel and mirrors, so there were a couple of late shifts, a bit of coasting, some ambitious lines ...

I really need to do better with the whole brake, change, turn, apex, power thing, but we had an excellent day, no offs, no buzzed engine, and a couple of really happy lads spending time comparing stories and laps, checking tyre temps and pressures, set up, wheel bolt torque... and (Joy!) swapping back to street tyres at the end of thd day.

And for those who might think I'm mad, I'd far rather they learn to drive quickly at the track than on a public road. My friends agree, and have been happy to take them out as passengers in their own cars, to give them a feel for the track, their turn in points, the high speed sweepers and the like. And take some GoPro footage for them from a trailing car.

We've also spent a fair bit of time go-karting in both petrol and electric engined karts, and both my son and my nephews are all getting excellent times, close to track records, which is immensely satisfying. They're far faster than I am, being both fitter and lighter (25kg+ in a kart is my excuse) so this is just the next level.

 

[MaxA]

The Infamous 100k Supercharger Service

It was about time to do the much-discussed supercharger 'service' since the car has done about 140,000km of some fairly hard driving from time to time. It is basically the removal of the supercharger and the replacement of the oil in both ends, assuming there is any left to drain...

It's a bit of a faff as you need to pull most of the front end off to get to the charger: the bumper cover, crash bar, air con condenser (swung out of the way), radiator shroud and radiator, intercooler, as well as various coolant and intake pipes (and obviously most of the coolant needs to be drained off).

Once off, it doesn't take long to drain the oil and add new oil, stinky stuff to the actual supercharger. I took out 100ml, but only 5ml from the small (non-pulley) end. Added 140+40ml. So about time. The blades looked great, no evidence of any of the Teflon coatings coming off.

At the same time, and 'since we were in there', we replaced the water pump, we replaced one of the upper coolant hoses (which fouls and rubs on the radiator shroud, which had a sharp edge which was trimmed), the crank sensor o-ring (it was weeping oil), the auxiliary belt with a Contitech (the 2 year old Gates had stretched), and the air con clutch which had failed in the autumn. My stash of parts reduced a bit.

There was a small crack in the alternator but I won't replace until it dies (they seem to live on with some big cracks), and the idler pulley was a bit graunchy, and needs replacing.

I cleaned the skid plate, various oil stains around the block and sump (these bloody engines weep oil all the time from everywhere), the insides of the intercooler, and I re-installed the bumper cover a bit letter than last time (plus I removed the old number plate plinth as it looked crap). It took a while to bleed the coolant but all seems well. And I topped up the oil.

It's a solid day of work, but satisfying. Thankfully Motonet and Biltema are close when we need to nip out and pick up a random tool - such as a 3/16ths allen for the charger drain plug, as the Eaton M45 is made in the US and that plug is imperial sized. :?:

Next we'll add a baffled sump - becauseracecar- as a friend is making up a batch and I'll obviously change the oil at that time. The sump gasket looks like it needs replacing anyway. No doubt we'll find something else (but I'll have a new idler pully in my stash by then)!
:thumbs: