Got 1...
Got 1...
Nothing like starting a new project before finishing your last...
I'm surprised that bolt gave you trouble, especially since it doesn't look too corroded. I had no issues with mine, but when I did the rear bracket bolts I don't know how I didn't shear one of those.
In reply to hoffmaw1 :
I still have 3 more to go.
150 psi, 650 ft/lbs....
So, I have roughly 3x the cost of parts in new tools, but the it's the principle of the thing.
Once I got through those bolts the rest went fairly easy. I did shear a bolt which required some engineering and a trip to the auto parts place, but the rest was plug-n-play.
All that's left is to bleed them. I was going to do it today, but the wife's patience was wearing thin.
I'm interested in the tires and the Konig Dial In wheel fitment on the R53. I too have an R53 with Koni Yellow and Swift Spec-R springs and have been trying to see how the Konig 15x8 Dial In will fit. Are you planning on fitting 205/50 tires?
-fred
In reply to Kyu1R53 :
I'm actually trying to decide between 245 or 225 Hoosiers. These are going to be my race wheels.
In reply to BradLTL :
So probably lot of trimming involved then. Either way looking forward to seeing it with the new shoes.
Bought another pressure bleeder and started to bleed the brakes today. I quickly hooked it up and did a pressure test. It wouldn't hold pressure, so I did it right. I put the teflon tape on the brass feelings and torqued it with wrenches instead of fingers. I connected it again and ran another pressure test at 10psi. This time the pressure was stable. Just about the time I started giving myself the lecture about doing it right the first time.... POP! Somewhere out the back of the reservoir. Now I get it was a bottle of Motul 660 go to waste. Ugh!!!!!!
This is what happens when confidence exceeds ability... you have to pay someone to repair what you fixed (or modded).
Doh. It's been a long time since I've bled R53 brakes (my ex- removed the calipers from hers to paint them and I installed a couple of big-brake kits back in the club-wrenching days). I pretty much always bled them using the 2-person method. I have tried using a pressure bleeder, but never had much luck with them.
Were I to do it now, I'd replace and bleed one hose at a time. You want to avoid getting air into the ABS module at all costs. Apparently that is a PITA to bleed.
Finally back on the road, audio update coming soon...
Did the reservoir blow? On mine it had gotten brittle from UV exposure on top so there were cracks in it and it would leak. You can replace the reservoir without needing to bleed the master cylinder, you just need to be careful when taking the old one off and putting the new on. I used the pressure bleeder on mine, usually up to 12 psi and never had a problem. Did it for the brakes and clutch. It did a better job than having someone pump the pedal.
In reply to hoffmaw1 :
It did, it split about midway in the tank. I'm guessing that it was just old and as you said brittle.
The shop ended up having to bleed the brakes twice. They did it with a vacuum bleeder first, then did the pedal pump method on the second.
I've been living with the MillTek exhaust for about a week now and I thought I would share my review.
This wasn't my first choice for an exhaust. I generally throw away any performance claims on exhaust systems on the internet. I figure most are either BS or give or take the same as any other after market exhaust. So, based on sound clips from the internet, my preference was the iNvidia exhaust. When I talked with Way in Atlanta, he convinced me otherwise. Based on his real world experience he said the MillTek was good for 18 ft/lbs. In Mini Cooper land... that's a lot. Since he was selling both, and actively trying to convince me to buy the cheaper option, I trusted him (plus he has a good reputation in the Mini community, owning Way Motor Works).
The build quality was really good. All the welds looked great. All the parts and pieces looked like they were meant to be seen rather than stuffed under the car. All the pieces fit well, and most importantly the tips on the exhaust are in the middle and straight.
The sound is good. It's not a V8, so you have to take that into consideration. Inside the car it's a nice deep rumble. It's an interesting juxtaposition. When you are on it hard your ears are confronted with the high pitched super charger whine from the front on the car and a deep rumble from the exhaust at the rear of the car. There are no shortages on audio feedback from this car. Outside the car the exhaust has more rasp than you can hear from inside the car. It's not at all a rice or coffee can but you can tell it isn't a V8. Sound is clearly a personal preference thing, I really like how it sounds now. It actually sounds like a car that has something to it rather than an eco-box. Cruising is almost as quiet as before, no drone.
As far as performance, I haven't run before/after tests on a Dyno so I'll just give you the results of my butt dyno. It certainly does feel like it has more low end grunt in 1st and 2nd gear. My driveway is fairly steep, so the first thing I do in the car is basically a hill start. It pulls up the driveway easier and with less pedal than either of the two family cars. Around town I shift... 1st, 2nd, then 4th. It pulls hard enough in 2nd that there really isn't a need for 3rd gear, just drop in 4th and cruise.
So, very happy with the exhaust. I haven't found anything to complain about with it.
In reply to BradLTL :
Thanks for feedback on the exhaust. I wonder if it's the same for the R56/55. I want more exh note, so I have an idea of how much gear I have left. It is really nice being quiet when driving backroads, but it's not like the car cabin is silent, maybe it's the tires, bc my R55 is noisy in the cab.
Props to the domestic supervisor watching the kids so you can play in the garage!
In reply to thashane :
Likely not. The exhaust differences between the supercharged cars and the turbocharged cars is substantial. The turbo affects the sound so much the R56 exhaust is nearly a straight-through system. Shortly after the R56 was introduced, a R53 owner on the North American Motoring forums (about 2008, I think) tried a similar system in his car (removing the R53 battery box) and found the exhaust drone to be unbearable on the street - even after he added Helmholtz resonator (with a lot of experimenting to tune the resonator).
Did some fit testing tonight. That's a sexy backend...
In reply to BradLTL :
Whew! I've been curious how well a 245 tire would fit under R53 fenders... What is the offset of those wheels? How much clearance between the inside of the tires and the struts?
Yea, I was too. My wife walked out and I told her that I didn't waste $1800.
The wheels are 15x8 +35 and have 245/40 tires.
A company (RMW?) was working on a replacement flare kit to cover wider tires, but I don't know if they ever finished it. I seem to remember the prototype was lost in a shop fire.
After a quick bit of Google-fu, this kit from the UK doesn't look too bad - or at least better than the more universal flares the search results mainly found.
Driving home from picking up dinner tonight, I turned into my block and heard a click, metal on metal grind, and pop like a spring being unloaded. All those sounds connected and coming from the front left wheel well. I tested the brakes a few times to ensure they still worked.
I did a quick look around when I got home, but as I was bringing dinner I didn't have time to pull the wheel off or look under it. I'm hoping it's something minor and just dragging on the wheel or rotor. Thankfully it did it a block from home.
I found the source of the squeal, grind and pinging sound...
Thankfully a simple fix.
In reply to Ian F (Forum Supporter) :
Copy that. Still debating which route to go. Probably going to try a muffler shop and see what it would cost for a 1 muffler 1 exit setup
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