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View Full Version : turbos vs. superchargers

justintime
08-04-2006, 02:41 AM
I have a mini, and the past few months ive been searching all over for either an afordable turbo kit, or a supercharger conversion kit for it. I cant seem to find anything worth looking into. Does anyone know of an affordable option?
k-huevo
08-04-2006, 11:15 AM
Too many internal components have to be addressed first before these are viable options and besides that it depends on what you consider affordable. There is only one proven performance enhancement to provide more than a few hp while not indangering internals and that is a ported head. The standard cooper's crank and connecting rods are cast instead of forged, the pistons are flat increasing compression ratio (bad for forced induction), the valve material is not very strong to handle FI either, and there are no oil squirters for the underside of the pistons to keep piston temps down. So, unless you have the resources for regular tear downs are not concerned with piston ring land collapse, a more conservative approach would be best. Here's an example of the weakness of the Cooper's connecting rods
http://www.lonestarminiclub.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=26&c=3&userid=20

Here is a short primer on head work for the standard cooper http://engr.smu.edu/rcam/cpm3v/minihead/minihead_21.html , if you decide to go that route I'll provide some choices later.
justintime
08-04-2006, 08:33 PM
Is the cooper s connecting rods forged?
justintime
08-04-2006, 09:28 PM
And as far as what I want for the mini, is it to be able to match, or out preform a stock s. without spending the 6200 or whatever the cost of all the jcw stuff is.
k-huevo
08-04-2006, 10:25 PM
The connecting rods and crankshaft are forged on the MCS, the motor also has recessed piston crowns, under piston oil jets, and harder valve material.

For the money nothing beats nitrous but you would have to be frugal with the juice because of the Cooper’s marginal internals.

For the price you quoted you could buy a used MCS motor and transmission as the base and go full turbo only, if you had the skills to DYI; otherwise labor could drive the price upwards. Or, you could send your Cooper motor off to Endyn http://www.theoldone.com/Facility/Facility.htm and have a complete pro build with forged con rods, special pistons, slick head work with larger valves, and then you would have a NA motor that would probably match the output of a stock S. Oh the possibilities with some cash on hand, but to attempt an answer; there are no economical options at this point.
justintime
08-05-2006, 03:22 AM
that brings up another question, What is a NA motor? that was brought up somewhere and I didnt think twice about it. Nitrous would work for the track, but I was looking more for better throttle response for just driving in general. I'll look into MCS motors, thanks bud
weezer2282
08-05-2006, 03:28 AM
A chip will give you a little more power and throttle response from a cooper motor. It won't match the power of an S though. It's probably cheaper to just buy an S than it is to turn a Cooper into an S. :thumbsup
weezer2282
08-05-2006, 03:31 AM
that brings up another question, What is a NA motor? that was brought up somewhere and I didnt think twice about it. Nitrous would work for the track, but I was looking more for better throttle response for just driving in general. I'll look into MCS motors, thanks bud

NA is naturally aspirated...no forced induction.
justintime
08-05-2006, 03:34 AM
speaking of turning a cooper into a s... will a s motor fit the coopers mounts???
im not sure how much a s motor would cost seeing they are all fairly new.
the only chips ive found are in the thousand range, and for that it seems there would be an easier way. but I was looking into them.
k-huevo
08-05-2006, 10:18 AM
The S motor shares the same block & head so it is a drop in if the supercharger and charge air cooling stuff is removed. That is why you could go turbo only; otherwise a new hood would be needed. It has all of the bosses for the switch and coolant places for the hose rerouting. If you went forced induction a whole new engine management system would be necessary. Lots of details need to be addressed with a project like that; I’m only giving a cursory overview. Here’s an engine and transmission for sale http://northamericanmotoring.com/forums/showthread.php?p=931006

There are no software options that will provide big gains for the Cooper motor despite the claims of vendors. The Cooper is already a hot rod version of the One available in Europe.
justintime
08-06-2006, 03:26 AM
I was looking at my boss' mini s compared to mine today. Is the s frame larger? or the front end? Basically would the s hood fit the cooper?

my new goal is officially to turn a cooper s =] sounds fun. If i can get the money within the next year to do so anyone interested??
weezer2282
08-06-2006, 01:44 PM
I was looking at my boss' mini s compared to mine today. Is the s frame larger? or the front end? Basically would the s hood fit the cooper?

my new goal is officially to turn a cooper s =] sounds fun. If i can get the money within the next year to do so anyone interested??

I think there was someone on this forum that had a cooper with a cooper S hood on it. :thumbsup
justintime
08-07-2006, 12:41 AM
oooh =] I dont know why I never thought of turning it into an s.
scuderia
08-07-2006, 04:18 AM
like Weezer said, i would not bother with sc ot tc'ing the MC and move to a MCS.
justintime
08-08-2006, 03:21 AM
well, I dont wanna sell my mini cooper and go for an s. Im kinda wanting a fun power project. the ol crx isnt as fun anymore ^__^
k-huevo
08-09-2006, 01:59 AM
Ok justintime, here’s something to get you exited http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/showthread.php?t=74021 and something to disappoint http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/showthread.php?t=60780
justintime
08-10-2006, 02:13 AM
...so I have reason to replace my hood atleast now..

hill country deer kill
justintime
08-12-2006, 02:37 AM
The gear box is too weak?
I've never heard that one before I wont lie haha. What about the block? can the block handle anything over 6 boost? You can still pull plenty of power out of a small turbo like that. It really does sound like a fun project, just pricy at the moment... And certainly not worth voiding warrentys over either.
weezer2282
08-12-2006, 12:10 PM
The gear box is too weak?
I've never heard that one before I wont lie haha. What about the block? can the block handle anything over 6 boost? You can still pull plenty of power out of a small turbo like that. It really does sound like a fun project, just pricy at the moment... And certainly not worth voiding warrentys over either.

The block would probably be ok since I think the S and Cooper use the same block. However, the Cooper internals would fail and possibly destroy the block. :D :thumbsup