I've got another issue/question I found while prepping to order my exhaust kit. Since my Mini is JDM it has a sensor after the catalytic converter. Mini Spares lists it as a cat temp sensor. Since I am going to do the cat delete, will the sensor get too hot if I leave it in the normal location, or should I use a defouler to have it pulled out of the air stream a bit?

85 HP from a JCW kit???

Not really, The Man Himself admitted many years ago that 85 was just a number they though up because it would sound good in the adverts

They didn't expect people to take them literally 

Cheers, Ian

Don't bother changing the spi header as it flows as good as most of the aftermarket ones and better than some of the cheaper ones.

Unfortunately for me, I have an automatic.  So I am guessing a manual conversion will be in my future sometime depending on if the auto decides it doesn't like living anymore.  But at least for now I don't have to worry about going too deep into the car trying to get 100hp out of the motor.  I'd like to see around 65-70 wheel hp is possible, but I don't want to do much more than the exhaust.  I replaced the spark plugs and air filter when I bought the car last summer.  I figure a $250 exhaust won't break the bank and can help the car breathe a bit.  3000rpm at 70mph would be awesome, I'd love to get that.  Mine sits around 4000 at 65mph or so.

I would love to keep this car mostly stock and find a decent shell I can swap a Honda K20 into.  But if my auto decides to go, then I will swap this car.  So for now I am not looking for high performance, just a little more pep.

Thanks again everyone.

Can it be true?


82 Horsepowers in a box for an SPI?

//www.coopercarcompany.com/tuning-kit-for-mini-cooper-spi-injection.html

The general consensus is the spi ecu is only good and limited for about 80 to 85 hp.

I'm currently building a SPI power unit and have been working with Nick Swift. Nick supplied the camshaft and ported the cyl. head. Even with a Cooper ECU if we can find one expected output will only be in the 80/85 HP range. Spec is bored .020 with dished pistons .020 piston to deck. Swift SW 5 injected camshaft, beautiful Swift cyl. head. I assemble and balance crank with Cooper S two pc. damper and light steel flywheel with uprated pressure plate. Talking with Nick I found in spite of claiming 100 HP the Cooper injected cars rarely produced as much as 80 hp on dyno. I'm also working a new tranny which will allow highway speed 70 mph at 3000 RPM. 

Just a though, I have been rebuilding a bunch of DAM 5626 trannys this year and stripped my fifth this week. To my surprise this one was under a 998. The third motion shaft double ball bearing had fractured ball spacers, worn third motion shaft spigot and lay shaft. And for the fifth time the diff. ball bearing fell off the diff cage. Shift forks and synchros worn but the spider gears and diff. pin not so bad. I have been buying cross pin diffs. and like them for a rebuild. The SPI is getting is getting a Quaife posi as well as REM and Cryo treatment for the gears. I have had good results reducing SC/CR tranny and drop gear noise with REM excited to see how it works on std gears. 

The reason I mention tranny is three of the trannys suffered complete failure and were in SPI/MPI cars. To make it more fun they were all AC cars as well. Steve (CTR)

When i change an exhaust i just order the silencer i need and take it down to my Muffler shop and have him make up the pipe from the header, he makes every twist and turn perfect and easier/cheaper than shipping the parts imo.

Just what I wanted to hear   Thanks malsal.  My state, WA, does not do inspections on cars older than 25 years.  No worries there.  And even in some counties they do not require inspection at all.

I figure since it is such a cheap part to add I might as well do it while doing the rest of the exhaust.

The spi Mini's only have one O2 sensor and that is upstream from the cat on the exhaust manifold. It will not hurt the running of the car and unless it is blocked and restricted it will not do too much power wise, if you live in a State with inspections you may want to hang onto it and re install it at inspection time.

P.S.  Yes I have read the SPI tuning article.  But nothing is mentioned about what happens when the cat is removed.  I don't know if there is an O2 sensor and if it will throw a code or CEL.  Just trying to keep everything neat and tidy.  Of course, since I won't be aiming for a full race 100+hp motor, I suppose I probably shouldn't even be worrying about removing the cat?  Just looking for a little more info than was given in the article.

I saw there is a straight pipe to remove the cat from the Mini exhaust system.  I am wondering if on the fuel injection Minis, SPI specifically for my car, if there is anything else that needs to be done to make sure the car still runs and drives just fine.  I know it can mess with air/fuel ratios and throw codes on newer cars, but I don't know if the SPI ECU is smart enough to care.  I am wanting to replace the exhaust system with the SPI kit and the cat delete to get more power.

Thanks all