15 replies to this topic

[Nick Warwick]

Hi guys,

I will be supercharging my mini starting next year, where is the cheapest you have found the kit for? would like to source parts 2nd hand but i'm a sucker for new bits, but if the price is right i would take them

My plan is to run the de-compression plate only if my funds don't stretch for pistons at that time. How much are we talking for the pistons? Head work will be a thing for the future at the moment.
I already have a HIF44 carb and filter sorted.

Thanks.

[Liam Mini 35]

Nick if you are not doing any head work i wouldnt bother SC it. save up a bit more money, and do it properly. no de comp plate, get the head worked on to open up the chambers a bit, get it portered and if you dont want to change pistons get the combustion chambers machined out tto lower the compression. depending on boost i bet you could run a super charged engine on about 9:1, if you also use an intercooler. are you looking at blow through or suck through? have a look at the VMax and Slark racing web sites, they sell the kits. also have a look on turbominis.co.uk and turbomini.com, loads of info to read on them sites.

[JonBooth]

Hi guys,

I will be supercharging my mini starting next year, where is the cheapest you have found the kit for? would like to source parts 2nd hand but i'm a sucker for new bits, but if the price is right i would take them

My plan is to run the de-compression plate only if my funds don't stretch for pistons at that time. How much are we talking for the pistons? Head work will be a thing for the future at the moment.
I already have a HIF44 carb and filter sorted.

Thanks.

Hello Nick,

I got a kit from VmaxScart, I think the basic kit was about £995 but you need to get a 2 core radiator, fuel pressure regulator, electric fuel pump, lower temperature thermostat (I think it was an 82 degree one although not totally sure)...

I have a standard 1275 carb Mini with a standard head apart from 1:5 roller tip rockers and double valve springs, I also use a decompression plate. Although not the best solution, I've had mine fitted for around a year and 9 months and have done 4000 miles or so with no real problems at all. You just need to ensure that the engine is in good health before you attach the kit. My engine makes around 115BHP with around 100Lbft of torque.

If you get a kit from Vmax or Jonspeed (suck/draw through set up) you cannot intercool the system, that's not a problem if you run the standard supercharger pulley but you don't want to run too high boost as it will just get hot. It all depends on how much power you want to make really. Also make sure you think about the crankcase breathers. You have to change the timing cover for one without a breather so the belt doesn't fowl so you lose a breather. The crankside one fowled on my carb/supercharger link pipe so it had to be modified to fit. Just something to think about.

Just a note, my kit took an awful long time to arrive from Vmax and a few gaskets were missing, he's also very hard to get old of. Can't comment on the other companies though.

Hope this helps,

Jon.

[Nick Warwick]

I was looking at the Slark racing kit when i first saw his thread on here and the feature in mini mag but i don't want to pay that sort of price. Vmax is what i will probably end up going with since its cheaper.

Jon i will end up having the same problem as you with the breather fouling the link pipe but i will find some way of getting around that cheers for the heads up. How easy was the over all install Jon?

[JonBooth]

No problem at all... It was fairly easy to be honest, appart from clearences being tight it's all fairly straight forward. It may be worth getting an adjustable Turbo top engine steady bar as well, my carb/supercharger link pipe also fowled on the brake servo, if you aren't running a servo then there's no need.

What sort of power are you hoping for? You can run more boost with a blow through set up as you can intercool the charge but it is much more difficult to fit into the engine bay, plus you need to relocate the alternator and you need a blow off or bypass valve to prevent pressure building up in the manifold after the charger. With a draw through you don't need to do this but considering you can't cool the intake down you can't get as much power.

Still if you're happy with around the 100-130BHP mark, draw through is fine and simple (the torque makes a big difference, great for making good progress). What ever you go for, just make sure it is properly set up on a good rolling road and expect the car to struggle to get through an MOT emmissions test, I have to lean mine off for the test haha.

Cheers,

Jon.

[Liam Mini 35]

Only other thing to consider with suck through setups is carb icing. Y dont u try a turbo?

[JonBooth]

Only other thing to consider with suck through setups is carb icing. Y dont u try a turbo?

Very good point about the icing issue. You can buy a heating element from RS components I believe for about £15 that pretty much solves the problem. Turbo's a certainly worth considering, especially if you want more power.

[Nick Warwick]

Thanks for the info Jon, i am happy with anything above the 100bhp mark for the moment. I will probably be after more power a few months after by maybe going blow through but we will see.

I did think about turbo at first but no matter how much i like the idea of a turbo, i just love the sound of a supercharger.

Jon do you have a link for the heating element? would like to save that in my bookmarks ready for when i need it.

Thanks

[JonBooth]

Thanks for the info Jon, i am happy with anything above the 100bhp mark for the moment. I will probably be after more power a few months after by maybe going blow through but we will see.

I did think about turbo at first but no matter how much i like the idea of a turbo, i just love the sound of a supercharger.

Jon do you have a link for the heating element? would like to save that in my bookmarks ready for when i need it.

Thanks

You're welcome. I do indeed, it's http://uk.rs-online....eaters/2995843/ I got this off another thread on the forum, just attach it inside your cone air filter and wire it into a switched live (then it can't be left on by mistake) with a 5 amp fuse and a switch on the dash. It has seemed to work for me, doesn't got too hot but it keeps the air filter warm preventing the throat of the carb from icing up.

Cheers,

Jon.

[Nick Warwick]

Thanks for the link. Do you have a build thread Jon? or know of any good supercharger threads that are helpful?

[Nick Warwick]

I forgot to ask the eaton M45 charger is the exact same supercharger on the cooper s isn't it? loads of them on ebay

[JonBooth]

No problem at all, I don't have a build thread but I have an album on facebook with some images of the Mini which include the supercharger conversion http://www.facebook....=1&l=3e2afe20da ... With regard to the charger, yeah it is the same one, the kits use the M45 sourced from the Mini Cooper S but I believe you need to modify it slightly, I think the water pump mount needs removing from the charger and a tensioner needs to be fitted for the belt. I also think that the supercharger inlet has the face machined flat as it has a lip which the BMW Mini manifold attached to. Not totally sure though but I think you'd be able to do it all fairly easily. It depends how much they are from Ebay compared to the modified ones from Vmax or Minispeed etc, if they're much cheaper it may well be worth buying one and modifying it yourself.

Cheers,

Jon.

[Nick Warwick]

Thanks for the Photos, i shouldn't have looked! makes me want it now haha. You have a very smart mini there mate.

I think i would be just as good buying the supercharger from vmax then if i would have to do that work, they go for roughly the same price anyway by the looks of it.

I think i might as well do what you have done and fit new valve springs and re ground the seats, while i have the head off.

[JonBooth]

Thanks very much. Yeah it's worth doing any work you need doing to the head whilst it's off the car, I fitted double valve springs because I fitted 1:5 roller tip rockers, didn't want the valves to bounce. I must admit that I'm tempted to get the head ported, just need some money. One day in the near future I think.

Cheers,

Jon.

[Nick Warwick]

Just spoken to Stuart at Vmax and the kit is now £1195, looks like i need to get saving and stop spending it on drinking