The Independent American Magazine for all Mini Owners
Issue link: http://mc2.epubxp.com/i/33536
the exhaust pipe, resonator and muffler. The studs face forward and get a lot of road splash. Use a 6-point socket to get a good grip on the nuts and turn them off. At the rear of the car, support the muffler and remove the lower portion of the muffler mounting strap by removing the two 10 mm bolts retaining it. In the middle of the system there is a pressed steel bracket held to the bottom of the car by six, 10mm bolts. Remove them, and pull the exhaust system back off of the two front studs, then lower the exhaust system down and pull it out the back of the car. To install the Megan system, remove the two 10mm bolts retaining the rubber mounting brackets from the pressed steel bracket. Remove the mounting brackets, and slide them onto the Megan resonator/ intermediate pipe mounts. One mount on the Megan exhaust required trimming to avoid contact with the heat shield on the side of the central tunnel in the floor of the car, which the exhaust system is routed through. Insert the mounts through the slots in the steel bracket, and attach to the bracket with the 10mm bolts. Clean the mounting flange behind the cat thoroughly to ensure a leak-free seal. Offer up the intermediate pipe and loosely attach the pipe and pressed steel bracket to the bottom of the MINI. Carefully align the two flanges and the supplied gasket. The Megan system uses two supplied bolts and nuts for attachment. Apply anti-seize to the threads to ease subsequent removal, and be sure that the flanges and gasket are aligned, to avoid exhaust leaks. Tighten the two bolts. At the rear of the car, use a deep, 13mm socket to remove the four nuts retaining the muffler hangar bracket to the car. Remove the rubber hangars from bracket and affix them to the mounting points on the muffler. Support the muffler/tailpipe, and use the four 13mm nuts to attach the muffler to the rear of car. Insert the supplied gasket between the flanges of the intermediate pipe and muffler/exhaust pipe, align carefully and attach using the supplied bolts and 14mm nuts. Check the alignment of system, and tighten the 6 bolts holding the pressed steel bracket to the car. The muffler occupies approximately 60 percent of the area of the factory muffler, and looks great from the rear. The total time required for the installation was 2.5 hours. The 3-inch slash cut tip occupies the single side bumper cut out perfectly, and does not look overdone. Inside the car, the exhaust note is evident, but not excessive. At cruising speeds, the constant engine rpm characteristic of CVT transmission-equipped MINIs results in a low, pleasing burble. The exhaust is not raspy or tinny, and quick deceleration does not produce any annoying popping noises. All in all, the installed system likely is as close to the owner’s goal as possible, considering the many aftermarket exhaust systems available. Intake Even the naturally aspirated R50 has a cramped engine bay, with an air filter box sandwiched between the radiator and the battery box on the driver’s side of the car. A convoluted rubber pipe directs air from the filter enclosure to the throttle body. Improving air flow and appearance were the primary goals of the intake upgrade. Increased serviceability and reduced under hood temperatures due to improved airflow through a less congested engine bay are likely added benefits. Keeping incoming air as cool as possible reduces power losses, so the aFe Air Intake System (PN# 54-10566) was selected from among the several aftermarket systems available, due its heat shield. The intake ($225) arrived securely packaged, unharmed from shipping, and was accompanied with complete instructions. First off, use a flat screwdriver to release the crimp clamp retaining the rubber pipe between the air box and the throttle body. Pull the pipe off of the air box. Remove the two 10mm bolts retaining the air box to the driver side frame horn. Release the wiring harness retainer on the passenger side of the air box. Next remove the fusible link wiring from the air box side. Remove the air box by pulling intake tube forward and moving air box body back and up. With the air box out of the way, remove the battery 38 MC2 Magazine www.mc2magazine.com aFe Power 951.493.7155 www.afepower.com M7 Tuning 562.608.8123 www.m7tuning.com Megan Racing 626.581.0988 www.meganracing.com box vent tube. The base of the aFe intake is a substantial 16-gauge piece of grey hammertone-finished steel – a pleasing, tactile assembly in this age of black molded plastic auto parts. Slip the supplied rubber hood seal onto the edge of the metal housing and lower it into to void left by the removal of the air box. Use the front air box and battery box mounting bolts to secure the housing. Attach the rubber pipe going to the throttle body with the supplied reusable clamp. Mount the cone filter with the supplied clamp. The filter is pre-oiled and ready to install. The filter assembly doesn’t produce any interior noise on acceleration, and certainly looks fetching under the MINI’s hood. Installation time was under an hour. Chassis Reinforcement Early MINIs are prone to “strut mount mushrooming.” This distortion of the strut tower can cause alignment problems. Reinforcement of the strut towers, and linking of the strut towers can reduce this problem, and provide enhanced handling characteristics. This is usually accomplished with the installation of a strut tower brace. One of the most substantial braces offered for MINIs is available from M7 Tuning. The 5-piece, forged aluminum, brace allows for center bar removal for servicing, and has two, thick mounting plates that effectively reinforce the tops of the strut towers. The mounting plates use three factory nuts that attach the strut to the strut tower. Remove the nuts and place the plates over the three studs. Replace and tighten the nuts. The subject car has already shown some distortion of the driver side strut tower, so some fandangling was required to get the mounting plate over the three studs and the nuts started on that side. Although the M7 brace is not recommended for the R50 due to limited hood clearance, the bar will fit on the R50 by removing the battery cover and re-molding the hood underpad. Soaking the under hood pad where the bar contacts, covering the bar in plastic, and closing the hood overnight will allow the pad to conform to the brace and the hood will close to within acceptable tolerances. The installed bar provides a rigid link to the two major stress points in the MINI’s front structure, and is a sturdy, attractive addition to the engine bay. Total required time for installation was approximately three quarters of an hour. There you have it, for under $750, this humble R50 has received about a 10hp gain in power, thanks to the Megan exhaust and the aFe intake, plus we’ve stiffened up the front end and cured the strut- tower mushrooming problem. The addition of enhanced under hood functionality and appearance, and an authoritarian exhaust note allows the R50 to “stand up a little taller” when driving alongside its supercharged brother. Resources: