R56 MINI Cooper D - 200bhp+ (1.6hdi)
Gary came to us with his wife's 2010 R56 Mini Cooper D which runs the common PSA 1.6hdi engine. These vehicles have a great chassis and we knew that they were capable of dealing with more power than the standard 109bhp.
His target power was 200bhp+ with a fast road / track focus, and a set up that appeared no else had done to an R56. After discussing numerous options to gain his desired figures, we decided on the following:
- Larger turbo
- Custom Manifold
- Uprated Intercooler
- Higher Flow Injectors
- Uprated Clutch
- Turbo Back Exhaust
- DPF & EGR delete
- Uprated MAP Sensor
- Custom Tune
This would see the car running strong figures, whilst having a usable and and reliable set up, and ensuring that the car would be suitable for his needs. We started out by sourcing a BMW tf035 turbo and fabricating custom pipe work and manifold.
The turbo was fully re built to our spec. Modifications were made to to enable us to mount it to the 1.6 PSA engine, to maintain bonnet clearance and retain the gravity oil drain. We were happy that this turbo was running within its safe tolerances and would still allow the vehicle to be produce the power reliably.
Whilst rebuilding the turbo, we had to modify the housing and internals to suit. We knew that the engine had the capability of running the turbo, but extensive modification was required, whilst retaining the OEM+ look. We then started to mock up and locate the turbo, manifold and custom pipe work. We feel that mounting the turbo as we have provides the most efficient set up, along with clearance and shorter intercooler
pipe work. This turbo runs an electronic actuator, which is more accurate and gives better control than the original vacuum system.
By manufacturing an equal length manifold, we have created a more efficient flow for the gases, especially compared to the standard log manifold.
Once we were happy with the location of the turbo and pipe work, we had the turbo flow tested. The video below shows us optimising the nozzle efficiency to factory spec. The reason for this is so that the vehicle won't need the map adjusting if the turbo was replaced. We ensured that turbo components were correctly balanced, this is a critical part of the process completed before final assembly.
The clutch needed to be suitable for the power output, so we opted for half organic, half sintered. This gives the grip and performance, whilst not damaging the dual mass flywheel.
Whilst considering which clutch to run, we knew the car needed to be reliable and easy enough to drive on a daily basis if required. There are two ways for a clutch to handle more power. Improve the clamping force, which gives a stiffer pedal, or use a more aggressive material, which can reduce the life span of the components. Our clutch delivers the best of both worlds.
The standard injectors would've worked but we swapped them for a revised later set that could flow more and therefore achieve a higher power figure, as its the fuel system that is the limiting factor with this set up . We cut the seat and fitted new gasket to ensure the new injectors sealed properly.
At this stage, we also deleted the unnecessary intercooler bypass valve and secondary throttle, whilst relocating the map and intake air temp into bypass pipe.
Custom oil feed and return pipes were made and the filter in the feed was also replaced.
To keep the temperatures at the right level, we opted for for an Airtec Intercooler Pro-Series in satin Black. From previous experience, we knew that it would provide us with enough performance, whilst retaining the OEM look. Although Airtec don't make an product for this engine, we were able to modify their Cooper S Intercooler to work with our build.
Specification: 699mm width x 210mm height. Step core design 80mm bottom section, 40mm top section.Intercooler Volume Capacity - The amount of charged air that the intercooler can hold - 3.2 litres
Once the build was completed, we then focused on the tuning. We programmed the ECU using our software writing and diagnostic equipment.
By data logging and meticulously adjusting the tune we managed to achieve our desired calibration. The car is comfortably running 200bhp+ (tbc) @27psi of boost.
The logs were made on the road, but the actual figures will be confirmed within the next week when we run the car on the dyno.
We are now working along side Steve at hdi
tuning, to develop a bolt on kit for this engine in each of it's applications e.g Fiesta, Mini, Peugeot, Citreon, Volvo etc. Get in touch if you have any questions regarding this build or anything else we do.
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Thanks to Gary for letting us undertake this project and bring his vision to life. Looking forward to working with you in the future!
Crisp Tuning