Right, where to start. This is going to get very long, there is so much going on in my head, as well as on the engine building.
I will start this thread by setting some back ground and then expanding onto the 1400 TBi engine thats currently in the car. I will start another thread for the 16 valve turbo engine that is the current build project.
Most people will know of the Mini, most will know that its unrefined, noisey, uncomfortable and slow. Three of the former are fact, the latter is not! Dont get me wrong there are fast cars out there, but when most people see a Mini they asume its slow.
I have a personal attachment to the Mini, don't know where it came from, maybe when I was a kid, I dont know, but i've always, when i had the chance, mucked about with Minis. However, i will point out this, I am not so sad that I have named any of my minis, or called it a He or a She. Its rather disturbing to think people do
Anyway. I've had four Minis and the current one was rebuilt last year in 14 weeks, that included a new engine and gearbox. This Mini is one of the later Single Point Injection veriety.
The original engine was Boggo standard and the injection system was running pants. I bought a Crypton ACT service tool, a complete new injection maniflod and set about fixing the thing. Since then I have bored out the throttle body and fitted a larger throttle disc, fitted a larger injector from a Rover 214, increased the engine capacity from 1275 to 1399cc,fitted an injection Kent MD274 cam, a Group A rally cylinder head, a Mini Cooper ECU, a K&N and a 2" exhaust system. I dropped the Final drive down to 3.76:1 and stripped out the interior partialy. Needless to sayits feckin quick, lol, up to 90mph where it tops out, lol.
The reason i'm here With a VEMS ECU is two fold. The current engine spec outside the capebilities of the standard ECU, and I will also need a programable ECU for the 16 valve turbo.
I did try and overcome the knock issues with the standard ECU by retarding the reluctor ring on the flywheel. Unfortunetly at that time i didn't know that the cold crank degrees were 5. Guess how much i retarded the reluctor ring, yes, 5 degrees. Starting on a cold day is rather difficult. It will turn over and start first time, but then almost imediately the reves die off, and with foot flat to the floor, the reves gradualy rise untill about 3000rpm where it then seems to recover and then all is as normal. Its fine once its running and will start with out problem once warm, or warmer than cold. It does drive a little boggy in the lower rpm but pulls strong from 3k right through the red line on the rev counter without complaint.
I think the standard ECU is not releasing the engines potential anyway, so what with the other engine build, i decided to look into the DIY programable ECU market. On a budget there only seemed to be one option, Megasquirt, that was until i was pointed in the direction of VEMS by a fellow Mini entusiast in Norway. Looked into it and the rest you can work out for yourselfs.
On this engine, the 1400 TBi, i'm looking for 100bhp, thats the target, though if i get into the 90s i'll be a happy bunny. I'm currently pulling appart two wiring looms, one from a Mini and the other from a Rover 820 Turbo. All the screened cables and connectors are terminated, making it easy. This custom loom needs to be a quick swap for a standard loom and will use the same main loom connector to facilitate this.
The ECU itself is being fitted to a Rover MEMS case to give it more of a standard stealth kind of look, even though the original location is being abandoned and being mounted inside the car either under the dash or on the bulkhead. Ther wont be any room in the engine bay with the 16v engine, and as it stands now, the inner wings are removed, where the original ECU resided, and the ECU is now just cable tied to the engine itself, which is far from ideal!
Any way, i think thats enough for now, but i will be back soon for an update.
Engine Specification
Austin Rover A Series Transverse engine
http://www.austin-rover.co.uk/index.htm?engineaseriesf.htm5 Port EX Works Group A cylinder Head
http://www.wpm.co.uk/worksminis/8 Valves
Inlet valve Diameter: 35.4mm
Exhaust Valve Diameter: 30.1mm
Stroke: 81.33mm
Bore: 74mm
Compression Ratio: 11.2:1
Cam spec: Kent MD274
K & N 57i Induction Kit
44mm Throttle Body
611cc Throttle Body Injector
Slark Race Engineering Re Worked Inlet Manifold
Maniflow Injection LCB exhaust Manifold
PlayMini 2" Big Bore 304 Stainless single box Exhaust System
Gearbox Final Drive Ratio: 3.76:1
Retarding the reluctor ring in the flywheel
