[MiniSmalls]

Hi everyone,
Apologies if this has been asked before but I was struggling for a definitive answer.

I was looking into possibly getting a replacement downpipe for my R56 Cooper S.

Am I right in thinking there are 2 cats in the exhaust system? If so is there 1 in the downpipe and 1 elsewhere?

In other words if I install a decat downpipe will it definitely fail on emissions come MOT time or is there another CAT elsewhere that will keep the emissions down?

Thanks in advance for any advice

 

[MiniSmalls]

Thanks Mike.

Some really useful info there. I havent decatted a car for a while now. Im used to dealing with jap cars from a few years ago so could get away with different things.
I used to own a GTO twin turbo and had everything removed with a straight through exhaust and that still passed an MOT some how

 

[MiniSmalls]

Did I read in one of your post elsewhere Mike that BlackMagic do a remote service? I ask as Im based in Cumbria so about as far away from them as is possible barring being in another country. Lol

 

[MiniSmalls]

yes he does send via UPS is best service they treat the gear nicely, just ring him up ask to speak to john he's really nice guy never talks down to anyone if dont know something etc. he's the guy most of garages around here ask when they have a random fault that they cant work out top bloke. just say mike sent me and off forum mini 2
tell him what you want to do, or ask him whats possible and best way forward, one thing he will deffo say as i will now is this dont put a big map on a prince engine if chain is around 60k old you must do chain every 60k from then on in then they are mental to drive as mini so light, ie check your engine is healthy oil pressure test compression test and no codes stored,
Black Magic ECU Remapping Specialist Ltd - Unit 2, 60 Liskeard Road, Callington, Callington - Establishment and car repair

Thanks Mike. I shall have to contact him.

I literally just had a new chain fitted last week and less than 40 miles ago so I'm half way there. Ill get my man with a spanner to do a compression test.

He did seem to think it was a strong engine. Its done a little over 97k on a 2010 car but seems to have been looked after

 

[MiniSmalls]

he's a good bloke he's where i go when i get one that catches me out as some do i've learnt a bit off him along the way. as we are all always learning. he just got back from a week away at a drag strip they were running a few cars there and one was 350bhp fiat 500 abarth he also does a load of high climb specials for other people, one is a vw golf r32 that the other day on its first day out ran the hill in top 5 and was beaten all day long up this hill ans totally stayed together, when you think when mapping something to it limits and beyond its knowing just how far to push it,
i tend to stick to maps that have a 50/50 effect some more power but better low down low revs torque as this is what gets used most of the time and the mpg lives there as well. and higher mileage cars do better on those types of maps, that said my sons have cooper s mini's both well north of 120k on second chains have oil changes every 8k ish both over 200bhp have been for 4 years now and still go well use a tad of oil but thats how the prince engine rolls, i buy trade 5/30 engine oil off europarts around £40 for 4 gallons ie 20 litres works around £10 per gallon of oil been doing that on all our cars for 30 years or more never had a issue with the oil as good as a branded over priced drum.

Sounds like the man to know. I'll see what he suggests.

I must admit Im really anal when it comes to oil. I check it a few times a week especially with not having had the car too long. Like to get a feel for what if anything its using. It was odd as I had to top up with a litre a couple of months ago and it hasnt used a drop since so I must have one of the good ones

In your personal experience what would be the best sensible upgrades to do before a remap to get more power but remain driveable on a daily basis? It already spins up the front wheels easily now. Lol. Is a panel filter worth getting? Ive read that induction kits arent very effective on our cars?

 

[MiniSmalls]

Maybe just a performance panel filter then. Even if for no other reason than it can be cleaned and reused. Lol.

I just called and spoke with John. Was on for over half an hour chewing the cud and discussing options. Seems a really sound fella and defo knows his stuff. Ive sent him my details as he said they send the van on tour so if he gets a few jobs in the area he can do it in person. That way he can check everything out in person and ensure all is well before doing anything. He can also personalise the map to work best with my individual car.

 

[MiniSmalls]

I couldnt agree more Mike. I found the same from the guy who did my timing chain. He was straight up about everything amd didnt try and get anything extra from it even though the warranty company were paying for it.

After he had given them the initial quote for the work he started the job and then found that there was a very slight amount of wear on a single tooth of the cam sprocket. He ordered a new one which I said I would pay for myself rather than try and amend the quote.

When I collected the car he wouldnt take any money off me and just said that the labour would cover it so not to worry. I dropped him a nice big box of beer off for being such a sound bloke. We were both happy with the deal.

Thing is even when he showed me the parts he replaced I could barely see the worn tooth but he was right. He must have eyes like a hawk. Seems like a perfectionist which is a good thing with a job like that