Project lower intake temps

Here is another set of mods I'm working on, this time to help keep intake air temperatures down and allow more air under the bonnet (next will be a way to get it back out).  I don't have pictures right now but I started with cutting a lot of the metal bumper structure out of the front.  Now none of it is on the way of any airflow coming into the front.  All grills are open in the back with a straight shot through the bumper.  I then moved to the plastic shroud above the radiator and removed pretty much all plastic from that area and just left the top of the radiator exposed.  I then shortened my upper radiator hose and tucked it down under and away from the intake manifold.  Finally I made a new metal shroud that directs the cool incoming air right under and against the intake manifold while keeping the hot air under the engine and away from the intake manifold.  The upper radiator hose is now completely shielded and so is its heat.  I can't back up my mod with data yet but I know a guy who did something similar on his MINI and he saw a drastic change in intake temps for the better.  Here is the only pic I have so far.

Just in case you don't already have one, one of the data parameters from the OBD II allows you to read the intake air temperature in real time.  A ScanGuage II is an easy way to monitor it to see the results of your efforts.  BTW, I'd be interested in seeing how well it's working.

kenru wrote: Just in case you don't already have one, one of the data parameters from the OBD II allows you to read the intake air temperature in real time.  A ScanGuage II is an easy way to monitor it to see the results of your efforts.  BTW, I'd be interested in seeing how well it's working.

Thanks for the heads up.  I have been looking into getting a scangauge for a while now, just haven't got around to it yet.  I had two round gauges in my Cobra that were just like the scan gauge but better looking IMO but they don't make them for the MINI, they are make specific.  I would always monitor my intake temps and my charge temp with that setup, it was nice.