R53 supercharger pulley install by zirconmr2

7 minute read

R53 supercharger pulley install  

Compliments of zirconmr2 @ www.totalmini.com

8-5-2014

Pulley install

How to DIY install a new reduced pulley.

This is the best bang for buck mod on the r53 so get it done!

As always, safety first, if in doubt take it to one of the mini specialists dotted around the country.

I have read a few guides where they remove loads of thing from the car, not all nessecary…

total time including getting the gear out and faffing with camera, 80 minutes

Parts needed:

New belt

New pulley

New plugs

Tools required:

Wheel brace

Trolley jack

Axle stands 

Socket set

Spanners 

Spark plug socket

Screwdrivers

Allen key for new pulley

Tensioner tool

Pulley removal tool

Block of wood

Threadlock

Grease/ copper slip

Heres the difference between the two

Heres how to fit…..

Loosen the wheel nuts on the driver side front wheel and jack up the drivers side of the car, placing it on stands or similar.

Remove the wheel you just loosened.

Now under the car, remove this bolt on the engine mount. (make mental note to fix wifes oil leak)

Place a jack under the engine and support it, use a block of wood to spread the weight.

Remove the 10mm bolt securing the radiator top hose to the inlet manifold.

Remove this bracket (facelift doesn’t have this).

Remove this nut from the drivers side engine mount. Don’t worry the jack should be supporting the weight.

Remove this nut n bolt from the earth strap.

Loosen this bolt from the passenger side engine mount, don’t remove it, loose is enough!

Remove the wheel well liner. There is a notch in the fixing, place a flat blade screwdriver in there while turning the Philips screw, don’t worry if they break, they are cheap to replace. There are 2 philips screws and 8 plastic fixings to remove (one under the sideskirt)

Unclip this vacuum hose, then using a belt tensioner tool, retract the tensioner and place a pin in the second hole down.

Take note how the belt routes round the pullies (take pics if needed), remove the belt from the pullies, then remove the plastic plug from the supercharger shaft. It just screws out.

Now slowly jack up the engine, look and listen for anything catching, specifically the crank pulley and power steering reservoir, you want to raise the engine enough so that you have access to where the pulley tool will be.

Undo this bolt, only done to aide slipping the pulley tool over the pulley, once the tool is in place put the bolt back in.

Place the bolt you removed from the earth strap into the threaded hole in the supercharger shaft, this will protect the shaft from any damage caused by the pulley tool. 

Load up the above bolt with grease, now fit the pulley tool in place, I used a cravenspeed specific for the job, there are others available, and some have used generic pullers, but I wouldn’t, this thing is on TIGHT, and you don’t want to damage the shaft. Ive used the cravenspeed before and its easy and effective.

Grease up the pulley tool bolt, use plenty.

Now use the pulley tool, slow and deliberate is the way to go, remember, once the pulley starts to move you are committed to finishing the job, no good stopping half way through as the pulley wont be aligned and it wont go back on, it will with a good whack but that will be the end of the bearings in the charger. 

pulley off!

Once the pulley is off, remove the bolt in the end of the shaft and clean off any stray grease.

Now depending on the pulley you bought put it on the shaft, I used a 15% reduced craven speed pulley this time, my car has a 16% reduction from kavs, with both these type of pullies slip the collar onto the shaft first, as far on as it will go is the correct alignment. Now fit the outer piece of the pulley, use threadlock on the bolts and tighten it up.

Now fit you new belt, your earlier notes of the route will help.

Use the tensioner tool and remove the pin you place in the tensioner. You should only see one hole on the tensioner as shown here.

Slowly lower the engine off the jack. Make sure the drivers side mount locates correctly. Loosely fit the drivers side upper engine mount bolts

Then replace the bolt under the car for the lower engine mount. Rocking the engine might help.

Now tighten the upper engine mount bolts, replace the engine mount bracket, refit the earth strap and vacuum line.

Replace the wheel well liner, wheel and the lower the car to the ground.

Now change your spark plugs for colder running ones, no pics of this bit but if you don’t know how to change plugs you wont have got this far!

You have done, enjoy. (wife has gone for a spin so I now have some peace, so well worth doing!)