MINI DIY Supercharged w/Holley Sniper EFI

[tmsmini]

Alright, another flirting with the dark side...

I think alot of being successful is what your expectations are going into the project.

[MPlayle]

Michael, only the 550-552 is a single barrel, the other two are two barrel setups - the BBD and 2GC. The 550-552 is the one I'm investigating to use in place of a SPi setup, but on an SPi intake manifold

I had to take another look at the others to understand what you were indicating.  The topside pictures show what looks like only 1 barrel, but the underside shows the two barrel arrangement you were describing.

This conversion is definitely a tempting thought.  I'll keep watching this discussion to see how it turns out.

[MiniDave]

I will have to build an adaptor to mount the FI unit to the SPi manifold, glad Dan is practicing his aluminum welding Fu, but I might take it to a guy I know here in town - he's an amazing tig'er   

I think welding cast aluminum is a little different from welding aluminium plate, but I'm more used to welding steel so I'll take it to a pro. I do have to find a chunk of aluminum to carve out the baseplate and I'll need a new 1 1/2" holesaw blade. Or I might design it to simply bolt onto the studs in the manifold.....I won't be able to make that decision till the unit gets here - I'm waiting to get confirmation of the shipping date.

Other decisions to make - do I need the little heat plate in the bottom of the manifold? Do I set that up on a time relay to only heat when the engine is cold or something? Do I run the hot water thru the manifold - all the time or only when it's cold enough to run the car heater? Or not at all and just let the FI unit do the compensating? I'm also looking at the idea of tipping it sideways and mounting to a std Minispares HIF44 manifold.....

Parts are on order and should arrive in 2-3 weeks.
 

[MPlayle]

This is the manifold I had in mind:

https://www.minimania.com/part/99003.808PMV/Classic-Austin-Mini-Weber-Intake-Manifold-For-The-Dgv-Carburetor-And-Lcb

It looks like it might support use of the small 2-barrel units.

[MiniDave]

Yep, I'll bet I can find them for a whole lot less than $350 bux tho!

I didn't know if those were the same size hole or tapered, as the Weber carb has two different sized throttle plates....but before I go there I want to see if I can run the single barrel one on its side.

[cstudep]

I will most definitely be following your progress on this Dave! It almost seems like it might be too easy, has to be a snag somewhere LOL

[MPlayle]

I used the Mini Mania link as I knew they usually had it on their website.  I also knew they would probably be rather expensive.

Here is the same manifold offered by a different vendor (also out of California) at a much better price.

https://www.piercemanifolds.com/MANIFOLD_FOR_MINI_SPTITE_948cc_1275cc_99003_808PM_p/99003.808pm.htm

[BruceK]

I used the Mini Mania link as I knew they usually had it on their website.  I also knew they would probably be rather expensive.

Here is the same manifold offered by a different vendor (also out of California) at a much better price.

https://www.piercemanifolds.com/MANIFOLD_FOR_MINI_SPTITE_948cc_1275cc_99003_808PM_p/99003.808pm.htm

Wait.  Minimania is charging double the prices of another vendor for the same item?!   Shocked! I am shocked to find that.

[MiniDave]

A US vendor too!

Pierce is who makes those manifolds now, and who sells the "Weber" carbs.

[MiniDave]

I will most definitely be following your progress on this Dave! It almost seems like it might be too easy, has to be a snag somewhere LOL

I think the snag could be cost, time I buy all the parts for the 2bbl it will be close to $1500......plus make the adaptor to mount it to the sprite manifold.....

I'll start another thread on it when I get the parts and start building it. I have a test motor available to me unless Dan sells it! I'll set it up on that motor and make sure it all works, get the base maps set up and so on, plus I'll see if I can mount it sidedraft style too. Much easier to do this R&R on a test bed than in the car, but the actual mapping won't happen till I can drive it and put it under load.

[MPlayle]

I like Dave's idea of exploring multiple mounting options: side-draft style (1-barrel) for on HIF/HS style manifolds and down-draft (1- or 2-barrel) for on the Webber manifold.

Thoughts on providing "patronage" to the R&D effort?

[MiniDave]

What do you mean by patronage? You want to contribute to the costs?

I have an SPi manifold for the downdraft set up and I have an HIF44 manifold for the sidedraft single barrel setup in stock right now - so all I need to do is make the adaptor plates and sort out the mounting

My plan is to sort it out on the test bed, then on my green Mini.....I may have a customer for one of the single barrel setups already assuming it works as we hope. If that deal goes thru OK I'll buy the 2bbl and run it on my green car to see the difference......

Those are my plans at the moment.....I appreciate the interest - we can talk about the patronage idea - call me or send a PM so we don't muck up this thread any more?

[94touring]

I have one of these if it's something you want to experiment with.

[MiniDave]

Perfect, I'll be happy to buy that from you....is it for a Mini or a Sprite, or are they the same? I've never heard of Nikki....

[94touring]

It's for a mini.  The carb that came off is a 2 barrel thingy.

[tmsmini]

Did they make the SU copy that came on early 240Z or was that someone else?
This had to be for Mazda:
1969 Development of a two-stage, four-barrel carburetor for rotary engines.

https://www.nikkinet.co.jp/english/corporate/history.php

[94touring]

The Nikki carb for the manifold has a 1-1/4" and a 1" butterfly. The 1 inch opens first and about halfway open the larger side opens up.  Probably makes great low end torque.

[MPlayle]

That is the Nikki equivalent to the Weber DGV!

I also found on the Pierce site that they have an adapter for the DGV to Jeep BBD.  The adapter seems to be about 1/2" thick and "should" potentially let the Sniper EFI for BBD mount to that manifold.

https://www.piercemanifolds.com/JEEP_ADAPTER_258_CID_FOR_DGEV_99004_551_p/99004.551.htm

Then it is a matter of whether that arrangement sits too high for under the Mini bonnet?

[cstudep]

I also have one of those Nikki carbs and manifolds if anyone is interested.

[MiniDave]

That's funny that two people on this tiny forum have a carb and manifold for a carb I've never heard of!

[cstudep]

It is most certainly odd that is for sure.

Here is the proof just in case you don't believe me LOL

[BruceK]

Did they make the SU copy that came on early 240Z or was that someone else?

It was Hitachi that built licensed SU carbs for Datsun/Nissan models. 

[94touring]

Wonder if rebuild kits are available for these Nikki carbs.   

[BruceK]

Those Nikki carbs and manifolds for Minis used to be sold by Mini City out of upstate Fairport, New York, which was the only US-based Mini parts supplier in the 1970s to early 1980s, before Seven Enterprises opened up in Newport News, Virgina in the late 1970s.  Later on, an upstart California business first called Don's Mini Mania began operations in the 1980s.

MiniCity still exists (barely), but for long while it was the go-to place for Mini parts.   In the old pre-Internet days, they produced a yellow-bound paper catalog with a cartoon logo that just about every Mini owner kept near their home landline phone to place orders.

http://www.minicityltd.com/






.

[cstudep]

Well I just happen to have one of their old catalogs sitting right here so I took a look. I do not ever remember seeing them in there (of course it's been forever since I looked through it) but sure enough they are.