Oil Filter Housing Relocation Kit for Mini Cooper Gen2 N14/N18 Engines

DESCRIPTION

Oil Filter Housing Relocation Kit

MINI R56 Gen 2 Cooper S & JCW | 2007 - 2013 N14/N18 ENGINE

If you are familiar with the MINI R56 platform, and especially if you perform your own maintenance, you already know that the factory oil filter housing is located in one of the worst possible places for service access.

Reaching the factory filter requires working around the coolant expansion tank and several surrounding components, and even a simple oil filter change can quickly become a messy and frustrating job.

Our Gen 2 Oil Filter Housing Relocation Kit moves the filter away from its original location while also creating valuable engine bay space for performance applications.

Please Read Before Purchasing!

Please take the time to read through the complete product information on this page before purchasing so you can determine whether this kit is the right solution for your application and your level of technical experience.

Before reaching out for after sales support, please also review this page carefully, as many common questions regarding the kit, installation, fitment, and operation may already be answered below.

We appreciate your time, attention to detail, and professionalism.

Whether you are looking for easier oil filter access or building a race car and need additional engine bay space to fit a tubular exhaust manifold for a full frame turbo package, this relocation system addresses one of the biggest packaging limitations in this area of the R56 engine bay.

Who Is This Kit Designed For?

This system was originally designed primarily for customers building custom turbocharger systems where additional engine bay space is required.

Typical applications include:

• Full frame turbocharger packages
• Custom tubular exhaust manifolds
• Race car and high performance builds
• Builds requiring additional space around the turbocharger and downpipe
• Customers wanting improved oil filter accessibility
• Customers looking to separate engine oil cooling from the factory coolant heat exchanger

Making this system work on a more conventional or mostly OEM vehicle came later and was largely driven by customer requests from owners who wanted the serviceability benefits of the relocated oil filter.

If your main goal is simply easier oil filter access on an otherwise OEM vehicle, please understand that some additional trimming, repositioning, or fabrication work may still be required.

This is not intended to be a completely universal bolt on solution for every possible OEM and aftermarket combination.

Gen 2 Oil Filter Housing Kit Parts and Features:

• CNC Machined Adapter Plate
Replaces the factory oil filter housing interface and redirects oil flow to the remote filtration system.

• Precision Hard Lines with Viton O Rings
Designed specifically for the application to provide reliable sealing and proper oil routing.

• Remote Oil Filter Housing
Relocates the oil filter to a significantly more accessible service position.

• Integrated Oil Temperature / Oil Pressure Sensor Port
The sensor location measures oil temperature and oil pressure before the oil enters the engine, providing valuable information about the actual oil supply being delivered to the engine.

• High Quality Oil Lines
Properly routed and configured as part of the complete relocation system.

• Oil Cooler Integration
The system incorporates an external oil cooler to improve control of engine oil temperature during demanding street and performance use.

• New A/C Line and Fittings
A completely redesigned A/C line routing solution provides additional clearance around the remote oil filter and oil lines while reducing the possibility of the A/C line contacting surrounding components.

The new Oil Filter Housing Relocation Kit addresses several limitations of the factory R56 layout at once.

It improves oil filter accessibility, creates additional space in the engine bay, provides external oil cooling capability, and offers a proper location for monitoring oil pressure and temperature before the oil reaches the engine.

The redesigned A/C line also cleans up the installation and removes one of the packaging compromises of the original system.

Most importantly, the redesigned oil routing layout significantly reduces the possibility of installation mistakes compared with the original system.

Vehicle Fitment and Notes for Installation

We have designed this package around as many real world installation scenarios as possible based on our hands on experience with the R56 platform.

However, because of the number of OEM and aftermarket configurations available, there are some areas where universal fitment cannot be guaranteed.

The few more common areas are the downpipe and OEM heat shields.

Downpipe Fitment

There are many aftermarket downpipe options available for this platform, and their shape, diameter, bracket location, and routing can vary significantly.

Some downpipes may fit with minimal adjustment, while others may require trimming or fabrication work to achieve proper clearance.

The remote oil filter is positioned in the same general area where the lower downpipe mounting bracket is normally located.

Because of this, the lower mounting bracket may need to be trimmed, repositioned, or modified during installation.

We have tested both 2.5 inch and 2.75 inch downpipes and confirmed that they can clear the remote oil filter housing after the mounting brackets were trimmed and moved away from the filter assembly.

Our 3 Inch Downpipe

Our standard 3 inch downpipe does not clear the remote filter housing in its regular configuration.

If you would like to use our 3 inch downpipe with this package, it will be available as an add on option.

We will fabricate the downpipe specifically to provide proper clearance around the Oil Filter Housing Relocation Kit.

Catted Downpipe Fitment

This package does not clear the OEM catted downpipe.

If your application requires a catted downpipe, we can also fabricate our 3 inch downpipe with an appropriate catalytic converter option while maintaining the required clearance for the relocation system.

OEM Lower Heat Shields

This package does not allow the factory lower heat shields to remain in their original configuration.

If you prefer to retain them, it may be possible to trim and modify the heat shields to work around the new layout, depending on your fabrication ability and final exhaust configuration.

On our own installations, we choose to heat wrap the downpipe and use a thermal blanket around the turbocharger and upper downpipe section.

This provides a cleaner installation, simplifies packaging in the area, and makes future service easier to manage.

We understand that some customers may still prefer a dedicated OEM style heat shielding solution specifically designed around this relocation package.

Producing and holding inventory for low volume specialized components like this is costly, so additional product development has to be based on real customer demand.

If you would seriously consider purchasing a dedicated heat shielding package, please send us an inquiry.

Our current estimated target price would be approximately $400 USD.

If we receive interest from 10 or more customers who are prepared to purchase the heat shielding package, we will move forward with designing and fabricating it.

This allows us to prioritize the components that customers actually want while keeping development and inventory practical.

Questions and Answers

Can I run this kit without an oil cooler?

No.

We do not recommend operating this package without an oil cooler.

Engine oil temperatures on these cars already commonly operate in the 105 to 110 Celsius range. Removing the oil cooler would allow the engine oil to reach excessive temperatures even sooner, especially under demanding driving conditions.

Separating the oil cooling system from the factory heat exchanger also helps improve overall engine cooling efficiency by reducing the amount of oil heat being transferred into the engine coolant circuit.

Can I use my own oil cooler if I already have one?

Yes.

If you already have a suitable oil cooler that you would like to use with the package, you can select that option during checkout.

Can I build my own oil lines?

Yes.

If you prefer to fabricate your own oil lines, you can order the package without our oil line set.

Simply make the appropriate selection during checkout.

Can I order the kit without the A/C line if I no longer use A/C in my car?

Yes.

If your vehicle no longer uses the A/C system, you can order the package without the new A/C line.

Simply select the appropriate option during checkout.

Do I still use my turbocharger coolant pump with this kit?

Yes, you can retain the turbocharger coolant pump.

When using the pump with this relocation kit, the coolant pump and associated plumbing will need to be relocated toward the gearbox side of the engine bay.

We offer a dedicated bracket that allows the factory turbocharger coolant pump to be mounted on the gearbox side.

New coolant lines and appropriate clamps will also be required to complete the new routing.

The coolant pump can also be removed on applications where the turbocharger and cooling system configuration allows it. If the pump is removed, additional attention must be given to turbocharger heat management.

After hard driving or high load operation, do not immediately switch the engine off. Allow the engine to idle for at least 2 minutes to help circulate oil and coolant and reduce heat soak in the turbocharger before shutdown.

For applications retaining a water cooled turbocharger, keeping the coolant pump operational remains the preferred configuration whenever practical.

Originally Developed for the R400 Turbo Kit

Since 2018

When we engineered our R400 Turbocharger Package, we needed to create additional space in the engine bay to accommodate the tubular exhaust manifold and 3 inch downpipe.

That challenge led to the development of our Oil Filter Housing Relocation System.

The original relocation kit became an integral part of the R400 Turbo Kit and moved the oil filter away from its factory location into a much more accessible position.

For many years, the kit was primarily available only as part of the complete R400 Turbocharger Package.

Manufacturing these components as a standalone product was costly, and only a limited number of additional kits were occasionally made available separately.

There was also another reason we were hesitant to offer the system as a standalone product: installation complexity.

The oil circuit is obviously critical to engine operation.

Incorrect routing of the oil supply and return lines could result in the engine being started without proper oil flow.

Even though our original installation instructions highlighted the critical routing steps, mistakes could still happen.

Fortunately, the few installation errors we encountered over the years were identified quickly before engine damage occurred.

That experience gave us valuable feedback and directly influenced the development of the new version.

The latest Oil Filter Housing Relocation Kit uses the same proven concept developed for our R400 Turbocharger Package, but the complete system has now been redesigned and refined based on years of customer feedback, installation experience, and after sales technical support.

The layout has been improved to eliminate the possibility of incorrectly routing the engine oil flow direction.

We also repositioned the remote oil filter assembly higher relative to the oil pan, improving ground clearance while maintaining proper hose routing and service accessibility.

This updated package has been installed on our shop car since 2023 as part of our long term testing.

One of the main goals was to monitor the reliability of the complete system over time, with particular attention given to the fittings, oil lines, and O ring sealing points.

The setup has now accumulated approximately 7,000 miles of real world use, with no reported oil leaks or other concerns related to the relocation system.

This long term testing has allowed us to verify the sealing performance and reliability of the updated design before making the package more widely available.

Redesigned A/C Line Routing

Another major update is the A/C line routing.

With the original kit, the factory A/C line had to be carefully bent upward to create enough clearance for the remote oil filter housing.

The factory line also made routing the oil lines more difficult, and if its final position was not checked carefully, it could end up contacting the radiator support.

Over time, that contact could cause the A/C line to rub through and eventually lead to refrigerant loss.

Once the new remote filter position was moved higher for additional ground clearance, the original A/C line routing was no longer ideal.

Instead of continuing to work around the factory line, we redesigned that section completely.

The updated kit now includes a new A/C line and a dedicated set of fittings designed specifically for the new layout.

This moves the A/C line out of the way of the oil system, creates additional working space in the area, reduces the possibility of unwanted contact, and results in a much cleaner overall installation.

Achieving this new layout was not a simple task.

The system combines several tightly packaged components that must work together within the limited space available in the R56 engine bay.

Several components require very tight machining tolerances to ensure proper alignment, sealing, and fitment.

Designed and Manufactured in Canada

The complete system is designed and assembled in Canada using a combination of locally manufactured components and imported parts sourced from the USA and Asia.