Questions for you guys with superchargers?

[mikes_box]

Thinking of supercharging my 97 boxster but would like to know what those who have done it think about it... I've been asking mechanics locally about it and they say i shouldn't do it... Says it will mess up the car but I wouldn't mind adding some umph to the car. Did any of you guys do the install yourselves? I know its a straight bolt on kit but don't know if I can handle the install... my car only has 45k miles on it and i'm worried that putting a supercharger in it would decrease its life span... any help is appreciated... thanks in advance...

[Topless]

Mike,

I know of no one that has logged 20k miles on a supercharged Boxster to date. All of the cars I know that were supercharged were quickly sold, SC removed, or they quickly killed their motor. Most said it wasn't what they were looking for. Not to say that it can't be done successfully, it just hasn't been. The time tested, bulletproof hp upgrade for your car is to swap your motor for a 996 3.4L. 300hp, 280tq with no issues. Not cheap though.

[boostiality]

Although not a supercharged car, Gary in BR has an example of doing something right with his car. His car alone has 150,000 miles and has been both supercharged and then turbocharged. It looks like he might have had some issues initially with the supercharger but I haven't found any complaints that he's posted on the forums about the twin turbo set up. I'm pretty sure with 150,000 miles, his car would be a good example of a car thats used daily and see's boost on a regular basis.

Joe

[Topless]

Although not a supercharged car, Gary in BR has an example of doing something right with his car. His car alone has 150,000 miles and has been both supercharged and then turbocharged. It looks like he might have had some issues initially with the supercharger but I haven't found any complaints that he's posted on the forums about the twin turbo set up. I'm pretty sure with 150,000 miles, his car would be a good example of a car thats used daily and see's boost on a regular basis.

Joe

Yes Gary's car is a very good example... in fact it is the only example I know of a streetable FI Boxster that has logged so many miles. And he is still tweaking it. There are a few others from Ruf and Gemballa that have entire race/tuning teams to insure everything is running right. They are also running racing fuel at $8/gal. Of the scores of owners who have tried it and then gone a different way most said detonation problems were overwhelming when running 91 oct pump gas in Calif.

Again...It's not that it can't be done. It just sounds like making HP the hard way on these cars. Ask Gary. If his car was stolen and he was starting over, would he do another 2.5 FI and repeat his steps, or just drop in a 996 motor that is reliable, powerful, and smog legal.

Edited February 21, 2008 by Topless

[boostiality]

Although not a supercharged car, Gary in BR ...

Joe

Yes Gary's car is a very good example... in fact it is the only example I know of a streetable FI Boxster that has logged so many miles. And he is still tweaking it. There are a few others from Ruf and Gemballa that have entire race/tuning teams to insure everything is running right. If his car was stolen and he was starting over, would he do another 2.5 FI and repeat his steps, or just drop in a 996 motor that is reliable, powerful, and smog legal...

Your absolutely correct about all that. Unfortunately the few of us who are modifying the cars this way got to pay the hard and usually expensive way to feed our habit. However this is just a normal curve that all new cars must face, especially ones that already have a stigma of being complex and expensive by the general public and including most owners.

The one recurring thing that I've noticed through my limited research with FI boxster owners is that most rely on the tuners to do all the leg work without monitoring much themselves. Putting this much blind faith on a 2nd party is something that other car cultures out there simply don't do due to the inherent possibilities of what if. At the very least, things like a wideband sensor and EGT are needed which just isn't happening with most owners. The whole "set it and forget it" routine obviously isn't working with that many unhappy or bewildered owners of most of the FI cars, which isn't fair considering their expense...

One can totally understand why Gary or anyone else that for that matter would rather go with the tried and true 996 engine transplant if $$ or mechanical ability was something so readily available to them, which as of now I would recommend as well however it looks like BoostWerx system seems to have gotten it right. If there were any noticeable differences between the off the shelf supercharger and turbocharger kits available to our cars is that the only the turbocharger kit has an intercooler where as the supercharger doesn't. Also one company provides a tune with injectors where as the other company comes with a tune but utilizes stock ones. The problem as I see it is that our cars are not starved of fuel with stock injectors, they are merely getting insufficient octane and the non intercooled charge air isn't necessairly agreeing with our 11.0 + compression ratio. Also take note that the most widely distributed supercharger kit (evo) for the 996's uses an intercooler.

All this info gathering has led me to where I am right now with my own DIY soon to be single turbocharged boxster. Although I wont be able to tune ignition timing or change injector size, I will have the ability to use methanol injection which in itself is going to be close to 20% of total fuel during WOT ALONG with being intercooled as well.

Cheers!

Joe

[pk2]

Thinking of supercharging my 97 boxster but would like to know what those who have done it think about it... I've been asking mechanics locally about it and they say i shouldn't do it... Says it will mess up the car but I wouldn't mind adding some umph to the car. Did any of you guys do the install yourselves? I know its a straight bolt on kit but don't know if I can handle the install... my car only has 45k miles on it and i'm worried that putting a supercharger in it would decrease its life span... any help is appreciated... thanks in advance...

I put mine in. Took quite a bit of grit. Knowing what I know now though, It wouldn't be that daunting at all to do it again.

As far as messing up the car, how so. Yes people blow them up. As far as I know the weak link is the top end. If you wind up with detonation (heat, low octane gas, run it lean, over boost it, etc) you can Kiss it goodbye. The bottom end shouldn't really be a problem. It is going to wear out sooner, but hp cost miles.

If messing up the means damaging the car due to installation, you can pull it right out and return to stock, no one will be the wiser. I don't recall any permanent mods. THe kits themselves are a bit klugy , not altogether engineered from a installation stand point.

Overall the cars lots of fun, has a strange torque curve that takes getting used to (first car I've 360'd without even trying). It does feel sort fragile but thats in the drivers head (but may be justifiable).

I'm laying the ground work for upping the horsepower. Don't try without the right infrastructure.

Regards, PK

[pk2]

Yes Gary's car is a very good example... in fact it is the only example I know of a streetable FI Boxster that has logged so many miles. And he is still tweaking it. There are a few others from Ruf and Gemballa that have entire race/tuning teams to insure everything is running right. They are also running racing fuel at $8/gal. Of the scores of owners who have tried it and then gone a different way most said detonation problems were overwhelming when running 91 oct pump gas in Calif.

Again...It's not that it can't be done. It just sounds like making HP the hard way on these cars. Ask Gary. If his car was stolen and he was starting over, would he do another 2.5 FI and repeat his steps, or just drop in a 996 motor that is reliable, powerful, and smog legal.

Hey Topless,

With all do respect (and I mean it) I run mine with a 4.5 boost with a 91/100 oct. mix. About 4 to one ratio respectively for 93 octane, no detonation. I'm in the process of adding a custom, precision mappable meth/h20 injection setup. I don't anticipate anymore detonation worries.

That Combined with a an .2 reduction in the sc pulley diameter and some other tricks up my sleeve, should get me close to the 300hp neighborhood.

So the beauty of it is that if you play your cards right, it can be an 'elluva lot of HP for the buck, especially when you compare it to what people pay for a shiny exhaust system with negligible performance gains.

Would I do again, ya but BTDT. I'd probably find a cheap worn 3.6L, rebuild it from the inside out to my liking and do a transplant.

Regards,

PK

P.S. A tech/engineer from Aquamist U.K. is walking me through it (WI)...and actually building me “one of” electronic components...for nothing...and I'm not even using Aquamist components)

[Topless]

Peter,

I do think you are on the right path. Higher octane and meth injection should control detonation and allow you to make the most out of your FI 2.5L. Once you get her dialed in it's time to take her out to Willow and see what she's got. B)

[pk2]

Peter,

I do think you are on the right path. Higher octane and meth injection should control detonation and allow you to make the most out of your FI 2.5L. Once you get her dialed in it's time to take her out to Willow and see what she's got. B)

Hey B,

Thanks for the nod. I don't think the motors really being stressed at 50 hp per cylinder. In my opinion, if the top end is cool, and it still blows apart; it would have anyway sooner or rather than later (and 99's do...or don't, by 50k... I'm at 30k... little hairy).

Most horror stories seem to come from people romping around on 91 Oct....what can you really expect dumping hot, pressurized air into a motor with 11:1 comp. Ratio. I'm sure some blow as a result of the SC but plenty stock motors blow young to.

Willow will be a true test indeed...for my nerves to. I'm actually most concerned about the little Eaton super. It'll be spinning past it's red-line by about 12% (not unheard of) at the cars red-line. There not terribly expensive to rebuild or replace, I just hate it when things go crunch while I'm clinging to an edge... makes my back teeth hurt.

Regards, PK