Has anybody used this supercharger? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Kirk · 09-08-2009, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JFP in PA

Let’s see: You are going to use a supercharger on an engine with 11:1 compression ratio…………..yeah, that will be spectacular, but only very briefly……….

I don't know, I'm beginning to change my personal opinion on this one. It seems that our engines can take mild amounts of boost (6 psi) without too much trouble. Granted this is with proper tuning though. The eBay kit discussed here doesn't include any form of tuning (except maybe fuel pressure regulation).

Last night I was checking out some threads on superchargers on 6speedonline for the 996. There are lots of guys who've been running the VF Engineering supercharger on their 3.6L cars for 20,000 miles or more with no problems except an occasional CEL. There's even a dedicated thread to them logging their experiences and dyno results. I was pretty impressed. As the 3.2L on the Boxster S is just an underbore version of the 3.6L, with thicker cylinder walls, it should hold up to 6 psi even better.... I'm just not sure that what is currently offered for the Box is setup and tuned as well as the VF Engineering option is for the 996/997.

Kirk

Cloudsurfer · 09-09-2009, 06:59 AM

We've been rolling this idea around lately. I'd like to see a properly executed twin turbo setup on one of these cars, however, that really means lowering the compression in the engine so that you can run some meaningful boost. I'd really like to see this done on an LN sleeved block, with uprated connecting rods so that we can be very confident it won't blow up. Can you probably get by on a 3.2, since it does have the thickest sleeve thickness? Probably, but I'm still not sure I'd want to push that. Either way, you're going to need lower compression pistons to do it right, and if the motor is apart, I'd just as soon sleeve it with LN sleeves.

Next comes the topic of where to put the intercooler. I'm sorry, but I don't buy the idea of removing the chassis bracing plate and putting the intercooler there with the core lined up vertically so that it's only relying on convection cooling as there really isn't any air being moved through the core, plus the fact that you simply can't fit a very large core there and the loss of structural integrity by removing that plate.

We've got a set of 2.7 case halves laying around that need to be sleeved (suffered sleeve failure), in which case it will become a 2.9, and we're debating having JE make up 8.5-9.0 pistons for it. If things go this way, the car will get a pair of turbos, and either air/water intercoolers or a giant air/air unit mounted where the rear trunk used to be.

We'll see what fun the future may hold

dirtyg · 09-09-2009, 10:03 AM

the twin turbo sounds interesting to bad it cant be doen easily while maintaining factory aesthetics, or can it be done

blinkwatt · 09-09-2009, 10:25 AM

I know 4 people who put superchargers on their 2.5L.....3 blew the engine. The 4th was the dude who used to post here Gary_in_BR or under some idea similar to that. He eventually ditched his supercharger for a Turbo set up.

Cloudsurfer · 09-09-2009, 12:03 PM

If we go for air/water intercoolers, I think maintaining factory aesthetics could certainly be done. If we go air/air, the only place to get a large enough core with enough airflow is to take over the rear trunk.

Brucelee · 09-09-2009, 01:04 PM

I was laughing at the Ad, not the question.

Having said that, these engines have enough issues without adding to their plight, IMHO.

However, I would LOVE to have someone buy and install this just to see if I am wrong.

2K3_Boxster_S · 10-31-2009, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cloudsurfer

If we go for air/water intercoolers, I think maintaining factory aesthetics could certainly be done. If we go air/air, the only place to get a large enough core with enough airflow is to take over the rear trunk.

I had an MR2 at one time and the engine compartment and trunk are very close if I remember correctly. anyways I would love to see this, and it has been done on the MR2. I'll just throw this idea out there. Rear mounted, Vent the boxster's rear trunk lid, maybe some scoops, push pull fan mounted to intercooler. This is not my car. Somebody do this. Just not me, mines to pretty.

do it

Kirk · 11-02-2009, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2K3_Boxster_S

Rear mounted, Vent the boxster's rear trunk lid, maybe some scoops, push pull fan mounted to intercooler. This is not my car. Somebody do this. Just not me, mines to pretty.

Yup, that would be the way to go... Put a forward facing scoop on the trunk lid and vent the IC out the bottom. Like you though I don't really have the ambition to do that on my personal car. I love it too much the way it is. But if the engine blows someday, maybe...

There was a guy in Canada on here who was doing a trunk mounted dual IC setup for his turbo Boxster. I'm not sure what he was doing for venting though, it wasn't like this (more ideal) setup.

Kirk · 09-10-2009, 10:41 PM

Good input Patrick. I concur on the intercooler issue. I would see maybe putting a big air to air unit in the rear trunk and making a fiberglass trunk lid with scoop to channel air into it. You could work out some exit flow under the car. My Gemballa rear bumper is actually setup for this pretty nicely with a mesh opening in the middle.

Most of the companies doing this kind of thing right now use an air/water intercooler though, such as TPC with their Carrera and Cayman kits and VF Engineering with their Carrera kit. They both use an OEM GT3 front center radiator (about $500), which would create problems on the Boxster S I guess. Again though, you could always fit the radiator in the rear trunk with venting.

Gary in BR has his intercooler under the car and I just don't care for that location. It may work, but it's certainly not optimized....

The best way to go would be a Raby rebuild to low compression and then turbo charge the crap out of it. But I bet you'd be looking at a total spend of $13K or so for Raby and $7K or so for a turbo kit. Pretty pricey.

Kirk

Cloudsurfer · 09-11-2009, 06:16 AM

Completely agree with you, Kirk. If this happens, it'll be an LN based engine (we're a dealer for LN as well) with probably 9 to 9.5:1 pistons. We've got a guy who is interested in doing this on his car, so that just might be the test car

mts · 09-11-2009, 08:07 AM

It might not be a bad idea for the OP to read this:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question122.htm

Topless · 09-11-2009, 10:40 AM

I am a fan of forced induction...just not really on these cars. It certainly can be done but I think the cost/risk outweighs the benefit. The only SC car I know that is still running is forum member pk2. It is a TPC on a 2.5l motor. I have not talked to pk for a while but if I recall he had to get pretty creative regarding installation and tuning. Last I heard he was not satisfied with his DME tune and was running/mixing 100 octane racing fuel to avoid detonation. This may have been solved by now.

An ideal FI platform would be a stout engine block with forged 8/1 pistons, billet crank and rods, a nice big fat intercooler, plenty of room for all the necessary plumbing, and a race developed ECU that allows easy trackside tuning for Ign timing, A/F ratio, boost etc. The Boxster has none of the above. To get the car to this level might cost $30K+. Penske or Farnbacher have those kind of funds to play with but I don't. I would rather just buy a nice GT3 and go racing.

Kirk · 09-11-2009, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Topless

I am a fan of forced induction...just not really on these cars.

I think you can do it, I just think the quality of the tuning and parts in the kits that have been available have been sub-par. On the 996 side VF Engineering has sold over 500 of their supercharger kits that run a mild 6 psi. People are tickled with them and they seem very reliable. But VF does it right. They supply larger fuel injectors and have the ECU reflashed with a custom GIAC tune. I think that's the real key here is that they had an industry pro like GIAC tune the thing.

TPC used a 7th injector and a Uni-chip piggy back ECU for their 996 supercharger kit and now they've followed suit and switched to using larger fuel injectors and a custom ECU reflash like VF.

Based on what I've read the IA and TPC installs were crap and yes tuning was an issue too. Just look up Gary in BR's dyno chart comparing his IA setup to his TurboWerx setup. The IA supercharger was making almost nothing over stock!!!

It looks like TurboWerx might have things right with the current Boxster S turbo kit they sell - low pressure (like 5.5 to 6 psi) turbo with larger injectors and a custom ECU reflash. If their tuning is good (and that's a big IF) that should be good for a reliable 100 HP, which is what they claim. If the 996 and VF Engineering guys can do it reliably with the 3.4 and 3.6L engines, then we should be able to do the same, if not more, with the 3.2L which is theoretically stronger!

Kirk

Cloudsurfer · 09-11-2009, 08:12 PM

IA is no longer in business....

Kirk · 09-11-2009, 10:51 AM

Am I correct that the Turbo Werx/Turbo Kraft turbo kit for the 3.2L is the only kit on the market right now for the Boxster?

I think the TPC supercharger kit is long defunct.

I think the Imagine Auto supercharger kit is also gone, I can't even really find their website now.

It looks like the Turbo Werx 2.5 twin turbo kit (which is what I think Gary in BR is running) is also gone.

Forgetting about this eBay garbage, which really isn't even a complete kit, are there actually any other turbo or supercharger options out there now besides the Turbo Werx Boxster S kit?

Kirk

blackboxster14 · 10-28-2009, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kirk

Am I correct that the Turbo Werx/Turbo Kraft turbo kit for the 3.2L is the only kit on the market right now for the Boxster?

I think the TPC supercharger kit is long defunct.

I think the Imagine Auto supercharger kit is also gone, I can't even really find their website now.

It looks like the Turbo Werx 2.5 twin turbo kit (which is what I think Gary in BR is running) is also gone.

Forgetting about this eBay garbage, which really isn't even a complete kit, are there actually any other turbo or supercharger options out there now besides the Turbo Werx Boxster S kit?

Kirk

I just talked to TPC who only has a single turbo setup at present that seems to put out good numbers. They do not make the supercharger kit any longer.