Superchargers ?

KIJIMA · Postby **KIJIMA** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 10:39 am

Okay, its stupid question time.

Since there has been alot of talk about superchargers recently, after reading the thread about fitting one to an NB and with FFS becoming a club sponsor, thus increasing my curiosity I have been giving a supercharger some thought, but I do have questions and would love some reveiws of what the finished product (not nescesarily FFS supercharger) is like to drive from people with experience. So here come the stupid questions.

1. What bits am I going to need? other than the kit itself? ie Diff? etc... Im a little bit dubious thinking that the standard diff will cope with the extra torque.

2. The gains in power and torque suggest approx 40% is that realistic?

3. How does fitting a supercharger transform the driving of the car?

4. And finally the all important question, how large a hole will it leave in my pocket.

Benny · Postby **Benny** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 12:02 pm

1. All sorts of things. You'll find out right in the middle of the installation, which will occur around midnight making it impossible to get them so you can drive to work.

2. It's possible.

3.You'll have scraped knuckles and sore fingers, so it will make driving it more painful and difficult.

4. No holes, but plenty of vacuum.

:mrgreen:

Garry · Postby **Garry** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 12:20 pm

From my experience with around 140rwkw.

The diff itself will be strong enough. You may want to change to an LSD diff for added goodness though. :mrgreen:

I still have the original open diff on my car and with grippy tyres and sorted suspension for 98% of the time I dont feel the need for an LSD. There's those few times one would have come in handy though.

You may want to think about upgrading your clutch if you are hard on clutches, though the last version of the stock NB clutch is working fine for me.

StanTheMan · Postby **StanTheMan** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 12:33 pm

Its kind of opening a can of worms......

look at the money pit. Perfect example of someone who is sensible doing forced induction. It doesn't stop at just bolting on a Turbo or a Supercharger.
As you develop the car you realise.....geesus...I really need this or that.
when a $2000 project......turns into a $10K project.
(figure of speech.)

You want it done properly.....start upgrading everything else as well.

just for the record every MX5 should have an LSD. :mrgreen:

N/A or forced.

Craig · Postby **Craig** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 12:35 pm

Buy a Titanium SE...easy upgrades and a much better colour than Cellery! :mrgreen:

KIJIMA · Postby **KIJIMA** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 12:35 pm

I got the clutch done after the usual NB clutch shudder under warrnanty about 18mths ago. :mrgreen:

Pretty normal stuff for an NB there, anyways I did have another question and that is:

5. In case of selling my car to update when/if an MPS NC comes out, and I want to remove the s'charger is it just as easy to remove as I am led to believe?

KIJIMA · Postby **KIJIMA** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 1:10 pm

Warpspeed wrote:Fitting a supercharger, what type, how high a boost, and is it going to be intercooled ?

How much ? that depends on all of the above, and how much of it you can do yourself, including some serious changes to engine management and tuning.

What will the results be like ? That depends on what is actually done, and how well the whole thing is set up and tuned.

Will it be reliable, that depends on the engineering, design and workmanship of the whole system.

Will it effect fuel economy ? Perhaps, perhaps a lot, depending on the tuning and how you drive.

It is a completely open ended question without a helpful answer being really possible, unfortunately.

As to removing it, yes anything is possible, including removing any brake, exhaust and clutch upgrade. Provided you have not irreversibly modified any of the original parts to fit the supercharger. Any holes in the bodywork for intercooler pipework may be difficult to repair.

No offence tony, but I didnt want more questions but rather some comments from people that have had some experience, owning, driving or installing a s'charger to their MX-5. I havnt set a budget yet, as to coolling, Im not sure if I go down the path of interwarmer or not. Budget isnt even decided yet, maybe around 5K if possible. (thats what I was thinking anyways, but I could be very much mistaken.) I dont want to sound ungrateful for what your saying, as it does make ome sense for sure, its just that its not helping me in any way. Cheers.

KIJIMA · Postby **KIJIMA** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 2:02 pm

Warpspeed wrote:I cannot tell you exactly what a supercharger will cost, or what the results will be.

My own personal experience with forced induction goes back over thirty five years. I have owned two straight supercharged cars, one car that had both a supercharger and a turbocharger fitted. And numerous turbo vehicles. I do all my own fabrication and tuning at home, even cast my own metal parts in a home foundry, and have never paid anyone to work on any of my cars. I also have an airflow bench, and am currently negotiating to buy an eddy current chassis dyno.

I don't know if that qualifies as experience or not. Sorry if I have wasted your time.

Tony its fairly clear you have a huge amount of experience, whereas I struggle with a techincal set from lego. I guess my questions were as to a rough guide as to what to expect in the driving, fitting and very rough costing of fitting a supercharger to my MX-5. Is the power linear as compared to a turbo (this is what I would expect as I have dríven a few factory supercharged cars previously) which can be laggy depending on set up. Will I find it quick compared to a NA MX-5? Will a budget of 5k get me into entry level supercharging without geting to serious?

KIJIMA · Postby **KIJIMA** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 2:40 pm

Sounds Great Chris, please keep me up to date, love to see the finsished product. If you get over to Melbourne after the fitment, I would love to catch up and have a looskie. This sort of thing sounds more like what Im after. What model MX do you have btw?

Craig · Postby **Craig** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 2:49 pm

Chris P wrote:Why the best the model in the world - the 2002 Titanium edition - its just like yours except (I'll leave Craig to fill in the rest). Mechanically our cars are identical.

la la laaaaaa...

KIJIMA · Postby **KIJIMA** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 2:52 pm

Chris P wrote:
KIJIMA wrote:Sounds Great Chris, please keep me up to date, love to see the finsished product. If you get over to Melbourne after the fitment, I would love to catch up and have a looskie. This sort of thing sounds more like what Im after. What model MX do you have btw?

Why the best the model in the world - the 2002 Titanium edition - its just like yours except (I'll leave Craig to fill in the rest). Mechanically our cars are identical.

Hrmz, So you will have the 2nd (that I know of) Titanium edition with a s'charger! Dunno about celeries, dont 'think' anyone has done one yet. The Titanium that I saw was at the MX-5 factory about 18mths ago getting a complete ground up rebuild and it was costing plenty so I was told.

Craig · Postby **Craig** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 2:55 pm

As a side thought wouldn't the Classic being an 2003 be a NB30P3 versus the Titaniums NB30P2? :?:

Not sure if there's much difference or not though, or is the Classic still a P2?

KIJIMA · Postby **KIJIMA** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 3:21 pm

Craig wrote:As a side thought wouldn't the Classic being an 2003 be a NB30P3 versus the Titaniums NB30P2?

Not sure if there's much difference or not though, or is the Classic still a P2?

Same car Craig, just different colors pretty much. Classic edition isnt a NB8c by definition, as C's had the rear speakers built into the wind deflector, aswell as some other minor changes.