KraftWerks Fit High Boost and Intercooler Systems
#42
09-29-2009, 11:05 AM
OJR,
From all that I have researched, read, and looked at, this kit and some of the other work you do with the Sportcar Motion’s Time Attack Civic and the Top Speed RSX. Has left no doubt in my mind this is the best built, most thought out, and reliable way to make power in a Honda besides doing a motor swaps.
But I have a reasonable question I would like to ask you. How long can we expect to use this hi boost kit on a stock Honda Fit engine before we start to see problems or should be looking at upgrading part. I know that this is a very hard question to answer since each person uses kit/car differently. Some are more DD that just want more passing power, others are all out racers, and then there is the mix driver. Mix driver have only one car and it serves as a DD (20-40 mile a day) and the occasional Auto X and/or track day car once or twice a month. What sort of life can be expected on such a tuned motor making close to twice the factory power for a mix driver?
I ask this because I know that Honda Engineers over engineer most of their stuff for reliability. But how long can a stock head & valves, piston rings, or block hold together if it constantly being revved beyond it OEM limits all while seeing boost, without any other modification. I know this kit makes power all the way to the top but due to rotrex spinning faster the faster the engine turns and that make sense. But it seems like a lot for a little engine to take.
Another question has a stock Hi Boosted Fit been to a track day? Or track weekend? And if it has was there ever an issue with overheating? Or anything else for that matter.
I just want to know what I am getting into before I drop $4,500 hard earned dollars in a supercharger kit.
From all that I have researched, read, and looked at, this kit and some of the other work you do with the Sportcar Motion’s Time Attack Civic and the Top Speed RSX. Has left no doubt in my mind this is the best built, most thought out, and reliable way to make power in a Honda besides doing a motor swaps.
But I have a reasonable question I would like to ask you. How long can we expect to use this hi boost kit on a stock Honda Fit engine before we start to see problems or should be looking at upgrading part. I know that this is a very hard question to answer since each person uses kit/car differently. Some are more DD that just want more passing power, others are all out racers, and then there is the mix driver. Mix driver have only one car and it serves as a DD (20-40 mile a day) and the occasional Auto X and/or track day car once or twice a month. What sort of life can be expected on such a tuned motor making close to twice the factory power for a mix driver?
I ask this because I know that Honda Engineers over engineer most of their stuff for reliability. But how long can a stock head & valves, piston rings, or block hold together if it constantly being revved beyond it OEM limits all while seeing boost, without any other modification. I know this kit makes power all the way to the top but due to rotrex spinning faster the faster the engine turns and that make sense. But it seems like a lot for a little engine to take.
Another question has a stock Hi Boosted Fit been to a track day? Or track weekend? And if it has was there ever an issue with overheating? Or anything else for that matter.
I just want to know what I am getting into before I drop $4,500 hard earned dollars in a supercharger kit.
#43
10-01-2009, 01:26 AM
Ive been boosted for 2 1/2 years on the KW kit. My car has 47k on it... and they are ALL HARD MILES. I have not had 1 engine or transmission problem. I dont daily my car anymore... but everytime it gets driven its driven HARD.
#44
10-01-2009, 07:29 AM
My KWSC was installed at 76,500 miles on the odometer in December of 2008 and as of this posting I'm at over 94,000 miles. My car is daily driven approx. 120 miles a day round trip commuting from Long Island to New York City. I get to experience everything from wide open streets to epic traffic jams and everything in between. I've also gone thru winter as well as summer temperature extremes without the recently offered intercooler kit (yes, I am ordering the IC kit) My 2007 AT has had ZERO problems to speak of.
I'm not even close to being considered a "hyper-miler" either, I pound the hell out of my car every chance I get.
I'm not even close to being considered a "hyper-miler" either, I pound the hell out of my car every chance I get.
Last edited by Wave; 10-01-2009 at 07:48 AM.
#45
10-01-2009, 09:46 AM
JDMChris - Have you ever taken your car to a race event? Track day? basically non-stop high rpm revving for 30mins chunks at a time? I have seen N/A Fit's with oil temps way up in the 225*F range after 20mins of track time... How would a boosted one hold up without an oil cooler?
Wave - You are still on the low boost kit right? Have you ever been to a race track? Do you have a way to measure your water temp. or oil temp diffrences, hot day to cold day; highway driving vs. NYC traffic?
Wave - You are still on the low boost kit right? Have you ever been to a race track? Do you have a way to measure your water temp. or oil temp diffrences, hot day to cold day; highway driving vs. NYC traffic?
#46
10-01-2009, 10:07 AM
JDMChris - Have you ever taken your car to a race event? Track day? basically non-stop high rpm revving for 30mins chunks at a time? I have seen N/A Fit's with oil temps way up in the 225*F range after 20mins of track time... How would a boosted one hold up without an oil cooler?
Wave - You are still on the low boost kit right? Have you ever been to a race track? Do you have a way to measure your water temp. or oil temp diffrences, hot day to cold day; highway driving vs. NYC traffic?
Wave - You are still on the low boost kit right? Have you ever been to a race track? Do you have a way to measure your water temp. or oil temp diffrences, hot day to cold day; highway driving vs. NYC traffic?
Race track? No unless you consider the super aggressive driving style of most NY area drivers "racetrack".
I do find myself trying to lead the pack however when it comes to driving around town...I hate following behind others.
Don't have gauges that measure water or oil temps. The only thing I added extra was an automatic transmission cooler. Like everyone else on hot, humid days the car is going to run sluggish and when it's cooler outside the care is going to feel better.
Last edited by Wave; 10-01-2009 at 10:09 AM.
#48
10-01-2009, 06:17 PM
FitFlowjoe,
Some of this has been discussed before and a lot of it is easier to explain via phone conversation.
You said it yourself, it is impossible for me to give you a definitive answer on longevity. The biggest variables we have are the drivers and vehicle maintenance. We have customers bringing in their cars with no oil in them, and if there is oil, it was changed 10,000+ miles ago! Keeping up with your vehicle maintenance is very important to engine longevity and engine performance. Cars that are maintained properly do not have issues with our supercharger systems. We have Miata owners with well over 150,000+ supercharged miles on their engines, and they still run strong and track the cars.
You are correct about oil temperatures. The Fit (stock or boosted) oil temps start to creep up with extreme abuse. A high-quality synthetic oil will be able to take the abuse and is fine for daily use and Auto-X. We have heavily tracked and abused our cars without an engine oil cooler, and they have ran very well. We have used Torco synthetic oil (10w30) in our cars and changed the oil at regular intervals. For customers interested in 30+minute track sessions and maximum protection, it wouldn't hurt to put an engine oil cooler on your car... even stock Fits. It is just an added piece of protection. But an oil cooler is not required with our supercharger kits. If it was, it would be included.
So, I am going to leak some information. We have developed a Fit Engine Oil Cooler system, and it will be available shortly. We saw a need for an oil cooler on the track Fits, and developed a bracket system, full AN fittings, high-quality oil hose etc. I will let FF.net know more on its development when available.
-OJR
Some of this has been discussed before and a lot of it is easier to explain via phone conversation.
You said it yourself, it is impossible for me to give you a definitive answer on longevity. The biggest variables we have are the drivers and vehicle maintenance. We have customers bringing in their cars with no oil in them, and if there is oil, it was changed 10,000+ miles ago! Keeping up with your vehicle maintenance is very important to engine longevity and engine performance. Cars that are maintained properly do not have issues with our supercharger systems. We have Miata owners with well over 150,000+ supercharged miles on their engines, and they still run strong and track the cars.
You are correct about oil temperatures. The Fit (stock or boosted) oil temps start to creep up with extreme abuse. A high-quality synthetic oil will be able to take the abuse and is fine for daily use and Auto-X. We have heavily tracked and abused our cars without an engine oil cooler, and they have ran very well. We have used Torco synthetic oil (10w30) in our cars and changed the oil at regular intervals. For customers interested in 30+minute track sessions and maximum protection, it wouldn't hurt to put an engine oil cooler on your car... even stock Fits. It is just an added piece of protection. But an oil cooler is not required with our supercharger kits. If it was, it would be included.
So, I am going to leak some information. We have developed a Fit Engine Oil Cooler system, and it will be available shortly. We saw a need for an oil cooler on the track Fits, and developed a bracket system, full AN fittings, high-quality oil hose etc. I will let FF.net know more on its development when available.
-OJR
Last edited by OJRKraftWerks; 10-01-2009 at 06:23 PM.
#49
10-02-2009, 11:28 AM
OJR,
As always professional answer, to a professional question!! Appreciate it!!
Now to break the piggy bank
As always professional answer, to a professional question!! Appreciate it!!
Now to break the piggy bank
#52
10-11-2009, 07:10 AM
My TMIC kit shipped from KW on Friday 10/9/09
#55
10-12-2009, 09:46 AM
I picked mine up from the Oscars on Friday, so I'll be shipping my ecu out on Tuesday probably. I'll give you guys the heads up on the high boost upgrade. Everything looks great so far, I'll be doing the spark plugs as well.
#57
10-18-2009, 06:34 PM
Got my ecu back within 2 days of sending out. Impressions:
Install
Install was very easy and straight foward, the cowl piece only required the cover to be popped off. Intercooler installation was very easy, although the factory battery is extremely close to the intercooler, which the instructions advise to switch to the braille racing battery (good idea if you bought your car in 06 and will soon be needing a battery anyways). If you bought the original supercharger kit when it originally came out I would recommend buying some more rotrex fluid, rather than pouring it out the reservoir and refilling it with the old fluid, when you relocate the reservoir.
Drive
The pull on the car is great now. The best way to explain it is that it is exactly like the original kit with the 10lb pulley up to 4k rpm and continues pulling like that all the way to 7k rpm now. You will definitely need a LSD at this point since my car spins all of 1st gear now with a rolling acceleration. The rest of the gears feel great, with 5th gear acceleration on the freeway being the highlight for me. Only downside to me is the stutter, I'm getting when accelerating from low RPMS. It almost feels like a slight hesitation, but this only occurs when I'm accelerating from 2k rpm.
Rating
1/2 of 5 x
It's a must have for all owners of the kit, for the extra cash you're looking at a good increase in power. The power is much more linear and you regain the use of your entire rpm range, which is lost with the update. At first you will think that your gains are minimal until you clear the 4k mark. Low rpm stutter occurs only rarely and immediately gos away. Kit cleans up the install by removing the old fuel management components, with the intercooler and cowl adding a bit of aggressivness while retaining the stock look on the outside. Well thought out kit, with definite polish. I highly recommend getting a braille battery to protect your intercooler from rubbing damage.
Thanks,
Tom
Install
Install was very easy and straight foward, the cowl piece only required the cover to be popped off. Intercooler installation was very easy, although the factory battery is extremely close to the intercooler, which the instructions advise to switch to the braille racing battery (good idea if you bought your car in 06 and will soon be needing a battery anyways). If you bought the original supercharger kit when it originally came out I would recommend buying some more rotrex fluid, rather than pouring it out the reservoir and refilling it with the old fluid, when you relocate the reservoir.
Drive
The pull on the car is great now. The best way to explain it is that it is exactly like the original kit with the 10lb pulley up to 4k rpm and continues pulling like that all the way to 7k rpm now. You will definitely need a LSD at this point since my car spins all of 1st gear now with a rolling acceleration. The rest of the gears feel great, with 5th gear acceleration on the freeway being the highlight for me. Only downside to me is the stutter, I'm getting when accelerating from low RPMS. It almost feels like a slight hesitation, but this only occurs when I'm accelerating from 2k rpm.
Rating
1/2 of 5 x It's a must have for all owners of the kit, for the extra cash you're looking at a good increase in power. The power is much more linear and you regain the use of your entire rpm range, which is lost with the update. At first you will think that your gains are minimal until you clear the 4k mark. Low rpm stutter occurs only rarely and immediately gos away. Kit cleans up the install by removing the old fuel management components, with the intercooler and cowl adding a bit of aggressivness while retaining the stock look on the outside. Well thought out kit, with definite polish. I highly recommend getting a braille battery to protect your intercooler from rubbing damage.
Thanks,
Tom
#59
10-19-2009, 07:25 PM
i have about 1/2 inch clearance between the IC and my battery. All you have to do is remove the plastic cover around the battery.
#60
10-19-2009, 11:13 PM
Yeah the instructions say to do that, but I still have very little clearance even without the batter cover on. I can't really push the intercooler in any more either, since the flange is nearly pressed up against the throttle body already.