anyone done this? thinking about biting the bullet by doing this - gives around 485hp. how much reliabilty am i sacrificing for the sake of speed? any feedback would be greatly appreciated. thanks.

 

Evo sadi in mag that they prefer to supercharge only the base 997 engine...they have more experience with it compared to the S engine i guess.....

I will do mine at end of warranty, cheaper than getting a new one and will be fast as hell.

 

NITEALB

check ou this link to vf-engineering they are the guys who make the supercharger for evo. follow links to 997 supecharger page. at the bottom of the page there is a link to the article in excellence mag. with the s they use less boost than with 997 hence both cars give out same power.

 

Question to be asked, do you need all of that power?

Answer, Of Course!

 

th link http://www.vf-engineering.com/

 

thanks doc2! will update after i make the final decision.

 

Ruf offers a kit and appear to warranty it. http://www.rufautocentre.com/conversions/997.asp

 

The Evo supercharged 997's are very fast, and very reliable. I have done a few of them now and the performance is mindblowing. The Ruf kit is great as well and the warranty is a huge selling point, but the price reflects that warranty. Either way you cant go wrong!

 

I think the jury is still out on sc's.
CEL's are a major problem, except Ruf apparently.
Your warranty is history.
Reliabilty is unproven in my eyes. There is only so much a high compression engine with cast pistons can take without a major bottom end upgrade, hotrodding 101.
The kits are waaaay overpriced, the same style kit for a mustang is 2500$, 12k for a porsche? They claim RD costs, yet these kits have been around for a while now and they still seem to get CELs, time for more RD?
No CARB approval in California, at least for Evo, not sure about the others.
The kits cost ~12K, no warranty, plus ~20hrs install@100/hr, the Ruf is 20K with an engine warranty, that's the only way to go if you're gonna do it IMO. Probably better to wait and see how it all pans out.

 

CEL's - don't wanna sound like a complete clown but i've no idea wot that is???

 

I don't understand the need for a supercharger in a n/a Porsche. You bought a Porsche because of its naturally aspirated characteristics: linear power delivery, gradual rise in power up until redline. If you want more power and a forced-induction monster, get a turbo - Porsche builds great turbo cars.

And if you go to the track, the supercharger's heat soak characteristics become a liability. I've seen supercharged Mustangs go fast for two laps, then gradually get slower and slower as heat builds up. There's a guy who shows up to Sebring sometimes with a supercharged 996, and nobody familiar with the car has positive things to say about it.

It just seems antithetical to supercharge an already-excellent naturally aspirated motor. We aren't talking about a domestic 5.4 liter V8 which responds well to light boost, we're talking about a purpose-built, specialized flat-six built by a company that knows how to build excellent motors.

 

Heatsoak of the actual SC unit or heat soak of the engine itself, as in too high intake air temp and actual engine?

 

nkhaladi, you make a valid point. No one NEEDS a supercharger in a Porsche, but what we want can be a far different story. As is indicated by your EVO modified TT. That being said, if you look at the characteristics of say an EVO or RUF supercharger, their decision to use a centrifugal unit mimics the power and torque curve of a factory motor, but with higher output. It is essentially improving an allready great thing. As far as the heat soak you mention you are 100% accurate, the Mustang, ect. group that choose to run supercharged cars without some sort of cooling device are going to experience issues. In the case of an EVO supercharger, intake temperatures have been recorded in the 95-120 degree range during prolonged testing in 115 degree Arizona weather. The intercooler system makes all the difference in the world.

 

Interesting points, Bert Smith. I presume you work at the dealership?

My only point of contention is that if one wants 'more of a good thing', as you say the Evo supercharger is, there's a factory-blessed way to get that, and it's called a Turbo. That's all.

I'd be interested to see a well-driven, supercharged 996 or 997 at Sebring during the summer, and speak with the driver about the car's characteristics on the track. What I've seen so far - which is all secondhand information, of course - is that it's a less-than-stellar setup for track use. Arizona test figures are well and good, but our humid home turf is where we use our cars!

 

Very valid points as well, I love the Turbo as well and think it is the best option as well. But I also can respect the desire to have Turbo power levels in a lighter, somewhat more nimble chassis such as the C2. By the same token I am a huge fan of the 3.6 conversions for the Boxster, especially for track use the more power I can get in a light nimble chassis the better. As for the SC'ed 996 that frequents Sebring, while I have never met the owner of that car I have heard that the driver is the issue in that equation! As you said that is just secondhand as well.