Positives & Negatives On Kraftwerks Supercharger vs Jackson Racing Kits

[ScionFR-S]

Just as the title says any info is appreciated... I'm daily driving not tracking the car so I'm not looking to go above 300hp with a big blower. I'm asking more about the longevity of the kit and which one would be more suited to last a long time without prematurely blowing the engine. Obviously shit happens but wondering which is my best bet from your experience

[buddy32]

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39560

Read through that thread thoroughly.

[CSG David]

Check the stickies on the sub-forum.

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by ScionFR-S

Just as the title says any info is appreciated... I'm daily driving not tracking the car so I'm not looking to go above 300hp with a big blower. I'm asking more about the longevity of the kit and which one would be more suited to last a long time without prematurely blowing the engine. Obviously shit happens but wondering which is my best bet from your experience

I can't post anything without sounding unbaiased per the Kraftwerks crowd, but if you have any specific questions I can answer based on my own personal experiences with both kits, I'll be more than happy to.

[Freeman]

Not blowing the engine will primarily come down to the tune.

If whp is the primary goal why go supercharger over a turbo? Reliable turbo set ups do exist.... I think.

If I was a track junkie the JR kit would be the one to go for. The C30 with E85 should hit your whp goal. If car shows and bragging about peak numbers are your thing then go KW or top mounted turbo.

While CSG would look biased saying these things, being a KW owner I dont know if I would. Everything has it's pros and cons. The JR on the surface seems reliable(i honestly havent checked and I'm not going to), but its dog shit ugly to me. The KW kit looks much better and can be easily upgraded to the big C38 blower but has quality issues. I.e. the directions leave a bit to be desired. They're constantly making revisions and have come a long way since the release. That said I haven't had any issues at all with my supercharger.

Make sure to take a drive in a car powered by a rotrex before you buy. The top end is great but I wouldn't buy a centrifugal supercharger for the street again. My car is my toy car and I primarily use it to get groceries and cruise around the lakes up here, so I dont spend any time in the fun part of the powerband :-( a centrifugal was a waste for me, should have gone turbo.

[campy]

This post is going to be biased, obviously

I bought the JR kit because it came with a reliable tune. Tunes are the biggest variable for any FI when it comes to reliability, so I knew I could trust the guys who built the kit rather than my local tuner or an e-tuner. I'm not knocking e-tuners or tuners in the NY area, I just erred on the side of caution.

The JR kit has little room for upgradability though. I believe you can upgrade the blower on the KW kit, so if you think you'll want more power later on, you should consider that kit.

[86SPEED]

One will leave you stranded one wont... We personally push the KW kits so like mike said above, we would be more biased towards them. BUT both kits run the same blowers. the blowers themselves are great. my kit at over 450hp at the hubs have been issue free since the new pulleys, thats about 10k miles on the kit, the first 1000 i did go through some belts, but KW told me i would due to the small pulley. but when my belt broke, i was able to keep driving until i replaced it. no other SC kit out does that. That said i personally dont think you could go wrong with either kit. I know the JR kit is good, i just prefer to not be stranded if/when the belt breaks

-Thomas

[themajesticone]

Originally Posted by fteightysix

One will leave you stranded one wont... We personally push the KW kits so like mike said above, we would be more biased towards them. BUT both kits run the same blowers. the blowers themselves are great. my kit at over 450hp at the hubs have been issue free since the new pulleys, thats about 10k miles on the kit, the first 1000 i did go through some belts, but KW told me i would due to the small pulley. but when my belt broke, i was able to keep driving until i replaced it. no other SC kit out does that. That said i personally dont think you could go wrong with either kit. I know the JR kit is good, i just prefer to not be stranded if/when the belt breaks

-Thomas

That being said, if you did have a belt break on a JR kit, and you have an extra lets say. How difficult is it to put on a new belt? How likely is it going to break on a JR kit vs the KW given the KW's has a pulley system or whatever?

[86SPEED]

Originally Posted by themajesticone

That being said, if you did have a belt break on a JR kit, and you have an extra lets say. How difficult is it to put on a new belt? How likely is it going to break on a JR kit vs the KW given the KW's has a pulley system or whatever?

I honestly dont know. ive been told that the blower has to come off on the JR kit, on the KW kit with the small pulleys it doesnt need to come off, on the kits with the bigger new pulleys, it to have to come off. I have no hands on experience with the JR kit other then looking at it when a hood popped. Im not going to bash the kit at all. I do like the oil cooler they use, though ive never had a issue through the Vegas summer at 115* outside on the KW kit, I personally like the piping better on the KW. My main reason for the KW kit was the ease of upgrading the blower, or simple pulley changes, and the fact that if the belt breaks im not stranded.

Some try and knock the KW belt as being a sewing machine belt, but going to Gates website and looking at the belts, they offer 3 different versions of the model we use, the lower grade is in fact used for a industrial sewing machine, but the one we use, and even the one under the one we use is for variable speeds on loads that should be much higher then what the SC sees. so that just a myth, i know of a car that had over 400hp, driven very hard for about 20k miles and not one belt issue used the big pulleys the whole time.

-Thomas

[The Racers Line]

Having installed and driven both kits, but do not own either I can give my less biased opinion.

The JR kit is great quality and fits well, it is easy to install and uninstall if need be. It's CARB legal, that's important to a lot of people in California, where I'm willing to bet a majority of 86's were sold. Jacksons customer service is awesome, and they stand behind their product. I have yet to see a major issue with one, and that says a lot. Their oil cooler setup with the rotrex cooler is also genius.

Cons to the Jackson kit for me, were the original silicone throttle hose(since redesigned), the cheapish plastic diverter valve and just the Rotrex in general. Its not my personal favorite centrifugal blower, but it seems to be doing well on these cars. Also the bumper fitment on the drivers side can get tricky with the Intercooler pipe, especially with fog lights.

The kraftwerks kit looks nice. The upgradable larger blower is neat too. That's really all I liked about it. The quality of the components seemed good, but the MAF placement is aweful. Price I guess is definitely a plus; it is on the cheaper side.

Bumper fitment sucked with their stupid Intercooler bracket design. Running a ribbed belt off the front of the crankahaft is horrible, and the belt is noisy as hell. I don't understand why they keeping making the argument that their kit won't leave you stranded, they have more belt issues then any other kit. You get lucky if that belt breaks and doesn't take other things out with it. It could easily get wrapped around the accessory belt and cause hell.

Worst of all, I know that at least in the BMW world, you could not run a ribbed belt on a rotrex blower and keep your warranty, I don't think that has changed(maybe?) but that is why I do not reccomend the kit. Also, how long ago was it promissed to be CARB legal?

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by Neal@EQtuning

Having installed and driven both kits, but do not own either I can give my less biased opinion.

The JR kit is great quality and fits well, it is easy to install and uninstall if need be. It's CARB legal, that's important to a lot of people in California, where I'm willing to bet a majority of 86's were sold. Jacksons customer service is awesome, and they stand behind their product. I have yet to see a major issue with one, and that says a lot. Their oil cooler setup with the rotrex cooler is also genius.

Cons to the Jackson kit for me, were the original silicone throttle hose(since redesigned), the cheapish plastic diverter valve and just the Rotrex in general. Its not my personal favorite centrifugal blower, but it seems to be doing well on these cars. Also the bumper fitment on the drivers side can get tricky with the Intercooler pipe, especially with fog lights.

The kraftwerks kit looks nice. The upgradable larger blower is neat too. That's really all I liked about it. The quality of the components seemed good, but the MAF placement is aweful. Price I guess is definitely a plus; it is on the cheaper side.

Bumper fitment sucked with their stupid Intercooler bracket design. Running a ribbed belt off the front of the crankahaft is horrible, and the belt is noisy as hell. I don't understand why they keeping making the argument that their kit won't leave you stranded, they have more belt issues then any other kit. You get lucky if that belt breaks and doesn't take other things out with it. It could easily get wrapped around the accessory belt and cause hell.

Worst of all, I know that at least in the BMW world, you could not run a ribbed belt on a rotrex blower and keep your warranty, I don't think that has changed(maybe?) but that is why I do not reccomend the kit. Also, how long ago was it promissed to be CARB legal?

I didn't say it... someone else did...

[themajesticone]

Originally Posted by Neal@EQtuning

Having installed and driven both kits, but do not own either I can give my less biased opinion.

The JR kit is great quality and fits well, it is easy to install and uninstall if need be. It's CARB legal, that's important to a lot of people in California, where I'm willing to bet a majority of 86's were sold. Jacksons customer service is awesome, and they stand behind their product. I have yet to see a major issue with one, and that says a lot. Their oil cooler setup with the rotrex cooler is also genius.

Cons to the Jackson kit for me, were the original silicone throttle hose(since redesigned), the cheapish plastic diverter valve and just the Rotrex in general. Its not my personal favorite centrifugal blower, but it seems to be doing well on these cars. Also the bumper fitment on the drivers side can get tricky with the Intercooler pipe, especially with fog lights.

The kraftwerks kit looks nice. The upgradable larger blower is neat too. That's really all I liked about it. The quality of the components seemed good, but the MAF placement is aweful. Price I guess is definitely a plus; it is on the cheaper side.

Bumper fitment sucked with their stupid Intercooler bracket design. Running a ribbed belt off the front of the crankahaft is horrible, and the belt is noisy as hell. I don't understand why they keeping making the argument that their kit won't leave you stranded, they have more belt issues then any other kit. You get lucky if that belt breaks and doesn't take other things out with it. It could easily get wrapped around the accessory belt and cause hell.

Worst of all, I know that at least in the BMW world, you could not run a ribbed belt on a rotrex blower and keep your warranty, I don't think that has changed(maybe?) but that is why I do not reccomend the kit. Also, how long ago was it promissed to be CARB legal?

Thanks for the information Neal - which only affirms my JR choice lol.

In the context of a belt breaking on the JR kit, however unlikely it may be, and I have an extra belt on hand but am on the side of the road....is re-applying the belt an easy process? I assume you should have necessary tools on hand at all times in the trunk, but I am wondering in a worst case scenario what can and what would have to be done? Perhaps @CSG Mike can add to that too? I am just curious how it would play out if the worst happened in a belt breaking related scenario.

Thank you.

[D K]

KW comes with an intercooler that looks a lot less efficient than the JR.

Not sure if there have been any belt issues with the JR kit?

Rotrex does not recommend a cog belt and downright warned against hitting a hard rev limiter if you have one.

That is MY personal experience so far.

Both kits are better than anything else out there at the moment.

[CSG David]

Originally Posted by themajesticone

Thanks for the information Neal - which only affirms my JR choice lol.

In the context of a belt breaking on the JR kit, however unlikely it may be, and I have an extra belt on hand but am on the side of the road....is re-applying the belt an easy process? I assume you should have necessary tools on hand at all times in the trunk, but I am wondering in a worst case scenario what can and what would have to be done? Perhaps @CSG Mike can add to that too? I am just curious how it would play out if the worst happened in a belt breaking related scenario.

Thank you.

Just to let you in on a little secret...

Belt removal, pulley replacement, and belt installed takes less than 15 minutes.