Supercharger kits with tüv, alternatives?

[haavardnk]

Im from Norway, and im planning on getting a SC. Because of our stupid laws, i want to get a tüv approved kit so i dont get any trouble and can get it approved.
The only alternative i've found so far is the Vortech V2 kit, which has tüv papers from a vendor in germany and can be installed by myself.

The other kit is the HKS supercharger kit, but this case is more special, since its just one vendor in germany that have gotten this kit approved, and therefore won't hand it out if they don't get to install it..

Im just wondering if anyone know of any other kits with tüv, or if any other manufacturer is getting their kit approved? Would like a cosworth or edelbrock kit...

Also, is the Vortech V2 a good and reliable kit? Feels dumb to go for V2 when V3 is out...

[juliog]

Subbed

[w0wbagger]

V2 and V3 are basically the same.
The main difference is the oil system for the supercharger. The V3 has its own reservoir wheres the V2 is fed with the engine oil using a feeder and return line.
The V2 needs welding to the engine body for the oil return line.

Next difference is that the V2 may spin higher rpms than the V3 and hence is suitable for higher boost applications than the V3.

Just as a heads ups: The German Vendor for the Vortech Kit has TÜV documents for the V3 kit. The V2 sc can be tüv'ed, but not via a certificate.

[juliog]

Originally Posted by w0wbagger

Just as a heads ups: The German Vendor for the Vortech Kit has TÜV documents for the V3 kit. The V2 sc can be tüv'ed, but not via a certificate.

Who is that vendor? Assuming you bought and installed the V3 kit yourself, would that vendor need to verify the install before handing out the TUV certificates?

I might relocate to Germany (Nurburgring area) within the next 2 years.. hence my interest

[w0wbagger]

The vendor is k tec germany (formerly GME).
No they dont need to verify the installation before handing out the TÜV document when buying the V3 kit. IF you buy the v3 kit you get the certificate within the box.
After you installed it (or have it installed by any workshop) you go to the TÜV and they check for proper installation and give you the signature.

[RIĐO]

@w0wbagger

Is the TUV for Vortech V3 included only if you purchase through the k-tec/GME or is it part of the contents included in all V3 packages no matter where you buy it from?

Also EU/TUV legal kits that I know of are: HKS, Vortech, Edelbrock and sprintex. There is also MPS turbo kit. The only thing I am not sure of is if all those kits come with a TUV certificate or are only able to be registered via german TUV like MPS turbo kit.
I believe HKS and Vortech do have certificates but I would like edelbrock so I hope someone can confirm availabilitiy of TUV for this kit.

[robi666]

Any update from supercharged BRZ owners in Europe?
HKS and Vortech kits do not come with a certificate.

[RIĐO]

Originally Posted by robi666

Any update from supercharged BRZ owners in Europe?
HKS and Vortech kits do not come with a certificate.

You can buy Vortech with TUV in the box from K sport germany. For HKS you can request GP performance if they can give you the certificates. AVO kit you can buy from chip performance in switzerland. Also there is MPS engineering from germany that makes a a turbo with TUV but I don't know if they ship certificate in the box. But the also managed to get. Approval for LS3 swap with TUV for big bucks but it's legal. Hope that helps.

[nikitopo]

Do you need TÜV approval in Spain?

[juliog]

Originally Posted by nikitopo

Do you need TÜV approval in Spain?

A TUV certification won't make the supercharger kit legal in Spain.

In Spain, to be 100% legal, you need to demonstrate the car still meets emissions and noise standards (Euro 6 for GT86/BRZ) after installing the kit, throughout a series of engineering & lab tests with a positive final report. It's not unlike TUV certification, but it's always performed on a car-by-car basis.

A kit that is already TUV certified should be able to pass all the tests required for homologation in Spain without much trouble. Most people hire a specialized company to handle all the tests and paperwork. For a supercharger kit, you might be looking at spending anywhere between 1000-2000 EUR, depending how many tests are required and how familiar the company is with the car/platform.

[robi666]

Originally Posted by juliog

A TUV certification won't make the supercharger kit legal in Spain.

In Spain, to be 100% legal, you need to demonstrate the car still meets emissions and noise standards (Euro 6 for GT86/BRZ) after installing the kit, throughout a series of engineering & lab tests with a positive final report. It's not unlike TUV certification, but it's always performed on a car-by-car basis.

A kit that is already TUV certified should be able to pass all the tests required for homologation in Spain without much trouble. Most people hire a specialized company to handle all the tests and paperwork. For a supercharger kit, you might be looking at spending anywhere between 1000-2000 EUR, depending how many tests are required and how familiar the company is with the car/platform.

Thanks.
Well... hopefully they will change the regulation to meet other European countries standards. In the meanwhile, I will double check with the company that I use locally how hard it is to homologate a kit with a TUV certificate here. To my understanding there could be some kind of "flexibility" sometimes.

K-Sport is not able to sell the kit without VAT... I live in the Canary Islands so we don't have VAT here. I won't pay 22% more for the kit and then the local import taxes on top of price plus shipping. They won't "sell" the certificate either.
GP performance won't handle the certificate with a kit. They need to install the supercharger themselves.
I will contact Chip Performance for the AVO kit.
Thank you RIDO for your help.

[juliog]

To be honest, having driven many supercharged 86/BRZ, I don't think the kits are worth the cost and hassle involved to run them in Spain.

If it's a primarily street driven car, the centrifugal superchargers aren't much fun at low or mid rpm. The roots style superchargers (Edelbrock, Harrop..) are more rewarding in a street car, as you get a surge of power in the mid range rpm. Still, a boosted FA20 remains rather uncharismatic. Redlining a Honda S2000 to 9000 rpm brings far more joy.

Besides getting the kit and getting it certified by the local authorities, you will still need a good tuning shop to help you refine the tune and get OEM-like drive-ability and reliable power.

All in all, given the regulatory framework in Spain, I think the money is better spent in other areas. I would rather spend $7K EUR on JRZ coilovers and forged wheels than a supercharger + all the work.

PS: I'm currently living in Spain after owning a 86 in the States for a few years. I imported a Fiesta ST and have had to deal with 'homologation', not a fun process..

[nikitopo]

Another thing you need to consider when running a supercharger is that you will have issues with the OEM exhaust manifold and the very high temperatures. There are different users in Germany having currently cracked manifolds. The issue is because the cat is very close to the exhaust. A solution is to lower the temperatures with a catless manifold, but again this is out of question for getting a TÜV approval.