a bit on supercharger drive systems and the Kraftwerks kit.

[FRSBRZGT86FAN]

Originally Posted by ZionsWrath

So the TL;DR is there is a ton of margin for error to get the proper install?

That's enough to steer away customers even if the kit is amazing when "perfectly" installed.

Originally Posted by ATL BRZ

This is like the perfect intro to a Jackson Racing supercharger info-merical.

Hence why it's better to just go for the JRSC. The fact that it requires so much attention to belt tensioning the proper way and care, it's essentially more prone to failure at the point of install. It totally isn't worth the price of admission. For a reliable c30 blower its best to get the JRSC and avoid headaches

[SPCorBUST]

tl;dr / Abstract

OP presents anecdotal, speculative history of KraftWerks' engineering decisions, positing due diligence with additional external references countering (assumed) bias.

Ends with anecdotal experience of inconsistent product with a caveat of revisions having "fixed" issues, a recount of poor service, design, shipping, and fitment, and "friendly" rib towards owners of the kit telling them to learn how to drive.

Because hey - parts fail, and thats supercharger/mod life, you know? And everyone knows that the road to being an excellent driver in a supercharged car is paved with broken belts, right?

BUT IN ALL SERIOUSNESS

Pardon my sarcasm @DrWill, this is actually one of the fairer posts. Great work here, this is a good contribution to the community. (IMO) While I disagree with the general sentiment about the kit quality, I think the the latter half of your article (lets face it, it was quite long!) airs many justified, common grievances in a balanced manner. Cheers to you, sir.

[EAGLE5]

All the difficulties discussed are exactly why Kraftwerks kits look like pains in the ass.

[ATaraxias]

Originally Posted by ATL BRZ

This is like the perfect intro to a Jackson Racing supercharger info-merical.

The price of the JRSC never changes, but today, it has never looked lower.

[DrWill]

Originally Posted by ZionsWrath

So the TL;DR is there is a ton of margin for error to get the proper install?

That's enough to steer away customers even if the kit is amazing when "perfectly" installed.

Not exactly. As long as you make sure the face of the crank pulley is clean and torque everything to the specs listed in the install guide you shouldn't run into any problems. With the 3 kits I've had direct hands on experience with here locally I haven't run into any runout or misalignment. I just wanted to list ways you can double check the kit and correct any issue that may exist.

[DrWill]

Originally Posted by ATaraxias

The price of the JRSC never changes, but today, it has never looked lower.

Does the JRSC kit offer larger blower options? One of the reasons we wen kraftwerks aside from the independent drive wad for the C-38 option.

[DrWill]

I'm still waiting for Kraftwerks to chime in. I messaged them the link to this post and asked them if they wanted to add/respond to anything.

[Calum]

Originally Posted by DrWill

Does the JRSC kit offer larger blower options? One of the reasons we wen kraftwerks aside from the independent drive wad for the C-38 option.

Yes, they do. It took three years to develop a system with the same power curve as the C-30 option... But they have it. Obviously the C-38 has more potential, but with the pulley it comes with it, reportedly, makes the same power as the C-30 kit.

[COO86L]

I just think of a Gilmer Drive system whenever I see the Kraftwerks kit.

If I hadn't have gotten the Sprintex SPS system at the price I did, I would have likely gone Kraftwerks for a few reasons.
Mostly because if you aren't a novice and know that the engine will flex etc and know how to manually adjust a drive belt, you'll be fine with the kit. So don't just stamp on the power pedal or you'll be in for a bad time. And don't do a half assed job.

Also, the price of JRSC to get it to Australia was roughly the same as a Borg Warner turbo system and a brand new clutch + flywheel. Kraftwerks was cheaper than a Sprintex system.

I very much concur with the TL;DR

[DrWill]

Originally Posted by jsimon7777

All the difficulties discussed are exactly why Kraftwerks kits look like pains in the ass.

If I'm going to be honest. It was a pretty big pain in the ass by the time it was said and done. There was a time we were considering selling it and exploring other options. But all bolt on FI kits have issues that have to be worked around. Every bolt on turbo kit I've seen go through my tuners shop has had to have something re worked. I've seen SC kits that leak oil consume oil or shred belts I've seen complete blower failures on two different popular options. From what we observed there have been more and worse issues with a lot of the popular options than we had with our kit so we decided to stick with it and now that we have all the bugs worked out it runs great.

[DrWill]

Originally Posted by Vinnito1

So I have access to a Gates ultrasonic tension meter. Anyone in the Dallas/Fort Worth area willing to find out what their belt tension is actually set too? That's assuming there is actually a spec, belt span to measure, and i can get information about the belt.

I plan to be in the fort Worth area in July and again in December. I don't know if I will have the car with me in July but I definitely will in December.

[EAGLE5]

It's the need or lack of need for the debugging process that separates the great kits from the OK and shitty ones, and the Kraftwerk kit sounds like an OK kit at best for that very reason. Theoretical issues, like belt choice, matter much less than precision manufacturing, quality control, and a design that works without hassles. This is why JSRC is the most popular SC maker for the twins. Sure, you can take a shit kit and make it work, but it's a pain. Phil Grabow took a shit turbo kit from Florida and, with lots of work, turned it into a race winner. However, the kit he uses was still shit on a stick.

[FirestormFRS]

I've had my KW kit for almost 2years now. Not a single issue related to parts or design. I don't drive it easy. I have some of the best drivers roads on the planet around here and I hammer it every sunny day.

[FRSBRZGT86FAN]

Originally Posted by FirestormFRS

I've had my KW kit for almost 2years now. Not a single issue related to parts or design. I don't drive it easy. I have some of the best drivers roads on the planet around here and I hammer it every sunny day.

Did you have it professionally installed?