Harrop vs Edelbrock? Any comparisons?
 

I've read all the information I can find on this site about the two kits, but no head-to-head comparisons (aside from a few anecdotal specifics). Clearly, there are many similarities... using the same Eaton TVS1320 "core", custom cast aluminum intake manifold, Air/Water intercooler... However, there are clearly some substantial differences. I was hoping to find some people who have experienced both kits and can lay out some pros/cons. Here's my take from what I've gathered, along with some questions.

I like the way the harrop looks better... Yes, this is purely subjective and I'm sure there are just as many people who would argue the other way. For me, I like the lower profile manifold and the simple lines. The Edelbrock looks a bit too "hot wheels" if you know what I mean. As I said, 100% subjective. I also fully understand people who think the Harrop water hose routing leaves a lot to be desired and Edelbrock does a much better job of hiding them.

I'm also not a fan of the huge K&N panel filter on the Edelbrock.

That said, I like the price of the Edelbrock (especially with the current rebate!) and the installation instructions seem much more complete. CARB is not a concern for me but I know that's a deciding factor for many people.

It seems both kits make roughly the same power "out of the box"... But I'm left with some additional questions...

1. Does the Harrop kit suffer the same erratic MAP sensor swings as the Edelbrock? (Yes, I'm aware of the Dbox to filter the signal)
2. How do the intercooler systems compare? I know the harrop has two smaller cores vs. one larger core, but does that translate into lower IATs? How about as the boost is increased? Are the Harrop cores simple bar/plate or something different? How about the Edelbrock?
3. Is there any real benefit to the huge air filter on the Edelbrock?
4. Is there any appreciable difference between the two intake manifold designs in terms of performance? Clearly the Harrop manifold sits a little lower so an aftermarket strut brace is more likely to fit... but how about plenum volume? Runner length?

Sorry for such a long thread, and for starting a dreaded "vs" thread but this seems like a legitimate comparison. Since the two systems are so similar I think it bears further scrutiny. Now, perhaps the answer will really come down to "they're pretty much the same, buy whatever you feel like" but I'm hoping to have some more first hand information and hard facts before I pull the trigger.

Thanks for indulging me!
-Matt

I've driven both, but neither on track, unfortunately.

Effectively, for street use, there's no real difference. The Edelbrock kit, however, offers a more comprehensive warranty, and theoretically has less points of failure (less IC lines).

Thanks for the feedback. Unfortunately, my car is a 2013 so the power train warranty would not apply to my installation. I think it also bears mentioning that I would have to pay for professional installation to take advantage of the warranty. I plan to diy any kit I buy. However, your point is well made. On the water pipes as well...
-Matt

Here in the UK I know Mark at Abbey Motorsports, who are the UK re seller and has a Harrop on his car, so I can answer what I've asked him previously.
1. He's running the OEM MAP, although he says that he didn't experience issues with a larger MAP sensor.
2. From my investigations, the Harrop would possibly be a little better with IATs etc on track. Harrop have given the car plenty of track testing in Australia. Day to day, it would be negligible.
3. I would suggest that a larger filter would be beneficial if running lots more power, but then you'd also be looking at a bigger TB as well IMO.
4. Can't comment on this. The Harrop is a nice compact and clean install when seen in person, we haven't got the E-Force over here. The exchange rates put the Harrop a touch cheaper and seems to be quite popular so there's little point in getting an Edelbrock kit over.

I would say based on your post that you're keen on the Harrop. I would just bite the bullet and go for it. There's certainly nothing that I've heard that would make me think that you've chosen wrong, not to say that the E-Force is a bad kit as I was looking at one until the exchange rates took it out of the picture.

Thanks for the detailed reply. After reading CSG Mike reply I did some more reading on the warranties for these two kits. Aside from the powertrain warranty on the Edelbrock, it also has a much better standard warranty (on the kit itself). Edelbrock warranty is 3 years (materials and workmanship) and only requires that the kit be "properly installed". Of course, the standard disclaimers for competitive racing use apply. You can read the warranty details here http://www.edelbrock.com/fa20/downlo...l-warranty.pdf

The Harrop warranty is only 1 year and the kit must be installed by "a qualified motor mechanic or technician who has undertaken appropriate training in fitting Harrop superchargers." Also, there is wording about being tuned by a qualified technician as well. As found in the installation manual here: https://www.harrop.com.au/downloads/...stallGuide.pdf

So, Edelbrock warranty is, by my assessment, far superior to the Harrop warranty. While people have reported excellent responsiveness from Harrop's customer service, the fact does remain that Edelbrock is based here in the USA and Harrop is on the other side of the world.

Ugh... tough call. :(
-Matt

Edelbrock further sweetens the pot with a $500 rebate and free shipping at the moment.

CSG adds icing on the cake with a free D-box.

why wont they cover the engine for a 2013 year? Age of the engine or due to their being TSB, replacements and updates for this car and the older engines do not have them.

Edelbrock warranty only covers 3yr/36k from new. So a 2013 is out of the warranty period.

Just to continue the discussion a bit... I spent some time comparing the installation manuals between the two kits. The edelbrock manual is far more complete, showing pictures for almost every step and providing a clear listing of everything included in the kit. However, the Harrop installation process itself seems to be a bit less involved. The Edelbrock kit require opening up the clutch hydraulic lines to clock a fitting the other way and also advocates draining all the coolant. The harrop kit does not require messing with the clutch lines and suggest simply clamping the throttle body coolant lines rather than draining the whole system. That said, you do have to bend an AC compressor hardline when installing the harrop, but they provide the tool to do it...

Any other observations? Maybe from someone who has installed both kits?
-Matt

Really, my recommendation comes down to the kit that gives you better local support.

If you were in Australia, I'd recommend the Harrop kit, period. If you're in the US, you want the Edelbrock kit.

Waiting overnight for e-mails, or staying up to have conversations with someone half the world away for support is not ideal.

@moto-mike , @Moto-Phil

I've read somewhere that in their earlier days Harrop sold a rebranded supercharger developed by Edelbrock (for the Camaro I think?). Since then Harrop has been the OEM for Lotus superchargers such as in the Exige and Evora S. I think they also make superchargers for TRD editions of Australian market Toyotas. The latest Lotus Evora 400 makes more power than the Evora S and uses a supercharger OEM'd by Edelbrock. Point is, you can't go wrong with either but I perceive Edelbrock as the veteran in terms of supercharger know-how.

Living 5 miles from Edelbrock was one of the biggest factors influencing my decision to go FI, and picking their kit.

I have installed around 5 Edelbrock kits, with 2 more coming this month(one on Saturday) And just installed my first Harrop kit last weekend as their newest US dealer. Their support has been amazing, although yes, it does mean chatting with them around 8-10pm sometimes, instead of in the morning.

I'll break it down to a few points that are really opinion based, but may help:

Edelbrock:
-Direction binder is FANTASTIC. Some of the pictures are a little small, but the whole manual is very thorough. Then there are great directions for using Ecutek for the tune, and a parts list to check everything off.
-The first Edelbrock kit actually took me about 6-7 hours.(this was surprising to me, as I've installed nearly 100 FI kits on 86's and they generally go pretty quick)
-Quality of course is fantastic. I toured Edelbrock's facility and was blown away with their quality control, manufacturing and all around epicness. Of course their kit mimics that.
-This kit has you swapping out and doing a lot more "pre-supercharger" installations parts and tweaks. Read: Lots of little things to do.(cut heater core hoses, clutch line, throttle coolant lines, fuel line etc)
-The Coolant reservoir is in a crappy spot. I think Edelbrock did a great job putting the cooling system together, but having the reservoir at the mid point of the system, makes bleeding take a bit long. (anyone with a late 90's bmw with the expansion tank below the level of the engine, knows the pain)
-The tall nature of the supercharger unit itself, makes it pretty easy to get to anything under the manifold, just in case you need to reach something down there.
-Tuners will know this one, the T-MAP sensor placement, makes the Edelbrock kit difficult to tune and can cause some drivability issues. Delicious D-Box helps quite a bit.
-Rear Coolant lines on this kit can be a pain to install once the supercharger is on the car, but this is easily fixed by installing them before you put the blower down on the heads.
-Airbox is a super cool design. Getting the throttle body, maf housing and airbox all together can also be tricky, but not a big deal.

Harrop:
-Directions were definitely lacking. I actually will be trying to add a couple little things to help with future installs. I have the advantage of knowing this platform really well, but I think a first time kit installer, would have a tough time. Unclear things: EVAP routing and placement, clamp usage, water pump harness install.
-Kit comes in an awesome red box protective box and was in perfect shape when it arrived to my shop
-There really aren't very many parts to this kit, it is kind of nice really. At first look in the box, I though somethings were missing. Two small hardware bags, a belt, a pulley, the cooler, and air box and filter. The coolant lines come pre-assembled as well
-The under-manifold lines come pre-installed on the supercharger making the install very quick. The Throttle body coolant lines are actually deleted and blocked off.(no hot coolant running through the throttle body) But it does require pulling the port out of the throttle body, which is not reversible.
-No fuel line, clutch line, or heater hose modification. There is actually quite a lot of room behind the supercharger. Bending the AC line is CAKE and the tool they include is pretty neat.
-Installing the water pump power harness, although clean, is a pain in the ass. It requires semi-undoing the fuse box to hide some lines and tap power. Honestly was the "hardest" part of the whole install.
-Even though it was my first install, it actually only took 5 hours, with an nice lunch break and bleeding the cooling system.
-Kit uses the stock sized MAP sensor! In our case, I threw a Delicious 11 PSI MAP sensor for the tune. Even with just a startup map from Zach at Delicious the car fired up perfectly and idled like stock. Drivability was great, and I believe Zach is still finishing up the tune with the customer
-Coolant is bled from the highest point in the system, and is a breeze! The instructions for this process are actually pretty good.
-Overall look of kit, to me, looks slightly more OEM(both injector covers fit back on). Although without the red stripes, the Edelbrock would too.

In the end, I actually love both kits. I think the Edelbrock package is hard to beat, but the Harrop kit comes very close. With a couple direction tweaks, it can get there. Hardware wise I'd say they are about dead even. I'd love to test out both on track too, as it seems Harrop AU has been having a lot of success with their system, and Michele Abate has been ripping on here Edelbrock equipped race car as well.