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Long post ahead...
My only concern with the Innovate kit has been the lack of an IAT sensor post blower. The lack of an intercooler is moot for the 75mm pulley. What is scary though, and perhaps the key sticking point for several people in this thread, is without an intercooler, you REALLY need to know what your IAT's are. So the lack of an intercooler AND the lack of an IAT sensor is what a lot of people are taking issue with.
That said, with the aftermarket solutions in the pipeline, such as FA20 Clubs IAT plate, the above concerns are alleviated. For those looking for maximum horsepower, or extended track sessions, you'll want the intercooled kit. But for the majority of users, the non-intercooled kit is fine. And personally, I appreciate the fact that I don't have to spend extra money for a part that is not mission critical. Remember, this is a twin screw positive displacement supercharger. The temperature differential pre and post blower is not as large as a turbo or even a centrifugal supercharger.
I appreciate posts from reputable tuners, such as Moto-Mike, and others that are confident that the lack of an IAT sensor isn't crucial. You may be able to accurately measure the temperature rise as air enters and exits the blower (perk of a twin screw). You may even be able to calculate heat-soak based on a ratio of external air temperatures and engine coolant and oil temperatures (Moto-Mike alluded to such in a prior post on this forum). But, that type of calculation is complex, and open to significant error. Without an IAT in the intake manifold you simply do not know what is going on with the air entering the engine.
The picture will become clear once we get some of those IAT sensor plates on peoples cars. Then we'll see the big picture. Perhaps Moto-Mike and others were right all along, or perhaps they weren't. We simple don't know.
As for which kit is better? I personally like the Innovate kit. I think it looks more OEM, and I appreciate the engineering simplicity that went into it. I personally think its a more robust system. I like the fact that it maintains the factory airbox, and MAF sensor location. Makes tuning easier, and utilizes a well engineered factory system that has yet to be surpassed by an aftermarket offering. What I think they missed the boat on was finding a way to get IAT readings post blower.
As for the intercooler, I understand why Innovate decided to order the kits without it. It gave them a price point that other units couldn't touch, for those that don't necessarily need or want the performance overhead offered by other units.
The Vortech kit on the other hand has matured well, and has more samples in circulation. It offers more performance overhead due to a larger supercharger, and is arguably more proven. It also costs more.
But, for the sake of clarity, the Vortech isn't some foolproof system either. There have been several design changes since its release, and several well documented issues. Its been out longer, allowing it to mature more, but it still isn't fool proof. Also its a more complicated install, which for an apartment dwelling gearhead like me, is something I need to factor in.
/long post
Personally I don't have a horse in this race. There are no cognitive dissonance issues clouding my post. I'm just an observer who is desperately trying to figure out what to spend my money on. At this point I'm waiting for the Jackson Racing kit to be released. That or I'll just say frack-it and go turbo...
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