OVERHEATING in the desert
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 16,548
Likes: 1
Originally Posted by DesertWanderer,Jul 28 2009, 10:33 PM
I have a 2007 S2000 with the KW High Boost kit and 90,000 miles on the odometer. About 67,000 miles of my total mileage has been with the KW kit installed.
My tensioner pulley failed 16,000 miles after I installed the kit (replaced under KW warranty).
My water pump pulley developed radial cracks about 60,000 miles after installing the kit. I replaced it and informed KW but did not ask for or get a warranty replacement because I run a 90 mm supercharger pulley and my kit is out of warranty anyway.
My next failure was at 61,000 miles after install of the kit. The small idler pulley next to the alternator disintegrated and all that was left was the two bearings. I reported this to KW. I told them that I would send the pulley (what was left) to them for examination but they declined and I purchased another.
Finally, my tensioner pulley failed again at about 63,000 miles after the install. Again, I covered the replacement.
My point here is that KW is fully in their legal rights to not warranty my supercharger system because it has over 50,000 miles on it and I have modified it by using the 90 mm supercharger pulley. I limit my max engine RPM to 7,600 as a result of the 90 mm pulley that I had installed. As I write this I am in a hotel on a road trip from Texas to New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, and I am presently in Frisco, Colorado. I have 2 repacement serpentine belts, a new water pump pulley (with new bolts) , a new waterpump, and a replacement for every pulley in the supercharger drive system in my trunk together with the supporting necessary tools. I would not feel secure without all of this.
My first pulley failure happened when I was almost back home in Texas after a run through the Mojave. I will not have that happen again.
I also have the Hondata gasket. It was installed at the same time as the KW kit. I monitor engine coolant temperature through the OBD2 port and I have had no issues.
My post is not to slam KW. I drive my car much more than most do. I would not have checked my water pump pulley for cracks if one of our members had not posted suggesting that we do this. I can do no less for all of you.
My suggestion is that kit owners actively check some of these areas in the drive system. I know some have no problems at all with the kit. That is how it should be and I am happy for you. As I have stated repeatedly I also am running the 90 mm supercharger pulley. Maybe only I will see these problems but it does not appear that is the case.
Let me also state (again) that KW has been nice when I call. I had a really long and interesting talk with Oscar Sr. regsuperchargers ang life in general and he seems to me to be a really personable nice guy.
Take care and enjoy your cars!
My tensioner pulley failed 16,000 miles after I installed the kit (replaced under KW warranty).
My water pump pulley developed radial cracks about 60,000 miles after installing the kit. I replaced it and informed KW but did not ask for or get a warranty replacement because I run a 90 mm supercharger pulley and my kit is out of warranty anyway.
My next failure was at 61,000 miles after install of the kit. The small idler pulley next to the alternator disintegrated and all that was left was the two bearings. I reported this to KW. I told them that I would send the pulley (what was left) to them for examination but they declined and I purchased another.
Finally, my tensioner pulley failed again at about 63,000 miles after the install. Again, I covered the replacement.
My point here is that KW is fully in their legal rights to not warranty my supercharger system because it has over 50,000 miles on it and I have modified it by using the 90 mm supercharger pulley. I limit my max engine RPM to 7,600 as a result of the 90 mm pulley that I had installed. As I write this I am in a hotel on a road trip from Texas to New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, and I am presently in Frisco, Colorado. I have 2 repacement serpentine belts, a new water pump pulley (with new bolts) , a new waterpump, and a replacement for every pulley in the supercharger drive system in my trunk together with the supporting necessary tools. I would not feel secure without all of this.
My first pulley failure happened when I was almost back home in Texas after a run through the Mojave. I will not have that happen again.
I also have the Hondata gasket. It was installed at the same time as the KW kit. I monitor engine coolant temperature through the OBD2 port and I have had no issues.
My post is not to slam KW. I drive my car much more than most do. I would not have checked my water pump pulley for cracks if one of our members had not posted suggesting that we do this. I can do no less for all of you.
My suggestion is that kit owners actively check some of these areas in the drive system. I know some have no problems at all with the kit. That is how it should be and I am happy for you. As I have stated repeatedly I also am running the 90 mm supercharger pulley. Maybe only I will see these problems but it does not appear that is the case.
Let me also state (again) that KW has been nice when I call. I had a really long and interesting talk with Oscar Sr. regsuperchargers ang life in general and he seems to me to be a really personable nice guy.
Take care and enjoy your cars!
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,361
Likes: 0
From: las vegas
OK. My turn, since i built jacks car, and have been involved heavily with all this from the start.
I have watched the flames fly in every direction any time an "issue" gets brought up about the KW kit.
Bottom line is, the drive is placing more stress on the water pump pulley than was originally intended. PERIOD
There is no getting around it at all. I would dare say myself and billman have probably had our hands on more s2k's than anyone on the boards.
Its one of my primary client cars, and i have built and maintenance 100s of them.
I have NEVER seen or heard of a stock water pump pulley failing EVER.
I drove my car in the silver state, and so do several of my friends.
I ran my STOCK s2000 at 157 mph for 1 hour. NOTHING failed.
While i dont have dinner at the jacksons house, i have talked with them many times, and got to know Sr back in the day when all I did was pump out their kits for civics of all types. We were one of their big selling shops. Even sat with Sr at sema and had some good talks, in the 90s.
I have talked with junior on the phone, several times, and he even aired us out a fitting when jack needed it.
I cant figure out why, now, they arent willing to discuss multiple failures with legitimate people.
Are they hurting THAT bad? Do they want to be hurting even worse when a class action lawsuit comes into play for more of these failures.
I foresee this getting VERY ugly. Jacks car is immaculate, and well maintained. Yet he drives to san diego, and the water pump pulley FAILS?
He then drives directly to KW and is given the cold shoulder?
WTF is going on? Jack has even made buddies with oscar JR, and talked with Sr. They had HIS car, on THIER dyno. Cause they wanted to see wtf we had done to it to get those numbers.
I was on the phone this entire time. I dropped what i was doing, and drove out to where he was broke down, in an attempt to fix the car. I was the one who diag'd the head gasket being blown. I connected jack with the tow...etc etc.
Item #2. DarkwingS2k. If your hondata gasket failed, its because your install failed. I bet everything i own, the 2nd retorque wasnt done on either of your gaskets that melted there between the cooling passage and #4.
I have put in prob 50 of these, and NEVER had one fail. I had 80k+ miles on both of my personal ones. #1 problem i see on them when installed, nobody takes the time to retorque them after 100 or so miles of use. The bolts are ALWAYS 1/2 to 3/4 turn loose. People also use no sealant, or incorrect sealant on them. You need an anaerobic aluminum sealant to be used on this. As though you were sealing up an aluminum trans case, or engine case. What i see in your pics, is an under torque condition, which caused coolant to begin bypassing there, eroding the gasket.
There is nothing wrong with the hondata gasket.
Item #3 IF and when you have a stronger pulley made for the water pump, whats next? the main bearing in the water pump will fail. I will be proving this soon. I am going to be fixing jacks car, and then will be fortifying that pulley. Id bet in less than 20k miles, the forward bearing gives, then what do we do?
If not, then we know for sure, the crappy 3 bolt design honda used, is on the edge in the stock setup. SO we will have to remedy that instead, and KW will be happy to know this, and rework their drive so they dont have any more haters.
Talk to you all soon. Pm me anytime. dave
I have watched the flames fly in every direction any time an "issue" gets brought up about the KW kit.
Bottom line is, the drive is placing more stress on the water pump pulley than was originally intended. PERIOD
There is no getting around it at all. I would dare say myself and billman have probably had our hands on more s2k's than anyone on the boards.
Its one of my primary client cars, and i have built and maintenance 100s of them.
I have NEVER seen or heard of a stock water pump pulley failing EVER.
I drove my car in the silver state, and so do several of my friends.
I ran my STOCK s2000 at 157 mph for 1 hour. NOTHING failed.
While i dont have dinner at the jacksons house, i have talked with them many times, and got to know Sr back in the day when all I did was pump out their kits for civics of all types. We were one of their big selling shops. Even sat with Sr at sema and had some good talks, in the 90s.
I have talked with junior on the phone, several times, and he even aired us out a fitting when jack needed it.
I cant figure out why, now, they arent willing to discuss multiple failures with legitimate people.
Are they hurting THAT bad? Do they want to be hurting even worse when a class action lawsuit comes into play for more of these failures.
I foresee this getting VERY ugly. Jacks car is immaculate, and well maintained. Yet he drives to san diego, and the water pump pulley FAILS?
He then drives directly to KW and is given the cold shoulder?
WTF is going on? Jack has even made buddies with oscar JR, and talked with Sr. They had HIS car, on THIER dyno. Cause they wanted to see wtf we had done to it to get those numbers.
I was on the phone this entire time. I dropped what i was doing, and drove out to where he was broke down, in an attempt to fix the car. I was the one who diag'd the head gasket being blown. I connected jack with the tow...etc etc.
Item #2. DarkwingS2k. If your hondata gasket failed, its because your install failed. I bet everything i own, the 2nd retorque wasnt done on either of your gaskets that melted there between the cooling passage and #4.
I have put in prob 50 of these, and NEVER had one fail. I had 80k+ miles on both of my personal ones. #1 problem i see on them when installed, nobody takes the time to retorque them after 100 or so miles of use. The bolts are ALWAYS 1/2 to 3/4 turn loose. People also use no sealant, or incorrect sealant on them. You need an anaerobic aluminum sealant to be used on this. As though you were sealing up an aluminum trans case, or engine case. What i see in your pics, is an under torque condition, which caused coolant to begin bypassing there, eroding the gasket.
There is nothing wrong with the hondata gasket.
Item #3 IF and when you have a stronger pulley made for the water pump, whats next? the main bearing in the water pump will fail. I will be proving this soon. I am going to be fixing jacks car, and then will be fortifying that pulley. Id bet in less than 20k miles, the forward bearing gives, then what do we do?
If not, then we know for sure, the crappy 3 bolt design honda used, is on the edge in the stock setup. SO we will have to remedy that instead, and KW will be happy to know this, and rework their drive so they dont have any more haters.
Talk to you all soon. Pm me anytime. dave
Registered User
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 51
Likes: 0
From: Saint Petersburg
[QUOTE=S2oooNvegas,Jul 29 2009, 01:03 AM] OK. My turn, since i built jacks car, and have been involved heavily with all this from the start.
I have watched the flames fly in every direction any time an "issue" gets brought up about the KW kit.
Bottom line is, the drive is placing more stress on the water pump pulley than was originally intended. PERIOD
There is no getting around it at all. I would dare say myself and billman have probably had our hands on more s2k's than anyone on the boards.
Its one of my primary client cars, and i have built and maintenance 100s of them.
I have NEVER seen or heard of a stock water pump pulley failing EVER.
I drove my car in the silver state, and so do several of my friends.
I ran my STOCK s2000 at 157 mph for 1 hour. NOTHING failed.
While i dont have dinner at the jacksons house, i have talked with them many times, and got to know Sr back in the day when all I did was pump out their kits for civics of all types. We were one of their big selling shops. Even sat with Sr at sema and had some good talks, in the 90s.
I have talked with junior on the phone, several times, and he even aired us out a fitting when jack needed it.
I cant figure out why, now, they arent willing to discuss multiple failures with legitimate people.
Are they hurting THAT bad? Do they want to be hurting even worse when a class action lawsuit comes into play for more of these failures.
I foresee this getting VERY ugly. Jacks car is immaculate, and well maintained. Yet he drives to san diego, and the water pump pulley FAILS?
He then drives directly to KW and is given the cold shoulder?
WTF is going on? Jack has even made buddies with oscar JR, and talked with Sr. They had HIS car, on THIER dyno. Cause they wanted to see wtf we had done to it to get those numbers.
I was on the phone this entire time. I dropped what i was doing, and drove out to where he was broke down, in an attempt to fix the car. I was the one who diag'd the head gasket being blown. I connected jack with the tow...etc etc.
Item #2. DarkwingS2k. If your hondata gasket failed, its because your install failed. I bet everything i own, the 2nd retorque wasnt done on either of your gaskets that melted there between the cooling passage and #4.
I have put in prob 50 of these, and NEVER had one fail. I had 80k+ miles on both of my personal ones. #1 problem i see on them when installed, nobody takes the time to retorque them after 100 or so miles of use. The bolts are ALWAYS 1/2 to 3/4 turn loose. People also use no sealant, or incorrect sealant on them. You need an anaerobic aluminum sealant to be used on this. As though you were sealing up an aluminum trans case, or engine case. What i see in your pics, is an under torque condition, which caused coolant to begin bypassing there, eroding the gasket.
There is nothing wrong with the hondata gasket.
Item #3 IF and when you have a stronger pulley made for the water pump, whats next? the main bearing in the water pump will fail. I will be proving this soon. I am going to be fixing jacks car, and then will be fortifying that pulley. Id bet in less than 20k miles, the forward bearing gives, then what do we do?
If not, then we know for sure, the crappy 3 bolt design honda used, is on the edge in the stock setup. SO we will have to remedy that instead, and KW will be happy to know this, and rework their drive so they dont have any more haters.
Talk to you all soon. Pm me anytime.
I have watched the flames fly in every direction any time an "issue" gets brought up about the KW kit.
Bottom line is, the drive is placing more stress on the water pump pulley than was originally intended. PERIOD
There is no getting around it at all. I would dare say myself and billman have probably had our hands on more s2k's than anyone on the boards.
Its one of my primary client cars, and i have built and maintenance 100s of them.
I have NEVER seen or heard of a stock water pump pulley failing EVER.
I drove my car in the silver state, and so do several of my friends.
I ran my STOCK s2000 at 157 mph for 1 hour. NOTHING failed.
While i dont have dinner at the jacksons house, i have talked with them many times, and got to know Sr back in the day when all I did was pump out their kits for civics of all types. We were one of their big selling shops. Even sat with Sr at sema and had some good talks, in the 90s.
I have talked with junior on the phone, several times, and he even aired us out a fitting when jack needed it.
I cant figure out why, now, they arent willing to discuss multiple failures with legitimate people.
Are they hurting THAT bad? Do they want to be hurting even worse when a class action lawsuit comes into play for more of these failures.
I foresee this getting VERY ugly. Jacks car is immaculate, and well maintained. Yet he drives to san diego, and the water pump pulley FAILS?
He then drives directly to KW and is given the cold shoulder?
WTF is going on? Jack has even made buddies with oscar JR, and talked with Sr. They had HIS car, on THIER dyno. Cause they wanted to see wtf we had done to it to get those numbers.
I was on the phone this entire time. I dropped what i was doing, and drove out to where he was broke down, in an attempt to fix the car. I was the one who diag'd the head gasket being blown. I connected jack with the tow...etc etc.
Item #2. DarkwingS2k. If your hondata gasket failed, its because your install failed. I bet everything i own, the 2nd retorque wasnt done on either of your gaskets that melted there between the cooling passage and #4.
I have put in prob 50 of these, and NEVER had one fail. I had 80k+ miles on both of my personal ones. #1 problem i see on them when installed, nobody takes the time to retorque them after 100 or so miles of use. The bolts are ALWAYS 1/2 to 3/4 turn loose. People also use no sealant, or incorrect sealant on them. You need an anaerobic aluminum sealant to be used on this. As though you were sealing up an aluminum trans case, or engine case. What i see in your pics, is an under torque condition, which caused coolant to begin bypassing there, eroding the gasket.
There is nothing wrong with the hondata gasket.
Item #3 IF and when you have a stronger pulley made for the water pump, whats next? the main bearing in the water pump will fail. I will be proving this soon. I am going to be fixing jacks car, and then will be fortifying that pulley. Id bet in less than 20k miles, the forward bearing gives, then what do we do?
If not, then we know for sure, the crappy 3 bolt design honda used, is on the edge in the stock setup. SO we will have to remedy that instead, and KW will be happy to know this, and rework their drive so they dont have any more haters.
Talk to you all soon. Pm me anytime.
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 7,726
Likes: 1
From: 茨城県
Originally Posted by S2oooNvegas,Jul 29 2009, 01:03 AM
I have put in prob 50 of these, and NEVER had one fail. I had 80k+ miles on both of my personal ones. #1 problem i see on them when installed, nobody takes the time to retorque them after 100 or so miles of use. The bolts are ALWAYS 1/2 to 3/4 turn loose. People also use no sealant, or incorrect sealant on them. You need an anaerobic aluminum sealant to be used on this. As though you were sealing up an aluminum trans case, or engine case. What i see in your pics, is an under torque condition, which caused coolant to begin bypassing there, eroding the gasket.
There is nothing wrong with the hondata gasket.
There is nothing wrong with the hondata gasket.
Post more info on brand/etc.
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 263
Likes: 41
Originally Posted by jvo75,Jul 29 2009, 05:02 AM
excellent post
i'm in the market for a SC and have been looking at getting the Kraftwerks for over a yr now. I want reliability most importantly and when i go FI and was hoping that Kraftwerks would supply that. Now, in the past few months, all these issues have been arising from the forum members and its really disappointing. Thanks to all you guys for posting your issues w/ these Kraftwerks kits as it is helping me choose which SC I should go with. btw..I plan on driving my S like DesertWanderer, just some spirited driving, maybe an autocross 2x a yr. Hopefully Kraftwerks will take a more serious look into these issues and get them fixed. Else, i'll need to take a harder look at the SOS SC system. Good luck to you all.
i'm in the market for a SC and have been looking at getting the Kraftwerks for over a yr now. I want reliability most importantly and when i go FI and was hoping that Kraftwerks would supply that. Now, in the past few months, all these issues have been arising from the forum members and its really disappointing. Thanks to all you guys for posting your issues w/ these Kraftwerks kits as it is helping me choose which SC I should go with. btw..I plan on driving my S like DesertWanderer, just some spirited driving, maybe an autocross 2x a yr. Hopefully Kraftwerks will take a more serious look into these issues and get them fixed. Else, i'll need to take a harder look at the SOS SC system. Good luck to you all.
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,013
Likes: 1
From: franklin
Originally Posted by DesertWanderer,Jul 29 2009, 08:47 PM
When (and if) my Rotrex fails I will be buying the SOS system. Take care guys!
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 263
Likes: 41
Originally Posted by archtop,Jul 29 2009, 09:08 AM
I thought you said you like "low end torque" ? If you want reliability and a car that hauls ass why not get a C6 ? Those things are great right out of the box with a full warranty.Seriously Desert Wanderer, I owned one and if I did the type driving you do I would be back in a C6 not a modded S2k.
Take care!
