Science of Speed Stage 1 Supercharger Kit Reliability
 

I have a stock 2005 S2000, considering installing the Science of Speed Stage 1 supercharger Kit on my car. I have a well maintained car with low mileage. Reliability is very important to me. Has anyone regretted installing this Kit? Has anyone had reliability issues with this Kit? This is a street car that does not see the track. Thanks

I recommend getting the stage 2. I started with stage 1 and ended up with upgrading the blower to the Novi 1200 as well as full standalone ECU.

Was your stage 1 setup reliable?

since of speed super charger are considered to be one of the most reliable forced induction kits on the market. If you go this route i highly suggest you get the bigger 1200 blower with after market bigger injectors and an aem ems with a custom tune. Any less its not worth the time in my opinion.

Science of speed sc is top of the mark for reliability. Performance aside, doing a stage 1 is also the most reliable form it comes in. That's not to say stepping into higher boost with the needed supporting mods iE bigger injectors and a stand alone EMS cant be reliable, but it adds several new variables which can be issues initially or down the road depending on your luck and who your tuner is. If your not power hungry and just want a respectable fun boost in the pants over stock while retaining OEM reliability and arguably longevity, then do the standard SOS stage 1 system and be happy.

I've personally been down this road several times and have come full circle. If you don't have reliability you have nothing as far as i'm concerned. This car is only fun if you can use it when and wherever and not worry about breaking down 500 miles or more from home if you like taking road trips like I do, or better deal with track abuse/heat issues if you ever want to do this.

350whp/8psi with factory injectors/ECU/Neo and water/meth injection is where ive settled. Its the most reliable set up possible at the most power possible for the set up. I've maximized everything. Its basically a stage 1.5 by my doing. Stage 1 if your not savvy, stick to that. You will get an honest 300-315whp out of the set up. 450whp was fun in-between breaking rear ends, trans and engines. Did that drill for about 8 years until I became broke and too frustrated. Went back to NA for 3 years to cleans my pallet and then start over in a more sensible smarter way. I envy those guys that seem to hardly ever have issues with this car making 500-600whp, but I cant figure out how other then they simply just don't use the car/put the miles on like I do -10k year ave for me.

I appreciate your insightful and detailed response. Reliability is everything to me. If I move forward with forced induction, I’m going to follow your recommendation with the Stage 1 kit and the stock ECU. I enjoy already enjoy driving the car in stock form, a little extra reliable power would just be a bonus! Thanks

Just want to steer you in the right direction. If you asked "whats the best supercharger set up with the most hp potential?" my answer/feedback would be different, more akin to the other posters.

I was just reading a thread from a while back that mentioned the SOS Stage 1 is made for a completely stock S2000, correct?

What I was reading was that the stage 1 can have issues on a car with header, test pipe, exhaust in terms of the tune/AFR.

I was thinking about going with the tuner kit, 9lb pulley, ID1050's, novi 1200 and AEM V2 just because I've read the stage 1 can have issues on cars with mods but if that's not the case, I'd much rather have the stage 1 than have to worry about blowing diffs, etc.

Stage 1 is not an issue with those mods as long as you turn up the fuel pressure accordingly to get a safe afr. The kit comes with a adjustable rising rate fuel pressure regulator for fuel tuning. Regardless if your car is stock or not, you need to set the pressure based on a safe afr, which means either equip your car with afr/wideband monitoring which I highly recommend, so you can always make sure the car stays in tune year around and you can tweak as needed, or at least take to a dyno after install to set it at a safe level with some margin for cooler temp if its a year around DD. Its a near plug and play system with a recommended fuel pressure starting point to get you on the road, but I would never trust that flying blind. You need to have afr monitoring with any boost set up if you want to play the long game, trouble free and reliable.

If I install the SOS Stage 1 supercharger kit; it would be with the stock AP2 header and stock catalytic converter unless SOS recommends a change to a high flow catalytic converters. I would also install a wideband O2 sensor and a fuel pressure gauge. I would also put the car on a dyno if required.