anyone had any bad experiences with used kit? Im thinking about supercharging my ap1 but dont want to put down the cash for a new set up. also any of you FI guys, what is your experience with the reliability?

 

your call on whether or not to buy used, but new seems to make more sense to me.

 

I bought used and have had no problems, it was a good kit. But like anything used its a gamble, just make sure its complete and you ask all the right questions. I think people that don't know what questions to ask are the ones that have the most suprises or problems.

Food for thought) a basic bearing/seal rebuild on the Novi blower is only $425. CT engineering does this. That would be the biggest worriesome with a used kit with allot of miles or a kit that has been run with a smaller pulley. Smaller pulleys require more belt tention to keep from slipping and more tention can add premature bearing wear in the blower if not done right.

Though anoying, I would rather spen $3000- $3500 on a used CTSC and have to send in for a blower rebuild sooner then hoped, then caugh up $6500 ...no what I mean. I think Comptech is the most reliable but only after the updated bracket revisions and A/C was incorperated. Those are some tips for you. Hope that helps.

 

why did you double post this?

 

I bought a CTSC blower, hardware to mount it, and a UR FMIC second hand on this forum for $2k. Even after injectors, smaller pulley, Greddy EMU, and tuning, I'm still under the price of a basic non-AC CTSC kit brand new.

I'm sending my blower in next spring for a rebuild regardless of it actually needing one. Unknown miles on it and I'm going higher boost, but still, it's only $425.

 

how many miles is "alot" on one of these kits?

i double posted because im an idiot...

 

also ive heard that supercharging is much more reliable than going with a turbo. Is this true?

 

Yes it requires much less total expense to have a reliable SC set up then a turbo as well. There are some reliable Turbo set ups on the road, but in comparison to a CTSC for example they are much much fewer. There is more heat and more tuning woes to deal with on a turbo. A SC is much easier to make work with the factory engine tuning and running charistics.

 

I had a similier question for the guys at CT engineering before purchasing my used CT kit and the rep said that he has seen bearing failures on the blower anywhere from 2000 - 200,000 miles. he didn't have a typical scenario for me> I guess they encounter all kinds of situations. Belt tention I believe is the number one premature failure on the blowers. I think on a stock 5.5 psi or moderately boost level like under 10 psi you could have reliable performance well into the 200,000 mile range - if you are good about maintaining your stuff. Don't know that to be true with a turbo S though I supose its possible given enough money to build and maintian. With a turbo though as previously mentioned, you build allot more heat and thats the number one killer of any engine, another thing is a turbo builds max boost much earlier in the rpm range then a SC which only sees max boost at max rpm. So in this scenario the SC puts allot less wear and tear on the engine over the same mileage.

 

cool, im just thinking about power for the money. I could buy an amuse exhaust and make 10hp or a CTSC and make 150hp...