Okay let me see if I have this straight,

VF offers a "Centrifugal" type SC system which is a tried and true classic SC. This system also draws its oil from the cars oil supply. One disadvantage to this system is that the centrifugal type SC's produce a slight lag as result of their design. They are extremely reliable but require re-building/re-furbish from time to time.

TPC, from what I understand, offers a screw type SC that uses its own self contained synthetic oil supply? This type of SC is more popular among OEM companies and is the type that can be found on the Ford GT500, Merc AMG's, Jag's etc etc. They are used for these applications due to their instant boost. The self contained oil system is said to increase the life of the SC and reduces wear caused by circulating the vehicles oil through the SC.

Both companies offer re-flashing of the ECU. VF uses a GIAC tune. What does TPC use?

I own a E36 M3 and I used to consider supercharging it. When I was doing my research back then I found that the "screw type" SC systems were the preferred system due to their lack of lag and the amount of power which they produced. They were also much more expensive than the Centrifugal Rotax type and Vortech type systems.

Yet, with the Porsche 997 it appears most prefer the VF kit?

Anyone with some good knowledge on both?

Jason

 

OK Jason...I am NO expert but have owned 3 superchargers on 3 different cars.
Kenne bell(whipple) on my Jeep Grand Cherokee and this thing RIPPED!I guess it should too,we changed the pulley to make 11 psi of boost!
I had an Eaton supercharger on my NSX.....pulled hard from get-go but lacked upper rpm pull.Also it had some whine(some people like this and some don't)...I do!
The VF acts more like a turbo and boost ramps up higher in the RPM's.Also VF's NEW system is self contained oiling(V3).
Yes the TPC is probably torquier out of the hole/dig over the VF but the VF will chase it down.They are both great systems IMO and would have loved to have tried both but $$$$$!
The VF does use a GIAC tuning and TPC NOW does their own ECU tuning...no more piggyback stuff.
I think TPC's problem is lack of promotion.That and the fact that some people hate the whine...I think it is awesome!
I also think all these chargers offer something a little different from one another...

Hope I helped a bit and as I think of things I will add them to this!



Stacy

 

They are extremely reliable but require re-building/re-furbish from time to time.




Keep fresh oil (I prefer engine's oil and would modify V3 to use engine oil) and you should get 100,000 miles out of the Vortech before a $400 rebuild.

 

save your money and get a 997 TT

 

While I think 997TT's are a great car compared to its competition. They are not focused enough for me. Even my 997S is a better track platform. I am not saying anything we dont all already know though. For that kind of money I would rather have a GT3...even a 996 GT3. The 997TT is a great car if you want a point and shoot weapon, or if you have the means you could mod the heck out of it and get somewhere close to C2/GT3 feel. From what I understand the Werks1 997TT's are pretty close to perfect without jumping to the scary GT2.

Dont get me wrong, if I had the money to burn, one fun project I have considered is doing up a nice 997TT. However, I would stray away from the norm and convert it to RWD right away and focus on suspension mods, especially in the front. So, in essence, for what I want in a car, it makes more sense to stick with my C2S and SC it than it does to move to a 997TT and try to give it that C2 feeling. Plus its a lot cheaper.

The king in the 911 lineup for me is the RS and not the TT's....not even the GT2. There appears to be a divide here among Porschefiles...

Jason

 

i think you and i have almost the exact same taste in platforms. if i got into a 997 TT( i never will because i like the GT3 better), the first thing i would do is convert to 2wd and tighten up the suspension. and i too prefer a GT3 way over a TT.

however, when you SC your C2S, your more than half way to the TT behavior on the track. you're going to lose the C2S throttle resolution and FI is not very well suited for the track.

its either flatspotting or fighting off a rush of power

i say keep your car, enjoy it, sell it, get a GT3

 

SCing your car with a centrifuge compressor IS NOT half way to a TT and is not anything like the bloated TT. Much better response, more nimble and quicker. What's this about flat spotting and rush of power? Obviously you have no experience with a supercharged 996 or 997 C2.

 

im talking about FI in general. i do look at it as hacking up a nice car.

rush of power comment came from a video i saw of walter rohl comparing the turbo to the gt3. its on utube

 

A car with an SC operates totally differently than one with a turbo. At the track, the SC is more predictable and controllable.

 

Not sure I get this. I haven't driven an SC'd 997, but I have driven a TT and I own a SC'd car. The performance characteristics of SC's are quite different than a TT. Both good and bad, but for street and track use (save for two issues - below) a better answer. A SC tends to amplify the behavior of the NA engine. No high-rpm rush, no spooling delays, just amplified torque and horsepower that tends to (based on the tune) mirror the curves of the stock motor. TT's are thrill machines that may generate more visceral excitement, but they are imprecise in drive-ability. Having the skill to exactly know the time offset and power hit of a TT is a challenge for the best driver, and you're forced to temper your right foot if in doubt. One good reason that Porsche TT's (save for GT2's) are AWD. Moreover, because TT's have a large top-end power and boost bias, engine mods are more likely required to survive the modification. Lowered compression ratio's, stronger bottom ends. That's why most well-done TT upgrades are so expensive.
The SC drawbacks are twofold: for a street car, they significantly decrease fuel mileage. Because they are 'hard wired' from low rpm's onward, a light right foot doesn't generate the same savings as that same foot with a TT (as long as the turbos don't spool up, you have the equivalent of a NA low compression engine); and heat soak is a common problem when pushing most SC conversions. Just too much power, across the powerband, coming out of a lump that was never designed to do it. On the street, no problem. But many SC owners comment that when aggressively tracked, as the laps build, the spark-retarding/engine-preservation functions start to kick in.
But a SC getting you half-way to a TT? No complicated AWD, no spooling issues, precise control with your right foot. Nope, it's all the way and then some. Still no GT3, but modern SC's are impressive pieces of technology.

 

Stacy, could you elaborate more about ECU part?
I was under impression that any SC requires piggubank ECu as it also controls fifth injector?

Ok, better way to ask this is - do those new SC systems require installation of additional fuel injector?

 

The older TPC kits used a Piggyback ECU upgrade instead of just re-flashing it. VF does not use a fifth injector (at least I dont believe they do) but TPC does.

Jason

 

I believe that TPC DOES NOT use the extra injectors anymore but rather upgrades existing injectors(Casey@TPC could confirm this) and their ECU is definatley NOT a piggyback system anymore(older kits yes new ones no).
Vf also uprgrades the injectors to larger ones and does ECU programs(no piggybacks).
Hope that helps!

Stacy

 

Yeah lets get some confirmation on this


Jason

 

We now use 6 larger injectors and a flash tune that we do in house. We do our own tuning. Our new(upcoming) FI system for the 996 and 997 uses the same style of fueling/tuning. Anything else?