Thanks Keck. The tanks/cooling circuits are independent (like yours is now), so there are 2 level sensors. BennettBuilt wired them up for me, I believe they're run in parallel. So if either is low, the dash light comes on.

The Pettit intake is a custom version of the Greddy turbo intake that is on RX8Performance's website. It just fits the new throttle body position better and keeps the intake outside the engine bay but above the bumper bar (like an AEM/MS but not down to the grille where it eats water and dust). It's late getting finished, but I'll be sure to post a short review here when I get it installed.

 

Interesting. Did pettit do a one-off for you or did it come with the kit you bought?
Remember to prime the marine pump for the A2W intercooler! Since I got my car back from the rebuild, I have noticed lower coolant temps in the A2W line (where my sensor is). I wonder if over the years something happened, and my pump had stopped working and I never noticed. I used to see around 150F in the summer but this year its usually 110-125F

Down the road I am going to have to contact Bennett. The "want" is high after seeing those pics. Both of my tanks are so filthy with oil fingerprints that wont come off. I just want some other things first and its running really well now. If you dont mind, can you PM me what he charged for it so I can put it on my list of future mods.

 

The intake is not from Pettit, it's from Scott/RX8Performance (sponsor on this page). They make an intake for the Greddy turbo kit, it's listed on their site. What he does is make a Pettit version of it that is not listed on their site.

I'll try to get you information on my tanks tonight. If I forget, you can pester me via PM.

 

Sorry, forgot to add:

I bought an upgraded Bosch electric water pump. I'm still going to mount it as low as I can to keep it primed.

I'll have a lot to watch upon first startup: both cooling circuit levels, oil level, transmission fluid level, S/C oil level, etc., etc.

 

Finally got my act together and started reassembly.

Anyone have a recommendation for a nice aluminum sohn reservoir? Thinking of mounting a tank for that and a catch can where the windshield washer tank is.

Any thoughts on a good place to run wiring through the firewall?

 

Holy hell oblit, that is looking amazingly clean! Can't wait to see this sucker all put together! I'm going to have to buy a set of those BennettBuilt tanks as well; those are sharp, and the ability to have a warning when your SC coolant gets low is an absolute must! Plus my regular stock coolant tank's stupid sensor is broken like everybody else's is anyway

I do have a question I've been wondering for a bit though, for anyone who already has their SC installed. I always knew turbos have to spool up and hence weren't "in boost" for the first 3K or 4K RPM of the power band, so you could drive in low RPMs without putting any extra boost-stress on the engine. However, for the longest time I just sort of assumed that a supercharger, since it doesn't need to spool up and because the SC's RPMs and boost level are directly tied to the engine's RPMs, would just sort of always be in boost even if it was just a little bit of boost. A while back I was reading this web site in the "Extended Information" section tab and it keeps talking about a bypass valve and how it moderates or initiates boost at certain RPMs and how the compressor is free-spinning at lower RPMs; I started wondering (but I can't seem to find an answer by Googling) - What RPM range does your SC's boost actually kick in at? Can you cruise along on the freeway at 3,500 RPM without being in boost? And how does this lack of boost in lower RPMs not end up roughly equating to the same feeling of the infamous turbo problem of "boost-lag?" It seems like a really basic question, I've just never really thought about it before.

 

They aren't in boost at any rpm till you put load on the engine by (opening the throttle) as it's the extra exhaust gas that makes the turbine spin faster driving the compressor to produce boost . A good setup will make boost from as low as 2000 rpm and will be fully spooled to whatever you want by around 4000 .

A SC should only go into boost the same way a turbo does (when you put your foot down). The diverter valve recirculates the air to prevent boost (in combination with the throttle) under cruise conditions. The SC used here comes into boost instanly at around 4-5psi or so at low rpm (2-3000rpm) then gradually increases boost as revs climb.However this low down boost doesn't mean more low down torque than decent turbo setup ,because the extra power to drive the SC offsets that boost to a large extent.
Take a look at the dyno in the link and you will see what I mean : https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-maj...7/#post3158241

 

Those charts are interesting. I rode in a 4 port auto with a BNR upgraded greddy and I felt lag down low in the rpm band but the pull from mid to top end was strong. I have owned several turbo cars myself with free flowing exhausts so I can recognize the lag. I don't feel lag like that with a supercharger. Once I initiate load, the pull feels pretty instantaneous. I am usually at 8psi around 3k and would hit 11psi at 3500 when i had the high boost setup. But its linear so there is no surge in power. If I would let someone drive my car, they would not think it has FI if I did not tell them. To me, it feels like it has a high reving inline 6. On those charts, it does feel as linear as the SC plot line indicates. I am just sorta surprised how much more power the turbo makes at lower rpms.

On the other hand, the butt dyno had me convinced the top end of the turbo was significantly higher the sc.

 

Do you have the improved design second gen bypass valve for the kit?

Boost will come on any time you stab the throttle while in motion. But its so instant/linear, you might be surprised that you were in boost. Your speeds will just be much higher and hear that sc whine. The first time you might think like someone nearby needs to change their power steering belt on their old car.

Amount of boost is more tied to load than rpm per se just like a turbo. When you see people say "I hit XX psi at XX rpm ", its because they had the pedal pinned to the ground. If you are cruising along at 55 rpm with like 20% throttle, then you are only making a few psi. Its similar with a turbo. After you get it all running, take it on the highway and set the cruise and watch it. You can see the boost build when you come to an incline and decrease when you go downhill. I hope that clears it up for you.

 

Thanks for the clarification! And also Brettus too. So now I know it's more throttle-based than RPM-based.

I'm not sure... It's the kit BennetBuilt was selling about 2 years ago. The bypass valve, if I remember correctly, was indeed black like the original product order supercharger page on Pettit's web site says the Gen II one was, but I can't remember if it is black plastic or anodized black aluminum. How would I tell what generation it is? Do they look different? Is one black plastic and one aluminum, or were they both metal? My kit came as a Stage II kit with the dual coolers and 8psi pulley and everything, would that increase the likelihood of having a Gen II valve?

 

Thanks buddy! I'm trying to do things right the first time, but it's taking way longer than I expected. My sensor was bad too, so I pitched the OEM tank and got the dual tank.

Brettus of course giving a way better explanation than anyone else would. Thanks.

I got the metal one, but honestly, it seemed a bit hoakey. I got myself a TiAL QRJ instead.

 

I should add that I've made a bit more progress. I got the wiring harness in and half hooked up and started to put in some of the Samco silicone hoses. Looking good so far! I also have something special in the works.

 

What headers are you running? Does your kit have a remote oil filler adapter? I only ask because adding oil becomes such a PITA that it burps up oil out of the neck onto the strut tower. I ripped out my insulation there since it was getting so nasty from it.

Gen 2 was the metal one. The plastic ones were known to fail. I have put like 20k miles on the metal one without any leaking. It doesnt seem to be as big an issue as like a turbo car since we are running generally lower psi.

I really wonder how many people are still left running these kits. The shop that did my rebuild got another rx8 with the kit. It was mentioned a bunch in the beginning of this thread. It was owned by a girl who would take it to some bigger shows around the Philly area.

 

I have the Racing Beat headers. So far they look pretty nice.

I'm not sure what you mean by filler adapter. I have the funnel thing that mounts by the brake booster. I also bought Ryan Rotary's "fix" for this (he posted a picture a couple pages back). I'm not sure how much it'll help, but I figured I'd just install it while I was in there, since I heard everyone else complain about the slow filling. I'll have to let you know how it works.

I want to say Pettit claimed to sell like 50 kits total (they posted early in this thread with the count). From what Carl Ryan had said, it sounds like many of them have been sent to the UK... They command a premium over there.

 

Things are starting to come together here.

 

I think mine might be the crappy old Gen 1 plastic model, do you have a link to the TiAL QRJ one that you picked up? Keeping excess/unnecessary boost under control is definitely a big factor with our notoriously fragile Renesis engines, can't skimp on the bypass valve for sure! Your setup is looking on-point, can't wait to see the special thing you've got in the works I ordered one of those aluminum LRB intake under-trays a few weeks ago too and now I'm glad I did, that looks super-slick!

 

I can't post a link, but it's just the TiAL QRJ with the smallest hose outlets (1"?) On both sides, not the vband connections. I went with their standard spring (they recommend it for superchargers). Other than that just pick the color (I imagine you'll get a blue one lol).

 

Thanks! I found it on JEGS for a decent price... Did you need to buy any of the separate, specific flanges, clamps, etc. with it? Or just the default diverter valve package as-is?

[EDIT] - Oh wait... I see, I get it now - you buy the little 1" adapter flanges and screw them into the blow-off valve unit. OK. Gotcha. I thought I had to buy a custom unit with 1" openings and I was freaking out because I couldn't find it

Another possibly stupid question though - where does the little tiny hose go that attaches to the little silver metal barbed connector? I think it's a 3/8" hose..?

Aaand one more question... On the JEGS site they only have the default 3psi spring option but here on this site you can choose from either a 3psi spring (denoted as being for a Turbocharger) or a (1.5psi spring denoted as being specifically for a Supercharger)... Which spring did you go with? Which do you think is better for our supercharger?

 

Looks like you figured out the inlet and outlet.

I got the default spring. If you go to the TiAL website, they have a chart for spring rates and the two lightest ones (default 3 and 1.5) are both listed as supercharger (the QRJ has a different chart than the Q or QR). I also emailed TiAL and described the Pettit setup and they said stick with the standard spring. You can open the unit and change it later if you really wanted to.

The small vacuum tube hooks up just like it does on your current one. There is a small barb on the end of the unit.

I posted a picture a few pages back, if you need I'll post another here.

 

Anyone ever worry about this??

 

I remember seeing that pic but couldnt place how it was set up. Do you have an installed pic?

 

Keck, here's the best I have right now (zoomed in on a larger picture). The barb with blue tape will be the hose that runs to the filler funnel. The black fitting is just a plug. He said it's not used on our setup.

Now this is just my guess here, but I think it's just meant to be a larger tube than the Pettit supplied one. I thought that black plug would be the new case vent point (rather than the T fitting in the hose that Pettit had). But I guess this isn't so. I can't say I fully understand it and I won't have a comparison to the standard Pettit fitting since I don't want to tear it apart for a back to back comparison. If there is room under the compressor, I may use the blanked off hole for the vent, so the oil can fill down the tube and burp from there, rather than fight to burp out the T fitting higher up.

Maybe you can tell me if you think this makes sense??

I definitely want the best fill since I'll be running thicker oil due to the Sohn adapter I installed. This would just make the filling issue worse.

 

Oh wow that is definitely buried behind the SC once its installed. I used to run 10w40 in the summer. I would prob lose like a quarter of a quart filling it up though the T on an oil change. Its not the end of the world but with that area opened up for your build it is def a good idea to take care of it.

Your engine bay is really impressive. What do you plan on doing with mounting the coils? Mine looks ghetto fab under the intake filter

 

Thanks Keck.

I'm not 100% sure yet... I need to get some other stuff in to see what room I have. I custom ordered my LRB airbox tray to fit around my S/C coolant tank, but also to have fold-up sides. I think I'm going to secure them from vibrating (bolt on some brackets or maybe just get it welded), which solves the rattle problem but may be stiff enough to mount stuff on. I need to mount my coils and an air/oil separator (better than a catch can) in the air box area (maybe one on each side wall?). I'll have to see how routing the vacuum lines and coil wires looks in each location. I did finally get the RX8Performance intake, which will move the filter out of that area, so that should help clean things up a bit.

I am also working on a cleaner version of Epitroch's Sohn adapter kit. I bought the kit, and it's actually a pretty complete and well thought out kit, but I tend to do things overkill. So I bought an aluminum tank for the 2 stroke oil and am trying to find a smaller aluminum tank for the windshield washer fluid. I may not even fill the tank, but I like things to look OEM+, meaning upgraded/modded but with am OEM finish. So I want to hook the pump and wires up to a tank - just not a plastic one. I don't think I've ever sprayed the windshield washers in the car since I got it new in 06 and I kept the "original" washer fluid from the tank when I removed it a few months ago. Yes, I know I'm nuts.

 

looks good but i would suggest taking out the engine bay insulation. imo it looks cleaner/better