Hey Guys-

Doing mad research on the SPI Power Excel Kit. MMMMM Horsepower! However, I don't know if anyone has it as a daily driver, as I would. Also, how is reliability, etc. Thanks!

Chris

 

they are very reiable...as long as you aren't running around over boosting...I have built/installed four in the last few months...they are amazing....I am going to be doing mine ...very soon...most mods top out at similar $ and you are lucky if you make as much HP...where as with the TC kit it's only the beginning....

Part of the reason I did the installs was I wanted to learn what they were about...I know them inside and out now and I am still amazed....hence the diciding to do it my self

 

Does the kit cause over-boosting? Like, could you drive it like you stole it and still be reliable? Cause there is no way I could not floor it all the time...

 

no the kit it's self does not...it should be set up and tuned properly....however, your ego can cause you to over boost cause you'll wanna turn it up!!

 

How does the SPI kit compete against the Helix TK?

 

Other than turbo size the SPI kit is the one on the worlds fastest mini....so I say there is no comparison

 

Is there anywhere out on the east coast, mainly around MD that would install and tune this kit? From SPI

 

I don't think so....I dunno though...you would have to contact Hubie for that answer

 

Second qeustion..........you said you have installed a few of these. I know my way around motors and cars pretty good. Would this kit be hard to install myself? only thing i am worried about would be tuning. but im pretty sure i could get some local to do that.

 

If you can do an intake, a header and cut plastic.....yes....more or less...

there would be things to make sure you know....

like where to set the accuator...and stuff like that....

 

Practical question, which I think will be useful to know:

Does owning and operating an SPI TC kit require any extra user knowledge/technique/know how? It seems like you've said that a few things were user error. ASIDE from tuning, must you be extra mechanically inclined to recognize when/if anything is going wrong? Truthfully, Tuls, you know more than most, so...your opinion of ease may not be shared by everyone. Having a basic user experience level [whether "anyone can apply" or "don't try this at home" or such]. Cheers.

 

How much difference is there in price between the two? If things turn my way, it may just be worth it to drive to the west coast and stay awhile as the MINI goes under the wrench. But until the warranty is gone, looks like it's gonna be Dinan next summer

 

Power is great! Boost is good in moderation (this is where tuning comes into play).

You've gotta ask yourself how strong is your motor currently? Not all engines comes that come off the assembly line are speced to the same tollerances. Sometimes engines will wear differently due to these manufacturing differences/tolerance issues. This may or may not lead to premature failure of parts when you start getting up to 200hp/liter, which is very close to where you'd be if you twincharged your motor. Just imagine if the V8 5.0 had 200hp/liter. That's a whopping 1000hp! Or how about a I4 2.0L (fairly standard size for many subcompacts), that'd be 400hp. Wow. So you can see that the scale of the types of stresses you're going to be applying to your engine.

So say you've bitten the bullet and go twincharged. And let's assume, you're not getting the HP outta one of these kits when set to the boost level where other T/C kits are set to. Don't let your tuner try to add more boost to "keep up with the jones" . Clearly there's other issues with your car that need to be addressed to bring up the HP without having to boost too much. Get with your tuner and have them address the issues.

Setting boost levels too high on a stock engine will cause problems. It seems the consensus is that right around 25psi you seem to start getting into issues with things breaking. The first thing to break will be the piston. It is not a catastrophic failure, but a broken "shoulder" that holds the piston ring (which people call a ring-land). Usually a half inch long piece will break off (and usually stays in place) causing compression loss and therefor power loss. A broken ringland on the piston generally won't cause any problems with your head, crank, rods, or block. They should be re-usable as is. The uprated pistons cost around $700 for the parts, then consider labor for the install. Some people with high mileage will go ahead and re-fresh the whole engine (new seals, bearings, gaskets, etc) at the same time. Other people with lower mileage just swap out the pistons and don't go to the extra expense of re-freshing their motor. But then again, this is for if you were to have problems. Many T/C kits currently installed on cars and are running a max of 19psi of boost and are getting over 250whp to the ground.

At the price-point of twincharging, you're already committed to a lot of money. Just be sure you have some extra room in your budget to allow you to get other things you just might consider as necessary. I know I did. I found that I wanted certain gauges, a better exhaust system, misc engine part upgrades, etc. I say this because as you research the kit and learn about the technology, you'll desire other things to go along with the kit.

Think of it as buying a brand new suit. Now you've gotta go out and get some new shoes, new ties, new socks, etc because you don't wanna look bad in your new suit now do you? :-)

 

operation issues...I think the biggest problem with any turbo kit is that it's so easy to turn up the boost....and well your ego will get you to do it...that's where the stock pistons can find limitations...

Also, if you can watch a boost gauge then it's for anyone. cuase as a driver if you see your boost approching dangerous levels I.E. 24.5 lbs...then let off....the key there is APPROCHING DANGEROUS LEVELS. once you hit dangerous...well it's proly too late....I have heard it time and again..."it was only for a second" but the problem is...it's only a millisecond of time for somethign to go wrong...

as for install, it's really quite straight forward...there are things that have to be taken out...some that need some trimming...and then you are literally swaping out parts with others...I would say you need a QUALITY TQ wrench...and if you don't have the tools...go and get them...don't just use something that's good enough.

I would accually reccomend people doing the install only cause then you know where things are and know where to look if something was to get loose or need checking....again it's not hard....just time consuming...and if you can turn a bolt you can do an instal

 

Again, as repeated in this thread a couple of times, this is where a tuner also comes into play. You car should not be allowed to reach these unsafe levels of boost, since it is controllable by the tune and also is one of the primary things to be set when tuning. (Certainly the tuner cannot stop you from smacking headlong into a wall at 135MPH, or stop you from downshifting into 2nd while doing 110MPH, or stop you from putting in 87 octane into your tank.) The tuner should be able to ensure, by adjusting the wastegate, etc., that you don't get to these boost levels no matter how you drive wether in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th gear, with WOT or part throttle, climbing a hill, or decending. It's part of setting the drivability factor.

As Tüls has said, the wastegate doesn't adjust itself. It's a part where someone has to disconnect the linkage and screw in / out then reconnect it and test where the boost levels are. Let the tuner do this for you. I'm scared as hell to adjust mine with all of the talk of broken stuff happening. I've never moved mine from the tuner set position and don't plan to do so unless I have a tuner do stuff to my car to ensure it's strong enough to boost more.

 

Where to look for Kit parts list, layout and pictures???

 

I've had some experience with the products and people behind both kits and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend either of them. Both offer different approaches to the same basic idea of feeding the supercharger with pre-boosted air from the turbo. Also, I would make sure to get the kit (either one of them) installed by someone with intimate knowledge and experience with that specific kit.

 

anyone could buy most of the parts from a variety of places; a few parts will require special sourcing (exhaust manifold, intake tubes), but the tricky areas will be the computer interfacing, programming, dyno tuning, and a few secrets. Since the kit seller can't really sell enough to get volume discounts, his profit comes from the special knowledge, experience, custom parts, etc. he has developed and the labor for install.
I say go the kit mfg. for the install. Give him his due for developing the kit and let him do the work and back it up.

 

Not in kit form though. Not bashing the kit or the company, but the above statement is misleading.

 

Hey Guys-

Thanks for all the input. I can not believe the sheer power this thing will have. This is a toy to be reckoned with later on. My friends make fun of me for driving a cozy coupe as I am 6'3" 230. One of my friends has an STi, and that is quick, but at a few hundred pounds lighter and same amount of HP, I think I could make him go like this. Then say HAHA I spent $3,000 less and have a car just as fast. But I wouldn't, cuz thats not mini spirit. Anyway, does anyone on here ACTUALLY HAVE THIS KIT INSTALLED IN THEIR CAR BESIDES BRYAN! Let me know. See you on the roadways,

Chris

 

I think dominicminicoopers summed it up really well with his first post.

 

I am really interested in twincharging my car would have to do the install myself as I am in Ireland,
could get a local tuner to fine tune this for me.
my request is could we get a comprehensive write up on this?
i.e. where to source uprated pistons and what are these shoes and tie talked about earlier???? and where to get them,
also if someone was installing a twincharge kit could they take some pics while doing so and post them please????

 

I think the Helix is better. Comes with an Electronic Boost Controller.

 

...other than the turbo and the Front mount the kit is the same...mounted on a mini motor that has pistons...other than that the motor is STOCK...oh and has 30k some miles on it WITH the kit...that was only modified cause we felt like it....not cause it needed to...infact before we changed the turbo and added the front mount the kit was the same...and was making 350 WHP....was driven daily and accross the US numerous times...

so the statement was not misleading...it's fact...if you ask me that's pretty flippin good...
yeah cause that has anything to do with QUALITY of the kit...

for anyone who's interested in an EBC you can add one...

 

So the motor in the race car is Hubies old motor from his silver car or was the race car driven back and forth across the US? Does this count as one of the 30 kits in the road ? We are stil waiting to see that list fill up.