Now that these kits have had a little burn in time and some members have had the joy of bringing their Fits into the forced induction world... It would be useful for other members who are looking at getting into either one of these kits to know what bugs, issues, reviews, pros, and cons there are for each kit.

Explain why you recommend the kit of your choice and the reasoning to why you didn't choose the other.

I know there was a comparison thread, but that thread wasn't as helpful as it was started before the kits were released and tested by members.

Here's what I know of the kits:

T1R Turbo kit, yields approx. 145whp @ 4.5psi with no additional exhaust mods.
Potential for 165whp @ 6psi with exhaust mods.
Additional tuning is required to run 6psi
Oil cooler is highly recommended.
Turbo Timer is required.
Maximum torque is evident at ~3500rpms.
Boost Controller if you wish to run higher psi.
MSRP $3895 + oil cooler + turbo timer + tuning

KWSC kit, yields 122whp with no exhaust mods
145whp @ 5psi with exhaust and injector upgrade.
Honda Reflash Package with 310cc Injectors to be available (???whp gain)
High Boost (10psi) kit soon to be available (???whp gain)
Smooth HP and Torque curves
MSRP $3495 base kit
MSRP Hondata Reflash Package $995
MSRP High Boost Kit ????

From what I have gathered from other threads:

• both kits have thrown CELs, some have been explained, and some are in the works.
• Turbo install is a little more involved than the supercharger
• Injector Upgrade has caused some issues with the KWSC kit
• Break-in period is definitely needed for the T1R kit

For driveability, ideally it would be great to see a Fit with the T1R kit and another with a KWSC kit side by side. Be able to drive them and compare how each feels.. but that would only be in a perfect world....

 

My experience with the KWSC is that it has a very stock feel with the addition of a little more power. Where the stock Fit had adequate pull till about 4 grand, the supercharger carries that all the way to redline. I'm sure most of us won't be able to chime in until the Hondata comes out to make a final conclusion on the kit at 5 lbs, but I am very happy with the kit. I have not had a single problem w/ it since I've owned it.

My MPG's are almost exactly the same w/ only a slight decrease of maybe 1 or 2 mpg at most. I also enjoy how much less throttle input is required for hill climbing and accelerating at in higher gears. I'm sure that is probably something you won't be able to do with the turbo kit.

As for the price I will tell that in the end you will probably pay more to get the supercharger kit as you will need to purchase the base kit and Hondata upgrade to get the most potential out of it, but after that upgrading to 10lbs of boost is simply a pulley and a belt.

Expect to pay at least $4500, for the base kit w/ the best tuning available and upgraded injectors. To upgrade to high boost..... From what was told to me @ the Skunk2 facility shouldn't cost more than $200.

Where you will regain some of the cost, comes in the ease of installation. Although it probably won't be an easy install for most, a competent person w/ a decent set of tools and floor jack should be able to complete the entire install by themself in under 12 hours. This should save you about 800-900 in installation costs. Although it is still possible to install the turbo kit @ home, generally that install will be a fair bit more complicated and you might just want to take it to a shop to get it done, unless you have more experience working on cars.

I could probably go on a lot longer on the pros and cons of both kits, but this post is getting long. PM me if you have any other questions about the kit

 

Can anyone tell me which kit would be better or if they would be the same when it comes to Daily Driving, and Road Trips around 3-6hrs?

Will the Turbo overheat? what about the KWSC since it doesn't have a intercooler? I want to make sure that which ever one I go with I won't regret later on.. is the highboost KWSC kit going to be harder on the engine vs the 6psi T1R kit?

 

The Rotrex runs Very cool compared to a turbo. I have taken 2hr drives in 100+ temps and it is fine. During Dyno Testing Oscar Sr/Jr would grab the piping during the Runs, as where a Turbo app it would burn you for sure.

 

While not having specific experience with these kits, I have owned several vehicles with forced induction. Some things ring true whether on a Fit or something else.

What you will find is that a s/c vehicle will most of the time have better throttle tip in and response. They excel in supplying mid-range torque. Older setups tended to fall off on power higher up in the RPM band. The new rotrex s/c tends to address that issue of falling off on the top-end. Changing boost settings is more involved than with a turbo setup, because you need to change pulleys and/or belts every time you want a different boost level. Beacuse of all of this torque, sometimes a FWD vehicle can have problems with traction.

A turbo will have a little slower throttle response as compared to the s/c, dependent mainly on engine displacement and size of the turbo. A smaller displacement engine and a larger turbo will result in more lag time before boost builds to maximum. A turbo is usually great for higher end horsepower, and is easier to change boost pressures with the addition of a boost controller. Although the use of a smaller turbo and/or a dual ball bearing center section will allow the turbo to make more torque down low. Because of the 'softer' hit of the turbo, and less aggressive torque curve, many find they have better traction in a FWD than with a s/c.

So to recap, a s/c gives great throttle response and mid-range power. And a turbo gives better high-end power with easier adjustability. How you are driving and using the car can play a big part it what suits you the best.

 

All I gotta say about this...its what Honda meant all along

FIT

Forced Induction via Turbo

 

^^^^

oh god i wish they came turbo. with internals built for it.

 

Oh thats a keeper!

 

nah, honda never intended that, if they had we would have gotten an engine that was a better starting point.

The KWSC seems to suit the fit more. Personally as far as turbo's go, the greddy seems to be more of a plug and play ordeal as opposed to the tr1 kit.

 

Agreed, same with the HKS kit I think too. But I was looking for more of a comparison between the T1R and KWSC kits.

I do think that the power delivery on the KWSC benefits daily driving over the turbo kit. But I am questioning the power capabilities of it over the T1R kit.

I guess it will be good to see what numbers the KWSC kit will get with the highboost and hondata upgrades are available.

 

yeah, its best to wait. But your question is probably better answered if you were to tell us what your driving habits are...do you need a smoother more powerful dd? or are you looking to make the most power period? therein you will find your answer.

 

How does the T1R turbo deliver 145whp @ 4.5 PSI with no other mods, yet the KWSC @ 5 PSI only manages 121whp and even with injectors/header/cat-del/60mm exhaust just 144whp? I know a SC setup is slightly more parasitic, but not that much. (However I have no interest in the complexity of a turbo setup!)

 

efficiency my friend. while the sc adds horsepower because it is pushing loads of air into the engine, it is taking horsepower at the crank. the turbo reuses the air it pushes into the engine to spin the turbines on the way out. but thats probably what you meant by parasitic. the lack of fuel/engine management for the kwsc might have something to do with it but im not very familiar with that kit.

turbo>supercharger on small displacement engines.

oh by the way, xorbe, do you have a kraftwerks sc in your fit??

 

actually on a turbo setup while going up hills your boost just goes up, rpms stay the same and your throttle doesn't have to be moved.

just experienced that in my friend's rx7, it's pretty cool, you just hear boost and the rpms don't move.

oh, and in my opinion, turbo > sc for fit application.

however nitrous > both ;-P

 

i really like this thread
learning about F/I is really helping me

 

Ah there it is, the turbo has fuel management. No but I have my pre-order in for the a/t kwsc kit. Yeah, all the tiny engines in Europe are turbo not supercharged it seems.

 

I will be doing the supercharger eventually but not for a year or so.

 

I want the most power possible, but with daily driving capabilities. Ease of use, and least strain on engine components.

At the moment, I think I am going to go with the KWSC highboost kit with Hondata reflash. I am waiting to see the dyno numbers of this kit before I make my decision..

it's been tough.. I have the money to order whatever kit I want, but I need to be patient and wait for the KWSC highboost kit numbers..

 

you are aware that becasue of the design of this charger, it doesn't have the same hp robbing parasitic loss.

if anything its the fuel management/engine management. not the type of f.i. itself.

 

then you have made the right choice. personally, i think rotrex units are much more efficient than turbos and its proven that they are much less stressful on the engine, hell even less stressful than traditional superchargers!