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Hey guys. Time has come to decide if I’ll be moving on from my P31 or pulling the trigger on a blower. The C63 is such a special car but the horsepower itch has hit hard. Now that my business is bouncing back from COVID I can take a longer look into supercharging the car or not. if I do, I’ll keep the car forever. So my question is, does anyone have any issues or regrets after supercharging? I know Weistec makes a great kit and not really worried about reliability moreso does anyone feel like the added power “ruins” the car? any issues with drivability? It’s not a daily driver and mostly gets out for roll race events and date nights every now and then so I can make some sacrifices but don’t want to spend all that money and have a worse driving experience. Thanks in advance!
12 C63BS Magno Alanite Grey, 25 X5 Msport, 08 BMW E93, Ducati Hyper 698
I think the engines hold up well from what I have read and drivability is good, you will want to dig into what it takes to make the transmission survive it, from what I understand the transmission is the weak point.
No regrets at all. It's tune is amazingly smooth and driveability has not changed unless you get north of 3500-4000 RPM.
The only suggestion I would make, is whatever kit you go with, be sure to add an oil catch can.
thank you! does the vehicle behave like normal in sport or comfort mode? any noticeable whine with the ESS kit? I’ll be honest I reached out to ESS and was disappointed in their customer service but I’m always down to give second chances.
I think the engines hold up well from what I have read and drivability is good, you will want to dig into what it takes to make the transmission survive it, from what I understand the transmission is the weak point.
yeah I mean not really worried about the engine, it’s a low mile, P31 car. I’ve already budgeted for the Weistec trans upgrade as well but thanks for heads up!
Pretty much normal considering. It gets really plucky when you floor it though.
The box tune it comes with has the torque dialed back abit at low RPM so the transmission doesn't twist apart and it really makes for a friendly drive.
There is a slight whine from the S/C at low RPM but I can't speak much to that as I had agency long tube headers installed as well and you just don't really hear anything after that
ESS is TOUGH to get ahold of, but I will say that in looking between the two manufacturers (Weistec and ESS) I think the ESS kit is the better built kit and the engine compartment almost looks stock.
I went through a dealer and let them chase ESS down. The big wait is some of their components are made in batches with special processes or machines (I donot recall which) I had a long wait for mine to come in, but I thought it was the best choice of the two and it was well worth it. I also wanted the larger 2.9L supercharger as well and these are in low supply.
Last edited by CyanideRide; Aug 24, 2020 at 02:01 PM.
Pretty much normal considering. It gets really plucky when you floor it though.
The box tune it comes with has the torque dialed back abit at low RPM so the transmission doesn't twist apart and it really makes for a friendly drive.
There is a slight whine from the S/C at low RPM but I can't speak much to that as I had agency long tube headers installed as well and you just don't really hear anything after that
ESS is TOUGH to get ahold of, but I will say that in looking between the two manufacturers (Weistec and ESS) I think the ESS kit is the better built kit and the engine compartment almost looks stock.
I went through a dealer and let them chase ESS down. The big wait is some of their components are made in batches with special processes or machines (I donot recall which) I had a long wait for mine to come in, but I thought it was the best choice of the two and it was well worth it. I also wanted the larger 2.9L supercharger as well and these are in low supply.
ahh okay that makes sense then. I’m curious about the torque limiting at low RPMs. I wonder if with a built transmission can more be made with a custom tune? Just thinking out loud here. I appreciate the responses. The kit does look sick.
ahh okay that makes sense then. I’m curious about the torque limiting at low RPMs. I wonder if with a built transmission can more be made with a custom tune? Just thinking out loud here. I appreciate the responses. The kit does look sick.
I would think that a built transmission would handle the extra torque for sure.
As far as I can see, the ESS kit was designed to be bolted onto and make use of an otherwise stock car but the box tune should be able to make allowances for some mods so long as you tell them.
This is a dyno tune from ESS on a stock non PP C63:
You will, as with anything, experience challenges with the installation.
For my case, it was using the wiring harness from the stock injectors, one of the return hoses did not line up properly (I cannot recall which) but it did require some finessing.
One you have the kit, you need to send in your ECU for them to make the necessary changes to it. This took some time.
Overall I was very pleased with the end result. Looking back, I should've exhibited some more restraint when it came to patience in waiting for parts rather than choosing to ship them the fastest way possible, but I certainly do not regret anything
I would think that a built transmission would handle the extra torque for sure.
As far as I can see, the ESS kit was designed to be bolted onto and make use of an otherwise stock car but the box tune should be able to make allowances for some mods so long as you tell them.
This is a dyno tune from ESS on a stock non PP C63:
You will, as with anything, experience challenges with the installation.
For my case, it was using the wiring harness from the stock injectors, one of the return hoses did not line up properly (I cannot recall which) but it did require some finessing.
One you have the kit, you need to send in your ECU for them to make the necessary changes to it. This took some time.
Overall I was very pleased with the end result. Looking back, I should've exhibited some more restraint when it came to patience in waiting for parts rather than choosing to ship them the fastest way possible, but I certainly do not regret anything
i am also not a patient man so I understand that last part lol that other ESS thread had a ton of good information especially with those adapters for the injectors. I’m hoping with LTH, E85 and a good custom tune I’ll be near 600whp. well it’s time to sit and crunch some numbers. Thank you for the responses
i am also not a patient man so I understand that last part lol that other ESS thread had a ton of good information especially with those adapters for the injectors. I’m hoping with LTH, E85 and a good custom tune I’ll be near 600whp. well it’s time to sit and crunch some numbers. Thank you for the responses
i am also not a patient man so I understand that last part lol that other ESS thread had a ton of good information especially with those adapters for the injectors. I’m hoping with LTH, E85 and a good custom tune I’ll be near 600whp. well it’s time to sit and crunch some numbers. Thank you for the responses
I also have the ESS Supercharger Kit.
As mentioned, they are very limited with their build slots for M156 Superchargers. Easier to deal through an authorised dealer than directly with ESS.
Running their 8psi pulley is making good numbers on dyno dynamics rollers, slightly less than dynojet numbers. But i managed to touch 200mph on speedo in under 1.2 miles on a 1.4 mile runway, which is remarkable.
The torque is limited, which is fully understandable to protect the transmission. Even with this, TC is cutting in if you are running 255s rears. I now run 305 rears with extended wheel arch and with TC in sport mode, its more fun!
The kit is very well build, no issues with heat soak and components are well build as well.
Any question, more than welcome to PM me.
Have fun doing your man maths!
My other fun car is a Magnuson supercharged C5 making about 500 rwhp. My biggest complaint is heat soak. I live in Texas, so an occasional blast is fine, but if you intend to road race or run back to back 1/4 miles, you're gonna heat soak it. I see the same thing happening with the M156 but speaking purely out of my ***.
Your best bet would be find someone local to you that has one. It's really night and day different. looking at dyno graphs and thinking hmmm 100whp for $10k+ doesn't seem like a great deal. Graphs don't do it justice. I'd recommend the ESS kit over Weistec. Weistec is terrible to get ahold of as well
I am also running an ESS kit with the 8 psi pulley. I also went a bit overboard and had my transmission clutch packs changed to the AMS ones. I love the power of ESS kit when you go over 3500-4000rpm as stated above. The build quality on these kits is amazing. Their customer service is outstanding too. Nothing but good reviews for them.
2012 C63 with P30, LSD, and EES Supercharger, 1959 Plymouth with Viper V10 and Tremec 6sp
Hi, I haven't been on this website for a while, but if you look up my posts I did an extensive thread back in April 2018 on a DIY installation of the ESS supercharger and also a catch can. I am using the low boost pulley because in AZ I can only get 91 ocatane fuel. I still own the car and it still runs perfectly. What I love the most is if I drive it normal it drives just as smooth as when it was stock. There are no weird dead spots or surges with the throttle. But when I get on it this is the first car I have had that really scares me. It easily lights up the tires in second and third gear. The other thing that is great for AZ is that the car never overheats. Yesterday it was 115 degrees in Phoenix and I sat in line at a new White Castle for 45 min with the car idling and the temp and oil gauges never budged and the AC was still cold. I will probably keep the car forever because I still absolutely love driving it and at my age will never want one any faster. The stereo system sounds great, the AC is super cold, and the seats fit me perfectly, the brakes are incredible, and the transmission shifts are firm and right on target. Hard to beat that combo!
Stage 1 requires no supporting mods other than a tune
Stage 2 requires bigger injectors and headers, tune.
Stage 3 requires bigger injectors, headers, transmission rebuilt, and a tune.
I have a 2012 C63 with the P30 package.
I installed a Weistec supercharger stage 2 and decided to take the plunge and experiment with a custom machined 50mm pulley on 12lbs of boost. The only issue I found with this setup was that the oil temps and the IATs would climb up to limp mode temps due to spinning the 2.3 blower. To rectify the IAT problem I installed a Killer Chiller with an Icebox tank setup. IATS don't get higher than 150 on a WOT run. Idle temps are about 90 degrees or ambient on a 90-degree day.
Its important to note that I still run my heat exchanger in line with the KC set up just in case the AC fails (otherwise the temps would be below ambient), I can drive the car home without any issues. The only downside is with this setup is you are relying on the AC to cool down the supercharger, should the AC compressor fail you can land yourself in hot water if you remove the supercharger heat exchanger to get cooler temps.
Your next issue would be to solve the oil temps from reaching limp mode temps. If you can source the 440 kit this is definitely recommended.
Don’t the killer chillers usually still run the radiator and then after it’s been cooled it’s further cooler by the killer chiller and then into the heat exchangers inside the supercharger? The only time I’ve seen them remove the front radiator is in a drag setup where you are running ice on between runs within an ice tank/cooler
Stage 1 requires no supporting mods other than a tune
Stage 2 requires bigger injectors and headers, tune.
Stage 3 requires bigger injectors, headers, transmission rebuilt, and a tune.
I have a 2012 C63 with the P30 package.
I installed a Weistec supercharger stage 2 and decided to take the plunge and experiment with a custom machined 50mm pulley on 12lbs of boost. The only issue I found with this setup was that the oil temps and the IATs would climb up to limp mode temps due to spinning the 2.3 blower. To rectify the IAT problem I installed a Killer Chiller with an Icebox tank setup. IATS don't get higher than 150 on a WOT run. Idle temps are about 90 degrees or ambient on a 90-degree day.
Its important to note that I still run my heat exchanger in line with the KC set up just in case the AC fails (otherwise the temps would be below ambient), I can drive the car home without any issues. The only downside is with this setup is you are relying on the AC to cool down the supercharger, should the AC compressor fail you can land yourself in hot water if you remove the supercharger heat exchanger to get cooler temps.
Your next issue would be to solve the oil temps from reaching limp mode temps. If you can source the 440 kit this is definitely recommended.
12lbs of boost on a 2.3 is still considered pretty low boost. Those can be run Up to 20+ lbs. 150 iats after a couple of pulls is not that bad to be honest. It might start to pull timing and have a drop in power. How large is the heat exchanger with your kit? Are you on e85? That does wonders for iats as well.
Don’t the killer chillers usually still run the radiator and then after it’s been cooled it’s further cooler by the killer chiller and then into the heat exchangers inside the supercharger? The only time I’ve seen them remove the front radiator is in a drag setup where you are running ice on between runs within an ice tank/cooler
The killer chiller is separate from the engine cooling system. This will piggyback off of your cars AC system and acts like another condenser unit to allow more freon capacity and the ability to use your cars AC system for coolant cooling. In this case I use it for my supercharger. I went with the drag unit. If you are interested check out the build thread in my profile.
12lbs of boost on a 2.3 is still considered a pretty low boost. Those can be run Up to 20+ lbs. 150 iats after a couple of pulls is not that bad to be honest. It might start to pull timing and have a drop in power. How large is the heat exchanger with your kit? Are you on e85? That does wonders for iats as well.
I have to disagree with you. Based on my own observations, when I ran the Stage 2; 57mm pulley, I had no issues in terms of heat soak and high IATs.
I believe the 7-8 pulley (57mm) is the most efficient vs the setup I am running now at 50mm. If you decide to run 50mm on stage 2 you are going to have a bad time if you do not have any cooling mods for the supercharger. Without cooling mods your IATS are ambient +30 degrees while in idle. When you do a WOT run your car will run into limp mode as the IATS can easily surpass 180 IAT. My machinist also said that 50mm is the smallest pulley size I can run with my supercharger, otherwise, he wouldn't be able to balance the pulley and ensure the mounting holes are centered correctly. To date, I have yet to see anybody else run a smaller pulley on their stage 2 supercharger other than the 50mm that I am running.
The killer chiller is separate from the engine cooling system. This will piggyback off of your cars AC system and acts like another condenser unit to allow more freon capacity and the ability to use your cars AC system for coolant cooling. In this case I use it for my supercharger. I went with the drag unit. If you are interested check out the build thread in my profile.
ya I know how they work. Makes sense ya the drag units are usually a little different and yeah I’ll check out your profile later thanks
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