Looks like a well engineered product. Similar to pro-charger systems.

 

If you're anywhere near Banbury go talk to Doug at MRC Tuning, Audi tuning specialists. This kit looks exactly like what he has done with his personal R8. It dyno's at 750hp. He says the engine is up to it. As far as clutches you definitely want to upgrade to the V10 setup if you're thinking of power upgrades as its the same size as the V8 and apparently slots right in (doing mine early Jan too). Doug is very knowledgeable on supercharger upgrades in case you're thinking of anything. Personally I've had great experience with the VF Engineering kit - 44,000 miles on it now and going strong. Just upped mine to 10 psi so its probably running circa 600 hp. And the twin screw Superchargers give more of a low end torque boost which is where its very usable. The Rotrex kits are centrifugal and behaviour is more 'turbo like' I understand. Good luck and let us know how it goes. If you need any VF info. or suggestions on where / who to do it let me know as I can comment on all the UK installers.

 

...Personally I've had great experience with the VF Engineering kit - 44,000 miles on it now and going strong. Just upped mine to 10 psi so its probably running circa 600 hp. And the twin screw Superchargers give more of a low end torque boost which is where its very usable....

FYI, VF Engineering uses an Eaton TVS 1900 on their R8V8 and an Eaton TVS 2300 on their R8V10 SC kits, but these are both roots blowers, not twin screw blowers. Both roots blowers and twin screw blowers are positive displacement and can make lag-free high torque even at low rpm's. The Eaton hardware is definitely high quality, and it's cool to see you are upping the boost on your setup. Has anyone else on here tried to increase the boost on their VF V10 2300 blower? Nik?

 

Yeah Doug's is the same kit.

Will be great to see what they do once someone has put proper mileage on them as it is quite a new system.

In regards to the clutch, If you are changing it anyway I would go for the V10 clutch assembly whilst it is stripped.

Cheers Ricky

 

Is that just clutch or pressure plate aswell? I'm assuming release bearing is the same

 

if i'm not mistaken - these are the same superchargers that novitec uses on their twin SC applications for F cars.
definitely looks well engineered. i wonder at this power level is there any advantage over the VF unit?

 

i would love to see this in the states. looks stellar!

 

I understand the Rotrex installations pump 15 psi into the intake manifold. The VF kit is designed for circa 7 psi. Nik's approach at VF is to do what he can to boost performance without pushing the other stock component's envelope. As anyone knows, once you start modifying one thing you usually just highlight the next weakest link. I found this out for example, when going to the VF kit initially, the R8's brakes weren't up to it on track and that needed changing etc. With regard to the supercharging, the stock fuel system is able to keep up at 7 psi (just) and the cooling in the charge cooler keeps inlet temps at sane levels so the car doesn't go 'bang'. To go up to 10, 12 or 15 psi you need potentially to adjust both of these. I've recently been working on getting my VF kit up from the 7 psi and it needs a step investment to the fuel pumps, both low pressure and high pressure, and could need more cooling depending on ambient temps. and how much you push it etc. And you need to put in the sensors to measure Intake Air temp. at least, to keep an eye on things. Nik and VF do a lot of testing of their kits minimizing the need for customers to do this. I'm not sure many have run a 15 psi kit on a V8 long term so whether the other components of the drive train (transmission, drive shaft, front differential) are up to it long term is a good question. I did have a front diff go early on after supercharging but it may or may not have been related (my R8 tech at Audi commented that he had seen several others already). My Supercharged V8 R8 has 44,000 miles on it supercharged, and those of you who know my driving know the right foot is down for a lot of those miles.

Clearly, the more you stress engine and drive train components the more you are going to highlight the 'next weakest link' and have to change those. Unfortunately it can be a slippery slope. Fortunately, when Audi dipped into this segment of the market they built in pretty high factors of safety and 'over-engineering' so those of us so inclined can play. At VF engineering they quite wisely limit things to within this 'safety envelope' if you want to call it that. It's not good for your tuning business to have a reputation of engines going 'bang'. With a few other tuners pushing high boost on supercharged or turbo cars I've heard there can be issues with drive-ability on track and general heat issues with their installations. Its not just a matter of bolting on a big blower. This is just my humble opinion of course.

 

Good commentary Maverick. I dont think most of us here are trying build big hp cars, just want a little more power and for it to make the car more special. I went with VF because I thought they were the perfect fit for that. My main priority is keeping the great drivabilty the car has now and not risking future problems or having to do other changes to handle the power. I'm pretty sure the way Audi built the V10 it should have no issues with 750hp

 

It's amazing what these can take in quite a stock form!

Fuel system and clutch are the biggest areas for improvement if you want a high power car. They just cannot handle the high pressure fuel demands, this can happen even on mapped cars let alone boosted applications.

If you plan on launching it a lot, then you are into significant drivetrain changes. The front diff coupling won't take it for a start.

The main thing to watch engine wise is torque output, which can be controlled by ignition timing/boost. On a supercharger maximum boost is controlled by the pulley wheel you run and you use bypass control under that to control boost onset.

No one will have too many problems running a VF kit, this is more when you start pushing over 1200nm torque normally associated with turbo kits.

Cheers Ricky

 

Are there any experiences with S-Tronic V10s available? Considering that you increase the torque output from around 550 Nm to over 800 Nm, my main worry would be that the double clutch transmission can't handle this.

 

Hello R8,

Yes, lots of big power cars in USA are on S-Tronic and they are 1000bhp+ turbo cars.

The main upgrade is normally uprated clutch pack and some map the transmission to run higher clamping pressure on the clutches.

The transmission is built to handle 800nm, so don't imagine major issues on an S-Tronic transmission providing it is in good condition to start with. Repeated launches are a different story mind!

Cheers Ricky

 

Thanks for this info. Would updated clutch packs be necessary for the VF supercharger? Or could the stock S-Tronic handle that? Assuming no hard launches of course.

 

PM sent Ant.

Cheers Ricky

 

Check out TTS PERFORMANCE TUNING FACEBOOK lots of info.

 

I think the Capristo V10 job was the ultimate, look for the threads on here on it. They rebuilt the engine with strengthened pistons, connecting rods, balanced crankshaft etc. and at one point had 1000 ps. but turned it down to 850 ps for driveability. They started with the VF engineering kit and dropped pulley sizings. I'm doing the 'cheapo' version of this assuming stock engine parts can take 600 - 650 hp. Doug at MRC has taken a Rotrex supercharged car to 750 hp without rebuilding engine so I'm assuming I'll be ok - fingers crossed. Merry Christmas all.

 

Well they wrote in the German forums that they were not happy with the quality of the VF kit...they went all-out and spent a fortune on upgrading all engine internals. I'm not convinced that's necessary if you don't go beyond 750hp, and it would make the supercharger option impossible to afford.

 

No I agree, internals aren't necessary at 800nm torque.

If you are planning to push boost/output torque then it is a good idea to future proof the car and protect yourself.

It's not very common to be fair, I have done an engine for a customer in Asia but until his car breaks cover I can't post pictures of the build. But that is running twin turbos and he is going 30-130 racing.

Rods and pistons are readily available though, its just not a popular thing in UK. Much bigger in USA to do this kind of extensive engine work on these cars.

Cheers Ricky