I have been reading along the forums for quite some time now, but as I received my P2 supercharger last week, it is probably time to start my build thread here as well.
The plan is to, just like Brettus his build, add a P2 supercharger to a Mazda RX-8. On paper, new, they claim do to 231 HP at the crank, but in reality this turns out to be a very optimistic number. The chassis is great, it's a joy to drive, but to me it has always been lacking that extra bit of power. It's great to climb through the revs all the way to 9000 rpm, but it's just not.. that quick.
I do not have easy access to a lift, so doing exhaust work for a normal turbocharger setup isn't that feasible, and adding a Turbo to a RX-8 isn't that straightforward. I've always had a big interest in batteries, BLDC motors and cars, so adding the P2 to a RX-8 seems like a great project. Especially being able to boost on demand sounds perfect.
The RX-8 with a 6-port engine is pretty much stock from the outside, but has some (reliability) upgrades:
The goal is getting at least 50 HP out of an electric supercharger, and after seeing Brettus his build I'm confident this is feasible.
Supercharger:
If I'm not mistaken the P2 is using a T5 belt, and the more I look into this, the more I'm finding out that this is simply not suitable for the power we're putting into it.
What are the options here? I plan to just go with the T5 solution for now, but looking ahead, is this reliable enough?
The plan is to keep this thread updated, but it will be a slow build
.
The plan is to, just like Brettus his build, add a P2 supercharger to a Mazda RX-8. On paper, new, they claim do to 231 HP at the crank, but in reality this turns out to be a very optimistic number. The chassis is great, it's a joy to drive, but to me it has always been lacking that extra bit of power. It's great to climb through the revs all the way to 9000 rpm, but it's just not.. that quick.
I do not have easy access to a lift, so doing exhaust work for a normal turbocharger setup isn't that feasible, and adding a Turbo to a RX-8 isn't that straightforward. I've always had a big interest in batteries, BLDC motors and cars, so adding the P2 to a RX-8 seems like a great project. Especially being able to boost on demand sounds perfect.
The RX-8 with a 6-port engine is pretty much stock from the outside, but has some (reliability) upgrades:
- IGN-1A ignition coils. Added this a long time ago before they became popular. Using a custom bracket and wiring harness
- Using Versatuner to change fan temperatures, idle RPM and some other values. Will be used to tune the maps to allow boost
- Cheap eBay decat midpipe, will eventually be replaced by something nicer
- AEM intake as preparation for the P2
- Lightweight pulleys because they look nice
- Bilstein B12 shocks which lower the car a bit while improving the suspension
- Probably forgetting some stuff
The goal is getting at least 50 HP out of an electric supercharger, and after seeing Brettus his build I'm confident this is feasible.
Supercharger:
- P2
- Huge, but allows low RPM which makes everything so much easier
- Found a supplier in Germany, so no big import fees or shipping fees which makes it sort of affordable .
- Strongly considering a 20S LTO pack, but getting good quality cells seems to be a bit of a gamble
- Alternative would be LiFePO4, but that would require quite some cells in parallel to get to a decent current rating
- JK BMS
- Will be mounted in the trunk
- 20 Ah or 40 Ah cells. Either should be more than enough current and the larger pack could even be charged at home
- HW MAX4 with 70125 seems to be the logical choice. Cheap and readily available. At €550 locally for the combo it's almost a no brainer
- A TP power motor with MGM or VESC is probably more efficient and allows for more settings, but I want to get a feeling of what's required with the HW setup first. The nice thing about the HW setup is that it can easily be sold when it's time to upgrade.
- Victron Orion Tr Smart
- Adjustable end voltage, can be set to any charge voltage and will run from the 12V system
- Victron is used for many off-grid systems, boats and RVs, they are VERY reliable
- Can be enabled/disabled using an external input
- STM32 like board which should control the motor RPM based on a few inputs like RPM, throttle position, maybe load, etc. To be determined.
- Versatuner to modify maps
If I'm not mistaken the P2 is using a T5 belt, and the more I look into this, the more I'm finding out that this is simply not suitable for the power we're putting into it.
What are the options here? I plan to just go with the T5 solution for now, but looking ahead, is this reliable enough?
The plan is to keep this thread updated, but it will be a slow build
.
.
