# Opinions on Active Autowerke S/Cs



## Tran330i (May 24, 2007)

Well, wat do u guys think of it??

Cuz i read on its website on sum of the S/Cs. I dunno if most of it is a fact but i can get a level 1 S/C for my '03 330i that can raise my hp up to 359 horses for only around $4500.

I think thats a really good price for a S/C that can raise ur hp by that much. but there must be sumthin' to it or y would it be so cheap??

Another thing is...
If i did get a S/C for my car. Wat would be the necessary accessories to have for my car to keep it in good condition while i have a S/C?? I think havin' a S/C would work ur engine pretty hard so i wanna know wat i can do to regulate or prevent future damage to my engine becuz of the S/C

Help me out plz. THX!


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## BIMMERUSAM5 (May 20, 2007)

Give me the website you found that price on.


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## JC5 (Dec 30, 2006)

Give AA a call. I'm sure they willgive you a run down of all you will need.


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## BIMMERUSAM5 (May 20, 2007)

Carl at Active is a very smart guy, and will be very helpful if you talk to him. When ever I call them I ask for Carl.:thumbup:


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## Tran330i (May 24, 2007)

But do u guys know which S/Cs better??

Da price i found it on is at www.ActiveAutowerke.com

I think it might be a june special but damm.. aint that kind of price a good deal for a S/C tho??


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## JC5 (Dec 30, 2006)

They are all reputable (rotex, vortec, etc..)

I have beeen running a vortec and am very happy with it. The twin crew charger is very tempting though.

Do you have a manual transmission?


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## Tran330i (May 24, 2007)

nah, i only got the auto w/ step.

Do u know the kind of boost the vortec gives??

I saw on AA website about the twin screw s/c raisin' the hp to about 393.
Dats pretty damm good rite??

Kinda pricey for that one tho. its around 8,000 bucks


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## JC5 (Dec 30, 2006)

Just from personal experience I would keep the boost levels on the conservative side due to the auto transmission. That being around 6psi, which is usually the inrto kits from the AA or VF, etc... With too much power ther torque converter may start to slip (this happened to me), but this is not common.

The auto will suck up some power due to the nature of the transmission, so you may not see some of the atvertised numbers. Most of the numbers given are based on manual cars

IMHO stay with the $4000 kit you will love it. Set aside another$1000 for the install.


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## Tran330i (May 24, 2007)

Thx JC5

I ll keep all that in mind.


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## franka (Jan 23, 2006)

Where do you want power? For everyday driving in low to mid rpm range? Or to be faster than most with hp on the top end?

In the first case you would want a twin screw SC. In the 2nd a centriful SC would serve you well.

The twin screw will be up to full boost at 2400 rpm. The centrifugal will have to be wound up to 4000 + rpm to realize its full boost.

So it really depends what you are looking for. If you are not running your motor up to redline everyday or every other day then probably a twin screw.


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## ZeGerman (Mar 19, 2009)

Hi Everyone,

I'm going to attempt to get this thread rolling again, since I have some questions that haven't been addressed here, and it's also been a while, so perhaps by now people have logged more miles and performed more installs of the AA S/C kits. For reference, I plan to build an E36 328is 5-speed that will be used as a daily driver, but also used for BMWCCA track days and Autocross on occasion.

I've looked at a number of forced induction options, and the E36 328i Stage I S/C kit from AA looks quite tempting. Supposedly, it brings power up to 310hp/270ftlb with 8psi boost. Now would be a good time to tell you that I am new to BMWs, but I am not new to performance cars. The folks over in the E36 section of Bimmerfest (where I spend most of my time) frequently express deep concern with the idea of boosting M52s (or S52s). Do any of you have experience supercharging M52s? I'm trying to get a decent sense of how reliable these motors can be over time when subjected to 6-8psi without modifying the stock internals. Also, are these kits suitable not just for street driving, but for track days when the engine will be subjected to prolonged full-throttle boost? I've read some isolated accounts of AA's _turbo_ kits blowing head gaskets, etc... Any insight you may be able to provide will be greatly appreciated.

I'll summarize my questions as such:

1) Is it safe to boost the M52 motor to 6-8psi of boost, not just for quick bursts on the street, but for prolonged full-throttle track events. Will there be any degradation of engine integrity/durability/reliability?

2) Does anyone have long-term experience with AA S/C kits? If so, have you encountered any problems? Do you track your car?

Thanks in advance!


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## HazmatE46 (Apr 14, 2009)

I would like some insight into this as well as a friend and I are going to be installing his on his 323i this upcoming weekend! lol I just joined this forum to see if I could do some research before the install! any recommendations on things that should be done, not be done, ect? Thanks in advance!


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## franka (Jan 23, 2006)

The turbo and centrifugal compressor generally make their boost higher up in the rev range, like 3500 + rpm.

A twin screw or a roots SCrg starts making power from 1500 + rpm and up.

For street use, track, or aX'ng you need a wide power band like a in a twin screw or roots.

If you are drag racing or running on a hi-speed road course a turbo or centrifugal compressor make good power in a rev range that you can use it

Summarizing, turbo and centrifugal make their power higher up the rev range.

Twin Screw and Roots make good power all over the rpm range


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## ZeGerman (Mar 19, 2009)

Thanks FrankA.

I was looking for a response more regarding engine reliability, drivability (especially regarding rough idle and stalling), and the potential risks of boosting an M52 with the Active Autowerkes Stage I kit. If any of you have experience with running between 6-8psi of boost on an M52, I'd love to hear about it!


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## ahull (Apr 4, 2006)

I have the Stage 1 and I got mine for $4k on a sale 2 years ago. Made it hard to say no but I wouldn't call it a bargain when other car brands can have comparable boost kits for considerably less. The level of boost should be fine for the engine. The important thing from an engine durabililty stand point is that this setup has no intercooler to cool the intake so running at high boost for long periods will put a lot of extra heat through your intake manifold (maybe enough to warp it) and through your engine which will eventually cause more wear. It's great to put an extra kick in the pants for spirited driving every now and then but you can't do any extended racing without consequence unless you upgrade. You will need to decrease time between fluid changes as the higher power will cause more stress on fluids (oil, tm, diff). You'll also find that your rear tires wear out much more quickly!

Dependability issues - you may get a boost leak somewhere in all the intake tubing that can cause issues. These leaks are not that easy to find. I've been running a little rich in cold temps for a while but I'll eventually fix the leak/issue. It's hardly noticable then and in warmer weather it is usually not there.:dunno: Drives normal with a light foot and has a really nice kick when you want it.


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## ZeGerman (Mar 19, 2009)

Thanks ahull! That's exactly the kind of insight that I was looking for. Seems like an intercooler will be necessary if the car is going to be used for track days.


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## ahull (Apr 4, 2006)

No problem. And yes, it would be insane to go without an intercooler kit if you plan on tracking. I'm sure I'd enjoy the track, but I'm not at the point of jeopardizing my beloved daily driver (afraid I'd lose it in a turn or something) and I don't want to do all the work to really get the car ready for something like that. Ripping around on the daily commute, etc. is enough for me. 66 GTO eh? Nice.


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## ZeGerman (Mar 19, 2009)

ahull said:


> 66 GTO eh? Nice.


Yep. It was my first car, bought at the age of 16, and continues to be a lifelong project of mine. I figure, why not add another project (E36 commuter/track star)?

This is my GTO.


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