I was recently reading the latest Motor Trend issue where they were comparing the MB C32 and Audi S4. They mentioned that on the MB AMG, which is a 3.2 V6 supercharge, had to have replace camshaft, springs, hydraulic lifters and valves and other internal in the angine to be able to handle the increase in horse power/torque (349/332) and also to increase reliability/longevity. Is this something that should concern us in the Acura CL world? Or Are the internal in our engine up to the task of handling that extra HP and TQ once we consider to supercharge our 3.2CL-S?

 

I would think that the engine's crank, main bearings, rods, rod bearings and pistons would be much more affected by increased power and torque than the camshaft, value springs, hydraulic lifters and valves.

The CT SC for the CL has about 3.5 lbs of boost which is very conservative. And yes, the CT SC will cause more wear than a non-forced induction motor. The problem is the temptation you will have to deal with if you have a SC'd car. You will more likely want to use that extra power it has and drive your car harder. So in the end, your car would get less life out of the engine.

The question is how badly do you want the extra power and are you willing to pay the extra cost in terms of money and wear and tear on your car?

Purely speculating ... if your fully stock CL went 150-200k before needing an engine rebuild, the same CL with a SC and driven roughly the same as your stock CL (including the temptation to see what this baby will do) , this SC'd beast might see 100-150k before needing an engine rebuild. Please note: engine wear will vary greatly with different driving styles/habits.

 

I thought the CT SC pumped out 5lbs of boost? If its bad for the engine, why then does it not void your engine warranty?

 

According to CT, the SC pumps out 3 1/2 lbs of boost. IMO anytime you increase the output of an engine and use that extra power, you will increase the wear on that engine. Not sure about the warranty issue, except, I was told by my Acura dealership that if they installed the SC and I brought my car in for regularly scheduled maintenance, the warranty would be good even with the SC installed. This assumes I didn't do unsafe NOS or ECU mods that could vastly shorten an engine's life.

 

why did they not choose to supercharge the TLP/CLP since their compression ratio would allow for more boost?

 

 

Could be,.....Change the cams to maximize output. Change the springs, valves and lifters so you don't float the valves when you raise the red line to maximize the output with the new cams. Or could be the have weak shlt to begin with.

Bottom end upgrade is usually needed for excessive HP gains. Top end upgrade is usually needed for a higher RPM red line.

My CT 5AT SC with stock exhaust is 4 1/2 - 5 psi. The dynos I've seen show the HP still going up at the red line so if the red line could be raised, the HP would go up w/o changing anything else. At some point the valves begin to float so the top end needs to be upgraded.

 

How did you get the 4 1/2 - 5 psi boost? Is this how the SC comes out of the box? The reason I ask is because I visited CT in Sacramento several weeks ago and they said the SC produces only 3 1/2 lbs boost for the CL because they wanted it to be highly reliable. I've also talked with several other people at CT and they all said the same thing.

BTW - I got to ride in the CT proto CLS 6sp WITH ALL THE GOODIES... wow what a ride... threw me back into the seat.

 

Lemme put it to you this way---

If Acura had designed a factory supercharged version of the CL-S, I can absolutely guarantee you that they would have made changes to the basic 3.2L type-S motor before adding the blower.

I don't think a major manufacturer EVER just slapped a supercharger on an already existing engine without changing anything. Just food for thought.

 

Out of the box, 4.5-5 psi. I've got Scalbert's boost upgrade pulley on now and it's at 6 psi, strong and smooth, without a hint of spark knock, and still pig rich . I'm still waiting for the Stone headers and once they're on, it might lean up a bit, and the psi could drop a smidge.

 

Interesting... just called CT again and they said absolutely, out of the box, it's only 3.5 lbs boost. What's special about your SC? How are you measuring the boost?

 

Stock exhaust, auto trannny, .... ?.

The gauge ia an electronic full sweep Autometer, 30 in.Hg.-15 psi. It recalibrates it self each time the car is started, and has peak boost memory, and an adjustable peak boost alarm.

I thought some of the others here reported 4.5 psi also.

 

Just lets not get out of hand here regarding the boost. My main questions is, If MB did all these changes to there engine to create a more reliable engine, why wouldn't we have to make similar changes for our CL engine. Will Acura cover under warranty the engine components, if you have a SC or will the extended warranty cover the engine part, if the SC is on the car.

 

If you want to "build a more reliable engine", or "increase reliability/longevity," then yes you should "make similar changes" on your engine. Most who add FI or N2O to stock engines accept the fact that there may be a price to pay down the road. If your carefull you can get all you want out of it, and then some. As far as the warranty isues go, if you can find a dealer to install and warranty it, and your happy with the standard set-up, and all the dealer scheduled maintanance, you will probably be covered. Personally, I'd get it in writing, especially if you have an extended warranty.

I installed my own, and will push the limit with upgrades. I don't expect the dealer to cover engine problems caused with the SC, but I do expect them cover everything else non-related.

 

As ModAddict mentioned, he has the stock exhaust and headers. More boost does not equate to more power. By having more exhaust back pressure will also increase boost without increasing power.

When headers are added I expect a drop in boost but an increase in power.

 

Amen to that and I am so glad to hear someone else say it. You mod a car at your own risk so doing the work your self helps to alleviate blame…

If you want more power with the same amenities you pay for a higher end car. Or you mod your own at you own risk.

The chances of something occurring are minimal so enjoy what your have.