(Note: Sebring was purchased by Jackson Racing and are now sold under the Jackson Racing brand.)
Applicable to: '99-'05 1.6 liter
This review is of a long-term...vintage....Sebring Supercharger that was originally sold new in 1994. This is a very early unit which came with no branding cast into the blower outlet. It was one of a few that were sold at very deep discount just to get some visibility. I purchased it in 1999 with 35K miles from the original owner, who lived in Ohio. I posted a review shortly thereafter and 2 updates....so this is my fourth posting about the same blower and the same car! The unit was sent to the Eaton distributor in California for "S" porting and upgrading the front bearing. This unit now has about 200,000 miles on it plus the original 34K and thanks to the "S" porting delivers a consistent 7.5 lbs of boost. The blower has been installed on my 1990 "A" package Miata (build number 3014) for 10 years, with only minor maintenance. At the time I installed it I also installed the upgraded air delivery system which has never, ever leaked since. The original MSD boost timer is still being used. The car also has a 10 year old JR header and Flyin; Miata suspension with Tokico 5-way gas shocks and mild lowering springs. This th! ing just keeps on keepin' on.
My experience has been excellent. This remains the single best performance enhancement I have ever installed on any car. It came with a pretty clunky Bell AFPR which was replaced with great relief with a JR unit, which has worked perfectly for over 5 years. A few years ago I replaced the crude and not all that good belt tensioner with a much more effective JR tensioner. This car has been raced in Solo II for almost 10 years. The original viscous LSD was replaced with a Torsen in 2003. The 1.6L flywheel was replaced with a 1.8L flywheel that was lightened to weigh about 9 lbs and I use an OEM 1.8L clutch. About a year ago the blower started to make a rattling sound which was due to some wear in the snout which was easily repaired with parts from the Eaton distributor. At that time it was disassembled and there was no visible wear inside the blower....not a scratch. I have also made some of my own modifications to make cleaning the air filter much easier. The blower transf! ormed this car. With the lightened flywheel it became a tire smoking little beast and I have to replace the tires every 18 months or so.
My little car just celebrated it's 20th birthday and it's 370 thousandth mile. It remains my daily driver and the best car I have ever owned. It received a new top (it's 3rd) and leather upholstery (second reupholstering) 2 years ago. On July 19th, it's 20th birthday, I picked it up from Prime Collision in Marietta GA where it had been completely taken down to bare metal and received 4 coats of Classic Red paint and 3 coats of clear and polished to perfection. Next week the leather on the steering wheel gets replaced and then we're off for another 300,000 miles or so. On a few rare occasions I have thought about retiring the car from daily use, but it's so much damned fun to drive I don't think I could do without it.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
Jackson Racing M45 Supercharger kit, 6psi, for '94-'97s with AC and power steering. Complete kit comes with supercharger, belt, all necessary piping, air filter, JR PowerCard, all necessary hardware right down to wireties.
Excellent! I had my doubts as this kit is the least expensive SC kit that can be bought brand new. Still, it took me a while to pull the trigger as the kit costs almost as much as my car did. I should have done this sooner(well, I know JR has added/improved bits of the kit recently, and I'm glad I bought the latest and greatest from them)! Kit takes 8hrs for a mechanically inclined person, according to JR. Took me about 9 hours, and I'm not an ASE certified Mazda tech or anything, and I had to fix a few parts of my car in the process. Not only were the instructions straight forward, I learned a lot installing the kit myself. The Good: Straight forward to install. Product quality seems to be high. Excellent driveability, both when running WOT trying to get somewhere fast or just cruising around. Every single piece needed to install the kit is included. The Bad: Hot side supercharger gets VERY hot. Intake track doesn't seem to fit properly - the couplers/piping are too short and I had to cut off the screw hole on the air filter assembly to move it a few inches towards the firewall allowing the couplers to fit properly. Throttle Cable mount is improper - I had to flip it around compared to what is shown in the instructions to allow for the proper cable tension, no big deal. The Verdict: This kit is for the DIY Miata-er looking for naturally aspirated reliability/driveability with the increased power of forced induction, all in a realitively easy to install kit.
An intercooler would really help reduce intake air temps, which I plan on installing soon. A few people on the Miata.net forums have experimented with leaving the throttle body on the intake manifold, instead of moving it to the supercharger as JR instructs, with overall good results, but it takes a bit of work. I'd like to see JR create a kit to do this as it has advantages over the current setup. Thanks for reading!
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
Jackson Racing Supercharger system @ 6psi, with JR Powercard, JR w/a intercooler, Bipes ACU
Bought the kit used from a fellow miata.net member, had to go find the JR powercard, Bipes ACU and other items separately. Had local shop install the unit (knowing some pipes, bolts, hoses MAY be missing) Took about 2-3 days to install, no rush had to source extra parts etc. Ordered additional items from Track Dog RAcing: manifold heatshield, insulated intake gasket, idle check valve, colder plugs, wires. Very good power indeed. Had a friend drive my 2000 Accord V6 to drop me off to pick up the '97 miata SC. Haven't had a chance to dyno the setup yet, but my friend and I mashed it every light, stop sign, on long stretches of freeways, uphill. And the miata just pulls away every single gear. The Accord 3.0 v6 is 4-spd AT modified and dynotuned at about 185whp weighing about 3350 lbs.
The Bipes ACU allowed me to set base timing at 16 BTDC on 91 octane CA fuel. I've set the unit to knock out 8 degree at MAX airflow starting at 3500rpm. Today with temp at 70F, according to the LED display on the BIPES ACU, air intake temperature at idle is about 80~90F. And while the car is running the intake temp is 3-lights approx 60-80F, which proves that the JR w/a intercooler really works as advertised!
Difficult to remove without leaving damage
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter
Jackson Racing SuperCharger 1.6
When my Miata hit 280,000 miles I decided to rebuild the engine and add a Jackson Racing Supercharger. I'm sorry but 98rwhp is not ok in 2006, especially when minivans can out drag me. Reading all other owner installion reviews, I decided to try out the J.R.S.C. I have a 92 Miata with a brand new 1.6 motor. Installation was a full day, do to I also added a JR Header and took my time. Instructions are poor, no good pics and what I though were alot of skipped information, like vaccum lines, Fuel Reg. Lines pics etc. What really made this install a breeze is all the pics and write ups I printed from Miata.net, - Club members. studying thier experiences,Pictures & write ups really help me. I got mind from Moss motors along with a JR Header & MSD Box. Bought it monday morning got it wed. afternoon. Nothing missing all parts complete. Thanks Moss Motors....As for power, it like what other Reviews had said, " Its How the Miata should have came from Mazda." a nice smooth wide band power from 2800rpm - 6000rpms. I love how I can go up thoughs long freeway on ramps and passing other cars, where before minivans were passing me. Using 91 octane, and a MSD timing retard Box I have not had any pinging, just the sound of that SC spinning. To give you a sample of the JRSC acts like, I've challanged my friends Acura RSX with stock 200hp, We ran up a short on ramp at 40MPH then down a straight away all the way to 130MPH (which is my max) and I stayed in front. Noway with a stock Miata. The most important thing to do when you install this JRSC, have it tunned by a high end shop. That will make your JRSC run its best. If you want to go agaist nissan 350z or S2000, Go for! a FM Turbo setup. My friend has a 90 miata with that setup, and he pulls away from me. all in all the JRSC is perfect for my every day driving to work.
A Must is a JR Header with free flow exhaust system, Upgrade your clutch, cause the stock one will not hold, 91 Octane, MSD Box or JR Box (Timing) and make sure your Fuel Pressure is where it should be. Have it tunned while on a Dyno, to get it running perfect. I got 154rwhp with my setup. I plan to upgrade it with an intercooler & a 8psi boost upgrade . With the cost of $2700.00 including the header, a MSD box Colder Spark plugs etc. Its worth it, you won't be sorry, it will make your Miata come alive
Difficult to remove without leaving damage
Applicable to: '99 + 1.8 liter
Jackson Racing Supercharger for a 2001
This supercharger was purchased from Moss Motors on sale and for the price I feel a good upgrade for the car. This system is exactly what I was looking for. The product was packaged well and complete with the parts separated into individuals packages for easy identification. I found the instructions easy to follow and installation was straight forward but should be installed by someone with mechanical experience. Not all applications are the same and even though the instructions are complete a little ingenuity is required to make things fit perfect. The Power Card fuel management system is very easy to install, so it really boiled down to just hanging hardware.
This FI system is perfect for the street if your looking for more horsepower but not so much were things become difficult to manage. I'd say it's almost bomb proof only because I haven't experienced any problems what-so-ever other than a little continuous observation of the belt and a few adjustments so everything's running correctly. Horsepower is linear, smooth and very managable. The car behaves like stock until you really step into the throttle, then the fun begins. The power range begins in the lower rpm's where you can really use it for the street and pulls nicely all the way up. The stock clutch handles everything just fine, but for me an ACT is scheduled for the future because I track drive the car. After a day of hotlapping on the track the car performed well with absolutely NO problems. A few suggestions: in addition, buy the suggested colder spark plugs, upgrade to a synthetic motoroil, (I'm sold on Mobil-1) and read the instructions two or three times to familiarize yourself with the installation process before you start. This is really a great product for the price and a nice upgrade for someone looking for more streetable horsepower. If your a power hungry enthusiast I would suggest spending more money on one of the other systems that will give you what your looking for.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '99 + 1.8 liter
JR supercharger for a 2000 with a/c, ABS and power steering. Also the JR Ignition Timing Controller.
I have had the SC on the car for 3 years and approximately 60,000 kms. After the intitial installation there was a very noticeable improvement to overall power. Within a couple of weeks I started getting 'check engine' lights one after another. After doing a vacuum pressure test, it was determined the problem was a vacuum leak, which was resolved simply by tightening everything. Since then, there have been no further issues. Maintenance over the 60k kms has amounted to changing the v-belt and washing the re-useable foam air filter. I also purchased the JR adjustable timing box and had it installed with the SC. The box is not part of the basic supercharger kit and, unless boost is upgraded, I now suspect it is unnecessary.
The JR supercharger has turned out to be exactly what I was looking for - very smooth, linear power throughout the power band and virtually maintenance-free. Highway passing can now be done without downshifting and with a lot more confidence. It is clear that the supercharger really likes cold air - it works fantastically well in the winter and is less energetic on really hot summer days. So, I am surprised that no one has created a cold air box for the JRSC such as is available for the Goodwin Racing Monsterflow intake. I would definitely buy one.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '99 +
Jackson Racing supercharger,timing device,intercooler,BRP 62.5mm pulley and fuel box.
I went for the full package. I was looking for the most power that I could get from a supercharger. The instructions for the supercharger install are poor at best. I agree with other reviews on the matter.I chose to let a local shop do the install. This was money well spent. The supercharger delivers smooth power.This did take some tuning with the BRP provided vacuum switch for the fuel box. I have not experienced noise problems with the intercooler water pump as others have. Mine is quiet.The noise that bothers me the most is the high flow fuel pump provided by Jackson Racing. There is a constant whine coming from behind my right ear. When boost kicks in I soon forget about that whine and get excited as the whine of the supercharger raises. I have the timing device set at minimum retard. I have not experienced pinging, even on hot Loiusiana days. The intercooler does a good job of keeping things cool.
Iwould suggest this set-up to anyone with the cash. All was expensive except for the BRP upgrade.
Difficult to remove without leaving damage
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
Supercharger kit for a 1.8l M1 with PS and AC.
Installation took approx 10 hours and went smoothly even though the instructions were lacking; more details and diagrams are desperately needed. I recommend some sort of timing electronics ( I chose MSD ), Aux Fuel pressure regulator, Air/Fuel Mixture gauge, and a cheap inline fuel pressure gauge. This will make tuning much easier. The supercharger itself looks high quality. Took a little work to get it working correctly. Had idle issues and Moss had told me to disconnect the idle hose ( connects to the back of the air filter housing ). That corrected the problem. I also have initial hesitation during tip-in. Seems to be many threads concerning the issue in the forum. Mine is corrected by disconnecting the pressure switch that leads to the relay resistor. The car now pulls hard. I love it. Makes it feel like it has a small 6 cyl engine.
Most common install issues are belt alignment and hood clearance. I had a difficult time finding the right sized belt. The setup does not allow for much adjustment. I recommend replacing the plastic idle pulleys with a slotted timing belt pulleys. Allows for more adjustment and they are more durable.
Difficult to remove without leaving damage
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
JR supercharger kit, J&S knock sensor, JR header for 94 m-edition
Kit arrived w/out necessary studs in SC body, otherwise kit was complete. The JR header MUST go on with/after the SC due to the pivot bolt that can't be removed with the header in place. The blower did not fit square to the other pulleys and no amount of in-out adjusting can fix that(I tried). Shredded a belt, so came up with stainless shim washers for the front SC bracket bolt and was able to shim it square. The front bracket bolt supplied was poor(head too short, and soft!), only had to skim a tiny bit off the factory bolt and it is much better material. The header was very easy to work with-no trouble at all, very nicely made. J&S arrived w/out all instructions,PerfBC faxed copies right away. Instructions were clear and materials were complete. Installed box under driver's seat. Timing set to 10deg BTDC so far. Setup was hard to measure due to engine noise but set it at 2 o'clock in the end.
Took off the Flyin Miata tower brace that was supposed to fit but does not. J&S is great, bought "92 octane" in AZ that was like 87! Gauges are a huge help, got an autometer boost from Rspeed (better than JR's), J&S monitor (necessity), JR fuel pres.(not needed if everything is working), and Flyin Miata dual temp (one in air filter, one in dummy TB). The temp is telling in the desert. Incoming air reads 120F, intake reads 175F in stop&go or moderate driving w/headlights down. In good weather: 80F in, 150F intake. J&S clearly shows a difference in detonation. CAI is very desirable! I am very satisfied with this product despite the 'expert' who explains mathematically why the turbos are so superior. I no longer race, so I want a car that's good on the street, not the track. Once installed and sorted out, SC was not the hyperbole most owners make it out to be, but NICE to be in top gear and accelerate so smoothly like a littleV6.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
Base JRSC Kit.
Great product. Instructions leave a lot to be desired as many have said before.
I've been looking to go FI for at least a year now and finally found one. I researched everything on miata.net. Excellent resource for anything Miata. I originally wanted an Aerodyne because of low cost, upgradability, and ease of installation. Couldn't find one. Guess they were taken off the market. Then I looked into Greddy, but not made for 1.8L. Searched the classifieds for about 3-4 months and man FI kits go like hot cakes. Finally found a JRSC. I jumped on it. I got a used JRSC, JR sways, and MSD shipped for $1900. I thought that was a great deal. Man this kit is sweet. It's the exact same car only a lot stronger/faster. The sways also improved the ride quality a lot. I have Koni yellows with H&R springs. With out the sways the car was a little more hash. Of course like everybody else I still want more...
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97
1.6 no p/s, w/ ac
This is definitely the best addition i have made to my 91', the power; takeoff; passing and feeling are unreal! I can't get to the moon, but sometimes it feels like I could. The installation of the kit has its ups and downs, instructions helped more than the tech support i received from jr. The first unwelcome surprise was the gasket in a tube supplied with the kit as well as reusing old ones (anyone thinking of purchasing the kit MUST order gaskets from a dealership before starting). The actual installation was not bad, a day (hungover) and a half (sober), do it right the first time and in one weekend if possible so everything is fresh. I ran into some idle troubles but eventually fixed them (by turning up the idle control valve on the blower to about @1000 rpm). I would recommend using the stock thermostat, the supplied one is junk in my eyes, buy a new one if you feel it necessary.
Recommend to anyone who loves their car as much as i do and is looking for a little more power. I picked mine up from R.Speed in Atlanta, Joe and Hector helped out greatly. If I ran into a problem, it seemed the jr techs were little or no help, but hector and joe really know their mx-5's
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to 1.6 liter
An Eaton designed supercharger kit for the Miata. Provides 6 psi boost in basic trim.
Overall my experience with the Jackson Racing Supercharger has been good. The kit is fairly well designed and installs quickly for a supercharger kit. I work slowly and an hour at a time so it took me a few days. I had interference problems with the supercharger intake tube and the heater core hoses brake booster but managed to cure them with some tinkering. Getting the idle right took a bit of fussing too, but overall this is an easy kit to install. Oh yes, and the substition of a tube of "make a gasket" for real gaskets was a cheap move by Jackson Racing.
This 6psi kit along with a Brospeed header and Jackson Racing exhaust has made my '92 Miata significantly faster. I can now reach redline in 5th gear (~130mph) and now easily win drag races against my friends 2001 Toyota MR2. It doesn't "feel" as fast as a turbo car since the power curve is smooth but it is nevertheless much faster. Stretches where I used to hit 80mph I now hit 100mph.
Using 92 octane oxgenated gas, stock ignition timing, and an MSD boost retard (removes 6 deg timing under boost) I have no pinging problems with one exception
I have a favorite, VERY steep mountain road that I like to race up. The engine always did get a little hot racing up it. The engine pings now if the engine temp gets above normal. Maybe a bigger radiator would solve this. But once again, this has only happened on this steep hill. Otherwise I have no engine temp/ pinging problems.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to '90 - '97 1.6 liter
Jackson Racing Sebring Super Charger Kit for 1.6 1991 (49K mi)
Blocked out the weekend to do the installation at a comfortable pace. Ended up taking a bit longer due to a missing part. A Small but essential part! MOSS sent it overnite no problem.
Already added the JR Header/Sport Exhaust. Spax Coil over suspension Kit/Yokohama AV520 17" 205/40's - MSW 17 alloys .
And Now for some POWER!
Everything installed as outlined in the manual (which I spent some time reading on the web even before I bought the kit) with one exception, The A/C bracket repositioning. This is the strangest part of the installation. You will definately spend some time holding the parts in place to figure out where they go on this one!
Got a great tip for installing the belt from a friend in NC. Use a socket wrench to crank the pulley around after partially threading the belt. Took less than 4 minutes to thread my belt! However, tensioning the belt is more of a pain than it should be due to poor instructions as well as a description of just how close the belt runs to itself on the Idler pulleys!! Really close! I took it apart thinking I did something wrong, but of course it went back together the same way.
This is without a doubt THE HANDS DOWN, HIPPEST ADDITION TO MY MIATA!!!! I love those chopped down Civic & Accords that roll up on me ( of course I am minding my own buisness)... all tricked out... only to perish while enjoying a BRIEF glance at my quickly dissappearing rear license plate!! Ah sooo many victims and sooo little time!
Definately doing the 8lb boost upgrade next! Oh yeah, maybe some bigger brakes are gonna be a good idea?
Do yourself a favor, Buy the MSD unit! It is worth the investment.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to '90 - '97 1.8 liter
Jackson Racing supercharger.
Installed the kit over the weekend. Started by downloading the instructions & pics on http//www.overboost.com/story.asp?id=153. The documentation that comes with the supercharger needs more pictures, diagrams, and updated on what the package includes/does not include. I spent much time wondering if I had all the parts. The installation overall went pretty smooth with the exception of questions I had of the documentation. The package comes with no gaskets. It's stated in the documentation to use the "enclosed gaskets", what they now include is liquid gasket. That bit of information came a little late, and I had to dismantle parts and reassemble with the proper usage of the liquid gasket. The fan belt was an extremely tight fit. I used a ratchet on the crank bolt (clockwise facing motor-in neutral) to spin the motor, worked like a charm. I had a very rough idle, a run-away idle (increased to about 6K before I dove in the car to shut off the motor), then had an inconsistent idle.
Key point tighten all hose clamps, especially the long cross tube and make sure that the clamps are on the metal, not just the hose. Also, that vacuum line that runs from the air filter to supercharger manifold? Run it from the supercharger manifold to the fitting on the elbow for a better idle. Now it runs great! The supercharger seems to kick in at about 4,000 RPM, then it flies. If this happens, disconnect the wire that goes to the gizmo (looks like a spin top) that is supplied in the kit and is connected to the dummy throttle body. That wire is used for emissions and reduced fuel flow until a certain pressure is reached. Really like how the car wants to keep pulling at high rpm and speed. Ford Mustangs beware!
Today I'm installing the MSD box.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to '99 + 1.8 liter
6 psi roots type supercharger kit for the Miata
Never seen the kit before in my life, but me and a budy (who is a pretty good mechanic) installed it on a Saturday with just the normal tools. Probably took longer than normal because we ran into some snags and had to run to the store for parts and tools. This was a LONG install (about 12 hours), because there were a few things that weren't mentioned in the instructions (see in general comments). The great thing about this kit is the way it just seems like a bigger engine was dropped in the car--silky smooth, instaneous power. Drop the clutch at 3 grand, and you will spin tires all the way through first AND second gear. I have no problems passing slow cars or merging into traffic anymore, and the whine that now accompanies high rpms is truely a joy to listen to.
The first of which is a metal bracket that gets in the way of the repositioned ICS wiring plug. You need to use a dremel tool (or the like) with a tungsten bit to grind it down sufficiently to get the plug in. If you don't, you won't be able to get the dummy throttle body in place. There is also a brake line that gets in the way of the intake elbow assembly. You need to bend it up (towards the hood of the car) to get the elbow underneath of it. Additionally, if the small plastic restrictor does not exist in your car's crankcase vent tube, and one is not included with the kit, you will need to call Jackson Racing to get one. Also, you will need to remove the strut tower bar and its mounts. Finally, there is a vaccum hose that needs to be run from the nipple on the intake elbow to a like one on the supercharger. Without this in place, idle will be very rough.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter
I purchased a used Sebring blower kit, using the Miata.net classifieds for a WTB ad. The kit came from a fine gentleman in Ohio, and included an MSD ignition module and AutoMeter boost gauge. This was a late '94 kit with 37K miles, the early blower drive which requires an adapter pulley on the crankshaft and a complex set of rubber hoses to connect the throttle body to the air flow sensor.
I had the blower upgraded to the new drive system
and "S" ported by Magnuson Products. Moss supplied new idlers, brackets,
etc. and cast aluminum intake elbow. It took me about four hours to install,
and another 2 hours each for the MSD and boost gauge. Upgraded the oil to Valvoline
20W-50 synthetic and installed the NAPA #42 160F thermostat.
I love this thing. It makes the car a whole lot faster, but it's manners remain impeccable. Great power from idle on up to the redline, and the wail from the blower is just intoxicating. My '90 had 164K miles when I installed the blower. I see no indication that it has overstressed the motor in any way. Thanks, Doug!!
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
This is a followup to my review of about a year ago. Since then I have received several "have you had any problems yet"-type e-mails.
Very pleased to report that after 15K miles of driving, including about 10 SCCA Solo II events, my (now) 180K mile-old '90 A-package is doing very, very well. No problems whatever.........and I'm very glad to have sent the blower to Magnusson for upgrading and "S" porting. I get 7lbs of boost day in, day out.
And the car is still very easy to live with. But it's a whole lot more exciting to drive!
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter
Sebring aftermarket supercharger kit for 1.6 liter Miata with PS and AC.
My experience with the Sebring blower on my 1990 Miata (227K miles)continues to be very satisfactory, overall. I simply never get tired of driving this car. Day-to-day driveability and reliability remains outstanding. There have been a few minor issues since the last update. The BEGI fuel pressure regulator required constant fiddling and was replaced with a new one from Jackson Racing. No adjustments have been needed in over a year. And I had chronic wear problems with the belt tensioning pulleys..both plastic and aluminum. Hector from R Speed suggested replacing them with the tensioning pulleys used on the timing belt. They are the same size, are made of stainless steel and are very durable. These have been on the car for about a year with virtually no signs of wear. I remain a very satisfied customer. The Sebring/JR blower was a good investment, one which I heartily recommend to anyone who is looking for a serious no-hassle horsepower boost.
This is the second update of the original review I submitted in 1999.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
JR Sebring Supercharger for 1.8 liter with power steering and no A/C
Just read through the instructions before install to see if there were any tricky parts. Had to read the section on the power steering adjustment relocations two to three times. Would be nice to know what parts are reused for the install. You can put the belt on the pulley of the supercharger as you are mounting it to the side of the motor! Pivot the nose of supercharger on the front bolt as you feed the belt over the pulley, that's it. I had gotten to the step to install the supercharger to the side of the motor when I noticed that the back bracket that bolts onto the exhaust manifold was missing from the kit. The hose connectors that hooked up the cross over pipe to the dummy throttle body did not want to stretch around the big lip on it. I am not exaggerating; it took me over two hours to get it on. I then cut the outer sheath so that the hose could stretch wide enough. It 's on there, but the cross over tube does not line up when I tried to hook up to the supercharger side.
Hoping to get 60 extra horsepower, but most likely at 40 to 45 HP. No need for new clutch, granted I only have a hundred miles so far but it locks up like it did before the install. Need to have a parts sheet to look over at the beginning instead of looking through out the 32-page manual. The only timing runs I have done are from 50 to 70 in third gear on the same stretch of road. I have a base '95 with 23700 miles. Average was 6.4 seconds. Next I put the exhaust on, header and free flow cat. Average was 6.31. I fail to see why these numbers are not better. Finally the supercharger was installed. Average was 5.15 seconds. I have gained 1.25 seconds. When the finances come back to life, I will get new spark plug wires, cooler spark plugs gapped at .038 and make a duct to channel cooler air at the intake. For Christmas I will install the J&S and put the timing up to 10 or 12 degrees BTDC and stop using the octane boost.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
Jackson Racing/Sebring Supercharger kit
Love it! Had it professionally installed (because I don't let amateurs work on my cars - especially me!) Slight problem with one of the rubber hose connections on the "big air tube" - popped off on the first test drive so they replaced it with a much longer one that would stay clamped. Also installed the MSD timer kit and set it at 10 BTDC. The first MSD kit was defective but, Moss was great about sending out another one right away. After driving it for a week with the timing set at 6 BTDC, the MSD kit was very welcome!
Reading others comments, I'm tempted to play with the timing a little. I live in Georgia so, I can get real 93 octane gas everywhere. I'm also being very careful with my clutch since, I'm now out of money and need a "recovery period" before I can consider a beefier clutch.
NOTE: I have only had this car 3 weeks coming from driving nothing but Rx7s for the last 16 years. When I first drove the Miata I thought, nice little car but, no power. Now that I have fully redressed that problem, I'm having a ball with it! 16" Borbet wheels with 205/45 Dunlop SP9000s helped a lot, too!
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Mazdaspeed supercharger (Sebring)
Simple installation which took only 4 hours as advertised.
Power is adequate. After more than a year of use, no problems. Truly an install and forget item. Among all the stuff I have put on the car, this is the one I am happiest with.
Supercharger for 1.6 (on my 90' with 76,500)
Kit came compleat with all parts and instructions fit and finish.
The Kit came on a Friday after noon so me and my dad decited to put it on over the week end. The instructions clamed 4 hours to put on but it took us 2 after noons b/c we did somethings out of order. Only thing notably difficult was scraping old gaskets off the throttle body (spent over 3 hours on that alone). Also found one step on instructions was out of order b/c of update (small delay untill figured it out). Other then that we probly would have made it in the 4 hour est time.
The car now has a nice whining sound under full throttle (very noticable above 4,000rpm's). Miata now seem to have the needed power it was intened for. Stock wheels will spin all day long and you can easily beat any 6 cylinder and give all v8's a run for there money. I found I can now take newer mustangs (95 up).
For the money it is worth it it really brings out the life in the little car. I strongly recomend it for relible power b/c you cant go wrong with a blower and a belt and thats all this is! Now if they would just offer a Intercooler I would be happy.
Bolt-on supercharger for 1.8 litre Miata 1994+. I order kit directly from Dowing/Atlanta. Rep, Jim Goodroe (sp?), was very helpful. Order arrived in about 2 1/2 weeks!
Kit arrived well packed and complete - no missing parts! 35+ page instruction manual was for the most part easy to follow but I would have appreciated a few more drawings and better labling of drawings. I installed the kit on a 1994 BRG/tan leather Canadian Special Edition - all options except air and auto. The actual install was not very difficult (I do not have any formal mechanic training but am reasonable handy with a wrench). The most difficult part of the installation for me was the necessity to bend two of the brake lines that originated from the master cylinder out of the way. I wrapped the jaws of a spanner with masking tape and gently bent the lines out of harm's way. Another difficult task was the installation of the drive belt. I found that even with the poer steering pump adjusted as far as possible the belt was a tight fit. And finally I was a bit confused and concerned about the removal of the heat shield from the exhaust manifold. I could not determine from the installation instructions if it should be replaced. I have left it off for now.
The Miata featured in this note is a 1994. This is the second Miata that I have owned. The first was I 1993 that I foolishly traded only to regret. Thus the second. I have also owned a 1987 944S and a 1990 911 Cab. Both are sadly gone (word of warning - don't own a Porsche in a one dealer town). I now drive a Acura NSX and feel much more financially secure. The kit was installed in a 1.8 litre limited edition with a limited slip diff. I have lower the car with H&R spring and have changed to 15" rims and 195/50 Z 15 tires. Ia have also installed a Borla exhaust. Factory HP - 128. Downing/Atlanta was not able to supply me with performance figures for the 1.8 kit. I was told that I could expect about 190 HP. Torque figures were not available (Remember that acceleration is most directly related to trrque not HP!) I have not timed any acceleration runs but claims of 0 - 60 MPH in less that 7 sec are probably true. With the combination of the Borla Exhaust and the supercharger the engine easily revs to the redline. Thrust is most noticeable over 3000 RPM. Engagement of the unit is seemless (The unit has a feature which bypasses the supercharger at times of minimal load - idle or constant speed) There is even a noticeable sensation of boost in 5th gear when above 3000 RPM. I have heard a number of people concerned about the longevity of the clutch on th 1.8. So far about 750 kms have passed and no problems. All in all I have benn quite pleased so far. Although no match for my NSX the result is that the Miata is much more fun to drive...
Several weeks ago a brief review was posted regarding my preliminary experience with the Sebring Supercharger as installed on my 1994 1.8 litre Miata with Borla exhaust. At the urging of several of my Miata friends and in response to several E-mail messages I received I thought that I would add the following comments.
Status: After about 1600 kms all is well. Stock clutch seems to be doing well and the Supercharger has performed flawlessly. No surprises yet!
Performance: At the time of inital installation I did not have a timing light nor access to 93 octane gasoline as recommended so I dumped a bottle of octane boost into the tank. Since then I have adjusted the timing from the factory 10 degrees BTDC to about 8 degrees BTDC. As well I am using 92 octane as I have not been able to find 93. I do have the seat of the pants feeling that the car is not as quick as when running the octane boost and slightly more advanced timing. I have therefor ordered a MSD ignition control unit. I have read in the Miata Magazine V7N3 that some folks have been running 18 degrees BTDC on stock cars (?93 octane). I did speak with Downing/Atlanta, the Sebring Supercaharger manufacturer, about adding the MSD unit and was told that they have heard of several people running 15 degreees BTDC with the supercharger installed. The Miata Magazine article indicated that significant low RPM performance gains could be had by advancing the timing so I am hopeful. A point of concern however. Downing/Atlanta informed me that several of their customers that had installed the MSD were experiencing some difficulties. As best as I could understand restarting a hot motor could prove to be difficult. It was stressed that this had only happened in a few cases but the cause was still under investigation. Unfortunately Downing/Atlanta told me if I had problems with the unit they would not offer a refund!!! Instead they would try to help sort out the problem. I must say that I was a little taken aback. I will however keep you posted
. Now on to the promotional war. Downing/Atlanta claims the Sebring kit for the 1.8 litre puts out a maximum 6 lbs of boost with a peak HP of 190 or so ( given stock HP of 128) Performance figures are more difficult to come by. In the Sebring Supercharger ad from the Miata Magazine it is claimed that the kit for the 1.6 litre produces a peak of 175 HP. 0-60 MPH time of 6.4 seconds are noted. If these figures are assumed to be true then then perhaps the following is true: if the 1.6 litre kit produces an additional 60 HP then the kit for the 1.8L (which has 15+ more HP than the 1.6L) could be expected to produce 190 HP (assuming the kit is still able to produce 60 HP of additional power. I assume that these figures are for HP at the crank which is more than the HP produced at the wheels. Also as noted before HP figures are less relevant than torgue when speaking about acceleration ( I guess that it makes for better advertizing copy to speak about horse power rather than foot-pounds of torque).
To further cloud the issue I refer you to the claims of several other manufactures. The BBR turbo kit claims about 5.5 lbs of boost and a gain in HP of about 45 for a total of 150-155 HP from a 1.6L (but I am not sure if this HP at the wheels or at the crank). I am somewhat confused by the figures provided by Bell Engineering regarding their supercharger. They claim 8 lb of boost with a peak HP of 190 and 0-60 times of 5.7 (torque for the 1.8L was reported as 179 ft-lbs) In their Internet ad they report performance figures of 145 HP and 136 ft-lbs for the Sebring unit. These values are quite far off the claims of Sebring.
Are you confused? - I am. As a comparision I will refer to three excellent Honda products that I have had an opportunity to drive. The performance figures are supplied by Honda and therefore may be on the conservative side.
Weight HP Torque 0-60MPH
Acura Integra GSR VTEC 2667 170 128 7.2
Honda Prelude VTEC 2932 190 158 6.9
Acura NSX VTEC 3047 270 252 5.4
Miata 1.8L 1994 (approx) 2250 128 110 8.7
Sebring 1.8L 2300 190 ? 6.5?
Sebring (1.8L according to Bell) 145 136 6.9
From my own experience the Sebring Miata is noticeably quicker than the Integra and somewhat quicker than the Prelude. Although I have not had the stopwatch in hand I would agree with a 0-60 time in the mid 6 second range for the Sebring Miata. I do have some trouble believing the HP figures of 190 for the 1.8L kit. I suspect the true HP lies somewhere between the claims of Sebring and Bell. As far as Bell's performance claims I am somewhat skeptical as well. They are claiming acceleration figures that are approaching those of my NSX. If their numbers are true I would trade-in my Sebring in a moment, but....
As a point of interest I did contact Mr. Michael Hewitt, senior sales engineer, at Eaton Corporation. He indicated that the Sebring unit, a M45 could be run at up to 16,000 RPM and "handle 15 psi". His concerns were that at the higher ranges of performance, temperature and detonation concerns would become more significant. So although I am not an engineer, it would appear that a bit more performance could be had from the Eaton/Sebring unit. All that is needed would be a larger crank pulley, a slightly smaller supercharger pulley, a modified belt roller kit to move the belt's path away from obstructions around engine, perhaps an intercooler, and ignition controller. Sebring are you there?
So in summary, the Sebring unit may not live up to its performance claims but it is less expensive than its competitors and compared to a stock Miata is does provide a good kick in the pants.
I have installed the MSD ignition retard unit into my SEBRING 1.8 litre. First thing in the morning it usually takes about two attempts to start the car. As long as I completely turn off the ignition between the attempts there has been no problem in starting - relief!! I have been able to advance the timing to 14 degrees BTDC and have not had any problems with pinging. I suspect that I may be able to advance the timing a little bit more. The car feels a little stronger a low RPMS.
A roots type (positive displacement) belt driven supercarger with fuel and ignition management.
*EXCELLENT PRODUCT*, good instructions, easy installation, works as advertised.
The thing that impressed me about this kit from Downing/Atlantic was how thorough it was. The only trip I made to the hardware store was for more tie wraps. Every possible nut, bolt and screw needed for the installation was in the kit and plainily labeled. It does not have a "hot rod" feel to it, the power is seamless and just feels like a bigger engine.
Downing unit for the 1.6.
Spent about a good day under the hood. EASY to put in, just takes time to bolt everything together.
92 OCTANE EVEN AT 6 DEGREES DOES NOT WORK IN CA ANYMORE! SEVRE DETONATION AT FULL THROTTLE. AFTER CHECKING WITH MIATA GUYS OUT HERE, FOUND THAT OUR CA REFORMULATED GAS DOESN'T BURN QUITE RIGHT. SPENT A DAY GOING NUTS UNTIL I WIRED UP AN MSD BOOST CONTROLLER. Sigh, this better now, but the box cost $159. Worth it for any forced induction plan.
Now, love it to death. Power is yummy.
I've run the Sebring unit on my ('91) 1.6L for about 3 months now and have spent a bit of time and money trouble shooting some interesting issues. Not to say the Sebring unit isn't top notch or doesn't deliver what it's supposed to, it's a great kit and the guys at Downing are tops in customer service. This follow-up are for those people considering a Sebring unit in areas with REFORMULATED GAS or are experiencing detonation and are going nuts.
After following all the general maintenance requirements for the Sebring unit...cooler plugs, new fuel filter, changing wires, oil, etc...I got pinging even with the MSD Boost unit. This dilema occurred usually in third gear at full throttle. After going near insane I resorted to running 108 octane booster in the tank and that seems to solve the problem of the pinging.
The Miata Magazine has a trouble shooting page and last issue (spring '96) had a couple of people complaining about pinging on their bone stock Miata's. Curiously they were all '91's and lived in the san francisco, bay area. Yes, a NEW gas area. I was intrigued and e-mailed several Miata.net people with Sebring units and of the five I've e-mailed all but one experienced some sort of detonation (again 3rd gear, full throttle, warm days 80 degrees+). These members were in NEW gas areas..i.e. CA and TX.
Miata Magazine states that the 1.8L computers were reprogrammed to accomdodate the new gas requirements. They run a bit richer. So that leaves us 1.6 guys out in the rain eh? And so far, no one carries a computer upgrade or can reprogram our chips to run richer (california smog rules apply).
How to fix it? Quick fix...buy 32 oz bottles of 108 octane boost (worth about 2 1/2 tanks at 12 oz a fill-up), costs about $5-$8 bucks at most auto stores, makes the Miata snarl too.
Permanent fix....Wayne Tibbit of Texas uses the J&S system..it "listens" for detonation and retards the timing accordingly. That's probably the best soultion but it'll run about $450.
Little less expensive would be to buy the Brainstorm "parking light" induction units which feed cooler air into the engine compartment and the filter...thus reducing the intake air charge and engine compartment temp...and run the bottle of 108 (Heck at $5 a bottle, you get snarl and LOTS of go). That's the route I'm going until I can pull $450 out of the hat. I came up with the cooler air idea running around with my lights up and found the temp gauage dropping and the pinging quiting down a bit.
I'm personally working on a intercooler system for the Sebring unit... but don't place any order yet..it's still being conceptualized.
Feel free to email me if anyone has any questions.
Sebring Supercharger for pre-93 Miatas in CA reformulated gas areas.
Spent a day working out bugs and I think I've got a cure. With the MSD unit..you can run 8-10 degrees of timing with 92 octane fuel. Maybe 10 in the winter, 8 in the summer. I tried 108 octane at 12 degrees..got pings in 3rd at full throttle. So no go at 12. So 10's probably pushing it.
Extra safety bits...wrap the top radiator hose in a heat blanket material (header/exhaust wrap) to help cool a potential heat spot near the s/c's intake tube. That Radiator hose radiates 200+ heat. The s/c is only made to only go up to what 174 degrees of intake temp. So a hotspot that could raise the temp by 30 degrees. Brainstorm makes a "parking light" intake unit that feels colder air into the engine bay. Another good idea, the Miata mag states that ambient outside air temps are the same at filter level. Heck, I bought it.
Before: 1994 Miata 1.8 with power steering and air conditioning. Other mods are Turbo Tuff cat back muffler and high end plugs and plug leads.
Install: Took +- 10 solid hours to install. All parts excellent quality, instructions could be better but with some car knowledge, no problem. Only called Wayne at Downing/Atlanta twice during install for following reasons. The belt was really hard to get onto the supercharger pulley. Bought a long 21 metric socket wrench with Waynes advice to turn engine over and turned out to be very simple after all. Kit did not clearly state which of the different length generic hose pieces to apply where and I used the incorrect length between the air intake and the mass air flow meter. Took 20 minutes to change with the left hand cross over pipe hose at the dummy throttle body. Otherwise everything went fine. Started first time. A post installation problem did occur though. The car overheated on my first test drive. I limped back home and called Wayne. Recomended I try a new thermostat. Sent me one ASAP. Tryed this one, still a problem. I then posted the problem on miata.net and low and behold the cause was found. After installing the new thermostat, the lost coolant fluid must be re-added directly into the radiator with the car running, not back into the resorvoir. This rectifies the depressurized area from the upper radiator to the thermostat. No problem. Car runs perfectly again. So if I can offer these words of advice to anyone before installation. Check miata.net for all Sebring related tips. They do help. This product is a must buy for anyone wanting to turn their Miata into a quality, reliable performance car. Not a highly modified race tuned, constanly checked for oil leaks over powered monster.
After: If I bought a brand new 97 Miata I would order the Sebring at the same time. The car is awesome. Since install I have added a J&S knock sensor (excellent product) and a boost guage. (Not an easy thing to calibrate.) The car idles as before, a quality I have rarely been able to say for my previously modified VW golfs (cams, throttle bodies etc.) and Porsches (911's with 3.3 litre bores). The drivability has improved!. Torque is crazy. Drop car in third gear up a hill, put foot flat and car pulls as it did before in second. High end is dangerous. With correct outside temperature and 108 octane boost in the tank, I did a best ever 0-60 without gear crash or bad wheel spin of 6.33. This was measured with a accelerometer from Germany which claims to be 0.1 seconds accurate. On a hot day, expect close to a 0.5 second change in best time.
Final trick. Put the "SEBRING" badge from a Chrysler Sebring JXi on the back. Bought from Chrysler for 20 bucks! Looks great.
Excellent product considering it costs me $38 more a month on my car payment. Well worth it.
Before my forced induction upgrade I had an Akimoto Ram air intake and a home made cold air induction system which I described on the list server a few months ago. After installing the SuperCharger I realized that a huge restriction to the system was the small air intake and it did'nt tak eme long to modify and fit my two afetr market air induction devices. The Akimoto went on with the following modifications:
Akimoto
Air induction system
Results: Huge tourque increase at low-mid rpm range (2000-3500). Minor gain at high rpm. Car "wakes up quicker" ie. The seat feeling you get on cold mornings when the car has a virtual power band. We all know the feeling.
NOTE: For all you guys concerned with water and muck getting up the tubing, the tube is vertical for almost half a yard and has a steep incline for a full yard. No water, even in a full puddle gets anywhere near the element. As for muck, place a tight wire mesh guaze over the mouth of both ends of the system.
Timed 0-62 mph on Gyroscopic Potenciometer (0.12 sec accurate) Before : 6.4 - 7 sec depending on temperature After : 6.11 on Saturday before football playoff.(48 degrees outside temp in N California)
Cost - $ 75-90 for Ram air filter. $ 20 for air conditioning ducting and fittings plus a roll of duct tape.
Installed the kit on a 94B with 19K on the odo.
Installation time was reported to be around 8 hours, better plan a good full day. Kit went in pretty much as expected. Disassembly of old parts was very simple and quickly accomplished. Biggest problem was fitting of pieces on the intake tract (alum. elbow, mass air sensor, air filter) that feeds the supercharger. Takes some woring the parts in a tight area but it all does fit. Looks very factory once installed. Instructions are typical of other kits I've installed, they all leave something to be desired. Biggest complaint, is Fig. 1.4 in the instructions. This is a great drawing of the existing Miata intake tract, but nothing is labeled. This would be very helpful to a novice to identify the parts he will be re-using. Some mechanical ability is a real asset, but given time, any novice could install.
Kit worked as advertised. Power isn't crazy but a subtle boot in the pants. Make sure you check every hose clamp at least twice. When one of these comes loose the car will not run. Found this out when a cross over tube clamp was not tight enough on the test run. It doesn't hurt anything, but if you don't have a way to put it back....could be a walk home for a screwdriver. I purchased the kit direct from Downing/Atlanta. Had no missing parts. Every bolt, nut and hose clamp was in the kit. After reading the instructions it was clear that other items were needed. These are the parts that are included in the kit from MRoadster. Wound up ordering them from MRoadster. Can't say enough good about Percy Chow and MRoadster, he was there to make sure the additional parts that I ordered were delivered, and was available to answer questions about the install of the supercharger even though I bought it direct from Dowling/Atlanta. As I installed the kit over a weekend, I had a question on Sat. night. Called Percy and he returned my call on Sun. morning. Have since ordered other items from him and have gotten the same personal/ professional response. Overall I'm satisfied. Kit is very well made, all casting are top shelf.
Roots Type Positive displacement belt driven super charger.
I have had the Sebring on my '90 1.6 for about a year now. I have added an MSD unit and a Jackson Racing header and catback system. I left the timing stock, run 92 octane reformulated Ca gas and haven't suffered from detonation problems that others have mentioned. The car starts, idles, handles hot days and traffic just like a stocker. Zero to 60 is probably around6.8 to 7.2 seconds (I have a bike that will do it under 3 seconds if I get really bored) and 50 to 70 is quite quick although I never felt the need to time it. The only time I open the hood is to check the oil, I have had zero problems with this system and great amounts of fun although trying to keep up with twin turbo'ed Mitsubishi 3000 GT's borders on work. Depending on how heavy your foot is, gas milage can be amazing good (28 to 29 on the Hwy). I am still on the original stock clutch (I generally avoid hard launches and burn-out (with cars) and haven't had any problems yet.
If you like to constantly fuss with your car and feel that there is no such thing as "too much power", then you probably won't like the Sebring. It doesn't *need* you. If on the other hand, you want a reliable, fuss free, fun car that goes like a bat out hell, the Sebring may be for you. I have absolutly no regrets about putting it on and the whine as it passes through 6 grand is worth the price of addmission.
| Back to Product Reviews |
24 October, 2009 |
| [Home] - [FAQ] - [Search] - [Sponsors] - [Forums] |
| [Garage] - [Clubs] - [Contact Us] - [Disclosures] - [More...] |
Copyright
©1994-2024, Eunos Communications LLC
|