Official RS5 supercharger thread!

A5/S5/RS5
#1

Creating this thread as a repository for information on supercharging the B8/B8.5 RS5. We have a few members who already have supercharger kits so feel free to post up your setup and experiences.

We know the JHM kit is in the works but there is at least one other kit which is readily available, the PES kit. Unfortunately, that kit, as it sits, needs hardware and software modifications to work correctly.

I believe this is Ali’s car, he’s a member here now.

He uses the PES kit but it’s been reworked by McChip in Germany. His car is currently there, patiently awaiting the RMR transmission cooler kit which just cleared customs.

There’s at least one other kit supposedly in the works by Addict Motorsports out of Washington State but I’ve not heard much in two years on their progress. I know JHM is going full steam ahead with their development. I think the centrifugal SC will also match the RS5’s power band better. Not overly boosted way down low with a continuous pull to redline. This should stress critical parts less as a result.

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#2

Have been following this for the last 2 years and am part of the Beta program. Sounds like JHM will have a few versions! Not sure what info I can share yet, but looks promising along with their standalone headers (defatted or highflow) and light weight flywheel. Both don’t appear to be necessary to run the super charger, but I imagine the whole kit will get this car into the mid to low 10’s.

I likely will grab the headers and the corresponding stage 2 ECU update to code out the O2 sensors before I go supercharged as I’m curious the Canadian pricing plus install…

#3

There are a few big things that plague the PES kit. The first one is PES the actual company. Not even sure if they are a company any more. You can search on here and several years ago PES blew up a RS5 guys motor. Not sure the entire deal but it wasn’t good. In there defense its always hard with that kind of stuff. your adding a big chunk of power and since PES was the first one back in the day to do so. Was it the supercharger… Was it the tune… Or was it just too much power. That’s kinda why you want a company that is going to actually test on there own car first like JHM…

Addict is a fucking dumptster fire of a company. I highly doubt they got their act together. The owner had or probably still has serious issues. He couldn’t make a product that actually performed. His gig was to attack the successful companys in hopes of scaring people into another option and none of those options were ever Addict. That kind of shop is just shit and bad for the entire industry.

The next issue is the twin screw blowers just are not meant for big RPM like the RS5 has. So between the much higher parasitic draw of the twin screw and the lack of their ability to spin at super high rpms those already have you behind the curve. Then add in the incredible heat soak those blowers have and you end up with a growing bag of issues.

This isn’t to say McChip in Germany can’t reduce or try to limit the extent of the drawbacks but there are some serious drawbacks just the same.

The JHM C-fuge unit is built and meant for higher rpm apps and the results from the S4 / RS4 / S5 4.2 all show a really strong consistency in power and performance.

#4

Here is something I wrote a while ago when this came up.

#5

Good points. The two people I know running the PES modified the main heat exchanger (larger), welded up the intercooler housings (they can crack), and use a forged clutch plate (similar to a flex plate) and of course, the tuning.

And yes, everything I read about the owner of PES led me to believe they were suspect. It’s still a company, just under a different name.

I don’t know squat about Addict so that’s all news to me but thanks for the heads up!

Twin screws are just fine and from a packaging standpoint, make a lot of sense. Remember, the R8 V10 takes to supercharging like a fish to water. That motor revs to 8500rpm and is just about identical to the RS5’s engine but with two more cylinders. The 2nd gen adds an extra set of port injectors and I believe larger exhaust valves and a slightly different cam profile but not 100% sure. VF supercharged R8’s and Huricans all seem to be doing quite well. Just have to size the SC and intercooler cores appropriately, and add the right amount of fuel.

I’ve supercharged one of my cars in the past with a Vortech. I do think it’ll just amplify the RS5’s power band but with a huge midrange torque bump. It won’t be a stump puller like a roots. I prefer it to pull all the way to redline.

#6

Yeah the R8 is a GREAT case of the TS superchargers working. But we are also talking about VF and they know there stuff and It shows. While the VF kit for the 4.2 S4 was a disaster it was only really a disaster due to the blower being too small. VF themselves put together a good kit.

As for Addict. Honestly DUMPTSERFIRE… IF they give away parts stay away.

Something else to think about when you look at the TS. APR Dropped there program entirely for all of the cars. APR is a good company but there were seeing too many issues with putting the TS on cars so they just left the program that they spent a TON of money on.

I think in the end HONEST options are what is good for the platform. options for the sake of options isn’t always good.

I have a long history with Vortechs on my cars and I have one on my current S4 and its a a blast. I think the RS5 will shine with the Vortech more so than with the TS unit. I think overall like you said. Just a much better power curve.

#7

APR screwed the pooch on the RS5. I don’t think they were the same company back then that they are now. If I remember correctly, they undersized the TVS SC on that car too. And they didn’t have the Count! :slight_smile: Not sure if Loba or other companies were producing higher flow HPFP’s back then but I’m sure there were a number of issues related to fueling and cracking of the ECU. Just look at their RS5 tune vs. JHM’s stage 1. Not even in the same universe.

But yes, VF does their homework. They have a new kit coming out for the R8 4.2 so they’re taking another shot with that engine.

#8

I installed the PES kit on a B8 2011 face lifted RS5 in mid to late 2019. The kit was well presented and provided my mechanic with little amount of issues fitting it. The main issues were the relocation and changing of the power steering cooler, painting the intercooler so it’s not seen through the grill, and getting the power gate Alientech device to read and write the PES tune. In the end the PG3 wasn’t used and Alientech flashed the ECU directly. Alientech’s comment was the PES tune changes stuff in areas they have never seen before. I did do a DL501 stage 2 tune to increase the gearbox cooling. The result ? I have currently no Dyno figures but it drives well, doesn’t detract away from any driveability the RS5 had, it pulls hard but 0-60mph times have not improved that much, maybe .5 of second. All in all a very cool upgrade that gives you very quick access to above 100mph without loosing what you love about the RS5.

#9

Traction would probably be a limiting factor 0-60. No other mods to the kit? Still running the original headers and catalytic converters?

Curious if you’ve carbon-cleaned the engine since. How hard is it to get the supercharger unit off the vehicle to clean the intake valves?

I know of two other people using the PES kit and both have managed to kill their clutch plate (Audi calls it that). This is essentially a flex plate as it doesn’t interact with the face of the clutch disk at all and it has a ring gear for the starter motor.

Here’s a photo of one.

The middle section, where it’s bolted to the crank, rips out. The S6 design looks similar but it is a different part. Wondering if a bit of welding will make it stronger.

Ali’s on here too, he said he’d check in this coming week. He’s had the PES kit for a few years now I believe.

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#10

The kit was installed at 75,000 kms and the carbon clean was at 70,000 kms. Cat back exhaust is a Milltek and because I had such a problem getting the tune to the car and the mechanic kept starting it with a corrupt tune the cats are almost non existent and the whole car is louder, which I don’t mind, but other than a dl501 stage 2 tune it’s a stock setup.

#11

Thanks for the information! And thanks for signing up and joining too, it’ll be good to have you here and to hear about your experiences with the SC setup moving forward.

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#12

If I was to change the flex plate / clutch plate what would I use ? A JHM unit ?

I’ve also thought about changing out the clutch pack but I would want some advice on how worn the stock pack is and if that would make a difference.

#13

Unfortunately, no one makes a stronger flex plate that is in regular production. A German shop made one but they only made four of them and haven’t made any more as far as I know.

JHM has a new billet lightweight 1-piece flywheel coming out with their supercharger kit. It’s optional but it doesn’t address the flex plate issue. They may not need to with a centrifugal supercharger as it doesn’t have the huge low end torque offered by a roots-type supercharger.

JHM did say if they run into issues with the shop car they would look at having one made. I briefly started looking for someone to make a stronger unit but have been tied up with other projects.

Edit: Ali has one of the four stronger clutch plates. I’ll try to get him to come share info on it. I have a photo, somewhere, of a destroyed RS5 clutch plate. Need to go dig it up.

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#14

Many thanks, great info. So essentially it will break after a launch and will need to be towed to Audi for a new plate to be installed to fix the issue ? I’m thinking about being a little proactive and changing the plate prior.
I’ve watched and communicated with JHM about their kit but once they released the S5 kit and advised the RS5 kit would be based on the same Vortex v3 centrifugal SC I lost interest and went PEZ in preference for a positive displacement unit.
My mechanic does a lot with hi torque and high HP cars so maybe he has some ideas around strengthening the plate following your suggestions. Many thanks.

#15

Hi Ape, when the flex plate fails is it a tow to Audi to kit fixed ? And you can’t drive the car ?

#16

Ape, are you the creator of the transmission cooler released recently for the RS5 ? We had a catchup on Facebook I think. If so is was wanting to ask is there a way to mount the cooler without the hot tranny air blowing on the SC’s intercooler ? Cheers

#17

Got your email and I sent you a response and a link to the Google Doc with more info!

#18

It might be a good idea to start a clutch and flywheel thread.

I would like to see what exactly is breaking. Its good news that JHM is making new units for this they might already be addressing these issues. But it would be interesting to see what’s going on.

Also remember. The C-Fuge units can make similar boost down low. It just depends on how you spin it. The fact that the C-fuge units take so much less to drive just means you don’t have to make as much boost to make up for the power you loast. and top end wise. Cfuge is a big win over twin screw

#19

Yep, it would be a tow to the shop. The transmission would need to be dropped to replace it unfortunately. I’ve not heard of any other damage as a result but Ali’s gone through two of them so he’d be the person to ask if there was any ancillary damage as a result of the clutch plate failure.

#20

I’ll go ahead and do that. I may add it to the DL-501 thread or I’ll create a new one altogether.

JHM has a one-piece flywheel in the works but that’s not the part which fails. The part I posted above is the one that fails. The middle (shiny part) literally tears out of the rest of the clutch plate. I have a really bad photo of one that’s destroyed but I’m having trouble finding it.

Here’s a photo of the clutch plate (left) and flywheel (right).

The clutch plate bolts to the end of the crank in the middle and the flywheel bolts to the clutch plate around its perimeter.

Shot of the clutch plate’s center section. the red line would represent where the plate would fracture.