Supercharging the WBX?
Posted: 04 Jul 2013, 07:55
Has anyone out there explored supercharging the wasserboxer? I know the current fashion is to do an engine swap but, I’m looking into all the options available now that my 2.1DJ is getting seriously tired.
The wasserboxer has a lot going for it, despite its ‘design issues’, and it can be a perfectly reliable engine if built well and looked after properly. Just swapping the current engine for a rebuilt one is the simplest option. The van runs on LPG and (as discussed in the alternative engines forum) Subaru engines seem to have some potential issues of their own when run on gas.
So, I began to think about other ways of boosting the van’s performance a little. I’m not looking for a rip-snorting fire-breathing engine (I don’t think the WBX is a suitable engine for that), just a nice little boost – say 20%. Figures of 130-ish bhp and 150-ish lb/ft would be quite adequate and not far off a Subaru EJ22’s figures. Torque is more important to me than power and forced induction engines seem to do well on that score.
The flat-4 layout seems quite well suited to supercharging with a convenient flat area on top of the engine where a blower could be mounted and driven off the crankshaft. I quite like the idea of a G60 WBX but I believe that the G-lader is not the longest lasting of devices so a blower from a Merc SLK or a BMW Mini would probably be a better bet.
Has anyone any experience or opinions on the viability of this? I suspect there are quite a few things I haven’t thought of!
The wasserboxer has a lot going for it, despite its ‘design issues’, and it can be a perfectly reliable engine if built well and looked after properly. Just swapping the current engine for a rebuilt one is the simplest option. The van runs on LPG and (as discussed in the alternative engines forum) Subaru engines seem to have some potential issues of their own when run on gas.
So, I began to think about other ways of boosting the van’s performance a little. I’m not looking for a rip-snorting fire-breathing engine (I don’t think the WBX is a suitable engine for that), just a nice little boost – say 20%. Figures of 130-ish bhp and 150-ish lb/ft would be quite adequate and not far off a Subaru EJ22’s figures. Torque is more important to me than power and forced induction engines seem to do well on that score.
The flat-4 layout seems quite well suited to supercharging with a convenient flat area on top of the engine where a blower could be mounted and driven off the crankshaft. I quite like the idea of a G60 WBX but I believe that the G-lader is not the longest lasting of devices so a blower from a Merc SLK or a BMW Mini would probably be a better bet.
Has anyone any experience or opinions on the viability of this? I suspect there are quite a few things I haven’t thought of!
- I know he has a S.A. 5 Pot, don't know about a blown one (though iirc, it was being talked about). 
