The following guide walks through the steps that were taken to install the Comptech stage 1 centrifugal supercharger onto project S2000. The “complete” kit came off of another Honda S2000 that was getting traded for a 350Z. As this was a used kit we did not have directions for the install and suspect that an extra bracket was missing. As such, this tutorial covers the steps we took to resolve certain issues and should be a comprehensive guide for anyone installing this kit.
The Kit
The used kit we received came with the supercharger (equipped with a 6lb pulley), mounting bracket, tensioner, FMU (rising rate fuel pressure regulator), carbon fiber shield (not used), new crank pulley, alternator adapter bracket, vtec solenoid adapter and bracket and various oil and fuel lines.
This image shows the various parts of the Comptech kit. Note: The carbon fiber heat shield was not used.
Preparing the Motor
During this install you will be working with both oil lines and fuel lines so the first thing we need to do is depressurize the fuel system. To do this, first remove the fuel pump relay fuse from the fuse box to the left of the clutch pedal. Refer to the diagram on the cover of the box to locate the fuse. (or see pic below) Once the fuse is pulled, place the key in the ignition and in the on position. If the proper fuse has been removed then you will not hear the fuel pump prime. Go ahead and start the car and let it idle until it dies. What we have done is run the car without the fuel pump feeding fuel to the fuel rail, thus once the fuel in the rail is used, the motor will stall. Remove the ignition key and replace the fuel pump fuse.
On the left column, remove the blue fuse (second from bottom) to disable the fuel pump.
Now disconnect the battery from the car by first removing the black (ground) lead from the battery and then the red (+) lead. With a proper drain pan, drain the oil from the motor and then proceed to remove the intake as well as the intake box.
Although this car runs an aftermarket intake pipe and ARC induction pipe, the removal process is the same. Disconnect the pipe at 1, 2 and 3 and then disconnect the box 4.
Once the intake is removed, the engine bay should look something like this.
Swapping the Crank Pulley
In order to power the Comptech supercharger, a new pulley must be installed in place of the factory unit. This new pulley is a stock pulley with 6 holes drilled around the diameter. These holes are used to secure an extra pulley (for the supercharger belt) to the crank.
To remove the stock pulley, first remove the tension on the main belt by loosening the tensioner.
As you can see, once the tensioner is loosened with a socket, the belt will have enough slack to slide off of the pulleys.
Next, place the Honda crank tool into the stock crank pulley and then place a socket with a breaker bar onto the crank bolt. You will now turn the two tools against each other. The Honda crank tool prevents the crank pulley from spinning while the breaker bar loosens the crank bolt. (Notes: If you are facing the front of the motor, hold the Honda tool steady by applying force clockwise and turn the breaker bar counter clockwise.)
The Honda crank tool is basically a reverse socket that prevents the crank from turning when trying to remove the pulley.
After inserting the Honda tool, insert the breaker bar with socket onto the crank bolt.
Once removed, the stock pulley (bottom) is almost identical to the Comptech Pulley. The only difference being the extra supercharger pulley that bolts to the top of the Comptech unit.
When installing the Comptech crank pulley, install the main pulley first and then install the top pulley (for the supercharger belt). If you try to install the unit already assembled, there will not be enough room to snake the pulley back on the crank. So, install the main piece by sliding the pulley on by hand and then hand tightening the crank bolt. Then take the Honda crank tool and a torque wrench and tighten the bolt to between 80 – 85 ft-lbs. Take the six hex bolts and attach the supercharger pulley to the front of the Comptech Pulley. Tighten the bolts in an alternating pattern to ensure that the pulley seats straight. Also, you can place the car in neutral and release the parking break to allow the crank to turn. Turning the crank by hand will allow access to the lower hex nuts for easier tightening. Once everything is tight, reinstall the main belt on the main pulley and tighten the tensioner.
This image shows the Comptech unit (left) with the supercharger pulley installed on top. Stock pulley (right)
Install the main portion of the Comptech pulley first.
And then install the supercharger pulley.
Attaching the Supercharger Brackets
The used kit we received came with two support brackets to attach the supercharger to the motor. (I suspect that there should have been three brackets but I will explain that later.) First, remove the top bolt from the alternator and install the appropriate extension bracket tightening it down with the previously removed bolt. (don’t tighten it all the way as you may have to adjust it later)
This image shows the alternator mounting bracket installed.
On the opposite side of the motor, remove the vtec solenoid and install the other mounting bracket in between the vtec solenoid and the head. Use the longer bolts supplied with the kit to connect the solenoid and bracket to the block. Since this bracket not only supports the supercharger mount but also contains the oil feed for the supercharger, make sure that there is a gasket between the bracket and head and between the solenoid and bracket. (The gasket between the head and bracket should come with the kit, the one between the solenoid and bracket is already on the vtec solenoid.) Finally, tighten the bracket down, it will not need adjustment later.
Image showing the vtec solenoid.
This is the passenger side mounting bracket and the oil feed. It is installed between the head and the vtec solenoid. Make sure there is a gasket between each mating surface.
The oil feed / passenger side mount (circled) sandwiched between the solenoid and the head.
Before Fitting the Supercharger
It seems logical to go ahead and attach the supercharger now but two things need to happen before proceeding. First the oil drain line on the supercharger is going to hit the front cross member unless you dent or cut a section of the cross-member. You would think with a kit of this caliber that the mallet would in no way be involved with the install but I have spoken with several people about this and this is the norm with these kits. The image below shows where to dent the cross-member or alternately, where to cut. (If you skip this step your car will shake a lot when the car is running. Worse though is that this force could cause a failure in the oil drain line, catastophic engine failure would be only a few revolutions away.)
The side of the front cross-member was bent inward with a mallet. The lip was then hammered down.
Next, follow the vtec solenoid down until you reach the point where the head meets the block. Remove the bolt at the very top edge of the front of the block. This is where the lower side of the comptech mounting bracket will attach.
This bolt will be replaced by the long bolt that serves as the lower mounting point of the Comptech supercharger.
Install the Supercharger
The Comptech supercharger comes attached to a mounting bracket that contains the tensioner. It has a triangular shape and bolts to the two brackets on the top and then uses a very long bolt to secure the bottom point to the block. This last part is where I think the kit may have been incomplete. If the supercharger was installed in this manner, the top two mounting points had a flat surface to mate to while the bottom received no resistance to over tightening. What that meant was that when the bottom was fully tightened, it would cause the supercharger to pivot downwards. It became apparent quite quickly that this was not right and would eat belts if the car were started in this manner. To remedy this, I used two bearing sleeves and two washers, stacked between the block and the lower mounting point. The long bolt was placed through these items and when tightened down. This creates a solid mount just like the top two mounting brackets. This means that the lower bolt can be fully tightened without distorting the alignment of the pulleys. (Note: I had to play around with a few combinations of bolts and bearings before the alignment was just right. Take you time here and get it right the first time.)
Shown are the bushings and washer that function as the lower bracket. This could later be replaced by a small block but this method works just fine.
At this point. go ahead and tighten the the mounting bolts all the way down and make sure that the alternator mount is fully tightened. Then install the supercharger belt around the crank pulley and the supercharger pulley, making sure that the smooth side of the belt touches the tensioner. Now, press the tensioner forward on the bracket to tighten the supercharger’s belt. Once it is tight enough, tighten the tensioner bolt to lock it in place. (Note: If you have trouble getting the belt tight enough, tighten the lower mounting bolt to the point where the tensioner is no longer free to move. Then take a mallet and extension and strike the edge of the tensioner bracket and it will begin to slide towards the belt. Once the belt is tight enough, give the lower bolt a few tightening turns and then lock the tensioner with the tensioner bolt.)
The Comptech supercharger is now secured to the front of the S2000.
Hook Up the Oil Lines
The Comptech supercharger is fed oil via the mounting bracket on the passenger side and then drains the oil back to the oil pan via the oil drain. The kit comes with an assortment of npt fittings and lines to attach the new lines. The larger fittings are used for the oil drain. To install the oil drain, install the large, grey tap, in place of the oil drain plug, flat side first. Then add the blue adapter to the tap. Hand tighten both of these joints and then turn them one more full turn with a wrench. (I recommend using teflon thread seal tape on all of these connections to avoid leaks)
The NPT assembly (left) threads into the oil pan in place of the drain plug (right)
The new oil fitting should look like this once installed.
Next, repeat this process on the supercharger by installing the other large npt fitting to the oil outlet on the bottom of the charger. Connect these two points with the large ss line. The straight end thread to the oil drain outlet on the supercharger while the 90 degree end connects to the oil pan inlet.
The drain line runs from the bottom of the supercharger to the new fitting in the oil pan. The 90 degree elbow should be on the bottom.
The top line, or oil feed is much easier to install than the lower. You will simply run the small line from the sending unit near the solenoid directly to the top inlet port on the supercharger.
Image showing the top oil line / oil feed.
At this point, go ahead and refill the motor with oil and perform an initial check for leaks.
Taking Care of the Fuel
The Comptech kit uses a rising rate fuel pressure regulator that basically increases the fuel pressure based on how much boost the engine is seeing. By over pressurizing the fuel rail, the injectors will inject more fuel during boost operation, thus richening the mixture. The new regulator or (FMU) is pretty straight forward to install. First, remove the factory pressure regulator from the fuel rail by removing its vacuum line and then unbolting it from the rail. Then remove the fuel feed from the bottom of the regulator. Now locate the fuse box on the driver’s side near the master cylinder and the bracket that holds the throttle cable. Remove both of these items from the side of the car. (unbolt and set aside) This is the location where the FMU will bolt up. First however, go ahead and extend the fuel line that was connected to the bottom of the factory pressure regulator. This line needs to run to the inlet port on the bottom of the FMU. I used a length of 1/4″ fuel line, a fuel line coupling and a few clamps to extend and secure the line. In the end the extended fuel feed was routed around the back of the motor, along the firewal and then down to the underside of the FMU. Zip ties were used to secure the fuel line. Once the fuel feed is installed, go ahead and install the supplied adapter to the fuel rail (in the location where the stock regulator was) and then using the supplied line, connect the new fuel outlet (on the front of the FMU) to the adapter. Finally, connect the vacuum line that was removed from the stock regulator and connect it to the vacuum port on the FMU. A longer line will be needed to span the distance from the manifold to the FMU. With all of the lines now connected to the FMU, go ahead and tighten it down but make sure you place the fuse box and bracket in place beforehand.
The stock regulator removed from the fuel rail. 1 is the vacuum nipple and 2 is the fuel inlet.
The vacuum line (#1) must be routed to the vacuum port on the FMU (#2). (#3) is the outlet from the FMU to the fuel rail. It connects at (#4) the adapter. (#5) is the fuel inlet to the FMU that originates from the fuel line that was removed from the stock regulator. The arrows denote fuel flow.
The FMU bolts to the side of the engine bay right next to the master cylinder.
Another image showing all of the fuel lines hooked up.
Changing the Vacuum Lines (optional)
Between the throttle body and the cylinder head there is a metal bracket that is used for the routing of vacuum lines and the coolant line that runs under the throttle body. During this install I decided to remove this metal piece and run individual lines, secured by zip ties, to their appropriate destinations. I did this because with the intake side now seeing pressure, the valve cover vent needs to be left open or plugged into the non pressurized side. I felt like this would be sloppy so I removed the metal bracket and placed a breather filter on the valve cover vent. I then used a longer piece of 3/8″ heater hose to directly connect the coolant line, bypassing the bracket. The two vacuum lines were then replaced by single runners and the metal bracket was removed and discarded.
The line routing with the metal bracket.
And after the line rerouting.
Installing the Charge Pipe
The charge pipe on the Comptech supercharger kit is just a 90 degree pipe with two large nipples. One is used to plug the large line from the stock intake into and the other is used for a BOV (blow off valve). The initial install of the intake can be a little tricky though as these parts are made to have very little clearance. The best method I found is to go ahead and slide a coupling onto the charge pipe on the side that connects to the throttle body. Continue to slide the coupling onto the end until there is just a little overhang left to connect to the throttle body. Then, go ahead and install the pipe to the supercharger outlet using the other coupling. Now tilt the charge pipe until the front is directly in front of the throttle body. Slide the coupling forward until it is halfway on the throttle body and half way on the pipe. At this point, go ahead and tighten everything down and move to the second nipple on the charge pipe.
This nipple is where the BOV connects on this kit. The BOV is connected to the nipple using a 1″ hose and clamps. The vacuum line for the BOV is then routed to the motor and is t’ed into one of the lines that run from the intake manifold. I t’ed the BOV into the long line that was run to the FMU.
Finishing Up
Now that everything is installed, give the car a thorough check. Make sure every bolt you touched is tight and every line secure. Ensure that the motor is filled with oil and give the car one last common sense check. Check for anything that looks out of place and then reconnect the battery. Enjoy!
In the end, your engine bay will look something like this.
Additional Notes
1. A Walbro 255 fuel pump was installed during this upgrade. it is recommended that you go ahead and install a high flow fuel pump anytime you boost a non-boosted motor. Additionally, since the stage 1 Comptech kit uses a rising rate fuel pressure regulator, having the uprated fuel pump will ensure that the regulator gets enough fuel. The Walbro fuel pump install is located in a separate guide. (Honda S2000 High Flow Fuel Pump Install (Walbro 255))
2. Project S2000 will run a series of auxiliary gauges to keep an eye on the conditions in the motor. Check out the installs here:
- Honda S2000 Gauge Pod Install (Pillar Pod)
- Honda S2000 Vacuum/Boost Gauge Install (Faze Electric Gauge)
HKS filter now installed.
