Vortech vs. Rotrex

[mbonder]

Those of you that have successfully completed a 24v swap and have, or have aspirations to supercharge your motor, this question is for you.

Would you rather have a kit built around the Vortech v.2 (the quieter one) charger or the Rotrex blower that is run in AA's c38 kit?

I may be able to get my hands on either one of these blowers for relatively the same amount of money, so I want people's opinions on which one is the better option. Ideally I would like to run between 8-12 lbs of boost putting me somewhere in the neighborhood of 350whp out of my s50.

I will probably custom build an air-air intercooler setup for whichever charger I end up with, so I'm not too concerned about the various kits offering air-water intercooling and whatnot, I can always add that if I go away from an air-air front mount setup.

[e30polak]

Rotrex = non-rebuildable, not as potent as the newer Vortechs

Vortech = rebuildable, sound WAY better and have more power potential, especially with a T-Trim

HKS = only other option I'd go for other than Vortech

[Fusion]

Very interested in this topic since I'm seriously thinking about the AA kit.

[pandaboo911]

Definitely not rotrex

[Fusion]

If this thread is to have any informational value, please add reasons to your opinion.

[mbonder]

What's the comparison between the vortech and the hks blower? I noticed that AA offers both the rotrex and the hks, although the hks runs several hundred bucks more.

[sharky]

I run a rotrex c38 kit and have no issues, makes 9psi is compact and fits in the E30 bay nicely. Yes its not rebuidable but Im not overly concerned with the minamal miles it has and that I put on it. Vortec's are nice, upgradeable, rebuildable and easy to source but they are huge to fit a entire RMS stg 2 kit in a E30 S52, doable but very tight. The HKS kits are simalar to the rotrex ones and are said to pump out a hair more power.

For your power goals I would go with a AA stg 2 C38 (you can buy a stg 1) and upgrade it yourself with intercooler, pulley,tune,injectors etc. Properly tuned you should be in the 380rwhp area

[BusyMrE30]

Rotrex are amazing chragers and last a long time I agree with sharky the vortex is a masive blower to stick in a e30 and produce the same amount power as a rotrex the hks are extremely nice and yes they are a Lil more expensive but you get what you pay for there are people in Dubai and places over seas who are putting AA superchargers on s50 s52 and s54 making crazy power

[Fusion]

And anyone have direct experience with AA on M50 B25 V/NV?
The reason I ask is the C30 kit says no ECU upgrades, but the B28 C38 blower kit includes everything and is cheaper. I don't understand that.

[BusyMrE30]

And anyone have direct experience with AA on M50 B25 V/NV?
The reason I ask is the C30 kit says no ECU upgrades, but the B28 C38 blower kit includes everything and is cheaper. I don't understand that.

Call active tomorrow the number is 305 233 9300 any of the sales guys would be more than happy to help you with any questions you have about the kit whats included and what's the best route to go hope this helps

[Supadave]

I say rotrex cuz i own one. ;)

Seen this in Performance BMW
Ever heard of a rotrex making 20psi! and 700HP

[carfantiti]

vortech I owned one ,I do recommend ceramic ball bearing.

[MR E30 325is]

Not Rotrex.

My E30 used to look like this.



Now My C30 sits on my desk all day, like this.



And its non-rebuildable. Which means it is a 2500 dollar paperweight.

And now my E30 is much slower, which is lamesauce.

[AnimalE30]

How is it not rebuildable? They don't make parts for it, or it can't be taken apart? Seems like a really lame idea on their part.

[Supadave]

Copied from their site


If you have a problem with your Rotrex supercharger then contact the dealer for advice. Always contact the dealer where you bought the supercharger. Do not contact Rotrex directly as only the dealer will be able to help.

We do not recommend attempting to repair the Rotrex supercharger. We are aware of some companies offering repairs, however none of these are Rotrex approved. At Rotrex we never repair superchargers or reuse components.

Please also note that Rotrex does not offer any warranty on superchargers that have been repaired or disassembled.

When used within specifications the Rotrex supercharger does not wear due to the traction design that has no metal to metal contact. The life span of a Rotrex supercharger is more than 100.000 km assuming operating conditions are within specifications and recommended oil change frequencies are followed. On some applications other than cars the Rotrex supercharger has run continuously for more than 5.000 hours.

Should something go wrong the supercharger will most likely be destroyed due to the extreme speeds of the rolling elements. The most common failure causes are overheating and contamination of the oil or air flow as well as the supercharger being disassembled. Hence repair is not recommended. Even if a repair seems successful at first the supercharger will likely break down later due to the very tight tolerances of the components.

For more information on how to use the Rotrex supercharger follow the information provided by the kit dealer or follow the advice in our standard setup and maintenance leaflet. If you have any questions please contact the dealer from whom you bought the Rotrex supercharger.