If you could do it again

[doc5339]

Just curious if you were to buy another forced induction kit what would you go with and why? I currently have a 13 jk with a ripp and want to convert to a turbo setup

Originally I was set on the Prodigy Stage II Precision Turbo setup. It was the best $/power and I have always like turbos because they make use of power (exhaust) that would otherwise go unused, increasing efficiency. I then looked hard all bolt-on forced induction offerings: RIPP, ProCharger, Magnuson, Edelbrock E-Force, Sprintex and reached out to as many 3.6 Pentastar owners of those kits as I could find.

I could not justify spending the money for that level power increase. I began looking for used forced induction kits, contacting places like MoTech that takes off many of blown Pentastars when doing engine swaps. I was lucky enough to find a JeepLab member who still had his Magnuson and got a great price on a mostly complete Magnuson SuperCharger kit.

Were I to do it all again, I would do it the same way. The Magnuson is a great kit and produces power everywhere I actually use it. The oil replacement maintenance is a fairly long interval and there is no rebuild as with the centrifugal (RIPP, ProCharger) offerings. The power is not "push you back in your seat" fast, but makes the JKUR (manual trans) feel as it should from the factory. The installation directions are very good, support from Magnuson was very good, and though I am not a fan of the reusable 2-piece oil filter, overall the whole thing is well-engineered.

I have nothing against Prodigy, RIPP, ProCharger, Magnuson, Edelbrock, Sprintex or anyone else that might make a bolt-on forced induction kit for the Pentastar, that said, I cannot justify the $/power from any of them new. I understand that they operate in a competitive monopoly where supply, demand, and differentiation largely set the price, however, if I were only looking at new kits, I never would have purchased one even though I could afford to. If the average price of a kit were somewhere between $3,000.00 and $4,500.00 I would have purchased new, and I suspect almost everyone would have forced induction on their JK.

My advice is to contact Jeepers on the forum who have done engine upgrades and engine swap shops, try to find a great deal on a solid setup. I was very close to getting the RIPP at one point, and now I am glad that I have a Roots-hybrid. Definitely plan on installing a Catch Can no matter which kit you choose. Hope that I did not get too far off topic with this reply.

Good luck!