Special Sale Price, Only $599.99 (MSRP $624.99)

PWI-2 Progressive Water/Methanol Injection System

The process of compressing air to create boost and power, has a byproduct of heat. Heated air lacks the density to make higher horsepower, increases detonation and forces the ECU to pull timing. All of which reduce the power you are looking to create.  In order to combat this heat, your turbo car comes with an intercooler to keep the temps in check.  These are not good enough for high HP applications and is the reason why we make our larger intercooler upgrades.  We are somewhat limited by the physical restraints of the vehicles' size and by the quality of fuel offered at the pump. Yet, high horsepower engines demand additional cooling and detonation control, which is where water/methanol injection come into play.

Water Injection History

Water/Methanol injection is nothing new by any means.  It was first used successfully in WWII on tanks and fighter plane engines. The tradition started here and has been used in Formula 1 engines(1980s), supplied as an OE part on the SAAB 9-5, World Rally cars use it (1995 onwards), and now in the aftermarket on todays high powered, small displacement, forced induction engines.

Not only has it been around for a long time, we have been using it successfully on the WRX and other cars since 2002.  This experience with water/meth injection systems includes our successful PWI-1 system, and now our new PWI-2 progressive system. This time we sought out to create an easy to use, install and a reasonably priced system that is still progressive in how it injects the water/meth mixture.

In the past we went to the industry leader Aquamist^TM to help develop the PWI-1 progressive system.  This more complex system progressively injected the mixture, had safety features with flow sensors, and lots of other hardware to make it work. We knew the PWI-2 system had to have many of the features of the more expensive PWI-1, but it had to be around $500.  As we did in the past, we looked to Aquamist to help develope this idea into reality.  Together we created this newer simpler PWI-2 progressive water/meth injection system with nearly all the features of the older more expensive PWI-1. 

How does Water/methanol injection work?

The PERRIN PWI-2 water/methanol injection system is designed to suppress detonation caused by high intake charge temperatures and or when the effective compression ratio has been taken beyond the auto ignition point (of fuel) by increased boost from a turbo or a supercharger.  To suppress Detonation, a fine mist of a mixture of water and methanol is injected into the intake charge.  Water, with its high latent heat content, and methanol, with its high octane rating, are extremely effective at controlling the onset of detonation. From this you can gain power from increasing timing, or leaning the engine out, increasing boost or simply add a large margin of safety to your engine.  Think of water/methanol injection like running race fuel all the time without having to pay $8 a gallon!  Most clients will see gains in excess of 20WHP once tuned for!  All while increasing safety and longevity of the engine.

Who can benefit from Water/methanol injection??

Cars that can benefit significantly from the PWI-2 are cars with poorly mounted, or small intercoolers, like the WRX, Legacy GT turbo, Mini cooper S, Mazdaspeed 6, Audi/VW 1.8T cars, Mitsubishi Eclipse or cars with turbo kits or supercharger kits with no intercoolers. But this does not limit the PWI-2's ability to increase HP on cars with aftermarket intercoolers, where pump gas is being pushed to its limit of detonation.
 
The PERRIN^TM Performance PWI-2 Water Injection System includes everything you need for a professional installation.  Simply provide your own bucket of distilled water! (STI, EVO and MINI's all have factory installed reservoirs.) With a dash mounted control and display you can activate or deactivate the system as well as tune the kit on the fly.  The PWI-2 brain uses trim pots to adjust flow, and injection start and easy to use wire terminal that allows for a clean easy install.  

We feel the new PWI-2 system is a perfect balance of price, function, durability and it will not leave you wanting more when it comes time to upgrade. 

WHY IS THE PWI-2 BETTER THAN THE COMPETITION??

• Progressive delivery of water/methanol mixture giving a consistent flow of water at all loads.
• Has both Injector Duty Cycle, and 0-5 volt inputs for sensing load. (Doesn't rely on the common 0-5volt only like most progressive systems, nor does it need an additional RPM hookup)
• No 150psi limit switch constantly shutting pump down causing fluctuations in flow. (all systems using Shur-flow pumps have this problem)
• Integrated dash mounted unit showing system functions and adjustments needed for setup.
• High-flow, light action check valve for no flow back and no need for added solenoid. ($50 upgrade with some)
• Priced like a "non-progressive" system, but with 100% progressive-ness.
• Roughly half the install and setup time of other systems.
• Bulkhead fitting for water tank include (not included with many others)
• Pump is half the size of the commonly used Shur-flow pump.
• Includes wire harness for simple installation, only hook-ups are dash harness, power, ground and input signal (no spools of wire, butt connectors, or other connectors needed for installation)
• All hose connections are push-on hose connections, no need for sealant on hoses.

Progressive-ness of the PWI-2 system. 

The PERRIN PWI-1 system stood out amongst competitive systems because of it being one of the first truly progressive water injection systems. The new PWI-2 is still just as progressive as the older system but it stands out from the crowd for a few other reasons.

Less expensive non-progressive systems are simple and cheap, and are restricted to a fixed volume of water that can be delivered.  These systems suffer from too much water at lower RPMS and not enough water at higher. This can cause a loss in power, at both lower RPMs (too much water) and high RPMS (no detonation control).  The PWI-2 system is progressive which means it injects a varying amount of water/methanol depending on the engines load. Meaning it will inject the same % of mixture versus fuel throughout the entire RPM and load on the engine.  This means no loss in power down low because of too much being injected, and no loss in power up top due to less flow.  So in other words you want progressive!

Progressive using IDC or 0-5volt input

The PWI-2 gets its progressive nature by reading engine load one of 2 ways, IDC or a 0-5volt signal.  There are many other "progressive" systems out there that use the 0-5volt signal from a MAP sensor to become progressive, this is not where our systems stands out.  While we included the 0-5v input, this was the secondary method of it picking up engine load.  IDC or Injector Duty Cycle is the primary method the PWI-2 was designed to pick up load.  This is not common amongst the other water injection systems out there because of the added costs and design.  While this is the case, it is the best way to pick up load.  Why, because engine load is based on fuel.  More engine load (boost, RPM,TPS, Hills......) means more fuel needed.  Since the PWI-2 injector water/meth based on fuel flow it becomes very easy to inject the recommended 10-20% mixture of water/meth vs. fuel flow. 

When using the 0-5volt input (like most of the competition does) on a MAP sensor (boost) the system will only inject more with more boost. This means once the system hits its peak boost, additional water/meth will not be injected.  This is not truly progressive even though some of the competition calls this progressive.   Some of the completion adds an RPM pickup to add a more progressive nature to the system. While this works, this adds more parts, more install time, and sometimes additional parts need to be purchase to pick up the tach signal properly.  Then add to all that is the need to "map out" the injection.  Again more time, and more setup.   Using IDC (Injector Duty Cycle) eliminates all these added steps and costs, which is why the PWI-2 uses this to start with.   Don't be fooled by progressive systems that use only a 0-5volt input to be "progressive".

After all that, the PWI-2 brain takes the input signal and varies the voltage to the pump to control how much it flows. IT does this by pulsing (at high frequency) 12 volts to the pump creating a simple and accurate way to drive the pump at different speeds.

NEW High Pressure High volume Pump

Our PWI-1 system used a very high quality, expensive high pressure pump, which worked great, but lacked in one department, flow. This pump could only flow about 320cc/min of flow, which not quite enough for guys making huge power.  So one thing we wanted to make sure we did when making the PWI-2 system is to include a pump that flowed more than the first one, and was less expensive.  Well we did it!  This new pump is smaller, lighter, less expensive, flows more, and quieter!  So what is the downfall to this new pump?  Nothing, other than we do not recommend running 100% methanol through it. 

How does this pump compare to other pumps on the market?  This is a diaphragm style pump that uses a motor driven pump head, which is like others out there. But where our pump shine brighter than the rest is in the size and looks.  Nearly all the completion uses the common Shurflow pump.  This pump is HUGE heavy and ugly. None of which we feel our pump is.  Even if you can get over the looks, there is one huge flaw when using this pumps, the pressure switch.  These Shurflow pumps have a pressure switch that cuts power to the pump when the pressure exceeds a set amount.  This is bad because these systems runs at pressure that constantly bump this switch on and off.  This causes a fluctuation in water/meth flow and also makes it very inconsistent to tune.    The PWI-2 pump doesn't have a pressure switch at all, as it doesn't need one.  So you get smooth consistent flow from the system.   Something your tuner will love!

We spent a lot of time with water injection systems over the years and one thing we realized is no one had actual data on how much there systems flowed in real world applications.

We first tested the PWI-2 using a custom built Injector Duty Cycle generator (thanks Richard at Aquamist) to first show how much the pump flows at different injector duty cycles (different loads).  We then tested how much the system flowed with no nozzle, with a .7mm nozzle, 1.0mm nozzle, and dual 1.0mm & .7mm nozzle. Then we added boost!!  We tested the 1.0mm nozzle under 14psi and 30psi of boost, then did flow testing with the dual 1.0mm nozzle and the .7mm nozzle.  The results are for sure impressive and for sure not something ANY other water injection system manufacture has done before.  Here is a chart showing the pump flow at different PSI's.

Here is a pic of our test fixture we built to do this test:

Look for a huge writeup on our testing and install on our EVO X HERE SOON!!!

NOZZLES

Proper atomization of water is crucial. A poorly designed nozzle can cause an unequal mixture delivery to each cylinder, or worse hydro-lock your engine. The tried and true Aquamist nozzle is the standard from which other systems are judged from. These nozzles have a special swirling action that causes the water/methanol mixture to come out in a very fine mist.  Even the huge flowing 1.0mm nozzle has a near perfect atomization because of the design.

To maximize the performance of the PERRIN^TM water injection system, the kit includes 2 precision Aquamist nozzles. Choose from the included 1.0mm, and .7mm nozzles, which will cover flow rates needed to support 250-600 horsepower. (Other nozzle sizes available see your PERRIN^TM dealer)

Each PWI-2 kit includes a nozzle seat. This seat has a 1/8NPT fitting on one end allowing easy installation of the injection nozzle into your boost tubes.  The nozzle seat allows for quick, simple change of different nozzle sizes without wearing out the threads in the boost tube.  Simply drill and tap a 1/8NPT hole in your boost tube, screw in the nozzle seat, and decide which nozzle to use and your off!

Packaging 

The PWI-2 system has two main components. Pump assembly, and Dash display. We have simplified the system compared to the old one to make installation simpler. Besides these parts, you have 3 wires to hook up to the car and 1 harness to the display and your done!  With proper planning the system can be installed in roughly 2 hours! 

Pump Assembly

The pump assembly consists of the pump & head with built in electronics for controlling the pump.  The 4 rubber legs provide easy installation and a near noise free operation.  That and 4 wires come off the pump, very simple!

Dash Mount Display

The dash mounted display contains the brains to make the system work, 2 trim pots to adjust the setting, a few LED's to give you an idea what is going on and an on/off switch.    The trim pots control when the water/methanol starts to flow (based on IDC or load) Inside the Brain Box are three trim pots to fine tune the injection start points, pump gain, and nozzles flow rate.  Additionally, the box contains a terminal for the dash controller wire harness and a multi-screw connection terminal allowing the main wire harness to be trimmed to any length for a clean install.

PROVING WATER INJECTION WORKS! 

Described in this article are 3 very popular Subaru applications for the PERRIN water/methonal Injection systems. We will be talking about the benefits of Water/Methonal injection, and proving how they work. Things in this article are specifically about Subaru's but the same types of results can be had with similar applications.

Firsts lets talk about the term Water Injection. This is somewhat a generic term referring to injecting a water/methanol mixture into the engine.  The mixture of water to methanol can vary to create different results.  Water is used for in-cylinder cooling and Methanol is usedfor its high octane rating, and its ability to remove heat.  Water doesn't burn but sucks up lots of heat from the combustion chamber.  Injecting this by itself will cause a loss in power if the ECU is not retuned for it.  Methanol does burn, and has a very high octane rating.The in cylinder cooling from water, and the high octane from Methanol create a mixture that will significantly reduce the onset of detonation.

Water/Methanol injection is something tuners are looking for as this doesn't limit them to boost level had by low octane pump fuels.  For all of our tests we use a 50/50 mixture. This is a safe mixture, and provides the biggest benefit of cooling and detonation control.

How can tuners use water/methanol injection to increase power?  That is simple!  With the reduction of detonation/knock, a tuner can increase boost pressure, increase ignition timing, and lean out the fuel mixture.  All things that may not have been possible with standard octane pump fuel.

Case Study#1

This first example of how water injection can be used is shown on a very common setup.  A 2005 Subaru WRX 2.0L, with stock turbo, stock Top Mounted intercooler, and catted turboback exhaust. This is also known as a common Stage 2 WRX.  This car was first tuned on 92 octane pump fuel.  As PDXtuning pushed the limits of the pump fuel they settled on 17psi of boost, and a safe air fuel ratio of 11.0-1.  This netted 224WHP and 238ft-lbs of torque. Any more boost, or any leaner mixture and detonation started to happen.

Initially turning on the water injection with the existing tune actually looses a little bit of power. This is to be expected as you are injecting water (which doesn't burn) and methanol, which further richens the air fuel mixture. Water injection allows a much leaner Air Fuel Ratio.  PDXtuning started to lean the mixture out to 11.5-11.7AFR.  Great power gains, were see with this alone.  Next is boost, with the limits of the turbo size, PDX increased boost about 1.4psi more to 18psi.  Along with this a couple degrees of timing were added across the board, and below are the results.

One thing to notice is how much smoother the runs with the water injection are. The Dynapack dyno is very sensitive to things like detonation, and timing changes, which in turn shows up in the graphs. The smoothness shows detonation is far from happening.  The PERRIN WI system on this car is a very potent tool that proved its worthiness for this customer and tuner.  The PERRIN Water Injection was a huge part of making this Stage2 WRX arguably the highest WHP Stage 2 WRX out there!

Case Study #2

This second example of how water injection can be used is on another very common setup.  A 2006 Subaru STI 2.5L, with stock turbo, stock Top Mounted intercooler, and catted turboback exhaust.  This is also known as a common Stage 2 STI.  This car was first tuned on 92 octane pump fuel.  The STI has one major thing that hinders its ultimate WHP output, the turbo!  Not matter what you do the most boost you can getat redline is about 14-15psi.  This limits the obtainable HP to be had at the upper RPM's.  But they can run lots more boots in the midrange. With Stage 2 STI's, their big power and torque gains happen here, and this is where the PERRIN systems will show its strengths.  PDXTuning settled on 17psi of peak boost, and a safe air fuel ratio of 11.5-1.  This netted 20WHP and 20ft-lbs of torque over the base supplied map. Any more boost, more timing, or any leaner mixture and detonation started to happen.

 This graph shows a base map ran on the dyno, compared to a tuned map from PDXTuning.  

The run above shows the tuned map with nothing else but the WI being turned on.  Like in the above car, turning on the water injection with the existing tune gains no power.  A loss in HP, is pretty normal with any water injection setup and to gain power back you need to lean the AFR's back to where they were.  In this case PDXtuning started to lean the mixture out to 11.7-11.9AFR's and huge gains were seen.  This time boost would be left alone, and timing would be increased.  The 50/50mixture allowed for some crazy timing increases.  The timing numbers ended up being about 3-5 degrees higher!  More timing equals more torque and power!  


 Shows great gains with same amount of boost. That is safe big power!

Next up is boost.  With the water injection turned on, the engine loved more boost.  With in reason the boost was turned up as much as possible, which at peak power, and redline was not much different than the first runs. Again, this was due to the size of the turbo, and is why peak power at redline isn't much different.  PDXtuning increased boost to about 20PSI at peak torque and as much as possible at redline.  With the added timing, boost, and leaner AFR's, the upper RPM increases were not huge, but check out the Torque!  Like the other car,this Stage 2 STI is the highest torque PDXTuning has ever seen!  That is V8 torque from a 4 cylinder!  


 This graphs shows it all, more boost, more timing, less fuel, water injection on, and big power gains! This graph compares base tune map with no water injection on.  

Case Study #3

This case is brought to you buy HARMAN MOTIVE.  Another great tuner inthe Subaru World shows off their ability to tune, and use a PERRIN Water injection system on a 20G powered 2006 STI on 91octane California fuel.   

On this 2006 STI, our customer wanted to make a lot of power on his daily driver while maintaining a very stock appearance. The PERRIN WI kit was the perfect addition to this setup because it allowed us to make great power while retaining the stock top-mount intercooler.

 
20G_18psi_91oct.drf  BLUE RUNS
 
Running on straight California 91 octane pump gas, we tuned the car toa peak boost of 18psi falling to 17psi by redline. Air fuel ratio was kept at a conservative 10.8:1 to help reduce the chance of detonation with the low quality fuel we have. Once we achieved a consistent and stable tune, we moved to the water injection.
 
20G_20psi_WI.drf  RED RUNS
 
Since we had reached the limits of safe power on 91 octane, we started to tune using 100% water. With the water injection turning on at around 7psi and using a .8 nozzle, we first leaned the car to 12:1 air fuelratio. With the leaner mixture, power was already starting to increase.  Now that we had the optimum air fuel ratio, we added 2 psi of boost and a couple of degrees of timing to achieve 20 additional HP and 25 lb/ftof torque.
 
20G_22psi_Meth.drf GREEN RUNS
 
To get that last bit of horsepower and torque, we changed the mixture to 50% water and 50% methanol. The methanol has a dramatic effect on octane levels and allows us to run more boost and timing over water alone. We were able to add another 2 psi of boost (now 4psi total overpump gas) which allowed us to make an amazing 377 lb/ft of torque to the wheels. Horsepower was also increased to 353whp.  We were now making 30whp and 47lb/ft over pump gas!  Best of all, with the 3 gallon tank we used, the water and methanol need to be refilled only once every couple of weeks!
 

Thanks to Dan, Paul, and Ian for the awesome write up and install of the PERRIN PWI-1.

More Proof it works

A customer, Ryan Perrault, owns an STI with a PERRIN GT3076R rotated turbo kit. Using our progressive Water Injection System he was able to increase boost levels, and make almost 50 additional horsepower plus 50ft-lbs of torque. In this situation, the PERRIN Performance Water Injection System adds big power, and a large margin of safety to the aggressive ECU tuning.

From these 3 tests you can see how water injection is a great way to make safe power. Especially for customers with 91 octane, which is normally very limiting, this is like running race fuel in your car all the time!  Look for most Water injection tests to follow on some EVO's, Mini's and maybe even an Ariel Atom!

 
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