2

Acquiring a
Supercharged
Vehicle
The essence of this book is to provide the performance car enthusiast interested
in supercharging with a body of information that can be used to evaluate system
designs, whether of a factory supercharger system or an aftermarket kit. This
book is also intended as a design guide for the hobbyist who wants to build
his own supercharger system. Three viable methods exist to acquire a supercharged
vehicle:

• buy an OEM-supercharged automobile

• buy an aftermarket kit, if available, for your specific application
• build your own supercharger system

The rationale behind the decision that suits your needs and requirements best
is no more than a logical summary of the following:

• What is the intended use of the vehicle?

• What is the legality with respect to state and federal law and the year
of the car?
• How much power is required?
• Is fear of a failure such that a factory warranty is required?
• Can you make a reasonable judgment with respect to the engineer-
ing of an aftermarket kit?
• Do you have the skills, time, patience, and equipment to build your own?

OEM-Supercharged The serious driver of supercharged machinery, of less than six-digit means, has not
Automobile been catered to by the OEMs of today. While performance abounds in automobiles
from Camaros and BMWs to Volvos and Vipers, only Mercedes sees fit to produce
an affordable supercharged sports car. One can purchase Buicks and Pontiacs and
Millenias sporting blowers, but these vehicles do not meet the author’s idea of
exhilarating motoring. True, there are blown V-8 Aston Martins and Jaguars, but
these are largely unattainable vehicles. Therefore, although they are technically
interesting, their presence in the motoring world is of no value to us middle-class
leadfoots. Unless your tastes lie along the lines of a mildly rapid family hack, enjoy-
ing the fun of a supercharged automobile will tend to push you in directions other
than the offerings of the OEMs.
If you buy a supercharged OEM vehicle and want to go fast, the first step in
pursuing more performance is a complete analysis of the system design. Chapter

13
14 supercharged!

Fig. 2-1: For decades, the

classic blown street rod has
enjoyed the combo of a
B&M Roots blower, Holley
carbs, and the small-block
Chevy.

Fig. 2-2: The Eaton super-

charger integrated into a
Chevy small-block intake
manifold by Magnuson
shows the simplicity of the
basic hardware—augment-
ed by the self-lubricating
Eaton blower.

16, Testing the System, is your starting point. With those data accumulated and
analyzed and the weak links identified, you can set out to find the necessary com-
ponents to improve the system. Keep in mind that the issue here is to improve
the system’s efficiency, thereby opening up the potential for huge gains in power.
Increasing boost pressure is also a consideration, but without improvements to the
system’s efficiency, this path to power is fraught with serious mechanical risk.
Once the system has been tested and the merit of each feature has been
determined, start the improvement process with the weakest link. Here is
where foresight becomes important. For example, an intercooler that loses
only 2 psi at the factory-rated boost can be judged okay. It is okay, but only
for the factory-rated boost. Likely it will lose 3 or 4 psi at any significantly
increased airflow. That kind of loss is not acceptable.
 chapter 2: acquiring a supercharged vehicle 15

Fig. 2-3: This Vortech sys-

tem for the 2-valve ’96–97
Mustang illustrates the vari-
ety of components needed
to call a kit “complete.”

Aftermarket Here’s where the action is taking place. Those Camaros, Vipers, BMWs,
Supercharger Kit Mustangs and even little Mazda Miatas have a plethora of kits and components
available for mild to wild performance. The ten- and eleven-second street car can
be built today from components engineered in the aftermarket.
The purchase of an aftermarket supercharger system is an ideal occasion to
employ this book as the guide it is intended to be. An investigation is necessary to
determine the system that will meet your needs. Determine your objectives, then
decide what type of supercharger most closely meets those needs.
Before a reasonable decision can be made, answers to a variety of questions must be
both sought and understood. The following samples will get you on the right track:
Does the system provide a correct air/fuel ratio at all operational conditions?
The air/fuel ratio is a basic building block of a supercharger system.
It needs to be maintained over the boost range that the manufacturer
claims for the kit. It is not to be expected that the air/fuel ratio will stay
correct if the system’s design limits are exceeded. In all circumstances,
it is necessary to avoid discussing “fuel enrichment.” Either an air/fuel
ratio is correct or it isn’t—no “enrichment” required.

Fig. 2-4: The early produc-

tion Rotrex blowers were
specifically for small-dis-
placement engines, like this
four-cylinder, 2.0-liter VW.
16 supercharged!

Does the system provide a margin of safety on detonation?

The attempt here is to determine whether the system installed and

operated per instructions will yield useful boost and not be subject to
detonation problems.
Does the system provide the necessary thermal controls to operate at the stated
boost pressures?
Ask for a description and explanation of these controls.
What efforts are extended toward quality control?
Fit and finish are obvious. Material selections, methods of welding, surface
finishes, and other fabrication procedures should also be checked out.
Do the components carry a reasonable warranty?
Although warranties on performance-oriented components are fre-
quently subject to severe limitations, the buyer cannot be hung out to
dry. It is useful to discuss with the kit maker the warranty limitations
and procedures necessary to establish the best warranty terms.
Are proper instructions offered with the system?
Instructions should provide all the necessary information to install, check
out, and subsequently operate and service the supercharged vehicle.
Will consulting be provided after the sale?
This is where the maturity of a supercharger system manufacturer will
truly show.
If the system is to be used on a public highway, is it designed with all emis-
sions-related equipment in proper order, and/or is the system on EPA- or
CARB exemption-order status?
In all states, the emission question will be the most important one.

When the answers to the above questions are satisfactory, it is time to get down
to the fun details, such as compressor efficiency with respect to the system flow
rates and boost pressures.

Fig. 2-5: The Kenne Bell

shops produced this very
OEM-appearing Ford F150
twin-screw assembly.
 chapter 2: acquiring a supercharged vehicle 17

Fig. 2-6: Centrifugal blow-

ers can easily be adapted
to older, carbureted
engines. This ATI system is
intended for blow-through
carb applications.

All kit makers will try to represent their systems as the most powerful. The
accuracy of these claims is a different story. The advent of the chassis dyno made it
look, for a short period, as though manufacturers would publish legitimate power
curves. Unfortunately, in some cases, these have evolved into just another way of
stretching a point. For example, a dyno graph may show a blower run at 15 psi
when the kit is sold to run at 6 psi. And there are many more clever tricks than
just running the wrong boost pressure.

Building Your Own Any reasonably able fabricator should have no serious difficulty designing and
Supercharger System building his own supercharger system. Forethought, planning, calculating, sketch-
ing, and measuring, all done in considerable detail, will be the keys to the success
of the project.
Perhaps the single greatest problem facing the do-it-yourselfer is avoiding get-
ting stuck. Getting stuck is the phenomenon of “You can’t get there from here.”
For example, you can’t ever hope for an emissions-clean 10-second street car if
you build a draw-through carb type. Trying to adapt a used blower from a 3.8-
liter Buick to a 454 big-block will decidedly put you in a position where you are
stuck. Avoid going down these paths leading to “stuck.”
The first requirement is to determine the power level desired. Translate that
figure into a boost pressure necessary to get the job done. That, in itself, will
determine the equipment needed. The remainder of the project is the sum of the
experience contained in this book.

Fig. 2-7: This compact

design integrates the super-
charger into the intake
manifold for the six-cylinder
Jeep 4.0.
18 supercharged!

And Furthermore . . . What is a reasonable price to pay for a supercharger system?

The lowest-priced system that offers:

• a correctly sized supercharger
• a correct air/fuel ratio under boost
• proper ignition timing
• proper thermal controls
• a margin of safety on detonation
• quality components
Such a system can put together a good argument for being the best value.
It is popular to believe that you get what you pay for, but there are super-
charger kits costing nearly $7,000 that do not have a correct air/fuel
ratio. Conversely, well-designed kits are available for less than $2500.
A reasonable price? This must remain the prospective buyer’s decision,
based on a thorough knowledge of what he gets for his money.

What paperwork should be included with a supercharger kit?

Instructions and warranty are self-explanatory. Cautions and operating
procedures must be well detailed and conservative.

What are the warranty implications of installing a supercharger in a new

automobile?
All factory warranty on drivetrain components will be voided. There are,
however, several circumstances to consider. You can purchase an after-
market warranty to cover your vehicle for all non-supercharger-induced
or -related problems. It is currently in vogue to sell these policies with
supercharger systems under the intended misconception that your drive-
train is warranted against “supercharger-induced” failures. Not so.
If one breaks his supercharged engine, it is not going to be paid for by
anyone’s warranty—exactly the same situation as waiting until the fac-
tory warranty expires and then adding the supercharger. Which means
that waiting out the factory warranty before installing a supercharger
accomplishes nothing except insuring that the mechanism is one-third
used up pre-supercharger. Furthermore, it eliminates the fun of ever
owning a nice new automobile with enhanced power.

Fig. 2-8: A Dodge V-10 kit

from Carroll Supercharging
 chapter 2: acquiring a supercharged vehicle 19

It is rare for a modern automobile to have an engine/drivetrain prob-

lem within the warranty duration. Those problems that do appear are
generally minor and will likely cost under a hundred dollars to repair.
To preserve the warranty for many thousands of miles to avoid a pos-
sible hundred-dollar component failure rather than enjoying the extra
performance seems to me the poorer choice. To assuage your concerns,
call the car maker’s regional office and discuss with a service rep the
areas of the drivetrain that have been a warranty problem.

Will I have to buy anything else to supplement the supercharger?

Wow, what a loaded question. What this usually boils down to is the
difference between a system that’s “complete” and one that’s “com-
prehensive.” In the world of supercharger kits, “complete” means that
all the parts arrive in the box, so you don’t have to make any trips to
the hardware store or call the maker about missing pieces. You’d be
surprised how often this happens.
Whether the kit was designed with the components to do the job is
another story. “Comprehensive” means that the kit includes a fuel sys-
tem, detonation controls, and boost gauge.
If a kit advertised as “complete” arrives minus a few pieces, this is a
tragedy that can be set right in a few days at most. But if the kit is poorly
designed, having all the pieces and more is no consolation.
 established 1950
Automotive Reference™

BentleyPublishers
.com

Supercharged
Designing, Testing and Installation of
Supercharger Systems
by Corky Bell

Price: $34.95
Bentley Stock Number: GSUP
Publication Date: 2001.11.01
ISBN: 978-0-8376-0168-7
Softcover, 7 7/8 in. x 10-3/8 in.
Case quantity: 10
346 pages, 165 photos, illustrations and diagrams

Corky Bell, the author of the best selling Maximum Boost,

has done it again with the publication of Supercharged!
Design, Testing and Installation of Supercharger
Systems. Superchargers have become one of the most
popular performance bolt-on products for all engine
Fig.16-1: The five points of
sizes-from the diminutive, but powerful, Honda and interest for temperature and
pressure measurement.
other import four cylinder engines, to Porsche and BMW Chapter 16: Testing the
engines, and Detroit’s V6s and V8s. However, bolting a System

system on that works to the enthusiast’s expectations and

at the same time is reliable has been a “mystic art.” No
longer!
Fig. 6-12: The good, the bad, and
In this book, Corky gets down to the hands-on the ugly: where the intersection
of the pressure-ratio and airflow
application of his information. In the chapter lines should (and shouldn’t) fall
“Implementing the Design” he takes us step by step for highest thermal efficiency.
Chapter 6: The Centrifugal
through the calculations, design, installation, and testing Supercharger

of an original supercharger system for a BMW Z3 that

Table of Contents
ends up producing 10 more horsepower than originally
1. The Purpose of Supercharging
estimated to propel the car down the drag strip in the 2. Acquiring a Supercharger Vehicle
mid-14 second range. In the next chapter, “Installing a 3. The Physics of producing Power
4. The Balance of Heat
Supercharger Kit,” he shows us how to install and dyno 5. The Roots Supercharger
check a Toyota off-the-shelf factory system on a Toyota 6. The Centrifugal Supercharger
7. The Screw Compressor Supercharger
pick-up truck. A suppliers list and glossary are also 8. Intercooling
9. Intake Manifold
included at the end of the book. 10. Electronic Fuel Injection
11. Events in the Chamber
12. Secondary Components
The supercharger has become the most powerful piece of 13. Mounting the Supercharger
bolt-on performance equipment. For anyone interested in 14. Drive Mechanisms
15. Preparing the Engine
installing a supercharger system, or just in learning about 16. Testing the System
them, Supercharged! Designing, Testing, and Installing 17. The Outer Limits of Power
18. Designing a Supercharger System
Supercharger Systems is a must have book! 19. Implementing the Design
20. Installing a Supercharger Kit

Bentley Publishers, 1734 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-1804 USA

Tel: 617-547-4170 • Toll Free: 800-423-4595 • Fax: 617-876-9235
http://www.bentleypublishers.com/contact-us

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