This chapter offers in-depth looks at the two basic types of bolton supercharger systems: Roots/ screw-type compressors that replace the intake manifold and centrifugal systems that mount to the engine’s front accessory-drive system. Both systems are typical in that they are delivered with all of the components and hardware required for installation, including fuel-system upgrades such as fuel injectors. (See Chapter 4 for general information on important details such as fascia removal, fuel-pressure relief, the importance of spark plug selection, and “pinning” the crankshaft).
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It’s important to note that while this chapter provides a detailed look at the typical procedures involved with the installations, not every step or process is outlined. In other words, it is no substitute for the manufacturer’s assembly manual, which should be followed to the letter.
Project 1: Roots/Screw-Type Supercharger Kit
This project involves the installation of a MagnaCharger kit on a 2008 Pontiac G8 GT (LS2 6.0-liter engine). The kit consists of an MP 1900 (1.9- liter displacement) compressor (see Chapter 2) and liquid-to-air intercooling system. It includes almost every piece of hardware required for installation, including a plug-in flash tuner.
Although this project illustrates the installation on the Pontiac G8 GT, the procedures and methods are largely the same for all Magna Charger kits for LS-powered vehicles; and they are very similar to the steps required to install a screw-type blower kit. In the broadest terms, the installation requires the following:
- Replacing the stock intake manifold with the supercharger compressor/manifold assembly
- Swapping the throttle body onto the supercharger system • Mounting the intercooler’s heat exchanger and routing its hoses and hardware
- Replacing the serpentine drive belt in order to accommodate the supercharger drive pulley
- Installing higher-capacity fuel injectors (and any other fuel system enhancements) • Uploading a revised engine-calibration program to the engine controller
As is the case with most contemporary Roots/screw-type supercharger kits, the Magna Charger system is delivered with the compressor premounted to the intake manifold. This greatly enhances the speed and ease of the installation. It also reveals the only significant downside to the project: additional mass. The lightweight, composite factory intake manifold weighs next to nothing, but bolting on the Magna Charger compressor/manifold assembly adds about 50 pounds over the front axle of the vehicle. Under boost, those extra pounds disappear, but it’s not an inconsequential consideration, particularly on finely balanced cars like the Corvette.
Generally speaking, the quality and completeness of the Magna Charger kit is exceptional. It is a bolt-on system in the very best sense of the term, requiring little fabrication and mostly common hand tools. In the case of this G8 project car, no additional fuel system enhancements were required, apart from the supplied, higher-rate injectors; and the self-contained lubrication system eliminates an entire procedure that some other kits may require. In fact, an experienced technician should be able to install the kit within a day— with additional time required for proper tuning and evaluation. The same cannot be said for most bolt-on turbocharger systems, which require considerably longer labor time (see Chapter 6).
The installation outlined here was performed at Dearborn Heights, Michigan-based Livernois Motorsports, with tuning completed by Dan Millen, using the company’s recently introduced X-Treme Cal Tuning software (see Chapter 7). On Livernois’ chassis dyno, the otherwise-stock Pontiac G8 GT recorded 423 hp and 401 ft-lbs of torque at the rear wheels, with a peak of approximately 8 pounds of boost. That represents an increase of more than 35 percent in horsepower versus the stock 312-hp rating and about 20-percent more torque than the baseline 312-ft-lbs rating.
The Eaton-based Magna Charger supercharger system is delivered ready to bolt on. In fact, the 1.9-liter supercharger was pre-mounted to the intake manifold, as seen here. The satin-black finish looks more “O.E.” than the typical baremetal finish of most blowers. The other primary components of the system include the heat exchanger, electric pump, and coolant reservoir for the charge-cooling system. It is a dedicated system, meaning it is separate from the engine’s cooling system and maintains its own circuit of coolant (the same 50/50 mix of water and coolant typically used in engines).
Millen indicated the G8 would have seen a greater response, but the supercharged airflow was hampered at the back end by the stock exhaust system.
“At the very least, a cat-back-style system is needed when you add a supercharger,” he said. “Headers and high-flow cats help greatly, too, to uncork the exhaust, because supercharged engines don’t need much backpressure to make the most power.”
To prove his point, shortly after the installation was completed, Livernois Motorsports performed an identical installation on another G8 GT and Millen uploaded essentially the same tune—but the second car was already equipped with a cat-back exhaust system. The comparison with the stock-exhaust car was dramatic: 438 hp and 445 ft-lbs of torque at the tires. That’s a significant 15 hp and 44 ft-lbs difference. Without a doubt, a less-restrictive exhaust system benefits the greater airflow generated by the supercharger. Such an upgrade should be the standard operating procedure for an enthusiast wishing to maximize the performance benefit from the sizable investment made in the supercharger system.
The photos in this chapter should be referenced as the general steps used for all Roots/screw-type supercharger systems.
Using HP Tuner software, Livernois Motorsports’ Dan Millen performed the tuning on the G8, dialing in the new 62-pound/hour injectors and the blower system’s other parameters. He was initially disappointed with the comparatively tame horsepower result. Millen attacked his keyboard and came up with 423 hp and 401 ft-lbs of torque at the tires—for more than 35-percent greater horsepower and about 20-percent more torque than the 312 hp/335 ft-lbs baseline figures.
When it comes to attaching a price tag to the supercharger’s power increase, the Magna Charger kit typically retails in the $6,500 to $7,000 neighborhood. If you’re going to have it professionally installed and tuned, as was done with the project car here, you’re probably looking at another $1,000 to $1,500 for labor, miscellaneous service parts, and tuning. Livernois Motorsports’ quantity discount for the number of Magna Charger kits it stocked enables it to sell the blower, install it, and tune it for about $6,600. That’s a good value in my book.
The supercharger kit’s charge cooler requires removal of the front fascia. This starts with removal of the front tires to provide access to the myriad of fasteners (most of them plastic pushpin types) on the inside of the wheel well. There are also seemingly endless fasteners on the bottom of the fascia. The car used in this project is wrapped with protective coverings to prevent damage to the body. (See Chapter 4 for more information on fascia removal.)
After the fascia’s fasteners are removed, it pulls off as one big component, but still requires some muscle to pull it free from clips holding it to the chassis. It sounds like the clips are breaking when doing this, but when done correctly, no damage occurs. The fascia should be stored safely away from the work area to prevent accidental damage when maneuvering under the hood and/or under the vehicle.
The procedural step with the engine involves the removal of the ignition coils. This is accomplished by disconnecting the plug wires from the spark plugs, disconnecting the coils’ individual plug harnesses, unbolting the coil brackets from the valve covers, and lifting them out of the engine compartment. The coils are attached to the bracket, avoiding the need to remove them individually.
After properly relieving the fuel pressure (see Chapter 4), the fuel system is disconnected from the fuel rail in preparation for the intake manifold’s removal. Fortunately, the Magna Charger kit comes with a fuelline disconnection tool, but you should check the kit’s contents for it prior to starting the installation. If the supercharger kit does not include the tool, you should obtain the correct one before starting the project.
The intake manifold on most LSpowered vehicles is easily unbolted, although the comparatively restrictive engine compartments of fourthgeneration F-cars and the SSR can make access to the rear fasteners more of a challenge. After the disconnection of the fuel system, the airintake tract and a few miscellaneous hoses are pulled off, and the intake manifold should pull relatively easily off the top of the engine. The lightweight nylon construction of the manifold makes removal easy for one person, but that is not true when it comes to installing the supercharger/ intake manifold assembly. You should plan to have another person assist with that portion of the project.
To prevent debris from falling into the engine during the intake manifold’s removal and the supercharger’s installation, duct tape is laid over the cylinder heads’ intake ports. A shop vacuum should also be used on the top of the engine to remove any unseen debris. There’s no such thing as too much caution in this area.
With the intake manifold removed, attention turns to the crankshaft balancer and the steps required to add pins between it and the crankshaft hub to prevent unwanted movement of the press-fit balancer on the crankshaft. The Magna Charger kit comes with the pins, as well as a bolt-on template to guide the drill bit into the correct position. (See Chapter 4 for a more complete explanation of this procedure.)
Many of the installation procedures simply prepare the engine to accept the supercharger. Such is the case with this step: adding a new tensioner/ pulley to the front of the engine, as the crankshaft-driven supercharger adds a pulley to the accessory drive system. Not seen here is the pulley that bolts to the tensioner bracket after the bracket is secured on the engine.
Next, the front of the engine compartment is readied for the chargecooling system. That process begins with the temporary removal of the electric cooling-fan assembly from the rear of the radiator. It is secured with a few easily accessed fasteners. The wiring harness must be disconnected, too.
Although the installation procedure varies among vehicles, the chargecooler heat exchanger always mounts in front of the radiator. In the case of this project G8 GT, installation requires disconnecting the radiator (including the removal of the radiator hoses and draining of the coolant) in order to push it back a few inches to slip the heat exchanger in front of it.
The heat exchanger for the G8 has brackets that hook on to the top of the radiator to hold it in place. In fact, adhesive-backed rubber pads are used for a tight fit at the top of the radiator and no bolts or other fasteners are used. This isn’t the same for all LS vehicles, but holds true for many of them.
Here is the heat exchanger nestled in front of the radiator. Because it is essentially a radiator of its own, air freely passes through it and into the engine radiator, so the vehicle needs no further cooling-system upgrades. Some vehicles with compromising radiator positions and/or tight engine compartments (such as the fourthgeneration F-cars and C5/C6 Corvettes) may benefit from a largercapacity radiator to ensure cooler overall engine operation, as the supercharger generates more heat to dissipate.
The next step in the installation procedure involves extending the length of the throttle-body wiring harness for vehicles equipped with an electronically controlled (fly-by-wire) throttle. It starts with exposing the individual wires of the harness by pulling them out of the protective cover.
After the individual wires for the throttle-body harness are exposed, they are cut and extension wires are inserted. The Magna Charger kit comes with extension wires matched to the colors of the original harness, making the task simpler. To prevent the joints of the extensions from bundling together in a bulky pack, the original wires were cut at different points for different lengths. This spaces out the joints for a cleaner, more finished product that fits within the protective loom cover.
Here’s the extended harness assembly, with the wires tucked back inside a longer cover. When done correctly, the modification looks factory, with the cleanly spaced extension joints fitting easily within the cover. The extension is required to accommodate the modified mounting position of the throttle body when it is installed on the supercharger, as well the additional reach required for it around the supercharger system’s components.
This application (along with most similar Roots/screw-type systems) requires a different cylinder-headcoolant crossover vent tube to accommodate the supercharger and new intake manifold. It is easily swapped with the help of a 10-mm socket, because the original intake manifold is out of the way. There are O-ring seals on both ends of the vent tube that must be transferred to the new tube.
Another accommodation for the supercharger on the G8 GT, as well as some other vehicles, is providing adequate clearance around the cowl/firewall area. In the case of the G8 and the Magna Charger system, it includes trimming a small piece from the leading edge of the plastic cowl trim. An air-powered cutoff wheel slices easily through the material, leaving a cleaner-looking cut. The edges of the modified sections should be finished or filed slightly to remove excess “flash” material from the plastic.
With most of the engine and enginecompartment preparations for the supercharger system completed, work turns to prepping the supercharger itself. Here, the new fuel injectors and fuel rails are added to the intake manifold. Be clear about whether the kit includes the injectors or you must obtain them separately. Most supercharger manufacturers offer lower-cost “tuner” kits that do not include items like injectors, spark plugs, and other parts. Those kits are designed for installation by professional shops that likely stock such parts. Complete kits should include the injectors, plugs, etc.
While preparing the supercharger, the installer at Livernois Motorsports noticed the rearmost manifold bolt on the passenger side would be a tight fit during installation, as it was sandwiched directly under the supercharger drive belt. Pre-checking for installation issues such as this prevents larger headaches from developing once the assembly is on the engine and in the vehicle. It was determined that hand-threading the bolt would be required until there was sufficient room to get a box-end or open-end wrench on the bolt head. As the mounting position and supercharger design are largely the same for all LS engines, this is a common challenge with a Magna Charger installation.
The last step before installing the supercharger/manifold assembly on the engine is installing gaskets on the intake manifold itself. The Magna Charger kit uses convenient, snap-on gaskets that are held in place perfectly until the manifold is fastened to the cylinder heads. Correspondingly, the ports on the cylinder head should be slightly lubricated with a mild soap-and-water solution to ensure a more precise, leak-free fit.
At last, the supercharger/ manifold assembly is carefully lowered onto the engine. Because of the weight and awkward size of the assembly, it is a two-person task. On some vehicles, a replacement valley cover (including the transfer of the oil-pressure sensor) is required and included with the kit, but that was not the case with this G8 application. Also, some vehicles may require the removal or relocation of a factory engine-installation bracket or, on vehicles with an automatic transmission, the relocation of the automatic transmission fill tube. Again, this was not the case with the G8. Once the assembly is in place, the manifold bolts are tightened to the manufacturer’s recommended torque specification.
With the supercharger assembly bolted in place, the fuel injector harnesses are connected to the injectors. It is important to make sure the injectors used with the supercharger are compatible with the harness connectors, as there are primarily two types used with LS engines. Jumper harnesses are available to accommodate nonmatching harnesses and injectors, but you should check the harness/ injector compatibility prior to reaching this stage in the installation.
Next, the ignition-coil brackets are re-installed. There should be no clearance problems, as none of the supercharger system’s hardware affects the location or placement of the brackets, coils, or plug wire routing.
After the ignition coils come the spark plugs. Colder-range, NGK TR-6 plugs with a tighter gap are used on this project and recommended for most forced-induction systems. (See Chapter 4 for more information on the importance of selecting the right spark plug.)
All of the small details become increasingly important as the “button-up” stage of the installation is underway, and that means following the manufacturer’s assembly manual closely. Here is the comparatively minor (yet very important) step of installing the O-ring seal for the throttle body.
Next, the new serpentine belt is installed on the engine, including its routing on the supercharger pulley. One of the appreciated features of the Magna Charger kit is the integration of the supercharger pulley into the accessory drive system. Some systems may require separate belts and/or greater modification of the accessory drive components.
This photo shows the throttle body installed on the supercharger, as well as its lengthened wiring harness plugged into it. It also shows the myriad of other hoses, connectors, and fasteners re-attached to the engine and/or supercharger/ manifold assembly. Despite their common LS engine architecture, different vehicles have different connections, sensors, and other hardware. Again, the manufacturer’s assembly manual should be followed closely to ensure all of the connections have been made. A few items to check include the Idle Air Temperature (IAT) sensor, EVAP lines (which may require modification or replacement on some vehicles), purge solenoid, vacuum hoses, and MAP sensor/wiring harness.
Another important re-connection step is the installation of the fuel-feed line. Because of the “push-lock” design of the connector, it simply pushes into place and a positive “click” sound indicates it is correctly installed. Unlike the removal process, a special tool isn’t required.
Among the plumbing changes brought on by the supercharger system (at least on the G8 GT depicted here) is the need for longer heater hoses. Typically, they’re included with the inclusive kits and may not be included with “tuner” kits.
A new brake-booster check valve should be included with all supercharger systems to optimize the boost/vacuum pressure created with the supercharged engine.
The brake-booster connection finishes off the connections related to the engine, so the final step is the installation of the charge-cooling system components. On the independently circulated liquid-to-air system with the Magna Charger system, installation begins with mounting the system’s electrically driven water pump (arrow).
The charge-cooling system also includes a coolant reservoir. Mounting positions vary from vehicle to vehicle, but they are typically mounted higher in the engine compartment, while providing easy access to the fill cap.
There is also add-on wiring associated with the electric water pump. It simply splices into the factory, underhood fuse box.
With all of the charge-cooling system’s hoses securely connected, the reservoir is filled with a 50/50 mix of coolant and water, just as in the engine. Depending on the system, it takes 1 to 2 gallons of mixed coolant. Activating the pump without the engine on helps circulate the coolant to quickly fill the system. This is also the appropriate time to refill the engine radiator with the coolant that was drained previously
Next, the coolant hoses are routed to and from the heat exchanger between it, the water pump, and the reservoir tank. Again, routing and placement of the hoses varies among vehicles; and it typically requires the modification or removal of components located behind the vehicle’s front fascia. In the case of this G8, it requires creating a passageway through a plastic “wall” located beneath the bumper.
Here’s the finished installation. It looks as neat as a pin and, with that black blower case, nearly factory. At this point, refer to the assembly manual to double check that all required connections are made. This car also has an aftermarket cold-air induction system that is not part of the Magna Charger kit.
With the supercharger and chargecooling systems installed, the final stage of the project involves uploading the new programming tune to the engine-control module. For most vehicles (whether using the kit’s supplied programmer or a custom tune), a connection must be made with the OBD port located beneath the dashboard. On other vehicles, add-on and/or supplemental control modules must be spliced into the factory control module. On the G8 GT project vehicle, the tune was simply uploaded through the OBD port.
Project 2: Centrifugal Supercharger Kit This project concerns
This project concerns the basic installation of a centrifugal supercharger. Unlike the Roots/ Lysholm-type blower that essentially replaces the intake manifold, a bolton centrifugal kit typically retains the stock intake manifold, but adds the supercharger to the front of the engine, much like other engine-driven accessories like the air-conditioning compressor or power-steering pump.
Generally speaking, the installation of a centrifugal supercharger is more complex than a Roots/screwtype system, but not significantly so. I followed the installation procedures of both the Magna Charger system and the centrifugal system and found the Magna Charger system was easier to install and took less time to do so. That said, the centrifugal system wasn’t necessarily difficult to install, but required more steps and greater finesse.
The Magna Charger kit comes with its own tuning software and programmer, but Livernois Motorsports’ Dan Millen uses his company’s X-Treme Cal Tuning software. Here, he feeds the G8’s controller his tune. It is vitally important to never start an engine with non-original fuel injectors until the tune is uploaded, as engine damage will occur almost immediately! Once the engine is started for the first time, it should be turned off after a few seconds to check for any fuel, oil, or coolant leaks; serpentine belt alignment; and a general underhood examination. Also, make sure the fuel tank is filled with premium gasoline, as the tuning is typically dependent on at least 91 octane.
On Livernois Motorsports’ dyno, the newly blown G8 put down 423 hp and 401 ft-lbs at the tires. It was a good result, but would have been even better with a less-restrictive cat-back exhaust system. Nevertheless, the car made more than 35-percent-greater power than when it entered the shop a few days earlier. Throttle response and overall drivability is excellent, too, with the blower’s presence only heard and felt on demand.
The centrifugal blower system outlined here involves an A&A Corvette kit for a C6 Corvette with an automatic transmission. It uses a Vortech V-2 Si compressor and a custom intercooling system. The blower is fitted with a 3.8-inch-drive pulley that enables approximately 12 pounds of boost. The kit includes a bypass valve, 60-pound fuel injectors and a Kenne Bell Boost-A-Pump.
The installation was performed by Troy, Michigan-based Stenod Performance. It took roughly a day and a half to complete the installation, while the Magna Charger kit was installed in a single business day. Both installations were handled by professional shops using vehicle lifts and, where necessary, air tools. The accompanying photos should not be considered a how-to guide for installing a blower on a Corvette, but a reference of the basic steps for all centrifugal supercharger systems.
Because the processes for pinning the crankshaft, mounting the intercooler heat exchanger, routing the intercooler coolant tubes, and other details are similar to the Rootstype installation, this project focuses on the aspects of the installation that make it different. That includes mounting the supercharger bracket and compressor. It should be noted that the kit shown here required an oil-feed line tapped into the oil pan. That is not the case with all centrifugal kits (see Chapter 4 for more details on that procedure).
Here are the basic components of a centrifugal system, minus the intercooler hardware. The mounting brackets hang the supercharger on the front of the engine. This kit (from A&A Corvette) includes a large blowoff valve (at bottom of photo), which is a necessary accessory for preventing excess boost from being forced into the engine when the throttle is closed.
Prior to receiving the supercharger, the Corvette used in this project was enhanced with L92 cylinder heads and intake manifold, as well as a blower-spec camshaft (see Chapter 9). These modifications increased the airflow capability of the engine to better exploit the capability of the supercharger. The work paid big dividends, too, as the Corvette put down 508 hp and 439 ft-lbs of torque to the rear wheels on Stenod Performance’s Mustang Dynamometer chassis dyno.
As with the Roots blower kit, preparation for installation includes the removal of the front fascia to enable mounting of the intercooler system’s heat exchanger and related hoses and hardware. The cooling system is also drained and the radiator removed. Although not necessarily required for every vehicle installation, removing the radiator is quick and easy, and it opens up tremendous working space under the hood while preventing inadvertent damage to the cooling fins.
After pinning the crankshaft, an oil-feed line was routed from the engine in preparation for the supercharger. Some centrifugal superchargers (Vortech blowers, mostly) require this external lubrication. The oiling circuit also includes an oil return line that must be tapped into the oil pan. (See Chapter 4.)
The next step involves mounting the rear portion of the supercharger support bracket. In most cases, it replaces the factory tensioner or idler pulley, although the location and placement varies among vehicles. The passengerside location on this Corvette is typical.
The front part of the bracket is then mounted to the supercharger compressor. The bracket contains a tensioner that replaces the factory unit, which was removed to make room for the supercharger.
Because of the tight fit and/or awkward routing, it may be easier to pre-install the serpentine belt on the supercharger bracket prior to installing the supercharger on the engine. This makes it easier to accurately route the belt on the rest of the engine’s accessories.
The supercharger and front mounting bracket are installed together and loosely threaded onto the rear mounting bracket. None of the fasteners are torqued until the general fitment and clearances around the brackets, blower, and belt are double checked.
It’s vitally important to follow the assembly manual closely. Here, the installer made an assumption about the blower mounting bracket’s hardware, but didn’t take into account the interference of the cylinder heads’ coolant crossover tube, which prevented one of the bracket’s bolts from sliding into its mounting hole. Rectifying the problem required backtracking, which added unnecessary time to the project.
With the supercharger and its mounting-bracket components securely tightened, the oil-feed line from the engine is connected to the compressor.
Complementing the oil-feed line is an oil-return line routed from the compressor (left) to the fitting that was added to the oil pan (right).
Next, the intercooler heat exchanger is mounted in front of the radiator. The procedure for the coolant circuit and hose routing for it is similar to the procedures outlined in the Magna Charger installation projecton page 60.
Like the Magna Charger installation, routing the intercooler’s plumbing required modifying some of the vehicle’s plastic underbody components to enable pass-through room for the hoses. Note the circular template for the hole, which is easily cut into the soft plastic material of the part.
After routing the intercooler plumbing, attention turns to the fuel system. The kit’s highercapacity, 60-pound/hour injectors were swapped onto the stock fuel rail. Then, the fuel rail was simply pushed back into place on the intake manifold.
Here’s the finished installation. There was more fabrication required than the Rootstype supercharger installation outlined on pages 62-67, but some of it is due to the tighter confines of the Corvette engine compartment. Nevertheless, the installation is relatively easy and straightforward for a professional shop or an individual who has the necessary experience and tools.
Depending on the engine and vehicle, greater fuel pressure and/or a higher-capacity fuel pump may be required. In the case of this LS3-powered C6 Corvette, the kit included a Kenne Bell Boost-A-Pump to amplify the power of the stock fuel pump. Using it eliminates the costly and time-consuming need for removing the fuel tank to swap fuel pumps.
Because of the additional modifications, including cylinder heads and a camshaft, the manufacturer’s tuning software wasn’t sufficient for this project. A custom tune was created at Stenod Performance and the Corvette delivered 508 hp and 439 ft-lbs of torque at the rear wheels through an automatic transmission. This was on a Mustang dyno that typically isn’t as optimistic as comparable chassis dynos from other manufacturers. That’s a significant 170 hp/110 ft-lbs jump over the baseline 338 hp/329-ft-lbs numbers.
Written by Barry Kluczyk and Posted with Permission of CarTechBooks
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