I was on a web site superchargers.com and found a company called prochargers, which sells superchargers for c-4's. Does anyone have one or has anyone ever heard how they work? just curious thanks black1

 

I decided to go the cam/ heads route after hearing horror stories on this and the f-body LT-1 forum.

To use the procharger successfully aparently you need to rebuild the bottom end of the engine with lower (I think 8.5:1 compression) compression, and possibly forged pistons.

Hear is an example of a horror story I have heard with the pro-charger.

Guy puts a procharger onto his stock Corvette LT-1 with 76,000 miles. Runs great, full 8psi boost. Then, he is slowly losing boost. 8000 miles later he is lucky to see 4 psi boost. then down to 2 psi boost. Inside of his engine bay is coated in oil. Oil has leaked out the timing chain cover, crank seal, oil pan gasket, even the oil pan dipstick tube. With that high boost, his boost went past the piston rings (blowby) and into his oil pan, blowing out seals, and causing the booost loss.

Its stories like this that made me decide not to get one.

Now if you built the engine with lower compression, forged pistons....Then we're talking!!!

 

um where to start??? some things i hate about them!! 1. didn't send a boost gauge with the kit(bought seperatley) 2. installion time was double what they said...3. have to tap into oil pan(new models don't, and they didnt' tell me about the new model, cuz i would have gotten that one) 4. If you like the whine noise or good to go cuz it's really loud! People looking at me like i'm driving a spacecraft!! I'm only boosting 4 lbs so...cuz of my compression 10.5!! It's a 6 lbs kit but i heard you lose 2 through intercooler(def. need this) so...as of now..not really happy! I haven't run at the strip yet cuz my clutch is shot......but 3 and 4th gear seem to pull harder!! Only time will tell!! If it don't run better (est. 11.3 ish) it will come off and i'll get NOS!! Hope this helps! :D

 

Man, why is it that whenever someone decides to supercharge a stock block, hyperutectic piston, high compression engine that they are suprised that it will not work out?

Buiding big power gains is a lot like investing money: never buy into something that you do not completely understand - because you could, and most likely will, get burned.

Point to be made: there are a number of top guns in the NMCA and PSCA running ProCharger, Paxton, Vortech who run seriously wicked e.t./mph in the 1/4 mile. Counterpoint: there are a lot of neophyte hot rodders who blow their ill thought engine combos.

O.k., now that I'm off my soapbox, there are some serious considerations to keep in mind with any supercharged LT1. Stock LT1 piston alloy and compression ratio is all wrong for a supercharger (or nitrous for that matter) - sorry, that's just the way it is. Hyperutectic pistons have a lot of wonderful qualities - handling high cylinder pressure is not one of those qualities. Besides alloy, a proper supercharger (or nitrous) piston will locate the rings a little further down from the piston top, and supercharger/nitrous piston rings should have more end gap than the factory setup. Here is a simple statement to keep in mind when building a supercharged engine: "it is not the static compression ratio that matters as much as it is the effective compression ratio that matters". Superchargers build power via the increased volume of intake, as you add boost you increase the engine's effective compression ratio. In essence, the more static compression you start with, the less boost pressure you can run before you exceed your fuel octane requirements. Starting with a lower compression ratio allows you to take better advantage of a supercharger's horsepower building by intake volume increases, before you are at the detonation limits of your fuel. For reference, the centrifugal supercharged 468 that I am building has 8.3 to 1 static compression and the D2-R supercharger I am running can flow 2,800 cfm.

Building a more purpose built engine may not be what you had in mind, but in the long run it is cheaper than later replacing a poorly thought engine that blows up.

Thomas

 

What year is your car? FYI: 85's came with FORGED pistons from the factory.

 

GRX, yes, the '85 has forged pistons - but they are still the wrong piston/compression ratio to be used on anything other than a low boost setup.

Thomas

 

Green Rocket,

I agree with all you said, but what do you consider 'low boost' to be?
How much boost you have is not important, it is how much air that makes it into the engine that is important.

I put a Vortech on my totally stock Cross-Fire engine and I get 10 psi boost in the plenum. I don't have an intercooler and I don't have any boost retard. Actually I use the stock ECM with an ADS superchip with more agressive timing than stock. I don't have any problems with knock. I measured a 65 % hp increase with the supercharger.

The Cross-Fire intake is restrictive and it has 9:1 compression, and that is why I can use that amount of boost.

Same goes with the restrictive stock TPI. It can also take a lot of boost.

If you start porting the intake or use aftermarket products you will get more air in and make more power with less boost.

The free-flowing LT1 intake will get more added airflow at the same boost compared to the TPI. The high compression does not leave much room for more air and the cylinder pressure gets too high even at low boost levels.

black1,

I noticed that you have an 86. Is it an early or late one? If you have an early one with iron heads you have forged pistons.



[Modified by JoBy, 3:44 PM 3/20/2002]

 

Prochargers seem to have a bad rep. I have the vortech on a stock engine installed to their specs and I love it. Not a problem ever and it runs strong. It is when you start to vary from their recommendations that you run into problems. I coudn't be more happy. The dyno numbers speak for themselves.

 

I have the 86 with iron heads, but that could change. I want to put on a supercharger and I have mentioned before I'm probably going to build the whole engine at the same time. I'm not to worried about the cost, so I want to do it right...the first time. I need ideas on what to buy and where...thanks Balck1 Is there a better supercharger on the market?

 

JoBy, I love your creative home fabricated centrifugally supercharged '84 - I even posted a picture of the engine in my work office because it is so interesting. You are absolutely correct that it is not the psi of boost shown in the intake manifold that matters as much as the actual volume of air that is being moved, and thus low boost will mean something different depending on the air moving qualities of a particular engine. In very general terms to me low boost is below 8 psi, but for LT1's I think of 6 psi and lower - and maybe even 4 psi really.

...sigh, why are people compelled to say they have heard bad things about such and such brand - it is more helpful to hear of direct experiences rather than hearsay. I am glad that you are happy with your system, and we should all be glad that there is more than one manufacturer competing to make what we buy - there are benefits and drawbacks to all the offerings in the marketplace.

Thomas

 

Do you think 8 lbs is low? Go here: http://www.carrollsupercharging.com/

 

Procharge is a lousy company to do business w/. I can't say it any plainer than, "they suck".

Lt1,.... go w/ vortec
L98,... if you really really really want one,.... stay away from the ATI 600B

 

GRX, I've been to the Carroll Supercharging web site before, what specifically did you want me to see in regards to low boost? At the drags I've run up against Honda's that were running upwards of 30 psi boost (for as long as their half shafts and clutch hold together). As JoBy has mentioned, there is more to consider than just the pressure backed up in the intake manifold. Then there are intercoolers and other factors to consider.

In the realm of the aftermarket ProCharger is somewhere in the great middle ground for general customer enthusiasm - but the age old business question of how to deal with customers needs vs limited resources is encountered frequently in the performance aftermarket industry. I've certainly dealt with less helpful companies with less than well thought out products.

Thomas

 

Following this as I have an interest in supercharging and I don't believe I'm getting any reliable information. I contacted Carroll and asked specifically about supercharging an LT4 and the answers were quite vague. They are sending me the catalog which they say will answer any questions I may have. I am under the notion that the LT4 has too high a CR for a supercharger to be effective. I'm not looking for a total rebuild as this car has less than 15,000 miles on the clock. Maybe this is just wishful thinking.... Hot Cam or equivalent, porting and supercharger..
Any suggestions? Appreciate any and all input!

Thanks
Terry
GS#60