Supercharger?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 2,764
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From: Central Florida
A lot has to do with the tune but I think the most common answer for a stock motor is stay under 500Hp. Good luck, SC are lots of fun but can get expensive for sure especially if you don’t do your own work.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,599
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From: Boise, ID
2022 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2021 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
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You can run 6psi pulley safely on pump gas and up to 8psi without methanol but you are on the fringe given stock compression with an A&A kit.
With that in mind, I second what forcevert just said. If you can't work on your car yourself and don't have endless pockets I would stay away from going boosted. The cost to play exponentially goes up.
It's scary to think how many hours in labor I have spent working on my car, probably several hundred hours wrenching, much of that was modding, much of that was rebuilding two engines. Double that amount of time I had to spend in research.
With that in mind, I second what forcevert just said. If you can't work on your car yourself and don't have endless pockets I would stay away from going boosted. The cost to play exponentially goes up.
It's scary to think how many hours in labor I have spent working on my car, probably several hundred hours wrenching, much of that was modding, much of that was rebuilding two engines. Double that amount of time I had to spend in research.
Last edited by tommypenguin; Jul 4, 2018 at 11:56 AM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 2,522
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Approximately at rear wheels, ROOTS = + 120 HP; CENTRIFUGAL = + 200 HP, greater gains can be had for both depending on tune, etc.
Stock drivetrain probably good up to 500 HP at rear wheels, clutch slip will be an issue also when reaching 500 RWHP
Stock drivetrain probably good up to 500 HP at rear wheels, clutch slip will be an issue also when reaching 500 RWHP
Former Vendor
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 3,574
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From: Lookin over Hoover Dam
I ran AA kit, 8.9psi, AR Longtubes, X pipe, BB bullets, supportive fueling, completely stock internals on my Z06...581whp/512wtq and drove it like I hated its guts and stole it. Car saw the rev limiter with regularity. Gas and oil reliable. It's all in the tune. If your fueling is good, mid 11's to cool the piston crown, and is a degree or so degree back from best torque, your likelihood of detonation is low. Gotta run high octane (pump) and make sure you run a colder plug to avoid a cylinder stress riser but...easily dooable. I was on the Si trim.
Acct Suspended APR 2026 by request
Joined: Dec 2010
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2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
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whether or not it will detonate will also depend on what fuel type/octane and your tune, but you can make 500 or 800+ if you wanted to... it's all up to you, how much you want to spend, and how much you want to risk
Racer
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 454
Likes: 19
From: Prescott AZ
I had A&A in Oxnard, Ca install their California Legal supercharger setup in my 04 Le Mans. Around 525 rwhp with an automatic, probably 650 at the crank, or close. It can spin the tires at 65 on the freeway if you floor the gas pedal. While that is a kick in the pants, you run out of room in So Cal pretty quickly, so make sure you've got some open highway ahead of you.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 11,060
Likes: 291
From: Pasco WA
I also have an A&A kit ( 4" pulley) that I installed, but had a professional tune. I previously had a high end H/C/Fast 90 setup that put down 483/432 wheels, and I would have been happier staying with that setup. With the SC setup there's never enough traction, or road to use it all, and parts will start to break if you use that power. Differential, transmission, pretty much the entire drivetrain is at risk with my present 643/544 wheels setup. I replaced my clutch with a RPS twin carbon, and had RKT performace build me a diff. after I exploded mine. I'm still on borrowed time with the M12, and the stock driveshaft connecters. BTW, the A&A kit comes with everything a basically stock car needs to run reliably, but with my top end mods ( pro TFS heads with 11:1 CR) I needed to add more fuel pressure than the kit gave me. My tuner had a Magnason BAP laying around, and that gave me the extra pressure I needed to be safe.(ish)
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Former Vendor
Joined: Dec 2016
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From: Lookin over Hoover Dam
^ That's the facts right there. I ended up removing my supercharger and going back NA and focusing more on heads/mild cam/intake and pushing the power to the 450whp range while building a motor to my spec. I'm not a straightline guy and roll racing and talking hp numbers in the parking lot doesn't do much for me, therefore I felt I lost a lot of the car I loved when I supercharged. I only did so, because my shop at the time built forced induction systems and dyno tuned, etc...so I went quick and easy supercharger when I should've swapped the LS7 I had sitting there at the time (needed rebuild).
If you're the type that cruises and just wants random bursts of speed the supercharger is good to do. If you like to drive the car hard, canyon roads or road course...it's going to take A LOT of supportive mods and cash to make it work well. If all you do is clutch/supercharger you reduce the car, to some degree and you make it slower in some ways...exit speed, laying down the power, etc.
If you're the type that cruises and just wants random bursts of speed the supercharger is good to do. If you like to drive the car hard, canyon roads or road course...it's going to take A LOT of supportive mods and cash to make it work well. If all you do is clutch/supercharger you reduce the car, to some degree and you make it slower in some ways...exit speed, laying down the power, etc.
Acct Suspended APR 2026 by request
Joined: Dec 2010
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2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
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you can put down mid 600s with the right tire setup, now if you want to run some regular street tires then yeah you will be spinning a lot... if you are more concerned with corner carving and road racing just leave it n/a, you don't need a lot of hp to get around corners... but don't let the posts above shy you away from a blower, see if you can find someone with a blower that will take you for a ride and see how you like it... my car was always fun to drive but it never really wow'ed me until I put a blower on it, it really woke the car up and after getting a taste of it there's no way I would go back to an n/a setup but that's just me
Last edited by StingrayRebel; Jul 6, 2018 at 08:28 PM.