rnbiker

I've recently traded up for a C6 with an LS3 and I was wondering... I was thinking of doing no other mods on this engine and just putting an A & A supercharger on it with a small amount of boost. My thoughts are these..

1) I would like to be in the 500hp range..
2) I would like the engine/car to last very close to 100,000 miles with no problems
3) I don't want to change streetability

Will the stock engine and transmission handle the added horsepower with no problems? With a custom tune setup for the supercharger, how will drivability and mileage be affected? Are there any other things that would ABSOLUTELY have to be modded or can I keep her stock?

I drive the car as a daily driver, but have the occassional "street race challenge" while cruising with Mustangs and the like, but I have no plans for any serious racing and don't even plan to take her drag racing on the weekends. Is this a reasonable expectation for horsepower and streetability? I'm aware that I could get much more horsepower, but my previous car (2001 C5) was dyno'd at 409hp at 388ft/lbs torque with cam/heads/headers/tune/cai and the like and I'd love to get this one with just a little more horsepower than that with JUST the supercharger. Lastly and most importantly....

Has ANYONE on here done this and what kind of results did you have??

Whatcha think guys???

davidtcpa

YOu can achieve it EASY!! These cars can handle it. I will be doing mine as soon as I save up my pennies.

0Brian@RPT

My 2008 C8 dynoed 407 rwhp/402 ft-lbs with a tune only. I am adding the A&A Supercharger and should be in the 570 rwhp range. I dyno tuned another 2008 C6 with the A&A Kit and this one had headers on it and made 592 rwhp. All of which will drive like stock until you roll into the throttle.

csnow

I wouldnt supercharge a motor with hypereutectic aluminum pistons with a 10.7:1 compression ratio. There is a reason why GM forged the motor in the ZR1. If it were safe and reliable for 100k mile, why would GM lower the comression to 9.1:1 and forge the internals? They could save a boat load of money by just putting that same blower on a LS3, right?

I know many will say it is safe and shops will claim they have sent hundreds out the door with no problems. The infamous, "It is all in the tune" argument. Yeah, it is in the tune but tell that to the folks who have blown their engine with a SC.

I wouldnt put a SC until the fuel has been upgraded, the bottom end forged, and the compression ratio lowered. If your gonna boost, then boost. Build it for forced induction and use the forced induction - dont add a tiny bit of boost to a high compression motor.

Dont forget about belts. Break one of those on a road trip and see how long it takes the local "Crazy Cooter" garage to get you back on the road.

If you want a reliable 100k motor, stick with intake, headers, exhaust and a tune.

I am ready for the flaming

TrenAman

500rwhp on a LS3 can be done VERY easily with a very small amount of boost, you will not see any power gains until you hit about 3500rpm "getting on it". It will drive like stock. My Factory 08 A6 last for 1 year at 640rwhp and the way I drove it.. lets just say it was tested.. daily.. All the supercharger kits are great, just be sure you have someone who knows what they are doing and gives you a very conservative tune "which will required to stay in the 500rwhp range anyway" pull the trigger and never look back. You car will last a long time at only 500rwhp in a LS3..

csnow

Sorry, but I stick my statement. Wanting all three of those is not realistic for the OP. I would say pick any two of those and you have a workable combo, but not all three. It is almost the same as I want cheap, fast, and reliable.

I was on the SC bandwagon too. Mainly because my previous car was a Toytoa Supra so I was very intimate with forced induction. The more I read and read on the LSx motors and FI, I just put the SC on hold until I can build the motor right; therefore, I went with a mild NA build. I spent more for less power but I wasnt willing to take the risk. To be honest, the 476 rwhp all motor car is very fun as it is, so I may not go any further

old motorhead

A stock vette might not make 100K....and it would be boring as hell. 5 to 6psi and bolt ons and you're over 500 with the LS3. Do it and enjoy it. Life is too short to tool around in a stock vette

winters97gt

You will have no issues with reliability and 500rwhp with an ls3. My stock car made 572rwhp with the A&A and mufflers. One problem you will run in to, is melting the stock cats over time, which is not a good thing.

Car will drive exactly like a stock car with no issues.

winters97gt

csnow

breecher_7

500rwhp will be a joke with a base A&A kit, A bone stock LS3 car will do 550rwhp with no problems all day long.

Pull the trigger man, you wont regret it.

On the other hand though, heads and cam will get you to your 500rwhp as well. But it wont have the same stock driveability.....

OR you can do a mild cam, still make 440+rwhp and then spray it with a 100 hit when you want it.....

BornSUPERCHARGED

It's like our saying here in Texas:
There are houses with foundation issues, and there are houses that will have foundation issues.

You could say this about our cars:
There are FI vettes with blown engines, and there are FI vettes that will have blown engines.

It's in the tune and how you drive it. If you're never in boost, it should last just as long as stock.

breecher_7

I will agree with the above that a forced induction engine should have forged pistons, but the fact is that if your car IS TUNED PROPERLY, you will not have the one biggest issue that destroys cast pistons, DETONATION.

Keep the boost low and dont get agressive with the timing and the car will run forever. People dont blow up there engines untill they start to push things. There is NO reason a 550hp LS3 should ever have a problem if tuned correctly.

NYC6

Third year on a Vortech T-Trim making a safe 522rwhp on my A6 LS2. Dont get crazy with turning up the boost and it will give you many reliable years of *** kicking performance.

0Brian@RPT

Still comes down to the tune and even a forged engine can gernade. At any rate, you do not want to run the tuning on the edge since air quality changes. Run a safe tune and you will have no issues. Time must be spent to eliminate all chances on knock. 550 rwhp will have no issues with the A&A Kit and you can feel confident about that.

breecher_7

Mind if I ask why you choose a T-trim to run that low of a power level? I mean it gives you a decent amount of room to grow but it doesnt seem like you have interest in doing that. Just curious.

rnbiker

These are all good points and please keep them coming!! I will give a bit more history at this point that may clarify my stance on things.

I bought a C5 last year that had a lot of mods done to it...cam, headers, Texas Speed ls6 heads, custom tune, 42lb injectors, vararam, DTE stage 2 diff with 3.73 ratio, Z06 tit exhaust, forged internals with aftermarket pistons, custom race transmission build,.. and the list goes on... After all of these things, the car only made 409hp and 338ft/lbs torque....but basically ran like crap compared to this new car. Now, I have not dyno'd this C6 as is stock, but it sure doesn't feel like it is very far behind the car I just traded for it and it is stock and runs great. My thought was, if I can just add the supercharger and not do anything else, then I could have a car that runs the same as it does now when I'm just driving it around, or can really light up and pull when the boost kicks in....with NO ISSUES. Now, as I said, I have no plans to race it with only the occassional rolling start wot or "light to light" challenges. I was thinking that the motor should handle this and last as stock if I stick to this plan and don't run the crap out of it all the time. Again, I tossed the 500hp number out there because I thought it should be achievable, but if I went from (let's just say) 365 hp stock as it is now (just guessing 430 x 85% with manual drivetrain loss) to 470hp or 480hp, I'm thinking I'd be a happy guy as this is still 70+ ponies more than my C5 was making with all of the mods. So, this is why I'm debating this.... Plus, the motor is still all stock and if I have a problem...in theory I could even remove the forced induction, return to a stock tune and take a damaged engine in for repairs under warranty as I've heard others have done Keep the opinions coming on this stuff guys.... I appreciate the inputs greatly...

NYC6

Im not done yet. Meth and pulley are upcoming.

0Brian@RPT

You can also choose different size pullies to fit your needs. The standard size for the LS3 is the 3.8". Also, I would get the V3 Upgrade since it is self contained oil system.

csnow

I think it is more the compression ration that is dangerous vs lack of forged internals. My 2JZ-GTE was on stock internals, which are not forged. However, the compression ration is only 8.5:1 and it has factory oil squirters. I could run 17 to 18 psi on 93 pump and beat the snot out of that car to a tune of 530rwhp. The 2J is only a 3.0 liter. A lot of guys bump the compression into the 9's for better driveability while out of boost, but they also have to back the psi down or run meth/race fuel. Most of the Supra guys dont forge unless they are upwards of 750 rwhp.

I cant image a 6+ liter car running 18 psi on a built motor setup for FI. That would be one scary ride!