What are the biggest issues surrounding supercharging the LT1? I have read about the crankcase seal pressure, pistons, and fueling. I know the compressio ratio (11.5:1) is quite high for supercharging. I really want to supercharge my Stingray but the more I read about people's issues they have had, the less and less I want to supercharge. I've also read that staying below 600 whp is safe, but then I read someones post about their engine blowing at 550 whp. Is there anything I can add while installing the blower to mitigate any potential issues down the line? Thanks

 

The issue is tuners who don't know how to tune Gen V cars. Take your car to someone who knows how to tune Gen V cars and you won't have issues if you keep it to a safe hp level. In Florida I would suggest Elite tuning unless you want to ship your car to Cordes in AZ they would be my first pick.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^This^^^^^^^^^^^
Its all in the install and the tune .... Procharger on mine , No problems , I do not hesitate to drive my my car anywhere . Its not a garage queen and I drive it hard

Dave

 

As others stated just get a good tuner and you will be good. And don't push the stock motor past 600 wheel if you want longevity out of it.
Boosted my FBO LT1 with an LT4 blower at 93k miles now at 97k on a conservative tune 550 whp @6psi and i get on it often. Should last a good while on this setup but of course anything can happen once you boost a non boosted car.

 

Exactly as others have said, it's in the tuners hands. Our LT1's have tight piston rings that don't allow for stupid high boost pressures. OE fuel system also relegates us to ~600 rwhp. Get to a knowledgeable tuner who understands our engines, timing limits and fueling.

Recently installed an A&A on mine and could not be happier, I also have a great tuner.

 

I guess my first step would be finding a super reputable shop. I live near Tampa, FL If anyone has any suggestions. I'm willing to drive a couple hours, aswell. I know tuning is not a simple process, but what do tuners usually mess up when tuning/installing the supercharger on specifically LT1s which then makes the supercharger/engine combo so volatile? Does it all boil down to timing and fueling? Thanks yall for the replies

 

There are so many variables that can screw up an LT tune ....... like we said above tuning an LT motor is a whole different ball game

As far as a reptuable shop , there are many but Mike Carnahan and Brandon Leeb who were Vengence Racing's Tuners here in ATL opened up Elite Tuned in Tampa/ St Pete. You can contact them at info@Elitetuned.com

Dave

 

As I recall from my tuner, too much timing is a big on and where things go wrong. A tuner can add more timing and make really impressive numbers, but its hell on the engine. OE LT1 ring gaps and pistons are not set up for big boost.

I know of nothing you can add to your engine short if new pistons and opening ring gaps. I won't pretend to be an expert, but I will share what I've learned and my understanding and results. You can make ~600 rwhp safely with a knowledgeable tuner and proper parts working together. I started with 2" TS catless headers (bought used for cheap), mid pipe and a CAI. That netted me 442 rwhp. If I had it to do over I would get the 1 7/8" Kooks or American racing. The only reason I wouldn't do TS again is there is one header pipe that hangs particularly low on the drivers side. Next I added a ported OEM intake from edgyvette for ~$350. That did not boost my top end BUT, it did boost 12 HP throughout my mid range and upped my peak HP by 750 RPM. I was very happy with that mod seeing what it did for midrange.

A few months ago I did an A&A as recommended for a stock engine - 4" pulley. I ended up with 591/545 at the wheels. I see other guys end up with 550 which I assume is just the blower and maybe a CAI. If you are going to go with the A&A, don't bother with a CAI, you use the factory set up but you have to modify it. However, if you are interested I have a Holley CAI I'd like to unload. I have had zero problems, not a knock, ting, stutter or otherwise act like this was a factory set up. I am still getting 28/29 mpg on the highway. These things are unbelievable with what they return in performance and tech. It still boggles my mind. 600 rwhp AND 29 mpg. That is crazy!!

At 591 rwhp my tuner was very adamant I not add any more go fast parts. I have reached the limits of the factory fueling. To go further I'd need to install bigger pumps and supporting equipment. I'll also say this, 600 rwhp is insane on the street. Traction becomes a real issue. My next go fast goody is sticky tires in the spring. One thing begats another. If I ever owned another C7, I would not do it again. This has scratched the itch. It's fun, there is the wow factor at shows and cars and coffee, but I'm still figuring out the sweet spot to accelerate quickly in the first 3 gears without sending the tires up in smoke. Roll into 3rd gear at 35 mph at 1/2 throttle and the rear kicks out. It held it sideways to 80 mph and I never floored it. Let out and shifted into 4th. Not clutching it, not slipping anything, just throttle. Just know where you are heading.

 

In my honest opinion, if you want high 500 to low 600whp out of an LT1, just stay all-motor. You can easily achieve that on the stock bottom end with a stout HCI setup on some spicy fuel if it's available to you; and you shouldn't have to worry about the stock rods, pistons, or rings--and, you can run full E85. If you want to boost the car, then the above information is solid--keep it right at or under 600whp and it should live fairly well provided you do your maintenance and don't dog the vehicle. You're always going to have that one guy who chimes in and lays all of the responsibility on the tuner and not on the components. Both are equally important but, listen to the feedback with a grain of salt.

Remember, just because you can, doesn't mean you should. You can absolutely boost the stock bottom end LT1 but, it's a crap shoot that people swear isn't. It's almost like the LS7 valve drop issue. People will stand on their soap box and proclaim that it's not really a problem or that it only happened on select vehicles, etc. Drop in rods, pistons and an appropriate cam for boost and a properly sized fuel lobe, along with supporting fuel mods, and you'll have an LT1 that will run just as hard as many modified LT4's. Remember, there's no free lunch. You'll have to give and take somewhere. Choose your shop carefully and I would always ask to see the results of shops who specialize on LS's to see what they've accomplished with LT's. They are not the same to build and tune but a lot of shops treat them as though they are and their results are subpar--however, most customers couldn't actually tell the difference.

 

They are doing the tuning at Powertech Performance as well. Joe at Powertech is extremely knowledgeable and picky. I've never had any issues with his installs over the years.

 

The biggest issue we see if tuning and not having enough fuel system or pushing right up on the ragged edge of the fuel system. We have not had any engine issues making under 700whp and quite a few over that, but they all are getting at least a low side, lt4 hpfp, lt4 injectors. Have done a few with meth making a little over 600 but I prefer to have upgraded fuel system on every boosted vehicle.

 

I installed an A&A SuperCharger SI blower along with ARH headers, X-Pipe and tuned. I was getting around 550 WHP, the tuner told me he could safely get more with a JMS Fuel Pump Voltage Booster. Bought the booster and bumped the voltage up to about 18VDC from the stock 14VDC (max is 22VDC) he was able to get me to 610 WHP. I drove the hell out of that car for about 25,000 miles and never had an issue! it was a Z06 Killer! Recently I sold it and purchased a 2019 Z06 which I plan to do some work to and get to about the 750-800 WHP level.

With the LT1 stock internals, I would stay as close to the 600WHP as possible. Remember that you lose approximately 20% from the crank to the wheels. So at 600 HP at the wheels, thats a little over 700HP at the crank.

GOOD LUCK!

 

17 Z51 A8 with an Edelbrock stage 2 at 9 lbs of boost, making 500/504 at the rear. No issues with powerplant. First you chase Horsepower, then Torque, and finally realize it's about traction. Enjoy the journey!

 

I have deeply researched this topic for the last year. Supercharging a LT1 can be tricky. Like mentioned above. Tune is a huge part of it. After buying my high mileage 89.5k now 90k (At least i think its high mileage) 2014 C7 Z51, M7,3LT corvette. I was looking for black on black spec ZO6 C6,C7, when I found my Stingray. But I couldn't find one local to me. So I got a really decent deal on the Stingray Z51 C7 so I went with it. Love the car. After i have done alot of work on the car to make it my own. My only regret is the expense that it takes to do the LT4 supercharger conversion properly without worrying about it flying apart. Which is the route I wanted to go. Because of the OEM Plus look. I could have already done the conversion. But I have been reluctant to slap a supercharger on a high mileage engine. Especially with the weak vavle train issues these cars are known for. So I decided to wait. And play it safe. I do agree with the guys above. You can do the conversion and may or may not have any issues at all?

Me myself. Having a high mileage LT1 car. In my opinion to do this conversion safely. I have decided to do a drop in forged pistons and rods. Along with DOD delete, with other upgrades like either running a LT4 head or Katech doing the porting on the LT1 heads (Changing compression etc) and drill & tap the LT1 heads to accept the supercharger without using the LT4 adapter plates. Which makes the LT4 oem heads a more budget friendly choice if your wanting to eliminate the adapter plates. Kong X port on the LT4 supercharger. Katech oil pump, valley plate , bigger cam, trunion upgrades vavle springs, good lifters, LT4 HPFP LT4 injectors, DSX low side fuel pump, meth injection, E85 flex sensor kit, etc. Not to mention all the other parts it takes to make this conversion process happen smoothly. I guess it depends on HP numbers your wanting out of the car. We are shooting for 700+, All this work only makes sense if you bought your car really cheap (You like tinkering around on your car) or it's paid off and plan on passing the car on to your children or plan on keeping the car in the family. Other than that. Buy a ZO6. Because it can be a money pit fast. Good luck