A&A Corvette Performance:Forced Induction Q&A thread
 

PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO TAKE A LOOK AT OUR NEW WEBSITE WWW.AACORVETTE.COM. Feel free to PM or email me any comments on the site. Constructive critisism is welcome!

SPECIAL NOTICE: As of 4-1-2013 A&A Superchargers now offers 50 State legal systems for all years and models of C5 and C6 Corvettes! C.A.R.B. # D-707 makes our base systems legal for sale and installation in California and all states adopting California emissions regulations.
A&A Corvette Performance is your Corvette Forum Forced Induction sponsor. We manufacture and distribute custom supercharger systems for the C5 and C6 Corvette, utilizing the Vortech head unit. This system is redesigned from the ground up. Our custom supercharger bracket is CNC machined from 5/8” 6061 aluminum and machined on both sides to assure absolute straightness. Pulleys are laser aligned and belt wrap is maximized with our unique pulley arrangement.
We use a large single front mounted intercooler for maximum cooling and flow.
With major improvements implemented to the system in 2006 and again in 2008 this is a true state of the art system.
We do not lay the radiator down at a steep (and inefficient) angle to gain clearance for our inlet ducts. Rather, we manufacture a special formed duct, with a large cross sectional area, to gain clearance over the radiator.
This allows us to position the radiator in it's upright position, where it is open to increased airflow.
The entire radiator cavity is enclosed in laser cut aluminum sheet metal so as not to allow ambient air to escape around the radiator.
We have spent untold hours working on airflow management through both the intercooler and cooling systems.
Air wants to go straight, not around corners and will always take the course of least resistance. For any cooling system It is extremely important that the air be directed where you want it to go and block it from escaping to where you don't want it to go.
With a smoke generator and a miniature camera we were able to see what changes to intercooler position, sheetmetal enclosures and scoops actually made.
We were amazed to see how air actually "bounced off" the surface of the intercooler and rolled over the edge without proper direction and containment.
We feel that we now have the most efficient intercooler design possible, given the limited space available in the Corvette.
A larger intercooler that is installed at a steep angle with no way to direct air through it is terribly inefficient.
Two small intercoolers mounted in the fenderwells with a small opening and no ductwork to force the air through the coolers is equally inefficient.
Looking closely at the intercooler design of our systems (both C5 and C6) you will see that we implement a scoop to capture the air and drive it up into the intercooler. We totally enclose the intercooler on both sides and top so all the air that is "grabbed" by the scoop is actually forced through the intercooler. Hence the name "Ram Air Intercooler". There is nothing else like it on the market.
All of our street systems incorporate the latest Vortech head units with no hood change is required.
How about a 500+ RWHP Corvette that sounds and drives like stock?
Want 600- 700 -800 plus RWHP? We can configure a package that will deliver power levels like this and remain truly streetable.
. The YSI head unit, with supporting mods, will routinely make over 800 RWHP.


http://www.aandacorvette.com/images/...arger-c5-1.jpg

http://www.aacorvette.com/performanc..._c5_sc_kit.jpg

Details, dyno charts and pictures are available at https://www.aandacorvette.com/cart/s...p?MainCatID=18
Our full systems start at $5495. Our standard system is all you will ever need for any stock short block. There is absolutely no need to upgrade beyond our standard system unless you plan on performing internal engine mods and have aspirations of BIG horsepower.
Our systems include injectors, a custom Turbosmart blowoff valve and necessary fuel system upgrades!
We have our custom supercharger brackets, changeover kits, silicone couplers, mandrel bent ductwork, blowoff valves, custom belt tensioners, injectors, fuel pumps, methanol injection kits,etc. available separately.
Customer support is as important to the customer as the quality of our products. Tech and sales support is available from 8 AM - 9 PM Pacific time.
We urge you to look closely at all the supercharger systems available before deciding. Look at our intercooler design, bracket design, blowoff valve, sheet metal work, ductwork, etc. Download our instructions and see how everything goes together and the attention to detail that comes with our kit. The closer you look, the better our system looks!

We also have a separate performance division for supporting mods such as headers, clutches, custom camshafts, complete engine assemblies and more.
http://www.aacorvette.com/performance/

UPDATE DECEMBER 2009 !! 1000 Systems manufactured and sold!
In December of 2009 we shipped out our ONE THOUSANDTH Corvette supercharger system!
Through constant improvements and unsurpassed customer support, our sales have steadily increased. Thanks to our many happy retail customers and our growing list of authorized installation centers, we reached this milestone and look forward to passing the 2000 mark.

UPDATE JUNE 2013 !! 2000 systems manufactured and sold.
Our commitment to ever improving our product and our unbeatable customer service has allowed us to pass the 2000 mark!

UPDATE JANUARY 2016!! We've hit the 3000 mark. Over 3000 A&A Systems have been produced! With the major improvements we've made for 2016, 4000 can't be far off!


Please feel free to ask any questions you may have about our systems in particular, or forced induction in general


HIGH CAPACITY FUEL SYSTEM- SINGLE AND DUAL PUMP
Our high capacity fuel system is an A&A exclusive. Under normal driving conditions, only the factory pump fuels the engine. This means that the fuel isn't being heated by the large external pump.
Only under boost does the big pump kick in, almost tripling the available fuel output.
The stock fuel rail is utilized and the factory covers fit right on.
We've recently developed a dual pump setup that incorporates two separate pumps in one housng. This will supply fuel for ultra high horsepower builds.
A nice stainless steel bracket mounts our adjustable regulator to the brake booster.
All lines and fittings come pre assembled for easy installation.
No cutting of any factory lines is necessary. Our braided lines snap right on to the factory lines and fuel rail.
A hotwire kit runs power straight from the alternator to the pump. Our dual pump setup includes dual wire harnesses and dual relays that can be set at different boost activation levels.
The relay is triggered by a boost activated switch.
SIGNIFICANT UPGRADES INCLUDED FOR 2016!



NEW AIR BRIDGE DESIGN[/B]
We have a brand new air bridge (affectionately called the "Dongle") for C5 and C6. The new part is 17% larger by volume and over 35% larger at the critical point where it passes over the radiator. I accomplished this by increasing the outlet (blower end) from 4” to 4 ½”, lowering and widening the floor and continuing the roof further back towards the supercharger inlet.
The floor now has the same angle as the top of the radiator and fits both stock, DeWitt’s and A&A high capacity aluminum radiators. Yes. I said A&A Radiators. We’ve contracted with Griffin to make proprietary radiators for us that are a significant improvement over what we have been using. More on that later.
The air bridge comes with silicone couplers in sizes to fit all the head units we offer as well as most Procharger head units.
The absolute best part of this new piece is its ease of installation. I know this has been a sticky point for a long time. Well that is over. This part almost falls into place. Check out this video and you’ll see. Note that the video was shot with a DeWitt’s radiator and it still drops right in. No more swearing at the #%&(^%%& Dongle!!


Attachment 47939610


NEW RADIATORS
Now back to the radiators. Our new ones will be a full 3” thick as compared to 2 ½” on the DeWitt’s.
We’ve dropped the actual core down about 1 full inch in relation to the tanks. Now the fan covers the complete core rather than hanging over the edge as before. There is much more available airflow at the bottom of the radiator as opposed to the top so it makes sense to move the core down to take advantage of it. The A/C condenser mounts are also moved down slightly to gain additional clearance where the aluminum MAF tube crosses over in the center.

NEW BLOWOFF VALVE OPTIONS
We’ve added a new blowoff valve (BOV) to the lineup. Besides the 38MM valve we use in our standard kits and the 52 MM Big Bubba used in high horsepower applications, we now have the Turbosmart Race Port 50 MM valve. This is an open port design and very compact. These will be a NO COST OPTION for any kit. The Big Bubba is still the king in both sound and size. The Big Bubba is truly obnoxious, particularly when fitted with a trumpet rather than a filter.

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i5...l.jpg~original


NEW STANDARD HEAD UNIT
Head units. There is a lot of controversy about head units. We use the Si Trim as the standard unit in our systems. The Si is truly the best choice for stock motor applications. Period. It is more efficient in the 600 RWHP range than the larger units.
While I don’t necessarily agree, I’m tired of hearing that other kits include the bigger head unit so theirs must be better. So we are going to offer the Ti Trim head units as a NO COST OPTION. So that argument in now out the window.
We’ll still suggest that the guy who is just going to bolt on the kit and not try to push the limits of their stock engines go with the Si.
Here is another note about head units. ALL self-contained head units including the Paxton 1500SL, Paxton Novi 2200SL, and the V3 Vortechs used by us, come with standard input and impeller bearings. If you plan on pushing it and overspinning it, even by a little, you absolutely should opt for the oil fed Si (V1 version with straight cut gears only) V1 Ti, V2 Ti or V7 Ysi head units.
We stock all of our head units in both black and polished finished. And I do mean STOCK. We keep a very close eye on sales and inventory. We try our best to keep all sizes and finishes (except V1 Si) on the shelf.

YSi BILLET IMPELLER UNITS
We just received part numbers for the new YSi with billet impeller in black and polished. Once we get a handle on how many of these we should keep in stock there will not be any more waiting to have a standard YSi converted to the billet impeller. (that's what we have been doing) Keep in mind that the Billet impeller is only for those that are willing to spin the head unit with an overdrive balancer and a blower pulley under 3”. It really is a max effort race blower designed for high RPM power.

NEW RADIATOR SUPPORT BRACKETS
On C5 we now have a very nice pair of brackets for locating and stabilizing the top of the radiator.

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i5...b.jpg~original


NEW RADIATOR ENCLOSURE PANELS FOR C6
On C6 we redesigned the side panels that enclose the radiator cavity to allow for better airflow around the sides of the intercooler and into the radiator. We are the only company to use any sort of enclosure panels and we have improved them even more. These side panels also seal up that area and stop air coming through the grill from escaping. The better you can seal this area the more air that can be forced through the radiator itself.

I've been obsessing over this project for a couple of months now. I wanted to build a solid billet tensioner with all the best features I could pack into it. I think I have achieved that in this new tensioner/ bracket design.
First of all it is EXTREMELY STRONG. It features German made precision bearings riding on a Chromoly shaft to make sure there is NO DEFLECTION! Most, if not all, tensioners have aluminum rubbing on aluminum with "maybe" a plastic sleeve to separate them.
This design has a shaft that the bearings ride on made from precision machined .625" Chromoly steel.
The two main halves of the tensioner are machined from 4 1/2" blocks of 6061 aluminum.
It features a LOCK MECHANISM so that you can easily move the tensioner to the open position and lock it in place. This allows you to remove your ratchet or wrench from the car and slip the belt in from the top unhindered without trying to hold the tensioner open with your other hand. Believe me, this a HUGE improvement over other designs.
.
IT IS "CLOCKABLE TO ALLOW CLEARANCE FOR STOCK AND OVERSIZE BALANCERS AND TO CHANGE SPRING PRELOAD. You can easily set the clearance between the tensioner pulley and the balancer. This way there is no danger of the tensioner pulley hitting the balancer in case you snap a belt. I hear complaints that other designs allow the pulley to hit the balancer and cause substantial damage when this happens.
Different springs will be available and can be changed easily. Obviously a YSi with a 2.85 pulley, 8 rib and secondary drive making 900 RWHP will require more spring pressure than an Si or Ti Trim with a 3.8 6 rib pulley making 600 RWHP. We will offer different spring rates for this reason.

ALL THE NEW BRACKET/ TENSIONERS WILL BE SET UP FOR 8 RIB DRIVE If using a 6 rib pulley we simply insert a .280" spacer behind the pulley to line everything up. Nothing in the bracket- tensioner setup will need to be changed to go to 8 rib.
This new bracket and tensioner design is standard in all kits. The billet tensioner has nearly TRIPLE THE SPRING RATE AND DOUBLE THE TRAVEL of our previous tensioner.
Because the distance from the fulcrum to the centerline of the pulley is so long (triple the measurement of our old tensioner) the pulley follows a NEAR LINEAR TRAJECTORY rather than a short arc where the geometry between the belt and pulley changes considerably.

What included in the A&A Supercharger kit and how is it different?

I get asked this quite frequently, so I figured I would make a post about what comes in the A&A kit and what are some differences from others. :D


Ah, yes the centrifugal supercharger. We choose Vortech. Polished finish is standard.

The V-2 Si-Trim is now the standard in A&A Corvette supercharging systems. This new supercharger is equipped with enhanced high-performance compressor stages, allowing for greater airflow, boost pressure and power gain potential. These new compressors are a product of Vortech's latest research and development process. The Si-Trim is capable of operating at a peak efficiency of 78% - an impressive 6% improvement over the S-Trim's already class-leading performance. Not only does a more efficient supercharger produce a cooler air charge, it also allows for reduced engine load which results in greater net horsepower and torque gains.

While the V-2 Si-Trim is standard (and has shown itself to be 700RWHP and 9 sec 1/4 mile worthy), you can upgrade to a V-2 T-Trim, V-3 Si-Trim, V-3 T-Trim, V-7 JT-Trim, or V-7 YSi-Trim Supercharger!

• Our intercooler design has evolved, through constant testing, into the most efficient intercooler system available for the C6 Corvette.
• Our intercoolers rely on superior “air management” of the charge air as well as the external cooling airflow. Both are equally important and are often overlooked by the competition. With the limited space available in a Corvette, positioning of the intercooler is critical.
• A large intercooler that is hidden behind the frame is not as efficient as a smaller intercooler that is exposed to full frontal airflow. Our intercooler is as large as any available but it’s placement is the key to superior charge cooling. The entire core is exposed to the cooling air stream.
• The top of the intercooler core is positioned right at the bottom of the frame. It is mounted forward so as not to allow air to flow over the top of the intercooler.
• We have side panels and a larger bottom panel that seals up against the front fascia.
• This gives us a “Ram Air” effect through our intercooler. No other manufacturer has spent as much time and resources on air flow management as A&A.
• Looking through the grill opening on an A&A system will reveal the difference between our system and all others. Nothing but the core area of the intercooler is exposed to the incoming rush of cold air. The intercooler face in encompassed by our sheet metal enclosure and both tanks are completely hidden from view.
• The area next to the intercooler is also closed in with aluminum panels assuring that any air that is fed around the sides of the intercooler is redirected back into the radiator. Again, this is something no other manufacturer has incorporated into their systems.
• Other designs allow the upper portion of the intercooler core to be shrouded by the frame and allow air to travel over and around the intercooler. When looking through the grill opening on other systems, you see the lower tank and only a portion of the core. This is horribly inefficient!

• Belt wrap is the key to eliminating belt slip and our proprietary bracket system offers more belt wrap than any other system on the market.
• Our bracket is CNC machined from 5/8” high quality 6061 aluminum plate and fly cut on both sides to assure absolute consistency in thickness. This is imperative for proper belt alignment.
• Our brackets are constantly quality checked by assembling on our “mock up” engine and checking alignment with a laser aligner.

• Blow-off Valves improve supercharger operations by opening to relieve unwanted pressure during deceleration. This reduces heat build-up and eliminates compressor surge
• Flows 320 CFM @ 8 PSIG
• This aluminum piece is standard in our systems, not the cheap plastic valve
• We also include a filter to quiet down the valve

Depending on the year of your car, the kit comes with a high-flow LPE intank fuel pump or a Boost-A-Pump. (You can also order substitute a BAP for the pump in the early C5 models.)


Forced inducted cars need colder plugs. The kit will come with a set of one heat range colder (TR-6) spark plugs.


Crank pinning kit that includes a new factory GM crank bolt.


All visible connections are made with High Quality Stainless T-Bolt clamps. While the traditional worm gear clamps get the job done, the T-bolt clamps have a cleaner looking appearance.


The little things, let's take our idler pulley that goes on the automatic tensioner as an example. We have a spacer machined for us to fit in the pulley. Pretty sweet setup. We have seen other kits that use just a washer in this situation. Tightening the Bolt only bends the washer! :ack:




(walking up to the podium) I would now like to answer any questions that you may have.

:cheers:

Hi ANdy

04' Z06 Stock with cat back

A couple of questions. What are the differnces between the different trim packages? Which has the loudest belt whine?

Do you know of any installers, tuners in Massachusetts that you would recommend?

Pete

I was wondering if anything has to be done to the vortech head unit to make it work with the A&A bracket?

reason being i am looking at a s-trim unit on e*** to piece together a kit, i know it has to be CCW rotation.

I have a brand new S-trim vortech unit off of Andy's kit with an A&A 3.6" pulley for sale if you are interested. It will definately work with Andy's brackets because it came in his kit. PM me if you like.

Charlie

The different "trims" flow more cfm... The Si, then the T, then the JT and then the YSi. There really isn't any belt whine, it's the gears inside the supercharger. The V-2 and V-3 have the "quiter" gears. The V-1 had the loud gears. Vortech is slowly phasing out the V-1 stuff...

It will work fine, unless it's an old V-7 YSi unit. If it's a CCW unit, all you will have to do is clock the volute correctly and place the oil feed and oil drain fittings in the correct places.


:cheers:

Do you know if the V2 units can be converted over to self contained oiling?

Well... the gearcase and gearcase cover are different. I guess they could use your impeller, volute and gears... I'll call over to the big V and ask.

Thanks...I know the gear has a oil slinger on it but the rest should maybe be close to change it over without too much trouble or cost...Well I take that back it will probably cost a fortune!

Steve
I got the Polished down tube. I need to drill a hole for the IAT Sensor, do you know what size I need to drill it to.

Thanks
Benny

5/8" I believe.

:cheers:

Thanks for the quick response, and thanks for getting that item to me.

Benny

Steve it was good talking to you, I'll be getting with you on that fuel system :thumbs:

Just got mine back from the Vette Doctors today...Andy's system made 574RWHP/510RWTQ through an automatic:yesnod: (along with other mods listed in the signature section on my profile page).

Thanks for the reply Steve, i just looked and it still has the 3 raised bolt holes on them, do i need to hack those off?

can you post up a pic of the back?

sure thing!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...s/DSCF0001.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...s/DSCF0002.jpg

That'll work with our new brackets... no problem. You will have to move the oil feed and drain and reclock the blower slightly.

hmm, i have an AA bracket already... maybe i should post a pic of that as well.

Btw, i need to get a few more parts from you guys, but one thing i need i don't see on the website is the oil return dipstick tube. I want to go that route instead of drilling the pan.
Is that part available still or discontinued?

we don't do the dipstick return thing anymore... not the best way. Drill the pan! Don't be scuuured. :D