| Question: |
Why would I want to supercharge my vehicle? |
| Answer: |
Supercharging increases air density and significantly increases power on an otherwise stock engine. In short, supercharging makes a V-6 perform like a V-8 and makes a small block V-8 perform like a big block V-8. OEM manufacturers like Ford, GM, Mazda, Mercedes, and Jaguar offer factory installed superchargers on several models due to the tremendous benefits. Our supercharger systems offer more torque and horsepower per dollar than any other single engine modification. Most other modifications available require specific matched parts, in-depth tuning, are not smog legal, and won't produce the performance gains you'll receive from just the simple addition of a supercharger system. |
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| Question: |
What exactly does a supercharger do? |
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A supercharger forces additional air and fuel into the engine. This occurs when the engine is under full throttle or under load, not at normal cruise or most normal driving. A large displacement engine makes more power than a small displacement engine because it can convert larger amounts of fuel and air into energy. A supercharger allows a smaller engine to do the same thing but only when extra power is actually needed. |
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| Question: |
How much power could I expect to gain with a supercharger? |
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Roughly, you can expect to gain about the same power difference percentage as you gain induction pressure percentage. The equation is HPafter = ((14.7 + boost)/14.7)*HPbefore. For instance, if you have a 200HP engine and you add 7.5psi boost, you can expect to have about 300HP. This is an estimate, not an exact calculation so take it for what it is worth. In reality, it will likely be just a bit less than that due to inefficiencies and air density losses due to heating. If you are intercooled, you will get closer to this estimated power. |
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| Question: |
Will a supercharger affect my engine life? |
| Answer: |
Engine longevity is a function of your personal driving habits and how well your vehicle is tuned. If a vehicle is tuned properly and not abused, engine life should remain unaffected for the most part, although in general, any power adding modification will increase engine wear. Even a stock vehicle will show signs of premature aging if used under rigorous conditions such as racing and/or towing. Likewise, premature engine failure is a possibility with any vehicle that is not properly tuned and a supercharged vehicle is no exception. As explained, a supercharger is an air movement device that forces increased air into an engine. While under boost, the additional air requires additional fuel to enrich the air to fuel ratio entering the engine. In many cases, the timing must be taken out of the engine under boost conditions. Detonation (a pinging noise from the engine) is a sign that your vehicle is not running properly and can indicate a variety of problems including a lean condition, a timing curve that is too aggressive, or low octane fuel. Demanding performance from a detonating engine will likely result in reduced engine life with or without a supercharger. We recommend that the installer of any supercharger be qualified to identify detonation and have the ability to identify and correct the cause of it. |
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| Question: |
Will a supercharger affect my fuel economy? |
| Answer: |
Fuel economy depends entirely on your driving habits and in some cases you may experience an increase in gas mileage. Under normal freeway driving, for example, the supercharger is not under boost but is increasing the efficiency of the engine by forcing air through restrictions like the air filter. But let's face it, you are not interested in a supercharger to enjoy "normal driving conditions." When you are demanding additional performance from your vehicle it will require additional fuel. If you are a "lead foot" your fuel economy will decline because your car is working harder. If you are simply using the supercharger for occasional acceleration and passing performance, then your fuel economy should remain about the same. Remember that the only way to make more horsepower is to burn more fuel per unit of time, and that's exactly what a supercharger is designed to do. |
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| Question: |
What is detonation, or pinging? |
| Answer: |
Detonation (or pinging or engine knock) occurs simply when fuel pre-ignites before the piston reaches top dead center. This means that a powerful explosion is trying to expand a cylinder chamber that is shrinking in size, attempting to reverse the direction of the piston and the engine. |
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| Question: |
What kind of oil is required for the Whipple or Kenne Bell Supercharger? |
| Answer: |
The Whipple and the Kenne Bell supercharger requires any 5w/50 grade synthetic motor oil. |
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| Question: |
Can I purchase a supercharger pulley upgrade for my Eaton supercharger? |
| Answer: |
The only way to get a supercharger pulley upgrade for an Eaton head unit is via Eaton or Magnuson Products directly. Third-party distributors/resellers are not authorized to carry Eaton pulleys. |
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| Question: |
Can I vent my bypass to the atmosphere or do I have to recirculate the air? |
| Answer: |
Cars with mass air flow(maf) meters must recirculate the air. Any air taken into the system is metered and measured. This measured air must be used or the car will not run properly. Cars with map sensors or carburetors can sump the air to the atmosphere. Map sensors do not measure the air until after it enters the engine. The maf systems measure it before the blower just after the filter. |
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| Question: |
Why do we need to change spark plugs? |
| Answer: |
If your goal is to maintain an efficient engine and maintain your engine's fuel economy, you should change your spark plugs at regular intervals. As spark plug electrodes wear, the voltage required to jump the gap increases. Under hard acceleration, high speeds or heavy loads, misfires can occur and that will waste fuel. Also, aside from inhibiting the performance of a supercharged application, a rich fuel mixture or poor oil control can foul or coat the ceramic insulator on the spark plug tip. This will eventually cause the spark plug to stop working. |
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| Question: |
I have a Whipple Supercharger Kit on my 1996-2001 GM 5.0L Truck. Will it mount to a 1996-2001 GM 5.7L engine also? |
| Answer: |
This supercharger kit will mount directly to either the 5.0L or the 5.7L GM engine. The only difference is the size of the supercharger pulley that is used. The GM 5.7L engine uses a slightly smaller supercharger pulley. Extra pulleys are available through our website. |
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| Question: |
How often should I service the Whipple and Kenne Bell Supercharger? |
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You should check the oil in the Whipple or Kenne Bell compressor every 3,000-4,000 miles, and you should change the oil every 12,000-15,000 miles. |
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| Question: |
How do I change my boost on a supercharger? |
| Answer: |
Changing the boost on a supercharger can be achieved by switching out the pulley. The smaller the pulley the quicker it will turn the compressor, which will lead to a higher boost level. Now if go from a smaller pulley to a larger pulley it will make the compressor turn slower, which will lead to lower boost levels. Always remember that when increasing the airflow you may need to increase the fuel. Depending on the boost level you are trying to achieve, you may need to upgrade your fuel system to accommodate for the additional boost. |
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| Question: |
How does the Paxton and Vortech chip voucher work? |
| Answer: |
Once you receive the supercharger kit, you will need to contact Paxton or Vortech so they can send out a RA number so you can ship your vehicle's computer to them. Upon receipt of your computer, the manufacturer will program their aftermarket chip to the proper settings. After the programming is completed, they will then send your computer and the new chip back to you. The total turnaround time for this procedure is 3-4 business days. |
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| Question: |
What is the difference between the V-1 and V-2 Vortech Head Units? |
| Answer: |
The main difference between the two systems is that the V-2 (version 2) SQ (super-quiet) has helical cut internal gears that produce virtually no supercharger noise. Performance, size, price and other attributes are identical between the two head units.
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| Question: |
Does SuperchargersOnline ship supercharger kits outside of the United States? |
| Answer: |
Yes, we are able to ship superchargers for orders that are placed outside of the United States. We are working extremely hard to provide the best support for international customers and have developed an Export Division to enhance our customer support for "Outside the US" purchases. |
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| Question: |
Do you need to run a turbo timer with a supercharger? |
| Answer: |
You do not need a turbo timer with a supercharger. With a turbo, the turbine is run off of exhaust gasses, which tend to heat up the outer casing. The turbo timer will run the car after use so that you can lower the temperature of the turbo so you do not seize the turbo. Since the supercharger runs off of the belts, this does not produce as much heat as the turbo. So with this being the case, the supercharger does not need a turbo timer. |
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| Question: |
Why do some supercharger systems require the ECU Cache Code? |
| Answer: |
Some supercharger systems require the Cache Code so they can program the computer to communicate with the factory ECU for proper calibration of the supercharger system. Fuel, timing curves, line pressures, transmission shift points and other factors need to be programmed for optimized performance of the supercharger systems in order for it to work properly. |
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| Question: |
Where would I find the location for the Cache Code? |
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The Cache Code can be located in two spots. In some newer vehicles you can find the Cache Code located on the passenger side door jam. If you do not see the Cache Code on the door jam it will be located on the ECU. This ECU is usually located on the passenger side kick panel. Once you pull off the kick panel you will see the ECU. Look for three bold letters followed by one number. (Example: GHK3) |
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| Question: |
Is it possible to retro fit a supercharger kit from another vehicle to fit my vehicle? |
| Answer: |
Yes, it is very possible to retro fit a supercharger system from another vehicle to fit onto your vehicle. Retro fitting a supercharger kit is not a simple task. In some cases fabrication of parts will be required since bolt patterns on the engine may differ. Custom making mounting brackets, hoses, and piping is very common in retro fitting kits. You may also need to upgrade the fuel system with larger injectors, FMU, and/or Fuel pump. Having the proper fuel supplement is one of the most important steps with these projects. Additionally, you may need a custom chip or a boost retard box depending on the amount of boost you are looking to run. |
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| Question: |
Do you need to break in a supercharger? |
| Answer: |
You do not need to break in a supercharger. When you break in parts, it’s mainly because the parts need to seat into their existing place. With a supercharger, there are no internal parts that need to be seated, so no break in time is required. |
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| Question: |
There is no supercharger system available for my vehicle - can I design a custom application using supercharger head unit? |
| Answer: |
Most head units (supercharger compressors) are universal and can be mounted to any vehicle (space permitting). To design a custom application requires a bracket to mount the supercharger to the engine, custom air tubes to bring air to the supercharger and a custom discharge tube to route the air from the supercharger to the engine. Significant consideration needs to be given to pulley location, size and alignment. Once the supercharger is installed there are several tuning factors including proper timing and fuel delivery. Several smaller supercharger specialists use Paxton Superchargers for niche market applications. A custom application is certainly not impossible but definitely presents a challenge. A custom supercharger application should only be performed by individuals with fabrication and tuning capabilities. |
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| Question: |
What is boost? |
| Answer: |
Boost is the amount of pressure (in pounds per square inch) that the supercharger provides. The air that goes into an unblown (unsupercharged) engine is drawn in by the vacuum created when the piston goes down in the cylinder bore. This air goes into the unsupercharged engine at atmospheric pressure, which at sea level is 14.7 psi (pounds per square inch). On a blown engine the boost is the amount of additional pressure the inlet charge has over atmospheric that goes into the engine. So if your blower makes ten pounds of boost that means your inlet charge is atmospheric pressure (14.7 psi) plus the 10 psi of boost for a total of 24.7 psi. |
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| Question: |
What is a Cog Belt? |
| Answer: |
A cog belt is a type of belt that has teeth in it to prevent the belt from slipping. The horizontal teeth will provide maximum traction, which will eliminate belt slippage which may be a cause of inaccurate boost levels. |
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| Question: |
Are superchargers noisy? |
| Answer: |
Some blowers can have a whine when the engine is running, particularly when they are in boost. This is usually due to the gears inside the blower-housing turning. Some superchargers, like the Powerdyne belt-drives, do not use gears and therefore are virtually quiet when in operation. Whipple also makes a very quiet supercharger. |
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| Question: |
What’s the performance difference of a screw-type supercharger and centrifugal superchargers? |
| Answer: |
The major difference between the positive displacement screw-type supercharger and today’s centrifugal superchargers is the rate of boost. The screw-type supercharger creates boost the instant the throttle is touched usually reaching full boost by 2000 to 2400 rpm. The centrifugal supercharger is a belt driven turbo that has a lag time while it "spools up." The centrifugal commonly does not come into boost until 2600 to 3000 rpm and they commonly do not reach full boost until max rpm. When the centrifugal superchargers do reach boost though, it tends to be greater than the screw-type. Whenever the screw-type has more boost, your engine has more power giving you far more net power, especially in the lower rpm ranges. This is why screw-type superchargers are more preferred for towing applications. |
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| Question: |
What kind of fuel is required with a supercharger system? |
| Answer: |
All of our supercharger systems require the use of premium fuel. Octane boosters are not required but may improve performance in severely hot climates or under circumstances where a heavy load is placed on the engine for an extended period of time such as racing or towing. In emergency situations, regular gas can be used with the addition of high quality octane boosters for short periods of time. |
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| Question: |
How much horsepower will a supercharger add to my engine? |
| Answer: |
Although some manufacturers claim a specific horsepower increase, superchargers actually add horsepower as a percentage gain (percentage of an atmosphere). Assuming an engine with a compression ratio of around 9:1 running pump gas, if a supercharger gives your engine 14.7 psi of boost, (which is atmospheric pressure) then the output of your engine will double, everything else being equal. After adjusting for thermal and mechanical energy transfer, if an efficient centrifugal supercharger is generating 7.5 psi (approx. 1/2 of atmosphere), you will see around a 35-40% gain in horsepower and torque at your non-supercharged maximum horsepower rpm. If detonation forces you to use an ignition/timing retard system, you will of course see less of a gain because backing off several degrees of timing will greatly reduce an engine's power output. At higher boost levels, the heat generated by compressing air will produce diminishing returns as the boost is increased, although the use of intercooling or racing fuel can avoid this scenario of diminishing returns. Assuming the use of intercooling to run higher boost levels while maintaining reliability, a 100% increase can generally be achieved at around 17 psi on an engine with 9:1 compression running pump gas. |
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| Question: |
What type of payments do you accept? |
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We at SuperchargersOnline are trying to make your shopping experience as pleasant as possible. In order to do this we offer a wide variety of payments. We accept cashier’s check, money order, personal check, wire transfer in US Funds and credit cards. Multiple credit cards are accepted as well. We currently cannot provide C.O.D. service. |
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| Question: |
I would like to use wire transfer as a form of payment, what information would I need? |
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Wire transfer is the most efficient form of payment. The first step would be to place the order. Under payment options in the ordering form you will need to select “Check/Cashier’s Check/Money Order.” Once the order is placed you will receive the item total. You will need to provide this total to your bank. The bank will then request for the wire transfer information in which you will need to provide this information to the bank.
Account Number: 0982849683
Washington Mutual
ABA Number: 322271627
Washington Mutual
26901 Sierra Hwy.
Santa Clarita, CA
91387 USA
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