I'm seriously considering a supercharger for my bone stock 95 Z/28. Its a California car (dual CATs), and smog laws are tough out here.

Are they strickly a bolt on I can do in the driveway over a weekend?

Thanks.

 

Don't.

I put an ATI supercharger on my car. Blew the ring lands, Rebuilt the engine ($$$$$$), and now it runs like crap, can't tune it properly, no one wants to work with it. Smog is a dream excursion through hell.

Save your money and put those illusions of 10 second quarter mile runs out of your head.

 

Long as the kit is smog legal for California you will be ok.

If you do it yourself you will more than likely need about a full week to get it done ... assuming no real screw ups, it's not as easy an install as they claim it to be. Most shops charge 14 hours or so to do a S/C install.

The stock tune should be more than good enough.

Hope this helps

LWM

 

I would listen to the guy who said dont do it.. There is nothing bolt-on about a SC. Its hell and back. Install is the easiest part about 6-10 hours. You will blow your pistons if you put it on Compression is to high, combined with weak piston is a major problem. Fuel system is another biggy. If I was you, i would get a nice streetable smog friendly cam and shoot it with a 150 shot. You will be as fast as a boosted car and a lot more reliable.


Dont get me wrong I love my blower and would never put gas on my car, but its hella lot of dollars, time, and effort to sc a lt1.


I dont know how the other guy can say a STOCK tune is fine thats total.. I suppose stock injectors and fuel pump are fine too. Dont listen to Vortech or ATI they will tell you anything so you buy a blower.

 

If you are good mechanically and want it go for it. Just plan on rebuilding sooner or later depending on the boost level. As far as passing smog with a blower it's actually easier as long as the blower has the CARB # on it. I've had one on a 355 and am now doing a 385 stroker and I'm confident I will still pass smog.

 

Supercharger install is not hard at all if you no your way around your car. I've done almost every blower out there. Most recent was ATI on my car. 8hrs is all it takes. Did a powerdyne in 7hrs. I'm a mechanic, but it still should'nt take you much longer. If you do a blower, try and get it tuned. The factory pistons are scrap. They will brake eventually. You might be one of the lucky ones. I had a powerdyne on a 110,000 mile z28 and never had a problem. Put the ATI on a 48000 mile firebird, and blew the ring lands off in 2 weeks. Still nothing like a blower though!

 

Internally stock motor. 2000 miles, ringland.

 

About $2500 - $4000 for a 383 bottom end depending on your application and skill level. Another $3000 - $3500 for the blower with intercooler. Vortech will be a bit more for the aftercooler.

 

My Vortech 6psi lt1 has 47k miles. I'm the third owner and was told the engine was stock yet the S/C was professionly installed and tuned.

my .02

 

wow. some of you are VERY negative.

Ultra_Dog, sounds like your car was never put together right. my car makes your car look "stock" and it runs fine. just was done right.


as far as blowing the motor.. if you don't get crazy with boost, and the car is tuned/setup properly.. it will probably last awhile. but be prepared for a rebuild, you never know.


you could tackle it easily in a weekend.

 

Thanks for all the feedback so far. I guess I need to do a little more research before making a decision. My LT1 has less than 49K mi and its strong. I'd hate to have to rebuild it sooner than I have to for a little more umph around town. Plus messing with a computer controlled motor really freaks me out. If it was my 67 RS I was talking about, it would be more of a no brainer. My kid has a Vortech on his Mustang and I'm begining to regret buying the damn car. (Money pit... but then it is a Ford.)

Thanks again.

 

Don't do it. I'm $4k into the project and I get 10* of knock retard (WITH OR WITHOUT THE BLOWER) and my tubing keeps coming apart. I started last August, blew thousands of dollars and the car probably only has 50 miles on it and I can count the number of times I saw 5+ psi.

Blowers are not for f-bodies.

 

How can you say that blowers are not for fbodies? If they are tuned properly you will not likely have any problems. The gains are awesome! Keep the boost at a safe level(6psi) and you will not have a problem. You take an fbody, put a cam and forged pistons and run it. You are looking at high 12's maybe. Now put a blower on that same car and look out. High 11's at least. Everyone has had a bad experience with something. That doesnt make it a bad choice for everyone.

 

Perhaps you are doing something wrong??

See my web page for a chronological sequence of events ... I've been running 9 - 11 psi of boost (depends on the temperature) for the last 2 years ... no problems so far ... you just need to keep an eye on the details and use some Xylene or Toluene in your fuel to keep the dreaded detonation at bay.

Hope this helps

LWM

 

This is off the wall... but what if you sprayed Toluene into the intake instead of alcohol injection or distilled water?