I am doing some shopping around on the net and through mail order for superchargers and noticed that companies such as Vortech and ATI claim that their systems work without problem on stock LT1 engines. Vortech claims that their 6 psi system (without aftercooler) works with the stock engine and injectors, while ATI claims their 8 psi (with aftercooler) works with it as well.

Before spending several thousand dollars, I have done some research on this forum and noticed several members cautioning against supercharging a stock engine because it would blow it to hell. Some members suggest 6 psi max while others suggest up to 8 psi with aftercooler.

Now for my question. Has anyone with a stock engine installed a supercharger from a company such as Vortech or ATI only to fry the engine within a short time (i.e. 10-20,000 miles or a year or two)? If so, has anyone went after the companies either through complaints or lawsuits? It isn't much different than a company that sells miracle weight loss pills such as Ephedrine claiming that it will make anyone lose weight and guarantee it. We of course learned that behind the guarantee, people were dying from the stuff which led to its ban....much the same way a supercharger that is supposed to be completely safe on a stock engine kills it.

 

Much like nitrous, they are only as safe as your tune. Be realistic...You wanna push 8 psi with intercooler through a STOCK motor they have no WAY of knowing if it's been properly maintained, or beat on with no oil changes or who knows?
Maybe if you brought it to them, they installed it AND tuned it, they MIGHT give you a 30 day gaurantee....
Be reasonable...That's why when you put headers on your computer controlled, late model car they won't warranty that either.....
....and don't get me started on people buying a pill to lose WEIGHT! I got a diet plan for you....EAT LESS, and EXORCISE...Everybody wants the easy, no work way....

 

You've got my vote for the eat less and exercise concept. Seems like there is some miracle pill or secret plan for everything. Turns out to be a vitamin pill. Anyhow, the reason I started this thread is because of similar claims. For example, I have sent emails to the sales departments of superchargers4less, superchargersonline, summit, and jegs and they say "oh yeah it will work just fine with your stock engine and have no problems." A stock engine in itself is reasonably taken care of because nothing has really been done to it such as head porting, cam changes, injector size changes, etc. I have to be reasonable in knowing that all they really care about is the sale and if their product they sell frys the engine, then oh well you did a modification against the manufacturers recommendations so sorry. Thats the paradox. I personally know of the risks in anything I do with my car because of reading posts from knowledgeable people such as yourself but there are the occasional posters that want the power, don't know exactly how to go about it, follow what the performance manufacturer or reseller claims, and in the end are flat broke.

 

Run 6 psi intercooled, have it dyno tuned by someone who knows what they are doing...and that might be considered "safe".
I'm not really the guy to talk to about this, i'm having my own procharger problems right now...and can't seem to sort them out.
If i had it over again at this point, i would have built a NA 383 with a little juice.....I have YET to have this setup run right in almost 3000 miles......and i'm REALLY getting tired of it....
everytime i look at that car....the FIRST thing i think is, PUSH IT OUT IN THE STREET and BURN IT!

 

Oh I know what you mean. I get that way about every winter when my Camaro gets stuck from a snow flake under the tire. I wouldn't mind trading the car in for a Dodge Ram SRT-10. Fast right off the production line, and its a pickup. Can actually do some towing and bad weather driving not to mention more space than the birth control F-body.

 

You think your f body gets stuck easy. Try driving in snow on 20" tires with 500 hp/500 tq through a 6 speed with all the weight on the nose of the truck. Those trucks don't hook up very well on dry pavement. My friend's Lightning is the same way.

 

this thread has lost track of the original question.....

I have had my procharger on since Jan 01 and have had every problem known to man with the car, only two problems with the procharger.

My blower unit had a seal leak, it was still under its warrenty and ATI fixed it up and got it back pretty quick. No complaints with the experiance. The other problem was with the tensioner pulley. The bearings went out. Got a new one for $80 from concept engineering and that was it.

Every other problem I have had didn't have much to do with the blower other than it could probably use good tuning and get rid of the hypercrap. Now I have a blown gasket (either intake or head) not sure which, It's from overheating though. I had a coolant leak, fixed it but didn't get all the air out of the system before trying out my new headers and she got pretty warm.

So I have a few years and 35,000 miles on the car since the blower. Although I would have to admit, if I had the money to do it again, I would have built the motor and replaced the rear end first. The blower would still be part of it, just further down the road.