Hi, new to the forum, not to the tuner world. Is the procharger the boost of choice for the C6? What are the other oprions out there for S/C's whipple? What is one looking at to get the unit and installation?
TIA
MAtt

 

Procharger, Vortech, and Paxton are centrifugal superchargers: basically a big fan that blows are toward the engine. Centrifugal SCs have an exponential boost curve: they produce a lot of boost at high RPM but little at low RPM. The reason: they become more efficient as they build a boost downstream of them to push against. So if it produces X lbs boost at 2500 RPM it produces something close to 3x to 4x at 5000 RPM: and since the engine only breathes naturally 2x air at double the RPM, this means the boost goes way way up as RPM builds.

By Contrast, Eaton (Magnusen), Whipple, and Lysholm (screw type, or modified Roots type) and Weiand (reall roots type) are positive displacement blowers. The work by grabbing some air, placing it in a chamber where it can't escape (between impellers or between impellers and the SC case) and shoving it toward the engine. So, they pretty much pump air proportional to RPM this means they give you really good boost down low, but for efficiency reason they are a bit less efficient up top.

Thus, if you want max power, pick a Procharger or another centrifugal. if you want low end torque and a sense of power in day to day driving, pick a postiive displacement.

That said, the best SC out there for the vette, in my opinion, is the Magnusen kit with the Eaton M-112. This builds low end torque and has a wonderful howl at full throttle. I do not know of a whipple kit for the vette but here may be one. I had a Magnusen on my stock (405 Hp from the factory) 02 ZO6 for two years and it was great. I have Prcharger on the 427 I have in it now because there is no Magnusen, Eaton, or Whipple big enough to feed that engine: only a Procharger ( and a bigger size than standard, too).
One downside with the Magnusen is that you have to get a new hood with a power luge - costs about $1200 and then $500 for painting.

There is not much to choose between the various centrifugla units,. procharger, vortech and paxton, each comes in kits to fit pretty easily, each company makes various sizes: for a stock LS1 or LS@ in a vette the Procahrger P1 is plenty big. The Procharger is self oiling, which i why I picked that for my current vette. The vortech you have to run an oil line from the engine to the SC.

Attached are pictures of the Magnusen unit on the stock 405 HP LS6 (it made equilvalnet of about 535 HP) and the Procharger on my vette's C5R 427. I would reocmmend either Magnusen or Procharger, but I think for street driving you will be happier with the Magnusen (eaton) kit.

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so with the Magnu, you would say it is better for road events and all around drivability. Is the Magnu a compete kit (off the shelf) deal or something I would piece together? Great write up Lee
Thanks
MAtt

 

You can buy the complete kit from any number of companies. I got mine from Lingenfelter (Ed Potter) and I highly respect that company but I think ARK Performance sells the kits too.

Be sure to get an intercooled kit as it gives better performance.

The kit I had was one of the first six made, and not intercooled, but iotherwise like the current model. It comes with just about everything you need except the new power-bulge hood (most places you buy the kit will sell you the hood, too. I don't remember if it comes with new gaskets for the intake manifold (I think so) but you might need to buy a few things like that. Important thing is that its all there including new fuel injectors if needed, and it fits. Depending on where you buy the kit, they either send you a "programmer" to download a new program into you engine computer, or you remove your engine computer (remove the passenger side wheel and its in an access panel behind it) and UPS it to them and they return it reporgammed overnight.

Here is a picture of the entire Magnusen kit I bought in May of '02 for my vette, taken a few minutes after i unpacked it. The big plastic bag contains the supercharger already mounted correctly on the new manifold (with the intercooled model, the intercooler is already mounted between the SC and the manifold, too). All you have to do is remove the old intake manifold and drop the new one on. (This is straightforward but takes two pretty strong, steady people to hold it and slide it back and down pretty carefully while a third watches from real low in front to guide the rubber gaskets down into the cutouts on the head (if it doesn't make sense now it will when you get the stock manifold off.

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Very nice. Lee, who is best known in the La/Orange county area for installs and tuning on these. I'm not sure that I would do it my self. I'll do the suspention/exhaust etc. but the SC makes me a little nervous.
MAtt

 

I suggest you call Lingenfelter and talk to Ed Potter (I hope he is still there, haven't talkiing with him in 6 months). They may know a good shop. hard to believe there isn't one in so CA.

 

Well, I just happened to see this post and will let you see what the Magnuson Super Charger did on my C5 2001. It went to MTI in Houston and they had it for about 5 weeks. The Magnusson had the intercooler and we also added the following , Kooks Headers and xpipes, Lanati cam, Spec 3 racing clutch and slave cylinder, racing snycros and a beefed up output shaft, Valve train kit with heavy springs and I had the Borla 3inch SS exhaust system on it. It is a 6 speed (Ls1). The real wheel dyno was 521 h.p. with 496 lb. of torque. As Lee has said it HOWLS,.....will literally sound like jet at high RPM. It will and can get away from you. I am very , very happy with the system and it is very streetable. Man ,,,,,Lee has the experience and the cars.....so listen to what he suggest. I did and value his opinion as I am not really engine based with some knowledge but not major mechanic on motors. Oh yes you can see the bubble hood on the pics. I also put the yellow top on it last week and am putting the new Yellow and black corvette leather seats in it today(they came in) to match the yellow and black steering wheel.

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Pic 2

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Oh yes , I forgot ...put in the 160 degree thermostat and had it matched to the computer as well as a Blackwing eletro air fliter ,airflow system , and a hypertech kit.

 

That's going to be a gorgous car when you get the seats in be sure to post pictures.