ex-ford guy

I'm about to pick up a good deal on a low mileage 1st gen procharger kit for a c5. The problem is I want to keep running my stock dual fans instead of running the single fan and running the intake behind the radiator. Can someone steer me in the right direction what is needed to lower the radiator and run the intake in front of the radiator like the 2nd gen kit?

sweet99ss

iTrader: (41)

I would look into the new kit honestly. The first gen kits had a lot of problems. You will be fighting belt slip and other things

ex-ford guy

Even if the kit is only 2500, and upgraded the bracket?

sbcgenII

iTrader: (1)

You can lower the radiator cradle with spacers and you can also use the dewits cutdown radiator.

ex-ford guy

Any suggestion for intake?

Steve01SS

iTrader: (43)

I had one of these back in the day. Lowered the radiator by cutting the lower support and moving it forward. This is the way A&A used to lower the rad in their older kits. Ran 3.5" tubing over the rad. It worked, but the ATI bracket sucked. I wouldn't do it again that way though.

The cut-down Dewitts rad would probably work and allow you to run some piping. You may still have to lower it a little bit with spacers the way A&A does now in their kits. The Dewitts is like $600 though.

Look into one of A&A corvette's plastic blower intake tubes (dongle) with filter. It's what they use in their kits. Use their spacers to lower the radiator cradle. However I don't know if the blower position is the same with the ATI bracket vs the A&A bracket though. If you changed to an A&A bracket, it should fit together.

Also, the older included ATI butterfly style bypass valve is garbage. They are notorious for leaking. It can be replaced with something else pretty easily.

If you want a bolt on and go, i would pass. If you can do some fabrication and got it for next to nothing, you can make it all work. You would probably be better off in the long run getting a different kit because of the price of the kit + bracket upgrades and etc. You can find deals on used A&A or ECS kits.

ex-ford guy

Thanks, great info. I know I would probably be better off int the long run to get a better kit but I'm on a limited budget and I getting this kit at for a great deal (I believe). The kit only has 10,000 miles on it for 2500. I plan in the future upgrade the bracket. I believe this kit will satisfy my goals of 480-500whp street car.

LTstewy8

iTrader: (4)

I bought a used 1st gen procharger kit with an upgraded A&A bracket. I ended up ditching everything but the bracket/head unit because the quality was so poor. I ended up spending as much as if I had just gone with a new kit in the first place, although my custom setup is much nicer than any kit. My advice would be to use the kit as you buy it- crappy fan shroud and intake included- or find a good kit you won't have to throw more money at to make work the way you want it. For your easy to meet goals you may be just fine sticking with the procharger kit the way you get it.

Steve01SS

iTrader: (43)

You should be able to meet your HP goals with that kit as-is and then upgrade when you find the need.

I like Gates HD (green) Belts. They help with belt slip issues and are cheaply found online from places like amazon. They do not stretch as easily as a standard belt. Same p/n as a regular Gates, but with HD added at the end.

If you do end up running the single fan that they supply, try and do as much as possible to help cooling. Lower temp thermostat, lower fan control temps in the PCM..etc.. Make sure to pin the crankshaft pulley when you do install the kit, and some bigger than stock injectors since you would be buying the kit used and not sure if it came with those parts.

ex-ford guy

Thanks for the tip on the belt. I have decided to just run the kit as is and see how I like it first. The guy I'm buying and I agreed to swap my stock injectors for his 38# on and he is giving me a boost gauge, fuel pressure gauge, dual gauge piller, and two bottle of oil. So I should have every thing I need except or 160 degree, thermostat, crankshaft pinning kit, belt, and a tune and I should be good to go?

Steve01SS

iTrader: (43)

Sounds like he is giving you a bunch of stuff with it. You probably will need to do something about the fuel pump if all is stock. Like a KB Boost a pump if you don't do a pump with harness.

2003's had 2 different style pumps, depending if it was an early or late build. Early style is easy to change, later ones go in the top like the C6 and the tank has to be dropped I believe. Many people with later cars just do the Racetronix harness and the KB boost a pump. Adding a racetronix harness is a good thing regardless, it upgrades the power wire to the stock pump to help with voltage drop.

Fuel systems are a big debate as everyone has opinions. My buddy was pissed because he went to dyno his car twice and the fuel pressure kept dropping. He was leaning out since he didn't have enough pump. It was more boost though.

Do some searching on the forums. There is some good corvette specific info to be found over on corvetteforum.com in the forced induction section if you do some digging. The fuel system on the corvette is different than the f-body.

http://www.racetronix.biz has pumps/harnesses and etc.. They are a vendor on this forum.

ex-ford guy

Thanks for all the great info!! This is my first boosted V8, I've messed around with 2 bolt on ls1 c5's, 2 4v fords, 3v ford, and I still have a srt4 caliber with stock turbo + bolt ons. I'm excited to get this project started up!