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Procharger Air Box - KABOOM! Again.

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Old Oct 1, 2009 | 12:35 PM
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Default Procharger Air Box - KABOOM! Again.

What are you guys doing that are running 13-15 psi? I know there are a couple of you. I have been through 3 failures. The first two were at 9# of boost. This is getting old. I know, I know I should look at a FMIC, but I really don't want to hack up the grill insert. Any thoughts?

I put the tube stansions in last time and it seemed to last until I turned the supercharger up to 14 psi. I used to be able and watch it breath with throttle snaps prior to doing this. Also, when it blew the first two times it was under decel. I have sinced removed the Procharger boost re-circ valve and added a Tail 50MM BOV in each charge pipe after each intercooler which seemed to solve that issue, but now it blew under WOT.

This time it blew right at the end of my 9.80 pass under WOT, scared the **** out of me. The concussion was BIG.

Have they redesigned these things? Would it be worth buying a New one?

They are pretty crappy with the ground down welds and light gauge aluminum plate.
Attached Thumbnails Procharger Air Box - KABOOM! Again.-2000-camaro-blown-up-plenum-001.jpg   Procharger Air Box - KABOOM! Again.-2000-camaro-blown-up-plenum-002.jpg   Procharger Air Box - KABOOM! Again.-2000-camaro-blown-up-plenum-003.jpg   Procharger Air Box - KABOOM! Again.-2000-camaro-blown-up-plenum-004.jpg  
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Old Oct 1, 2009 | 12:39 PM
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tell procharger to make it stronger. more gussets.

if you want. send me one of your old ones and i can make you a good solid one.
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Old Oct 1, 2009 | 12:39 PM
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I had a substantially ticker plate welded on the bottom of mine. I'll see if I can get pics up tonight for ya. No problems since and I've seen close to 19psi.
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Old Oct 1, 2009 | 12:40 PM
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Running FMIC without that plenum. Thats a sure way to eliminate that problem.

Other than that I cant say. Unless you wanna fab your own out of thicker material & make it with proper internal braces & welds.
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Old Oct 1, 2009 | 12:52 PM
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I remember seeing someone on here that had a y pipe made to replace the plenum.
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Old Oct 1, 2009 | 05:20 PM
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Originally Posted by slow67
I remember seeing someone on here that had a y pipe made to replace the plenum.
Yea, I was thinkin of that too.. Altho I couldnt recall who it was.. Looked pretty trick tho. I wonder if placing the BPV/ BOV on the plenum itself would help like my old one was.. Other than that, I'd say FMIC. I didnt want to hack my front end up either, so I layed the IC horizontally.

I'm sure hearing that thing pop right at the end of a 9.8 pass prolly made you pee a little! I bet you were glad it was ONLY the plenum once you pulled around and into the pits
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Old Oct 1, 2009 | 05:49 PM
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Are you using a bigger bypass, if not thats wahts doing it - when you slam the throttle shut at high rpm is when they blow up usually and that little bypass just isnt enough.

Even with a good bypass thats just a lot of area to fill up with a decent amount of pressure and they will pop, I dont think procharger ever envisioned more than a P1SC with the whole twin IC/plenum arrangement. A 'butt pipe' like the old Incon turbo setup would work a lot better, dont blame you for not wanting to do a FMIC..

Congrats on the 9s BTW
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Old Oct 1, 2009 | 07:50 PM
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jeesh after i was excited in your other thread about your accomplishments with the twins, i come across this one.

its been awhile but i do kind of remember what trust is talking about as far as a reinforced bottom end. hopefully those pics will be up soon
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Old Oct 1, 2009 | 08:05 PM
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Originally Posted by helicoil
What are you guys doing that are running 13-15 psi? I know there are a couple of you. I have been through 3 failures. The first two were at 9# of boost. This is getting old. I know, I know I should look at a FMIC, but I really don't want to hack up the grill insert. Any thoughts?

I put the tube stansions in last time and it seemed to last until I turned the supercharger up to 14 psi. I used to be able and watch it breath with throttle snaps prior to doing this. Also, when it blew the first two times it was under decel. I have sinced removed the Procharger boost re-circ valve and added a Tail 50MM BOV in each charge pipe after each intercooler which seemed to solve that issue, but now it blew under WOT.

This time it blew right at the end of my 9.80 pass under WOT, scared the **** out of me. The concussion was BIG.

Have they redesigned these things? Would it be worth buying a New one?

They are pretty crappy with the ground down welds and light gauge aluminum plate.
We boxed up several airboxes for you this afternoon, Fed Ex will pick them up tomorrow. They hopefully will get you by for the time being. Bob
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Old Oct 1, 2009 | 08:45 PM
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Originally Posted by Big Bird WS6
tell procharger to make it stronger. more gussets.

if you want. send me one of your old ones and i can make you a good solid one.
Thanks very much for the offer. I am pretty handy with the welder, I am going to reinforce a spare and see if it gets me by for the year end. And then regroup over the winter.

Originally Posted by 'Trust'
I had a substantially ticker plate welded on the bottom of mine. I'll see if I can get pics up tonight for ya. No problems since and I've seen close to 19psi.
I would like to see what you did.

Originally Posted by ChevyChad
Yea, I was thinkin of that too.. Altho I couldnt recall who it was.. Looked pretty trick tho. I wonder if placing the BPV/ BOV on the plenum itself would help like my old one was.. Other than that, I'd say FMIC. I didnt want to hack my front end up either, so I layed the IC horizontally.

I'm sure hearing that thing pop right at the end of a 9.8 pass prolly made you pee a little! I bet you were glad it was ONLY the plenum once you pulled around and into the pits

Yeah, I bet the valve location may help. Thanks for the thought.
I'll tell ya, it was BIG. I have blown my share of race cars up over the years, and I thought for sure I burned the head or a piston at first. Once I lifted, and it was still hitting on 8 I knew it was either the intake or a superchager pipe/hose. It did idle a little funny coming back to the pits.

Originally Posted by kp
Are you using a bigger bypass, if not thats wahts doing it - when you slam the throttle shut at high rpm is when they blow up usually and that little bypass just isnt enough.

Even with a good bypass thats just a lot of area to fill up with a decent amount of pressure and they will pop, I dont think procharger ever envisioned more than a P1SC with the whole twin IC/plenum arrangement. A 'butt pipe' like the old Incon turbo setup would work a lot better, dont blame you for not wanting to do a FMIC..

Congrats on the 9s BTW
I do have two Tial 50MM BOVs on it, one on each intercooler charge pipe. I did away with the re-circ Procharger valve after the first incident.

I was actually at WOT about 1200' when it popped this time.

Thanks!

BTW, that 3.2 Riechard works O.K. with the SDCE, just in case you were wondering.

Originally Posted by airforcemanss
jeesh after i was excited in your other thread about your accomplishments with the twins, i come across this one.

its been awhile but i do kind of remember what trust is talking about as far as a reinforced bottom end. hopefully those pics will be up soon
I don't know, maybe the plenum I am working with is a lemon. The next one I will fully weld all the seems, plus ad some gussets. Don't get discouraged, 'Trust' seems to be having good luck. I am sure there have been others over the years......No?? Anyone?

Originally Posted by Exotic Performance Plus
We boxed up several airboxes for you this afternoon, Fed Ex will pick them up tomorrow. They hopefully will get you by for the time being. Bob
Bob, you are the man! I wouldn't have gotten this far along with this car so quickly without some words of wisdom from you, KP, and some others' very informative threads on the board here.
Attached Thumbnails Procharger Air Box - KABOOM! Again.-ls2-procharged-camaro-2-004.jpg   Procharger Air Box - KABOOM! Again.-ls2-procharged-camaro-2-023.jpg   Procharger Air Box - KABOOM! Again.-2nd-bov-procharger-install-9.09-004.jpg   Procharger Air Box - KABOOM! Again.-2nd-bov-procharger-install-9.09-017.jpg  
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Old Oct 1, 2009 | 08:46 PM
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Here is what I did to the box last time to repair it.
Attached Thumbnails Procharger Air Box - KABOOM! Again.-procharger-plenum-box-002.jpg   Procharger Air Box - KABOOM! Again.-procharger-plenum-box-005.jpg   Procharger Air Box - KABOOM! Again.-procharger-plenum-box-010.jpg  
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Old Oct 1, 2009 | 08:57 PM
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Originally Posted by helicoil


I do have two Tial 50MM BOVs on it, one on each intercooler charge pipe. I did away with the re-circ Procharger valve after the first incident.

I was actually at WOT about 1200' when it popped this time.

Thanks!

BTW, that 3.2 Riechard works O.K. with the SDCE, just in case you were wondering.
Figured the riechard would work, I was able to max out a P1SC with a 6 rib non-SDCE with a 3" reichard pulley.
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Old Oct 7, 2009 | 08:15 PM
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Altho this wasnt the setup I had seen before, I saw this in a recent thread, so decided to link it here.

https://ls1tech.com/forums/12143409-post17.html
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Old Oct 7, 2009 | 08:36 PM
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Pretty interesting work, I did find something similar after searching. I think it was from 2004.

I ended up patching together another blown up plenum I had gotten with a 3.5" cooler set up I bought used to get the piping and hoses for spares. After welding up the splits it had in it, I put several gussets in it, I hope it holds up at least through the end of the year.

I also forgot to mention earlier, this little incident blew up with so much energy that the concussion cracked my hood in two places and blew out my SS hood scoop insert in the process. It became racetrack roadkill. That little jewel is 81.00 wholesale from GM (crazy for the POS it is). The hood repair will have to wait until after the year is up, but it will get fixed right or replaced. That was the bum deal about it all. The hood was cherry.

I couldn't help but think about NHRA funny cars and the burst panels their bodies have in them for similar events. And to think those are 14-71 roots units making 50+lbs, and this was only a D1SC making 14 lbs @ peak RPM.

The spare plenum I had is off at the powdercoaters after about 3hrs worth of cutting and welding on it, should have it back tomorrow.
Attached Thumbnails Procharger Air Box - KABOOM! Again.-procharger-3rdr-plenum-blow-up-9.09-009.jpg   Procharger Air Box - KABOOM! Again.-procharger-3rdr-plenum-blow-up-9.09-008.jpg   Procharger Air Box - KABOOM! Again.-procharger-3rdr-plenum-blow-up-9.09-010.jpg   Procharger Air Box - KABOOM! Again.-air-plenum-finished-6.jpg   Procharger Air Box - KABOOM! Again.-procharger-plenum-explode-026.jpg  

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Old Oct 7, 2009 | 08:50 PM
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awwww **** man, that totally blows about your hood dude

The new welded up plenum looks a LOT stouter than before.. The way you chose to put a bent piece of metal there at the seam is genius! That will take stress off the welds and transfer it to the strap. Oh, and those are some VERY nice looking welds! Good job man
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Old Oct 7, 2009 | 09:38 PM
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Heck yea! Looks great. Mine is at the welders right now getting the meth nozzle hole filled and they are going to add some extra bracing. I'll let you know what they did. Great work on yours.
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