Is a supercharger without headers worth it?
TECH Resident
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 782
Likes: 0
From: North Las Vegas, NV
Originally Posted by nomorews6
I am considering again a supercharger, but am not sure if it is worth it. I have a TR224 cam, a bullet muffler, a lid and a 3500 stall ... but no headers. Is it even worth getting without headers?
For a long time I had your setup minus the cam and stall(I have an M6 in the TA). The blower is worth it. When you add Long tubes and ORY pipe, it picked up a lot more mid-range/top end.
If I were to do it again, I'd get the long tubes/etc first and then get the blower. Just my $.02
Teching In
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
I have a quick question. When you are looking to do a reliable FI setup on a stock block, do you typically look at making a certain amount of max boost, or do you look at making a certain amount of max RWHP? If you are look to make a max power, say 500RWHP just as an arbitrary number, and you can make that number with 9 lbs of boost with stock manifolds. But you can make the same power with 8lbs and headers. And maybe you can make 550RWHP with the header at 9lbs, but you want to keep the engine safer and only run 500RWHP. Is it worth the cost of header to make the same power at a little less boost?
I guess what I'm asking is: for a fairly safe setup, should you be more concerned with boost level or power level. And if it is power level, that can you just set the boost to whatever your engine combo needs to make a particular power goal?
I guess what I'm asking is: for a fairly safe setup, should you be more concerned with boost level or power level. And if it is power level, that can you just set the boost to whatever your engine combo needs to make a particular power goal?
Teching In
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
I was wondering the same thing. I'm guessing the lower the cylinder pressure, the easier it would be on the engine. If headers and no cats lower boost but raise power, I think it would be easier on the engine.
Do ya'll run an egt guage with a supercharger? I'm from diesel drag racing world, I use to have an 11 second Dodge Diesel, and egt guage was one of the first things we installed.
Do ya'll run an egt guage with a supercharger? I'm from diesel drag racing world, I use to have an 11 second Dodge Diesel, and egt guage was one of the first things we installed.
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 590
Likes: 0
From: Scottsdale, AZ
Originally Posted by ProtoVette
I guess what I'm asking is: for a fairly safe setup, should you be more concerned with boost level or power level. And if it is power level, that can you just set the boost to whatever your engine combo needs to make a particular power goal?
This is how I ran 12 psi on the stock block... I had the stock LS1 heads on there. I'm sure with 6L heads I would have dropped a few psi for sure and read the same rwhp #. I hope that makes sense.
Originally Posted by swayse
Do ya'll run an egt guage with a supercharger? I'm from diesel drag racing world, I use to have an 11 second Dodge Diesel, and egt guage was one of the first things we installed.
Its just knowing what a good EGT reading should be for blowers versus turbos.
Short answer: IMHO YES!
Long-*** answer:
My '01 SS (red car in sig) has a Votech V9G w/aftercooler kit running through stock exhaust manifolds, factory cats, SLP Y-pipe, and SLP Dual/Dual with the muffler removed and replaced with straight pipe.
463 RWHP 437 RWTQ
It's very fun to drive and flat out hauls ***. Several notable "victories" to it's credit too.
The car is an immaculate garage queen with 12K miles. I spend all my available time and money keeping the other cars, in particular the Blue Beast, going that I've never had the extra time or cash to go back and screw with it. The car is pretty damn quick and runs great as it is, so I'm not going to "fix it till it breaks" at this point. It has a SPEC III clutch, but stock 10-bolt so I've never taken it to the track and may never. I've got a couple other cars for that.
Long-*** answer:
My '01 SS (red car in sig) has a Votech V9G w/aftercooler kit running through stock exhaust manifolds, factory cats, SLP Y-pipe, and SLP Dual/Dual with the muffler removed and replaced with straight pipe.
463 RWHP 437 RWTQ
It's very fun to drive and flat out hauls ***. Several notable "victories" to it's credit too.
The car is an immaculate garage queen with 12K miles. I spend all my available time and money keeping the other cars, in particular the Blue Beast, going that I've never had the extra time or cash to go back and screw with it. The car is pretty damn quick and runs great as it is, so I'm not going to "fix it till it breaks" at this point. It has a SPEC III clutch, but stock 10-bolt so I've never taken it to the track and may never. I've got a couple other cars for that.
I did the blower before anything else, why not get the big piece of the pie first? I picked up 100 rwhp-ish off the blower first, and another 30ish with the headers at a later date fwiw. And my blower install time was less than the SLP headers too 
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Launching!
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 223
Likes: 0
From: The Woodlands, TX
Originally Posted by shiftinda93z
I did the blower before anything else, why not get the big piece of the pie first? I picked up 100 rwhp-ish off the blower first, and another 30ish with the headers at a later date fwiw. And my blower install time was less than the SLP headers too
On The Tree
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 136
Likes: 0
From: Fort Collins, CO
Originally Posted by ProtoVette
I have a quick question. When you are looking to do a reliable FI setup on a stock block, do you typically look at making a certain amount of max boost, or do you look at making a certain amount of max RWHP? If you are look to make a max power, say 500RWHP just as an arbitrary number, and you can make that number with 9 lbs of boost with stock manifolds. But you can make the same power with 8lbs and headers. And maybe you can make 550RWHP with the header at 9lbs, but you want to keep the engine safer and only run 500RWHP. Is it worth the cost of header to make the same power at a little less boost?
I guess what I'm asking is: for a fairly safe setup, should you be more concerned with boost level or power level. And if it is power level, that can you just set the boost to whatever your engine combo needs to make a particular power goal?
I guess what I'm asking is: for a fairly safe setup, should you be more concerned with boost level or power level. And if it is power level, that can you just set the boost to whatever your engine combo needs to make a particular power goal?
If this is true then the header car will be able to have higher power before having to worry about knocking from intake temps. But then there is always meth injection
Anyways, thats my thoughts on the subject
