Supercharging a PI swapped '96.

[Skidzz]

Hey guys. Haven't posted much lately but I've been lurking. I just haven't had any tech questions that the search button couldn't answer. I know this question has been asked, but I couldn't find it by searching.

I still don't know exactly what I want to do with my 'Stang situation. I don't know if I want to sell my '96 and get a new 5.0 later on or keep building up the '96. I need to figure out what all my options are.

So, I was thinking about just adding a novi 2000 or vortech to my current setup. I've heard that I'll be on borrowed time because of my C/R if I do this and then I've heard that I'll be fine as long as I don't go over about 7 psi. So, has anyone added a blower to a PI swapped 96-98?

Also, if I buy a blower, do I buy one for a '96 or do I buy one for a PI engine? Or are they all the same?

 

[e8597cobra]

that's a tricky one. exactly what is the c/r and what kind of fuel delivery do you have. you should buy a charger for the kind of engine you have but the tubing for the body of the car. so that way you can bolt the charger to the block with out and mods and you will have the tubing for the intercoller fit in the rite location. now for reference i have a 97 4.6 dohc with a kb twin screw supercharger. i run e85 now but before that i ran my block a 6psi the stock blocks are good for 400hp but any more than that you will be living on borrowed time. if its been modded with forged steel internals than you will have no prop pushing up to 15psi on the block. the only problem is will every thing else hold up. now if you have a stock fuel system buy a kb boost-a-pump that will make up the difference for stock injectors. when i was in school (at uti ford fact) we had a 01 gt that had a paxton supercharger (8psi) on it and it only needed a set of injectors and a tune and it put 365 340 with standard bolt on's like a cold air and intake plenum. it ran on 93 pump gas. but if the c/r is high, you will need to use higher octane to go past that. by no means am i saying that you have a stock car i just need to know what is done internally and what kind of fuel delivery you have. but rember if it has the crap pistons in it watch for detonation. and gap your spark plugs smaller so you don't blow out the spark.

 

[Winters98GT]

Dyno numbers do vary, but my first PI swap in 2000 made the same HP as your car does with your cams. I ran 13.19 @ 104.71 with full street trim, heavy chrome wheels, and road race/street suspension.

I'd leave the car alone and upgrade.

 

[Skidzz]

Well, I don't know my exact C/R, but a typical PI swapped 96-98 has about a 10.5/1 C/R. My issue is that I REALLY would rather not get into a car payment. My car is paid off and I currently have a motorcycle payment, a college loan payment, and about $4700 in credit card debt. I'm not planning on making my move until my credit card debt is paid and I make higher rank (USAF). Or if I get room mate to pay half the bills....whatever.

The new 5.0 would run me at least $30k. Of course, I could mod my '96 little by little and not go into debt (I'm never going to be disciplined enough to save $30k and buy a car straight out.)

What I do know is that even though my car has 108k miles on it, I take excellent care of it. Oil changes, fluid flushes, vacuum tests, tunes up, I keep up on all of it, so the mileage doesn't scare me. It would be so hard for me to let my '96 go. It was my first baby.

So, I would think that even though I have '03 heads and intake, I would still buy a supercharger kit for a 96-98, so there are no issues getting it to fit.

Damn it....I don't know what I'll end up doing. I need to just get rich somehow...

 

[sneaky98gt]

So, I would think that even though I have '03 heads and intake, I would still buy a supercharger kit for a 96-98, so there are no issues getting it to fit.

A roots or twin screw will not fit as they are head specific. If it were a centrifugal, I would think that you would use a car year model specific kit, as the heads are only different on the interior.

 

[bhuff30]

E85 would love a setup with high compression and some boost.

 

[Skidzz]

E85 would love a setup with high compression and some boost.

I didn't know that. A high-compression car can run ok on E85?

 

[bhuff30]

E85 has an octane of 105, and a wicked cooling effect (because it is alcohol). I was running 25psi on an 8:1 engine, but this year I'm increasing the compression to 10:1 and hope to still run 22psi of boost.

 

[Skidzz]

E85 has an octane of 105, and a wicked cooling effect (because it is alcohol). I was running 25psi on an 8:1 engine, but this year I'm increasing the compression to 10:1 and hope to still run 22psi of boost.

Hmm...I thought that in order to run E85, your car had to be designed or modified for it? So, could I run it in my car now? And would I see any benefit from running it?

 

[sneaky98gt]

Hmm...I thought that in order to run E85, your car had to be designed or modified for it? So, could I run it in my car now? And would I see any benefit from running it?

bhuff knows a lot more about this, but I know that you have to have quite a bit larger injectors and fuel pump, maybe fuel rails.

And yes, the benefit is huge. I know some guys in the drag strip club here at school with blown or boosted 4 cylinder cars that gained 50 horsepower just by swapping over to E85. So I would assume that a high compression, blown V8 would gain at least that much. I don't remember how much, but IIRC, 04sleeper gained a TON on his high horsepower Termi.

 

[bhuff30]

Yes, you have to re-tune and make sure the fuel pump and injectors are up to the task. I suggest E85 out of fun, and because that is something I would love to do. For most 'bolt-on' mechanics, it may not be a great idea, because there are extra considerations and it hasn't been repeated a whole bunch of times.

On my 88, I went from 13.7 at 100mph to 12.9 at 106. That's a 50-60hp gain, but it was because I took advantage of the octane by increasing boost and timing.

Yeah, 04sleeper is running E85. My results were on a 2.3, so you can imagine the gains on a blown v8.

 

[Midnight2V]

Jusj FYI, your average head swap is 10.2:1. And contrary to popular opinion, centrifugal superchargers LOVE high compression

 

[96SCstang]

a good question though is....will the brackets for a vortech blower work on a pi swapped car. my 96 is about to undergo pi heads and i hope i dont have to buy a new bracket for the supercharger. does anyone know if the 96-98 bracket will work with pi heads?

 

[Midnight2V]

If you re-use your 1996 timing cover (which you should be able to), the supercharger bracket should bolt back on just fine. You may need to shave a little material off of your supercharger idler pulley plate though (due to the PI location of the alternator). I had to when I installed my pi paxton kit on my SVO system (it was a cobra alternator). You will definitely find out sooner or later, hopefully it will work out with no issues.

 

[wknwar]

tork tech makes nice intake and yea get the one for pi swap but your cams would be better stock you dnt want them to be open long they have cams just for SC if u dnt go with a twin screw SC them my choice woul be to go with turbo.