As this year's True Street...
As this year's True Street champion can attest, a supercharger is a great way to make reliable, streetable power. But before you start building boost, there are a few of your car's systems that may need to be upgraded.
As this issue's theme clearly shows, supercharging is a great way to increase your Mopar's power output. It takes careful planning and the proper support systems, however, to ensure you don't damage your engine or vehicle in the process. Since a supercharger pumps a larger volume of air into the engine, the car's fuel system must be able to supply more fuel to maintain the proper air/fuel ratio, additionally; the ignition needs to have sufficient energy to fire the mixture. Often, the stock fuel and ignition systems, especially in older Mopars, may not be up to speed, and the result of ignoring these systems can be as mild as a misfire, or as severe as a blown engine. Luckily, with the proper upgrades, reliable supercharging is available at nearly any power level your budget can handle.
Modern Mopars like the new Challenger or Charger can actually handle mild amounts of boost with a simple fuel injector swap and tuning change. If you want to make more than 6-7 psi of boost, however, you'll want to look into adding something like a Flowcharger to boost fuel pump voltage. If that's not enough, you may even need to change the fuel hat and upgrade to a multi-pump unit. With a high-energy, dual coil-on-plug ignition, the new Hemi can handle moderate boost levels with a simple plug change, but start adding higher levels of boost, and an ignition upgrade may also be required. Tuning a modern Mopar is pretty straightforward as most supercharger kits come with a tune-up you simply upload into your car's computer.
Supercharging the engine in...
Supercharging the engine in your Mopar can be a fun way to add power, but it's not as easy as simply bolting on the blower. This month we'll show you how to prepare your car for the extra power of boost.
Mopars built during the muscle car era are generally supercharged by a "blow-through" setup where the centrifugal supercharger blows pressurized air through the carburetor, or a "suck-through" system by which the Roots-style blower sucks air through top-mounted carbs. Either way, the carb or carbs need to be properly tuned for supercharging, with larger fuel metering jets and power enrichment systems. Additionally, the stock fuel system must be upgraded with a high-volume electric fuel pump at the very least to support the requirements of a supercharged engine. A good coil is also a must, and if boost is high, you may need to upgrade with aftermarket electronic ignition or even a magneto in extreme cases.
As with any installation that enhances engine performance, the rest of the car may need upgrades as well. Factory 9-inch drum brakes just don't cut it with a powerful engine, and even a mildly supercharged 318 can destroy the 71/4-inch rear that came in you're A-body. So you can see there are lots of considerations when installing a supercharger, but with the right choices and upgrades where necessary, your supercharged Mopar can have power to burn!
Since the supercharger will...
Since the supercharger will pump more air through the engine, your fuel system needs to pump more fuel to ensure the proper air/fuel ratio.
Older Mopars will need an...
Older Mopars will need an upgraded fuel pump, like the Holley unit shown here. Modern cars may need a Flowcharger to boost fuel pump voltage.
In carbureted applications,...
In carbureted applications, the carburetor must be properly tuned for the extra air being forced through it.
Holley makes four-barrel carbs...
Holley makes four-barrel carbs specifically for blow-through supercharging, or tuning your existing carburetor is another alternative.
If your car is fuel injected,...
If your car is fuel injected, you'll need to swap to larger injectors as well as retuning your car's computer to provide more fuel.
Most supercharger manufacturers...
Most supercharger manufacturers provide all the necessary components as part of their kit.
Factory ignition systems are...
Factory ignition systems are adequate for mild levels of boost, but if you want to push the limits you'll need a good electronic ignition...
...and high-energy coil like...
...and high-energy coil like these units from MSD.