After years of running different Vortech Superchargers, Pro Chargers and Paxton kits, I moved onto custom turbo fabrication. I simply did not have to deal with tightening blower belts and broken tensioners. Years ago, we received permission to re-manufacture the main Vortech supercharger bracket and steel plate. That worked great but it still responded as a centrifugal does, boost is ramped over rpm. The turbos could make 6 psi from 2500 to 6000. Centrifugal superchargers make 2 psi at 2500 and 8 psi at 5500-and so on. So when I heard Chris at Performance Injection Equipment made a centrifugal kit that responded like a roots style blower and could limit psi, I told him to Take Thy Riches....
The kit is complete and had I ordered the V3 supercharger from them, my install time would have been 1 hour. But I ordered the V1 which needed it's own oil supply and return line. Order a better CFM V3, you will not have to tap into any oil supply or return to the pan. My install took 3 hours.
The kit came complete with 48-50lb injectors for our 98 Ram, GM 2 bar map sensor and connectors, oil supply and oil return fittings, main supercharger bracket, alternator bracket, boost restrictors, air filter assy, both belts as the blower has it's own belt, sealed airhat, blowoff valve, 3.33" blower pulley, vacuum lines and the SCT X3 tuner. They have an option of different superchargers and a intercooler kit. Full instructions came with the kit, but like normal men, I didn't read them till after. To play it safe, we disconnected the battery and relieved the fuel pressure on the rail and we simply pulled the oil pan- checked our lower end rebuild that was completed 2 weeks ago, and tapped the oil pan for the return oil fitting. We sealed it with epoxy once completed and returned the pan back on the Ram. Yes, you can pull the pan on a Ram. Dakota or Jeep, forget it. Save yourself some time and order the V3 supercharger.
Then the oil supply was plumbed onto the oil pressure sensor from the factory using all supplied parts and some teflon tape to be safe. We removed the fan shroud and factory clutch fan, removed the lower crank pulley (if you have a 1 piece, you need to let them know so they can add a damper you will need to change out), removed the factory tensioner, and loosened the alternator. The factory belt was set aside along with our K&N FIPK tube. Next the factory fuel injectors were removed and we installed the new injectors with the safety retaining clips from the factory back in place. The GM Map sensor was wired in and got a signal from the side of the intake manifold now. We also relocated our coil in front of the throttle body away from the blower and headers. Next we installed the main blower bracket. The oil dipstick tube had to be bent slightly to clear the huge non flexing bracket. The lower large crank pulley and main crank bolt were then swapped out. Next we installed the shorter separate accessory belt and the alternator adjuster to tension it tight. The lower crank pulley is awesome as it is a large overdrive for the supercharger, which means it spools faster at lower rpms. Then the supercharger drain line and supply fittings were hooked up on the blower and it was installed onto the massive bracket. Plumbed the supply and return from the engine and installed the large 10 rib blower belt. The tensioner was set for the main blower belt and checked for clearances.
The factory fan shroud needed a 2" trim of plastic off of it to clear the blower and belt. Our Ram already has electric fans and this was a easy trim and reinstall for us. Next the airhat and tube were installed with a vacuum line to the blowoff valve. The kit has three boost restrictors that insert into the air filter and limit cfm into the supercharger. There is a 5-6 psi, 8-9 psi 12-13 and if you leave them out all together, you will get full boost. We installed the 5 psi on our test truck. A quick crank of the starter to ensure the belts were tight and we installed PIE's SCT X3 in place. I always recommend a battery trickle charge when doing this. Key on, she fired right up.
Initial wide band information had us idling at 15afr and boost was a super safe 11.5 AFR at psi. So off to the dyno here in Utah to load it up. Our dyno is a Mustang Dyno that loads and can simulate a 10klb trailer. Plus we are at 5000 feet in altitude and there is not as much oxygen up here. After verifying our AFRs, we were rewarded with a super flat torque curve of 385 and horsepower increase of 50 rear wheel with only 5 psi. Our horsepower was 291 before and 358 after for only 5 psi. But the kicker was the tq being super flat from 2500 to 5200 rpm. Had we let the engine pull past 5200 it would have certainly made well over 380-390 rw hp. But we kept it simple and safe. We added a 4500 rpm 5 psi dyno on a similar 360ci below to show the difference in lower rpm torque with this kit.
The beauty of this kit is that the boost acts like a roots, and limits like a wastegate on a turbo. No more tensioning mods needed for belt wrap, modifying the tensioners, etc. Just instant torque and boost! Check them out or give them a call!
https://www.performanceinjectionequipment.com/