ATI ProCharger technical specialist...
ATI ProCharger technical specialist Dorian Comeau (under the hood) and Extreme Automotive's Saul "The Surgeon" Gutierrez (at the dyno's computer) teamed up for three days of testing and tuning with the Stage II P-1SC supercharger for 4.6 '96-'04 Mustang GTs. Read on and see what we found out.
Horse Sense: When you're playing the power game, it all boils down to two basic options: go hard or go home. Lately, supercharging a Two-Valve Mustang seems to be one of best ways to go hard. But if you forego tuning your new blower setup on a dyno, the going-home part might come sooner than you want and it'll probably be expensive.
It's been almost 20 years since the centrifugal supercharger was introduced as a power adder for our beloved 5.0 Mustangs. In that time span, a countless number of blower-related articles have been written in 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords and many other high-performance enthusiast magazines.
Most blower-related stories cover the latest new system or accessory, focus on their content and installation, and offer an idea of expected performance improvement, usually over stock, if enthusiasts installed the same superchargers or related parts on their 'Stangs. While we can't bash that presentation strategy because we're guilty as charged, we also think it's important to occasionally go beyond those unofficial boundaries.
So far this year, it's been relatively quiet on the supercharger front in terms of brand-new blowers for any Mustang other than the hot S197s. Our friends at Accessible Technologies-makers of ProCharger superchargers-recently contacted us about some significant changes they've made to their popular Stage II P-1SC system for '96-'04 Two-Valve 'Stangs. While nothing new was done to the blower, 42-lb/hr Bosch high-impedance fuel injectors that previously had to be purchased separately, a Ford SVT Focus fuel pump or FlowCharger fuel-pump booster, and a DiabloSport chip with ProCharger tune are now included in the Stage II P-1SC kit, and we decided to install one.
As mentioned earlier, our technical stories are about finding out new things. "Tell us something we don't already know," was recently expressed on a Hardcore50.com message board thread about the tech content in today's popular Mustang magazines. [There's rarely a positive sentiment expressed about anything on an Internet message board!-Ed.]. With that in mind, we decided to conduct an experiment with the blower that we think is pretty cool and will probably dispel any ideas you might have about self-contained and oil-fed superchargers. We also decided to go beyond posting the final dyno figures and focus more on the actual tuning that goes into achieving engine/supercharger efficiency, consequently making power and torque.
This project was a lot of fun for everyone involved and-more importantly-we learned something about blown Mustangs and want to share it with you.
This is ProCharger's Stage...
This is ProCharger's Stage II P-1SC (PN 1FE212-SCi; $4,896), which is a 50-state-legal, 8-pound supercharger system we installed on our '02 GT. All the necessary hardware, hoses, brackets, and such are included (the Stage II version includes a three-core intercooler). Any enthusiast with a good amount of mechanical ability can install the entire kit in about six hours. While the installation isn't extremely difficult, we recommend that an authorized dealer install a supercharger. Not only are a dealer's technicians factory-trained on how to install and use the products, but they also have facilities that are better-suited for doing this type of bolt-on and can perform the tuning that's necessary to get the engine/blower combination right (see "Dyno Tuning" sidebar). Sure, some of you have dream garages, but the majority of enthusiasts don't.
This is the new part of ProCharger's...
This is the new part of ProCharger's Stage II P-1SC supercharger system. In the past, the 42-lb/hr high-impedance Bosch fuel injectors (30-lb/hr injectors are the minimum required for 8-10 pounds of boost) and a custom tune-components needed for operating the system-were not included and had to be purchased separately. ProCharger has made the SVT Focus fuel pump and injectors standard equipment with every Stage II P-1SC system. The Predator shown here is available for an additional $125, as well as the three-core intercooler.
A FlowCharger fuel-pump booster...
A FlowCharger fuel-pump booster (right) can be substituted for the SVT Focus fuel pump.
With the exception of SLP's...
With the exception of SLP's PowerPac for 4.6 Two-Valve 'Stangs (see "Volume Two"; May '06) and 4.10 gears, our test-mule GT is otherwise factory stock.
Maintaining a tight belt and...
Maintaining a tight belt and proper belt alignment is critical for any supercharger application. Dorian developed these simple enhancements for the P-1SC's mounting bracket: The washer serves as a shim between the bracket and timing-chain cover and helps keep the belt aligned and tight...
...The stopper-bolt/jam-nut...
...The stopper-bolt/jam-nut combination serves as a support for the blower's mounting bracket. Brackets tend to flex slightly under load. This simple stopper is adjustable and prevents the mounting plate from flexing. It also helps maintain belt trueness and tension.