Frankie Galvan of Racers Edge...
Frankie Galvan of Racers Edge Tuning finishes up his installation of a really trick part we discovered for Whipple-blown S197 Mustang GT. Steeda's S197 Mustang Whipple Supercharger Drive system (PN 555-3350) is an all-inclusive, stand-alone, 10-rib belt drive for Whipples that can pump boost up to 15 psi, in roughly four hours of do-it-yourself installation time.
While we're not certain of the exact words, the first thought that is expressed in the cowboy adage about a four-legged pony ridden hard and put away wet can also be applied to our cars. We feel Mustangs of the four-wheeled variety should be driven hard, especially when the Ponies are set up with power adders such as blowers, turbos, or nitrous oxide. Of course, logical thought-with respect to traffic/speed laws, radar-wielding state troopers, children chasing balls into the street, little-old ladies in crosswalks, and so on-and appropriate restraint should be exercised before cutting a 'Stang loose anywhere other than on a race track, but giving a Mustang all its got is the rule-of-thumb to follow whenever possible.
Daniel Buck subscribes to our way of thinking. On most weekends he can be found bombing his Whipple 2.3-supercharged, '06 Mustang GT through Southern California canyons or streaking into power slides and loops across the dry beds at Lake Elsinore. (Daniel's 'Stang also has a five-speed transmission, which replaced the 5R55S slushbox that it was given at the factory.)
While driving a blown, late-model Pony with spirit certainly is fun, the aggressive behavior actually does a huge disservice to the supercharger's drive belt. Sustained, high-rpm runs and inconsistent throttle activity (on-the-gas/off-the-gas) are the nemesis of supercharged performance. They're also the primary causes for slipping and chunked or tossed belts.
The factory's six-rib serpentine...
The factory's six-rib serpentine belt leaves a lot to be desired once a supercharger is added to the mix. Daniel's 2.3 Whipple maxed out at 10 psi of boost at the outset of our project. Blowers that are driven by a single belt that also drives a 'Stang's accessories tend to suffer from inconsistent belt tension.
Tight is right are words to live by with respect to blower belts and the full-time tension they require for enabling Roots/twin-screw or centrifugal superchargers to produce consistent boost. We've experienced this with our own supercharged project Ponies, and the adage really comes to light when you consider the boost and power difference we saw on David Buck's GT after Greg Monroe and his team at Racers Edge Tuning in Downey, California, installed a brand-new, 10-rib, dedicated belt-drive system that Steeda created for Whipple-blown, S197 'Stangs.
The cool thing about Steeda's new S197 Mustang Whipple Supercharger Drive (PN 555-3350; $1,295) is that it isn't the overwhelmingly elaborate superstructure of braces, brackets, and heavyweight components you would think necessary for maintaining full-time belt tension. To the contrary, Steeda gets it done by using a simple standalone system that's based on two CNC-machined, 6061 T6 aluminum mounting plates; a heavy-duty, 10-rib belt tensioner; a 10-rib crank pulley; and a 10-rib blower pulley. With the supercharger drive in place, an S197's OEM accessories are driven by a shorter six-rib drive belt, which also is included in the kit. Three kits are available to take you from 11-13, 14-16, and 17-19 psi.
We dig telling you about cool cars, cool parts, and cool projects. This report covers all of the above. Although Daniel's Pony is stock-appearing, it gets cool points because of the blower, of course, and the fact that he made the trans swap to make driving more fun. It also packs BMR's Level 1 suspension gear, a SPEC Stage 2 clutch, and an Eaton posi, all unseen-but-major contributors to its hardcore sleeper persona.
Photos and captions detailing RET's lead tech Frankie Galvan's installation and results from tuning master Greg Monroe's before-and-after dyno tests are straight ahead, so keep reading to learn more about this slip-free option from Steeda.
After disconnecting the negative...
After disconnecting the negative battery cable, the OEM six-rib serpentine belt is the first item removed from our test Mustang. There's no need to hold onto the factory serp; it's replaced with a shorter six-rib that is included with the drive system.
The stock balancer and Whipple...
The stock balancer and Whipple blower pulley are the next pieces to remove.
These can join the original...
These can join the original serpentine belt in the discard pile.
Steeda provides all of the...
Steeda provides all of the pieces necessary for a straightforward installation. While do-it-yourself enthusiasts with access to standard and metric wrenches, sockets, a ratchet, and a balancer puller should be able to bolt on the belt drive in about four hours, it's important to note that converting to the dedicated blower belt does considerably increase boost and rear-wheel horsepower. As tuning is a must, having an a knowledgeable installer and dyno-tuning Mustang shop like Racers Edge probably is the better bet for something like this.
A comparative look at stock/Whipple...
A comparative look at stock/Whipple pieces (balancer and blower pulley) versus Steeda's billet crank and blower pulleys. Steeda's pulley measurements are not taken in the conventional manner (measuring across the face of the pulley), so we're not able to provide diameters for each wheel.
Suffice it to say, though,...
Suffice it to say, though, the Steeda blower pulley is smaller than the original Whipple piece, and the belt-drive kit's underdrive crank pulley is larger than the stock 7.5-inch damper. The combination of the two still produces a 2.5 to 1 ratio, which is equal to that of the Whipple 2.3 blower in its original form.
All of the Whipple bracketry...
All of the Whipple bracketry (alternator, idler pulley) goes bye-bye.
This resistor is attached...
This resistor is attached to the passenger-side of the timing cover at the factory. It must be relocated to facilitate installing the belt drive's lower mounting plate.
A pair of M8x120 bolts and...
A pair of M8x120 bolts and spacers serve as the lower mounting posts for the stout mounting-plate assembly of Steeda's dedicated-belt setup.
Frankie routs a new shorter,...
Frankie routs a new shorter, six-rib serpentine belt into position around the pulleys for the alternator, water pump, smog pump, and power-steering pump. The belt is included with the Steeda kit, as is the large-diameter billet, passenger-side idler pulley, which replaces a factory-Ford piece retained when Daniel's blower was originally installed.