Pro and Con? A treatise on Superchargers

yellowspleen · 05-09-2008, 12:23 PM

Been a while posting to you fine gentlemen, and for good reason. I haven't had anything interesting to tell you!

Here is my conundrum:
I have contemplated since the inseption of Stillen's S/C purchasing one. Since I've been a way for a while, it appears that several of you have bitten the proverbial bullet and installed them on your trucks. Without getting too long-winded. Can some or all of you outline what I can expect in regards to reliability of my most favorite mode of transportation once I install this? I'm not looking for the end all be all of S/C worries. I just want to know what I'm getting into. Things I'd like input on are: Will my engine explode catastrophically? (this is important) Will my transmission detonate like a pipe-bomb? (almost as important as the first one) So on and so forth. I guess ultimately, I'm looking for advice from the imminent sages on the subject. I've read a few of the posts here, and have found the foutain of knowledge I need. My truck was brand new when I first posted here.

QShip · 05-09-2008, 07:51 PM

The more hp and twist the engine produces beyond stock, the more likely you will break something.

I am on my second motor, second tranny and second blower. I am at the extreme end of the 'what can go wrong, will go wrong' spectrum.

If you are going to get a supercharger, install it yourself or have the most highly respected speed shop do it. Be sure to get everything in writing before you purchase the blower. Make sure you go over every scenario with the installer.

Make sure you get the tranny beefed up by IPT and get TruTrak for the rearend.

Ditch the factory manifolds and cats for performance headers and b-pipes.

Teh Wicked · 05-09-2008, 08:36 PM

Another thing to consider is after installing a super charger it is HIGHLY recommended that you run nothing but 91 or 93 octane to keep down detonation. Alot of people forget about this and end up popping there motors, or someone else drives the truck and puts in the cheap stuff not knowing any better.

Just something to keep in mind with these rising gas prices...

OkieTitan03 · 05-09-2008, 11:57 PM

how do you get ahold of IPT, website? phone #? thanks also what is UpRevs #? thanks again.

QShip · 05-11-2008, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teh Wicked

Another thing to consider is after installing a super charger it is HIGHLY recommended that you run nothing but 91 or 93 octane to keep down detonation. Alot of people forget about this and end up popping there motors, or someone else drives the truck and puts in the cheap stuff not knowing any better.

Just something to keep in mind with these rising gas prices...

Stillen tells you in the manual to use at least 91 octane.

They have a map that you can use if someone puts in 89 or lower.

QShip · 05-11-2008, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OkieTitan03

how do you get ahold of IPT, website? phone #? thanks also what is UpRevs #? thanks again.

Tell them Chad from CT referred you. http://www.importperformancetrans.com/nissanauto.shtml

Talk to Jared. http://www.uprev.com/

yellowspleen · 05-12-2008, 11:20 AM

Appreciate the info, I have the VK chip from Stillen now, so puttin' in the good stuff (93 octane) is par for the course. When you say "Beef up the tranny", what exactly is being beefed? What sort of cost is associated with the "beefing".

Teh Wicked · 05-12-2008, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yellowspleen

Appreciate the info, I have the VK chip from Stillen now, so puttin' in the good stuff (93 octane) is par for the course. When you say "Beef up the tranny", what exactly is being beefed? What sort of cost is associated with the "beefing".

Its really according to how far you want to take it. You can do simple upgrade and keep the cost low, or you can go hardcore and buy all new internals with a new stall and all the goodies and get up in the $1500 or more range.

Beffin up the tranny is a matter of changing fatory parts to hardened aftermarket parts that can withstand the abuse from the increase in power. New gears, syncro's, valve body, stall converter, etc...

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

yellowspleen · 05-12-2008, 01:36 PM

Interesting, I never would have guessed that the Nissan Tranny would be a weak point. Qship, you mentioned that you're on your second drive train. I hate to say it this way, but if the motor becomes dispossable once a blower is installed, no thanks! We never have this problem on VQ motors, what could be the problem? Better yet, without question, will I end up blowing up expensive bits if I decide to supercharge my truck, yes or no?

QShip · 05-12-2008, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yellowspleen

Interesting, I never would have guessed that the Nissan Tranny would be a weak point. Qship, you mentioned that you're on your second drive train. I hate to say it this way, but if the motor becomes dispossable once a blower is installed, no thanks! We never have this problem on VQ motors, what could be the problem? Better yet, without question, will I end up blowing up expensive bits if I decide to supercharge my truck, yes or no?

The tranny was not designed to withstand over 400ft/lbs to the wheel in a 1/2 ton truck. The same tranny that is in the 350 is in the Titan.

You blowing your motor will depend on the quality of the install, quality of gas and some things beyond your control.

yellowspleen · 05-13-2008, 05:55 AM

I would do the install myself, that way, if there is an installation error, I have no one to blame but me. Besides, I find the attention to detail available at my local speed shop to be a little NASCAR oriented. . .nothing wrong with that, just . . .different than my taste. I even went so far as to contact a NISMO advertised shop. Ultimately, all they do is bolt on mufflers, and intakes. Qship, I thank you for all your help. Can you possibly quantify what you mean by:

"You blowing your motor will depend on the quality of the install, quality of gas and some things beyond your control?"

I suspect I'm on the verge of beating a dead horse, but it is a somewhat difficult decision to make. I want the fun-ness and uniqueness of a S/C'd Titan, but worry about the expensive bits.

RyuTan · 05-13-2008, 08:34 AM

It really depends on what you are going to do with your truck. Can you nuke the tranny and motor, sure. Others have, and I am sure others will. Is it always a Stillen SC doing it? I don't think so. In my time lurking here, it appears that most of the problems caused by the Stillen SC are installation related. Just because you paid to have it installed doesn't mean they are going to treat your truck like you would. If you can read a very detailed manual, and have at least some know how, it can be done by most enthusiasts. As for the fear of destroying the tranny, if you are gonna drag race it alot, sure, its probably the best idea to get your tranny some TLC before trying to murder it. The Stillen SC is a complete kit, nothing else is required to make your truck streetable in its out of the box format. I lusted after one for a long time, and was in your position. I finally bit the bullet and did it myself. It ran just fine after install. I will say you probably will want to put in a TruTrac at some point. For every tranny issue I have read about, I have seen ten times more differential problems, and these from trucks that aren't modified much if at all. So once again I ask, what are you planning to do with yoru truck? If you want the best quarter mile times, the SC is porbably not the choice for you. If you want tunability, go snag Uprev, and mod your heart out, the Stillen SC kit is not end user tuneable in its current form. But if you just want to have a nice power adder, and that beloved supercharger whine, then this may be the option for you, it was definately what I wanted, and its been well over a year and 15,000 miles without any real issues. Only negative I have is I get a tad of belt squeal, but have not heard of anyone else with that issue.

yellowspleen · 05-13-2008, 09:54 AM

Ryutan,
I think I'm with you. I like to put my foot in it, but it is the exception, not the rule. I will admit ignorance, what is a trutrac?

QShip · 05-13-2008, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RyuTan

It really depends on what you are going to do with your truck. Can you nuke the tranny and motor, sure. Others have, and I am sure others will. Is it always a Stillen SC doing it? I don't think so. In my time lurking here, it appears that most of the problems caused by the Stillen SC are installation related. Just because you paid to have it installed doesn't mean they are going to treat your truck like you would. If you can read a very detailed manual, and have at least some know how, it can be done by most enthusiasts. As for the fear of destroying the tranny, if you are gonna drag race it alot, sure, its probably the best idea to get your tranny some TLC before trying to murder it. The Stillen SC is a complete kit, nothing else is required to make your truck streetable in its out of the box format. I lusted after one for a long time, and was in your position. I finally bit the bullet and did it myself. It ran just fine after install. I will say you probably will want to put in a TruTrac at some point. For every tranny issue I have read about, I have seen ten times more differential problems, and these from trucks that aren't modified much if at all. So once again I ask, what are you planning to do with yoru truck? If you want the best quarter mile times, the SC is porbably not the choice for you. If you want tunability, go snag Uprev, and mod your heart out, the Stillen SC kit is not end user tuneable in its current form. But if you just want to have a nice power adder, and that beloved supercharger whine, then this may be the option for you, it was definately what I wanted, and its been well over a year and 15,000 miles without any real issues. Only negative I have is I get a tad of belt squeal, but have not heard of anyone else with that issue.

For the squeal, you might want to tighten the pulley connected to the jack shaft.

Uprev can tune the Stillen kit to a degree. I have three maps for my truck.

QShip · 05-13-2008, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yellowspleen

I would do the install myself, that way, if there is an installation error, I have no one to blame but me. Besides, I find the attention to detail available at my local speed shop to be a little NASCAR oriented. . .nothing wrong with that, just . . .different than my taste. I even went so far as to contact a NISMO advertised shop. Ultimately, all they do is bolt on mufflers, and intakes. Qship, I thank you for all your help. Can you possibly quantify what you mean by:

"You blowing your motor will depend on the quality of the install, quality of gas and some things beyond your control?"

I suspect I'm on the verge of beating a dead horse, but it is a somewhat difficult decision to make. I want the fun-ness and uniqueness of a S/C'd Titan, but worry about the expensive bits.

There are a few people who lost their motors due to poor installs. The additional injectors weren't firing and it caused a lean condition.

For the gas, it might be better to go to the larger gas stations. The chance of getting crappy gas is less when compared to getting gas at the small generic gas station.

Sometimes stuff just breaks. The additional power from the s/c may find a weak spot in your motor that would never have been an issue had you remained stock.