2011 L99 Supercharger install overview and tips

[Tristahn]

The purpose of this post is to share my experience buying and installing some performance enhancing options on my 2011 Camaro 2SS L99.
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Purchasing
Magnuson and many other aftermarket companies set a MAP, this is known as a minimum advertised price.* This is done so that newer, smaller shops will carry and sell products and not get undercut by big on-line, low-margin sellers.* It maintains price integrity for the selling end but makes it difficult for buyers to get a really good deal.* Any advertised price that falls below MAP can actually result in a company being Black Listed and unable to carry the brand.* Depending on market conditions, some sellers will actually search for MAP violators and turn their competition in.* This is one of the reasons why on the forums you’ll see private messages sent (not advertised) regarding unit costs.* This is also why many of the big sellers offer packages.* Packages allow them to get below MAP on two unique products because the package deal doesn’t break the MAP for either of the standalone products and is considered an acceptable practice.* What this means for us as customers is a clear rationale to buy all your performance upgrades in one big purchase.* This lowers transaction costs, potentially shipping costs and the bigger sale gives the seller more wiggle room on MAP and willingness thin their margins.* Example – Willingness to sell the Cold Air Intake (CAI) at cost knowing they can make 10% on a $6000 supercharger.* ALWAYS pick up the phone and talk to a live person, your deals will be better and you will now have a name to contact should something happen with your order.* Not to mention, when you overlooked an item, that person will probably extend the discounting relationship to the one-off part you had to call back about.* Lastly is payment, and this is a touchy subject.* I did my research on sellers, calling the manufacturers directly (Magnuson and Kooks) and disclosed who I was considering buying from.* I listened to what they had to say and used volume of sales as a big determinant.* Why? Because I felt if I had an issue the manufacturer would be more responsive to their biggest retailers.* I also wanted to avoid the “Ponzi purchase” which is where my money goes to pay the sellers bills and I can’t actually get my product until someone else gives them new order money to buy my stuff.* I also liked the idea of a big shop because reputation is very important to them on these forums.* I did a wire transfer in the full amount (GULP!), kind of a bit unnerving but I did not want to pay the 2-4% transaction costs for using the credit card.* On a $9k deal that can cover a bunch of incidentals like cooler spark plugs, jugs of coolant, and a new MAP sensor.
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It’s of my opinion that the forum advertisers are upstanding sellers who appreciate us readers.* Most will work with you and share the same love for these vehicles.* Not to mention, they’re pretty good at giving advice on options.* After all my research and discussions I decided to go with a Maryland based seller.* The only issue I’d share is that the product delivery was widely spread.* Rotofab is in my state and the product was dropped shipped to me in a matter of days.* The custom coated headers took the longest and it took about one month.* I kind of knew this ahead of time and had set corresponding expectations for this.* But again, with a big order and a personal contact, I got updates very quickly and was completely satisfied with my experience.
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Installation
I am not a mechanic.* I am a 40 year old business man who can read a manual, search the internet and has some tools.* Don’t think that you need possess some magical powers to do this stuff.* There’s plenty of help out there including sending me a PM if you get stuck. Here’s what I installed:
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·******** Magnuson TVS 2300 with a 3.6 pulley (standard is a 3.8) and I did NOT get the Magnuson tune which saved me $200, I used a local dyno tuner in AZ (NicD)
·******** Kooks long tube headers 1 7/8” into 3” with high-flow cats and jet coated
·******** Magnaflow 3” competition series cat-back exhaust
·******** RotoFab Cold Air intake with Magnacharger connection tube
·******** ZL-1 Fuel pump kit
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All installation instructions can be obtained and printed prior to purchase.* I suggest reading them and seeing if you have the tools and aptitude to complete the installation.* You also can get an idea of what can be done while you’re waiting for parts to arrive.* I enjoyed my install and did it in the evenings after my kid went to bed and when I’d have access to friends who could help lift and align things.* The one thing I would change is I would run the installs together, for example I did the headers and superchargers as two unique and complete installs and it actually caused me unbolt things that I had recently installed, a total waste of time.
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Magnuson TVS 2300 Supercharger tips
Your tuner will appreciate it if you buy the MAP sensor that reads boost.* It’s about $70 from your local GM dealer and I wish Magnuson would have told me this prior to install as it would have been much easier to switch the MAP sensors before I’d installed and filled the coolant lines.
You must have a 10mm ¼” drive flex-head socket to tighten and torque the one bolt on the passenger side under the jackshaft.* There is no way around this, I tried every other tool option including a 3/8" drive flex and finally bought the ¼ drive socket.
Removing the harmonic balancer bolt is a beast of a job made easy by simply having an impact with 1000 ft lbs of torque.* They do not specify the torque requirement in the instructions but the light duty impacts can’t pull the bolt.** Also make sure you use a good compressor.
When re-installing the harmonic balancer bolt you will need to lock the balancer in place otherwise you will spin the crank when you apply the suggested torque angle.* I used a light duty motorcycle tie down strap and used the frame to hold it.* Just make sure the strap pulls straight and doesn’t press against fittings or other components.
The Bosch intercooler pump will run when the ignition turns on.* With the engine off and the pump running open the fluid reservoir and fill it up while it’s cycling.* This will save you several re-fills. *I used a 50/50 mix and did not re-use the old coolant.
The new serpentine belt is a beast to get on. I put a breaker bar on my tensioner bolt and pulled it forward using a tie down to my hood latch loop. This relieved the tension and gave me some room to muscle that beast on. Get the thing over all pulleys and make the smooth center hub the last thing you need to get it over.
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Kooks LT headers and Magnaflow exhaust install tips
Spoiler alert – This is not a true 3” exhaust since the connections at the cat-back Magnaflow and the cooks exit pipe are factory connects.* So technically the exhaust squeezes down through a small section of OEM size and then balloons back up to 3”.
Disconnecting the 4 O2 sensors needs to be done first.* They have a security clip that must be pulled before they can be released and unclipped.* The ones by the transmission are a challenge. *You don’t need to remove the sensors until the headers are off the vehicle. *Trust me, you’ll want to wait so you can get proper leverage.
Using an air ratchet will make this job a dream with all the header bolts and extended threads on the pipe connections
When you unscrew the O2 sensors from the stock pipes, use some penetrating lube.* Some people use heat as well; I just used a vice and leverage.*
Go light on the orange high temperature header sealant, a little goes a long way.
Lastly is the vibration that will come from the floor pan support bracket as your bigger pipe rubs against it.* Two steps to alleviate this.* 1 - Jack up the pipes by the support bracket and then fully tighten all pipe connects so you get more space.* 2 – When you put the floor pan support bracket back on you may need a washer or two to add a little extra space so it won’t rub or touch.* On-line you can find a drop bracket that’s bow-shaped to fix for this issue but I see no need to pay $100 for this when no one will ever see it.
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ZL1 Fuel Pump Install tips
I cut a hole under the backseat.* Courtesy of the images and posts on this topic, this job was simplified and now any future fuel pump issues are a snap.
Lift up the backseat by tugging up on the front edge right in line with the center of the two bucket seats.* There are two white clips that the seat gets snapped into.* Bungee cord the seat hooks to the child restraint clips on the rear window deck. *Now you have all the room you’ll need to complete this job.
Make the hole a round hole as it has greater strength and resistance to tearing than a square hole.* I used a small pneumatic die grinder, went very slow and used wet towels to capture all the filings.*
Buy the fuel ring removal tool off Amazon.* There is no way you want to whack at the ring with a hammer and screwdriver.
Gas is going to spill when you remove the old pump so do this in a well ventilated area.* The good news is that it drips on the tank and runs under the car, very little needs to be spilled inside the cabin.
Don’t let the fuel pump connectors drop into the tank.* The rubber seals will swell, get gummy and not snap into the new fuel pump correctly.* If this happens, let it dry out overnight and be careful when you clip it back on.
You will need to fabricate a cover plate for the hole you created.* Use shallow hex-head sheet metal screws and some silicone sealer to seal and affix the plate on.
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Miscellaneous
You will want to run cooler spark plugs in a supercharged engine.* I used Factory Delco ZR1 plugs .040 gap verified.
When you pull the coils on the supercharger install that marks the time you should pull and install the headers and new spark plugs.
With a supercharged engine you’ll need a catch can.* The hose you tap into is the driver’s side hose coming off the back of the heads and routing to the front of the supercharger.
My tuner “bench flashed” my ECM. *It’s snapped to the side of your fuse box and easily disconnects. *Doing this allowed me to start the car and drive it down to the dyno shop.
Be sure you have the octane gas you will be buying and running routinely in your tank when you take it to the tuner.
Make sure your tuner takes into account a few items: Do not report brake booster sensor issues (you are running positive pressure and the brake booster will throw a code), I had the DoD turned off and would advise that be done, VVT still in place.
We run 91 gas in AZ and all the upgrades gave me about 475/475 on the dyno. I will now be installing an Alkycontrol methanol kit and pullying down a touch more and adding a wide band sensor. This should put me over the magical 500 number I was searching for.*

[Homeless Man]

Gtfo