Forged Internals to Compliment Supercharger? Advice Please.

[SonnyakaPig]

Hello,

If a person were to install a Vortech V-3 Si-Trim supercharger on their otherwise stock L99 Camaro with around 8 psi of boost, what kind of

- forged internal engine components
- transmission upgrades
- rear end upgrades

would I need to help ensure years of worry free driving enjoyment?

I understand that the Vortech setup listed above is meant to work fine with a stock Camaro, but if one wanted to go further and beef up the engine, trans, and rear end, what would be needed?

Also, what kind of prices could be expected to build up the bottom end of an L99 engine to better withstand the extra boost? Prices to build up the trans and rear end? Btw, a rough approximation would help, doesn't need to be exact because there are obviously plenty of variables.

Thanks.

[ZZcamaro]

If you wanted to do it right you would do a complete rebuild with all forged internals... or just buy a new shortblock. I new shortblock can be had for 5000 if you shop around, and 6000 for one that will handle loads of power (ask me if interested).

As for a tranny... your stock tranny will hold pretty good power, but a new converter would be needed. The rear would need new axles. That seems to be what people are finding out would be needed.

[4SD FED]

I just had my engine worked on by victory racing engines vre here in Detroit, I would get a hold of Eric and ask him via pm. I think you will like what there doing

[speedster]

The Vortech is a one day install. Put it on go have some fun as is. Axles seem to be the weakest link. Drive that combo for a while. It will allow you to make a much more informed decision on what level of modifications you want. Most of all, enjoy !! I wish I had driven mine for more than 10 days before giving it up for a year for mods.

[Z_Rocks]

Originally Posted by SonnyakaPig

Hello,

If a person were to install a Vortech V-3 Si-Trim supercharger on their otherwise stock L99 Camaro with around 8 psi of boost, what kind of

- forged internal engine components
- transmission upgrades
- rear end upgrades

would I need to help ensure years of worry free driving enjoyment?

I understand that the Vortech setup listed above is meant to work fine with a stock Camaro, but if one wanted to go further and beef up the engine, trans, and rear end, what would be needed?

Also, what kind of prices could be expected to build up the bottom end of an L99 engine to better withstand the extra boost? Prices to build up the trans and rear end? Btw, a rough approximation would help, doesn't need to be exact because there are obviously plenty of variables.

Thanks.

I'm not sure how far you are from RPM in CA. They have built engines already you can pick and they do the entire work there. While you're there, take a look at their new TT setup.

[SonnyakaPig]

Thank you for all of the solid and informative responses so far. I really appreciate it.

After reading a lot of different opinions on this subject I get confused when I read explanations that say you must modify the stock engine internals because the stock motor will not handle any increased boost. And then other people say that the stock internals will be fine. And it seems that each of these opinions is backed up by real world experience.

If I put all of the advice together that I've read in this thread and other threads, I think the bottom line is that, the stock L99 engine can handle 500 rwhp but the rear end will be the weakest link. But, even at that power level you would be much safer to rebuild the entire engine and if you had plans to increase the power levels you would have to rebuild the motor with forged internals.

Another question I have is when people talk about centrifugal superchargers making their peak power at the highest rpms that the engine makes. This seems to create a risk for the stock L99 engine internals compared to tvs 2300 or K/B's or the like that make big power at lower rpms which would allow a stock L99 to use high power and not require the need to over tax the motor at the highest rpms to get the most out of the blower setup.

Would this be a fair explanation?

So are the centrifugals more dangerous for a stock L99 compared to a tvs or K/B?

[axis]

Originally Posted by SonnyakaPig

Thank you for all of the solid and informative responses so far. I really appreciate it.

After reading a lot of different opinions on this subject I get confused when I read explanations that say you must modify the stock engine internals because the stock motor will not handle any increased boost. And then other people say that the stock internals will be fine. And it seems that each of these opinions is backed up by real world experience.

If I put all of the advice together that I've read in this thread and other threads, I think the bottom line is that, the stock L99 engine can handle 500 rwhp but the rear end will be the weakest link. But, even at that power level you would be much safer to rebuild the entire engine and if you had plans to increase the power levels you would have to rebuild the motor with forged internals.

Another question I have is when people talk about centrifugal superchargers making their peak power at the highest rpms that the engine makes. This seems to create a risk for the stock L99 engine internals compared to tvs 2300 or K/B's or the like that make big power at lower rpms which would allow a stock L99 to use high power and not require the need to over tax the motor at the highest rpms to get the most out of the blower setup.

Would this be a fair explanation?

So are the centrifugals more dangerous for a stock L99 compared to a tvs or K/B?

The stock engine has been shown to handle 600+whp without a problem SO FAR. A lot depends on how you treat it. You can take a completely stock car and beat the hell out of it and it will die a premature death. You can also take a stock internal 700+whp car and make it last for many years. It's all about how you treat it.

Making HP at peak RPM is exactly what the stock engine does. I don't see how this is any worse than a high HP NA car. What this means is that the SC setup isn't maxed out yet. What the top mount Maggies, Whipples, Edelbrocks, and KB's do is make HIGH tq at low RPM's. This can be a good thing or bad thing, depending on your application and upgrade level. Think about it for drag racing. If you don't have upgraded axles and slicks, you'll be roasting your tires and breaking axles all the time. Adding slicks will help the spinning but will also put a tremendous amount of strain on the axles, suspension parts, and driveline. Centrifical SC's like the PC and VT give a more steady Tq increase instead of the instant increase. This is obviously easier on the driveline parts but it's still a strain on them. It's all about what your plans for the car are and how much $$ you want to invest. If you are new to car modding, I can tell you from experience that this is a NEVER ENDING quest. There's always something else to buy to either go faster, keep more of that HP to the ground, and general upkeep. New tires, new clutches, more frequent fliud changes, etc, will add up quickly. The SC and install price is just the beginning. Speed is like crack. You will NEVER get enough.

[SonnyakaPig]

Axis,

Great post!

Thanks for the feedback. That made a lot of sense. Even the comment about "crack." Here's Whitney Houston chiming in on the subject (embed didn't work but it's funny):

Back to boost... what you were saying about the torque curve was what I was talking about, in terms of the effect on the engine. But I confused it with horsepower.

Anyway, it's good to know these LS or L99 engines can handle the boosted power if you treat them right.