IPF Supercharger FAQ

[MagnumForceGB]

IPF Supercharger kit is no longer for sale
http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=415955

Since there seems to be a lot of questions asked about the IPF Supercharger kit, I am going to try to make a thread that will answer the most common questions.

What is the IPF Supercharger Kit?
A kit that contains everything needed to install a Centrifugal Supercharger on the LLT and LFX V6 Camaro's. It can either be installed at home over the weekend or by a shop in 1 day. The kit will also include access to tunes that you can select based off of your engine modifications.

What is a Centrifugal Supercharger?
In a nutshell, a belt-driven turbo. The engine's crankshaft drives the pulley on the supercharger which spins an impeller. The impeller spins at over 40,000 RPM's, drawing air into the housing. As the air is leaving the impeller it is high speed, but low pressure. It passes through a diffuser, which converts the air to low speed, high pressure air.

Is the IPF Supercharger my only choice to boost a LLT?
It is the most mature kit with a tune for the LLT. You can have a shop build a custom kit for you, but the tuning will be a problem. IPF invested a lot of money to get the Bosch ECU figured out (Arno is the head tuner at IPF and he was an engineer at Bosch). There is another kit that will claim to be just like IPF, stay away from them. Even though it looks just like the IPF kit (ripped off and made in Hong Kong), IPF will not support it.

Is the IPF Supercharger my only choice to boost a LFX?
With a LFX you have more tuning options, but IPF has the most support.

What is my expected power to be at?
Advertised at 435 HP for stock headers, 465 with long tube headers. Those are flywheel numbers, on a Dyno you will have lower numbers due to drivetrain loss.

I heard I should upgrade my Fuel Injectors?
False, the LLT and LFX come standard with 109 lb/hour fuel injectors, they will supply plenty of fuel. The fueling issues you may have heard is from the High Pressure Fuel Pump (HPFP), it will run out before the injectors. It is driven by the Driver Side Exhaust Cam, and the only way to upgrade it would be to add an extra lobe or a larger lobe.

Will my car stall?
If you have significant upgrades that cause better air flow at lower RPM's, it can happen. The upgrades cause your LTFT's to increase (positive numbers, adding fuel on top of the fuel table) so when your car is coasting to a stop it is adding more fuel than is needed. This eventually causes the car to stall. One solution that has worked is redoing the PCV system. The IPF Stock PCV system runs both PCV lines to a catch can, then from the catch can to the intake pipe. This system bypasses the Intake Manifold port that is used normally. An aftermarket catch can with a check valve on the intake manifold port (prevent boost pressure from reaching the crankcase) will solve 99% of the stalling issues. IPF is currently working on a PCV upgrade as well.

What octane gas should I use?
A minimum of 91 octane is highly recommended by IPF. If you accidently put anything lower than that, do not go above 2000 RPM's until you are able to fill it up with 91 octane (drain the tank from normal driving first). IPF also recommends that for high speed racing to mix 104+ octane with 91 octane at a 50/50 ratio. When the engine gets hotter there is more chance of detonation occurring, the higher octane will help with this.

How much boost can I expect?
On a 100% Stock V6 you should get 10 PSI of boost at 7300 RPM's. Once you start adding mods the engine will take in more air faster, thus lowering boost pressure a little bit. With full headers and intake manifold, 9 PSI is not uncommon. Air Density will also effect boost pressure, the lower the density the less boost you will get. If you are only getting 5 PSI, you have a boost leak and will need to check all your clamps and connections.

What is the By-pass valve and what direction should it be facing?
The By-pass valve diverts boosted air from the supercharger discharge tube to the supercharger inlet tube. When the throttle body is closed the pressurized air has nowhere to go and with the supercharger still spinning at high RPM's, it will eventually start slipping on the belt or the pressurized air will force itself back through the supercharger, causing damage. The By-pass valve will allow this pressurized air a way out without damaging the supercharger. It works by having a vacuum line on the intake manifold control the valve, so when the throttle body is closed and a vacuum is in the manifold, the valve opens. When there is no vacuum in the manifold the valve is closed, allowing no air to by-pass so boost is built.

I have mine with the vacuum line facing away from the boost pipe, opposite of how IPF has theirs setup. I feel this allows the boost pressure to release easier and holds boost better since the piston is sealed on the pressure side.

What happens if the serpentine belt breaks?
If this happen you will either need to get a Gates K061066 belt from any auto parts store, or you could bypass the supercharger and use the stock belt. To do this you will need to remove the lowest idler pulley, then route the OEM pulley on the stock way. Even with the IPF Supercharger Tune installed the car will still run without the supercharger spinning, just take it easy and do not go WOT.
From Sycraft:

Remove the 2 idler bolts, loosen and remove 3 small bolts over pulley with spacers, loosen the lower 2 mounting bolts and then you can route the belt off the SC pulley and replace, reverse is opposite of removal, I torque pulley bolts last, don't know if it matters though

What are the supercharger maintenance requirements?
Initial supercharger oil change should be performed at 2,500 miles. After that then change it every 7,500 miles. I buy my oil in a 3-pack from Summit Racing.

Can I drive my car in cold weather?
Vortech does not recommend doing a cold startup in temperatures below 25 degrees F without an engine block heater or aftermarket engine blacket. Due to the tight clearance of the internals it will cause the supercharger to immediately fail.

What are the general warm-up guidelines for the Vortech Supercharger?
Do not operate your engine at full-throttle until the engine oil is warmed up. Try to keep the RPM's below 2,500 RPM's until then. A 4-gauge pack helps with this, I usually don't put the hammer down until the oil is at least 150 degrees.

With the Air Filter sitting so low, do I have to worry about sucking up water?
Yes, but generally you will have to be in the throttle pretty hard. If you do not have a rain sock on your filter then stay below 2000 RPM's. If you have a rain sock then you can go a little higher, but try to stay out of boost. If water gets into the air filter it will hit the MAF throwing off the readings. It will feel like your brakes engaged hard and may throw some lights on. You may have to clean your MAF after this event, but you most likely will never get hydrolocked.

Can I use high-flow cats with my supercharger?
No, they will melt and eventually block exhaust flow, destroying the engine. Either use the stock headers with stock cats, or if you have long tubes gut your high flow cats or put a straight pipe in its place.

Any accessories that are recommended?
I highly recommend a boost gauge and air-fuel ratio gauge. This will allow you to keep tabs on the engine health. Your AFR should be 12:1 at WOT.

What kind of upgrades can I do to the kit?
Smaller Supercharger Pulley:
Going to a smaller pulley will spin the impeller faster, building up more boost and at a lower RPM range.

Water/Methanol Injection:
Injecting Water/Methanol will lower your intake temperatures and raise your octane level, so you will not have to buy 104 gas when racing.

Intake Air Temperature Relocation:
The stock IAT sensor is located in the MAF, in front of the supercharger. As the boost builds the air gets heated up, but is cooled down from the intercooler. Occasionally though the intercooler will get heat soaked and the IAT's will be high, causing high detonation. What the relocation does it put it just before the throttle body, allowing the ECU to know exactly what temperature the air is at, raising and lowering the timing advance as needed.

Catch Can:
Going to an aftermarket catch can will prevent oil from entering the intake tube. The IPF can works decent, but to get 100% oil out of the intake, an aftermarket can would be better.

Technical Specs:
Supercharger:
Vortech V3 SCi
Max Speed: 53,000 RPM
Max Boost: 17 PSI
Max Flow: 1050 CFM
Max Power: 725 HP
Peak Efficiency: 75%
Discharge Outer Diameter: 2.75"
Inlet Outer Diameter: 3.5"
Discharge Inner Diameter: 2.38"
Inducer Diameter: 3.1"
Standard Pulley Size: 3.80"

Intercooler:
Mishimoto S-Line (Unconfirmed)
Overall Size: 31" x 12" x 3"
Core Size: 23" x 12" x 3"
CFM: 1250
Inlet/Outlet Diameter: 3"
Max Recommended PSI: 32
Fin Pitch: 15 Fins/Inch

Air Filter:
Airaid 701-455 SynthaMax (700-455 is the oiled SynthaFlow filter)
Flange: 4"
Base: 6"
Top: 4-5/8"
Height: 6"
Air Filter Wrap: Airaid Part #: 799-450
Possible Upgrades: 700-455RD (Race Day), 700-455TD (Track Day).
Race Day filters will only protect against large debris and can not be used off concrete or asphalt. Track Day filters might be worth looking at.

Serpentine Belt:
LLT Standard Pulley: Gates Micro-V K061066, Goodyear Gatorback ???????
LLT 3.48" Pulley: Gates Micro-V K061058
LLT 3.25" Pulley: Goodyear Gaterback 4061055
LFX Standard Pulley: Gates Micro-V K061075, Goodyear Gatorback ???????

Spark Plugs:
1 Step Colder: Denso ITV22, pre-gapped @ 0.032"
2 Step Colder: Denso ITV24, pre-gapped @ 0.032"

By-Pass Valve:
Evolution Motorsports By-Pass Valve
Opening Vacuum: -5 in/hg
Full Open Vacuum: -9 in/hg

Supercharger-Engine Bracket Screws:
M12 x 50mm Flat Head Socket Cap Screws (2)
M12 x 70mm Flat Head Socket Cap Screws (1)
M12 x 80mm Flat Head Socket Cap Screws (2)
M10 x 20mm Flat Head Socket Cap Screws (2)
M8 x 60mm Flat Head Socket Cap Screws (2)
M8 x 45mm Socket Head Cap Screw (3)

Supercharger Head Unit Screws:
M12 x 20mm Flat Head Socket Cap Screws (2)
M12 x 40mm Flat Head Socket Cap Screws (1)
M10 x 75mm Flat Head Socket Cap Screws (2)
M8 x 30mm Flat Head Socket Cap Screws (4)

[MagnumForceGB]

Accessories:

Boost Leak Tester:
http://www.turboboostleaktesters.com...22-%5D-/Detail
This is what I use, I install it on the intake of the Vortech unit itself, pressurize it with my tire inflator and listen to leaks. Pretty straight forward.

Gauges:
I use PLX DM-6 Gauges, when used with the PLX Sensor Modules I can change which gauge shows what. I could have both showing AFR's on both banks, showing boost, or any other sensors I have. I also have a DM-100 gauge that can read 4 parameters from the OBD2 port and display them on the DM-100 gauge or the DM-6 gauges. The DM-6 Gauges can display line graph and min/max values. You can also setup a warning based on 2 parameters, like your AFR going above 14:1 while your Boost is above 6 PSI.

This is what I bought:
http://www.plxdevices.com/product_in...DBDSMAFR_DM6G3
http://www.plxdevices.com/product_info.php?id=SEMOSMVB
http://www.plxdevices.com/product_in...MULTDM100TOUCH

I also have an Autometer A-Pillar dual pod and will soon have a SLP steering wheel gauge pod.


Water/Methanol Kit:
Water/Methanol kit will allow you to run 91 octane gas but when you spray will increase the octane to 104 or higher. This will allow less knock retard and can also decrease the Air Intake Temperature. The best way to do this though is to relocate the IAT sensor into the charge pipe just before the throttle body. I use Snow Performance Stage 2 kit, but I would highly recommend looking at an AIS kit, they have a meth tank that will sit perfectly in the trunk on the driver side. I unfortunately had a subwoofer there and couldn't use it.

Intake Air Temperature Relocation:
This will allow an accurate reading of the air temperature going into the intake manifold. As your boost increases so does the temperature. Even though it does get cooled down by the intercooler the temperatures will rise the longer you are in boost. Your true IAT could be 40 degrees higher than what the sensor on the MAF saw. I will post part numbers when I get a chance to get everything together.

Oil Catch Cans:

Air Filter Rain Guard:
Airaid Filter Wrap: Part # 799-450
This is used to prevent rain from soaking the filter. Filter can still get wet if you dunk it in water, but a Camaro is not a great sea-faring vessel.
https://www.airaid.com/ProductDetail...ductID=799-450

[DSX_Camaro]

Great post!

[Lil' Nasty]

Great thread.

As per vortech's site... boosting pass 10#'s will "require a Vortech Maxflow Mondo or Maxflow racing bypass valve."

[Desertion]

Nice write up!

[MagnumForceGB]

Originally Posted by Lil' Nasty

Great thread.

As per vortech's site... boosting pass 10#'s will "require a Vortech Maxflow Mondo or Maxflow racing bypass valve."

That will require some custom fabrication which I will have to do soon. Expensive too.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/vo...-060/overview/

[Black Knight]

Great thread magnum , this will help a lot of members wanting to go FI with IPF

[KMPrenger]

Great post.

[sycraft]

Good job. as far as spares, get a belt and pulley bearings as they are hard to come by if needed. Always be prepared when going any modded route as they are specific hard to find items. Build a tool kit too for emergency use. The ZL1 pump can help with fuel issues, but not needed. When installing its the little things like soldering the Maf wires if no harness is used and covering with marine grade shrink wrap, an air filter cover for wet conditions and making sure the power steering hose is routed and supported properly so it does not pinch and cause a restriction. Change the SC oil early and then often for longevity, Vortech says over 100k miles between major services with proper oil changes. Then you can customize to your hearts content, just be safe.

[MagnumForceGB]

This is the one that IPF uses it looks like:
http://www.evoms.com/product_p/ebdvkstd.htm

Think it is stronger than the standard one Vortech uses. Don't know if the MaxFlow one would be an improvement.

[Ventmaster]

Excellent post and good reference for replacement parts or upgrades.
One question- when you say your bypass vac. line is facing away from the boost pipe do you mean away from the S/C or away from the intercooler? IOW- horizontal or pointing at the ground?

Thanks again for your effort on the post!

[sycraft]

mine is towards the ground- IPF recommendation, I believe he has his away from the IC

[wutshotDJroomba]

very informative write-up MagnumForceGB, as well as all the extra input from others who've put some time in with their IPF.

[MagnumForceGB]

Originally Posted by Ventmaster

Excellent post and good reference for replacement parts or upgrades.
One question- when you say your bypass vac. line is facing away from the boost pipe do you mean away from the S/C or away from the intercooler? IOW- horizontal or pointing at the ground?

Thanks again for your effort on the post!

Mine faces away from the intercooler, horizontal, when I searched for how others do it they do it with the valve being pushed on by the boost pressure. It is also how Snow Performance recommends with their Safe Injection Bypass Solenoid, it will prevent pressure from building up if no meth is flowing.

It also looks better since how the internals look on the valve, the side opposite of the vacuum port looks like it seals a lot better than the other side.

I also updated the FAQ to include what to do if you break your belt, let me know if it is correct since I have never done it.