I've done some pretty big automotive projects before. so I wasn't too worried about tackling the A&A Supercharger kit install by myself, on a friend's driveway over this weekend. What I didn't expect was for Hurricane Hanna to blow over just the only weekend I had available!
With 60mph winds and tropical rainstorms forecasted for the next 3 days, I was left having to find a garage for rent on Craigslist. What a bad idea! For $90 I am now working in a dark, unlit dungeon (no electrical power) that is spectacularly hot day and night and with a roof that leaks water like a sieve.
Under flashlight and headlamps, and with the help of my friend and fellow Corvette owner Mike, who drove from Conneticut to help me, I did the following:
Friday (2hrs): Removed intake, MAF, valve covers, radiator shroud, wheels, jacked the car up, chalked the rear tires and put it on jack stands
Saturday (12hrs): Removed ABS bracket, moved power steering rack, pinned crank (we used a breaker bar and the 3ft long handle of the car jack as an extension. The hardened steel breaker bar looked like it was going to snap in half, but the bolt finally gave. Repeated the procedure for tightening. Make sure the car is in gear for this!), tapped oil pan (very tight spot! We ran 10 qts of cheap oil through it to flush out any remaining chips that may have gotten stuck there), installed the oil feed line (requires backing out the power steering reservoir bolts almost all the way, and the radiator support spacers. The steering rack and abs bracket are back in but I am now trying to get those stupid power steering hoses back on: HUGE pain. You have a 2 inch space to tighten them with a wrench.
Sunday: I am going to post this and start working!
Some installation instructions:
Andy's kit does not come with a 1/4" dia drill for pinning the crank (also note that I had to take a dremel tool to the drill and cut off 1" from it in order for the drill to fit between the crank and the radiator), a 1/8" drill for the guide hole for the oil pan, or a 3/8" NPT Tap.
Also the instructions say you do not have to remove the front swaybar or the radiator. That may be true, but I found it impossible to continue with the swaybar on and you already have to pull the brackets, so it does not make sense to remove it. I haven't removed the radiator (yet), but I really wish I had; it gets in the way all the time!
The setup: My car is a 2006 C6 Z51 MN6 with Kooks 1 3/4" Ceramic coated headers and a full 3" Kooks catted X-pipe. It runs C6Z06 exhaust. Other mods include ported intake manifold, ported throttle body and a 160F thermostat. With this + a Vararam intake it dynoed 395rwhp 387rwtq on 91 octane as tuned by RPM Motors in Valencia, CA. It is a daily driver I've put 27,000 miles on it since purchasing it 5 months ago . The factory warranty (36000 miles) expired last week. How convenient, eh?
EDIT: This thread only deals with my install; If you are looking for my final results, they are on my Dyno Thread.
Last edited by PowerLabs; 09-29-2008 at 09:11 PM.
Reason: Edit
Yep I have had too many, "oh it will just take the weekend to do it" projects and after working 2, 12+ hour days your exhausted and pissed off because something didn't go right. There is something to be said about taking your time and enjoying the process.
One other note Powerlabs, the German Castrol 0W 30 is ten times better than the American crap, they use blended 3 grade in the American stuff. The GC out performs any oil on cold starts and is close to a 40 weight at 100 C. Viscosity of 12.1. The German stuff is the best oil out there IMHO, besides grade 5 race oil that is $20 a quart. You can only get it at Autozone! Keep us up to date on the install.
[snip] The steering rack and abs bracket are back in but I am now trying to get those stupid power steering hoses back on: HUGE pain. You have a 2 inch space to tighten them with a wrench. [snip]
I gave myself 3 days (Labor Day weekend) working alone and had to back out of the install Monday afternoon cuz the intercooler was not going to happen solo. Suggestion for the steering fittings: I cut a slot in a 12 point box end just big enough for the tube to fit through to turn it into a 12 point flare nut wrench. The 12 points made it possible to tighten the fitting in the tiny space. No leaks so far!
Put another full 12 hours of work on Sunday, but hose routing issues prevented me from getting it done. Ended up having to put another 5 hours in today (Monday). More isses:
The intake hit the intercooler; have to push it way back.
The intercooler hits the bumper. Had to trim the bumper a bit.
Its TIGHT!
Started it up and it fired up right away. Drove the car home (8 miles); it drives and feels completely stock (very careful driving since it is untuned). But!
IT IS BLEEEEDING OIL EVERYWHERE!!!
EDIT: Found out why: The supercharger oil feed line was not completely tight.
Oh, and I still have not been able to find a drill that can drill the frame for the intercooler bolts; everything hits the A/C condenser
EDIT: Cartek drilled those for me.
Kenne Bell boost-a-pump going in after dinner today and then I get it tuned at Cartek tomorrow
Last edited by PowerLabs; 09-11-2008 at 12:43 PM.
Reason: Completeness
Put another full 12 hours of work on Sunday, but hose routing issues prevented me from getting it done. Ended up having to put another 5 hours in today (Monday). More isses:
The intake hit the intercooler; have to push it way back.
The intercooler hits the bumper. Had to trim the bumper a bit.
Its TIGHT!
Started it up and it fired up right away. Drove the car home (8 miles); it drives and feels completely stock (very careful driving since it is untuned). But!
IT IS BLEEEEDING OIL EVERYWHERE!!!
I can't figure out why. It seems like it could be the oil return line but I tapped it well, tightened the hell out of it with silicone and put a clamp on the hose... It looks like engine oil from that area though
Oh, and I still have not been able to find a drill that can drill the frame for the intercooler bolts; everything hits the A/C condenser
Hope I can get the oil leak fixed. Kenne Bell boost-a-pump going in after dinner today and then I get it tuned at Cartek tomorrow
I had to buy a tight quarters drill to get it done, hope you find the problem quickly. Where do you put the one way check Valve?
I'm working outside on the Boost-A-Pump.
And it is raining.
And the ground has about 1/2" of standing water on it.
Add another $136 for a tent and some electrical supplies to the install. I think the tool/misc bill is nearing $700 now. Starting to think I should have paid a shop to do the install.
Add another $136 for a tent and some electrical supplies to the install. I think the tool/misc bill is nearing $700 now. Starting to think I should have paid a shop to do the install.
I hate to say it but you should have taken longer on your install. Maybe given yourself at least a 2 or 3 weeks of time so you wouldn't feel rushed. I couldn't have imagened finishing everything in a weekend.
I'm working outside on the Boost-A-Pump.
And it is raining.
And the ground has about 1/2" of standing water on it.
Oh, and I still don't know where the oil leak is coming from, but the front of the car is under 1" of standing water. It will be fun trying to find out. I don't get this: I was so careful, so meticulous with everything! Anti seize, locktite, silicone gasket maker, everything torqued and double checked... Where on earth could all that oil be coming from?
Add another $136 for a tent and some electrical supplies to the install. I think the tool/misc bill is nearing $700 now. Starting to think I should have paid a shop to do the install.
I try to tell people that all the time.... you might get it done cheaper but the time and aggravation just isnt worth it...
After a few installs they will be a breeze haha
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Allright, found the oil leak: It was coming from the engine block oil feed to the supercharger; the block adaptor was super tight but the line itself wasn't. Fixed that and now it is perfect.
Installed Boost-A-Pump. It was very easy and I did a superb job.
All good to go, tuning at Cartek in exactly 2 hours.
Corvette Store
Powerlabs' Supercharger install thread.
. The factory warranty (36000 miles) expired last week. How convenient, eh?
You seem to be taking it in stride and are making good progress
Keep us updated!
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