New A&A Supercharger by Stenod Performance
11-25-2010, 01:39 AM
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New A&A Supercharger by Stenod Performance
After a year of evaluating various FI set ups and drooling over them, I am finally having my own done! Not an ideal time for Northern Illinois but I was trying to take advantage of the winter sales. My 2007 C6 LS2 is stock except for a Chuck COW street tune and I installed a Borla Stinger cat back. Just before taking it to Stenod Performance in Troy, MI, my son and I installed Stainless Works 1-3/4" headers and catted x-pipe. The headers made a deeper tone at idle but drone on the highway was reduced to my pleasant surprise. It is noticeably louder under acceleration though.
I chose an A&A V3 Si trim, meth kit, Rev-Xtreme catch can, ACT twin disk clutch and Auto Meter pod mounted boost and fuel pressure gauges. Stenod found leaks in the half shaft seals and back up solenoid O ring once they started so they replaced them. The initial dyno run showed 359 rwhp and 346 lb-ft of torque at 6190 rpm. They expect to complete the tuning on December 3 and I can hardly wait since even the headers made a noticeable improvement in acceleration.
Pics of progress so far.
Initial dyno run.
Had leak in both half shaft seals and O ring for back-up solenoid.
Oil and dirt covered the differential case.
Differential and rear cradle (not shown) were power washed.
New half shaft seals installed and solenoid O ring (not shown).
ACT twin disk clutch. Flywheel not shown.
New flywheel installed.
Drive train being re-installed.
The big dog arrived Tuesday, Nov 23. Installation and tuning expected to be completed Friday, Dec 3. Will go up to observe final tuning.
This will be the longest 10 days I have experienced but I definitely have a lot to be thankful for - family and friends as well as the work on my car. Happy Thanksgiving to all.
I chose an A&A V3 Si trim, meth kit, Rev-Xtreme catch can, ACT twin disk clutch and Auto Meter pod mounted boost and fuel pressure gauges. Stenod found leaks in the half shaft seals and back up solenoid O ring once they started so they replaced them. The initial dyno run showed 359 rwhp and 346 lb-ft of torque at 6190 rpm. They expect to complete the tuning on December 3 and I can hardly wait since even the headers made a noticeable improvement in acceleration.
Pics of progress so far.
Initial dyno run.
Had leak in both half shaft seals and O ring for back-up solenoid.
Oil and dirt covered the differential case.
Differential and rear cradle (not shown) were power washed.
New half shaft seals installed and solenoid O ring (not shown).
ACT twin disk clutch. Flywheel not shown.
New flywheel installed.
Drive train being re-installed.
The big dog arrived Tuesday, Nov 23. Installation and tuning expected to be completed Friday, Dec 3. Will go up to observe final tuning.
This will be the longest 10 days I have experienced but I definitely have a lot to be thankful for - family and friends as well as the work on my car. Happy Thanksgiving to all.
11-26-2010, 12:32 AM
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I asked for recommendations from the Forum prior to going with Stenod and got several thumbs up on them. Joe seems very customer oriented and CF members said Phil is top notch at tuning. I will post more updates as I get them.
My son and I are going to go up for the full final day of tuning to observe the process and learn. We are both gearheads and have raced karts together for 33 years. The C6 almost has him turned from the dark side (Ford Mustang) so I am sure the A&A will do it.
My son and I are going to go up for the full final day of tuning to observe the process and learn. We are both gearheads and have raced karts together for 33 years. The C6 almost has him turned from the dark side (Ford Mustang) so I am sure the A&A will do it.
11-27-2010, 05:33 PM
#7
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Good stuff. Joe has had his fingers in a number of extreme HP LSx combos. Phil has tuned tons of forced induction Corvettes.
Your wait is really several months until the weather warms up, not ten days.
If you open up a 500+ rwhp car on roads this cold expect to lose control of the car.
Your wait is really several months until the weather warms up, not ten days.
If you open up a 500+ rwhp car on roads this cold expect to lose control of the car.
) after I talk to Joe.
12-01-2010, 12:29 AM
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After a well-deserved break for Thanksgiving, the crew at Stenod was back at work on the installation. On Monday they got the blower installed and reinstalled the bumper cover on Tuesday. Although not shown here, when completed, the intercooler will have the closure panels to help guide the air and prevent any from bypassing the intercooler. The high quality bypass valve was installed behind the bumper near the brake cooling duct where it will be protected from grime and water. Andy just got the shipment of redesigned lower hoses that improved clearance around the sway bar and he was able to get it into our shipment. The new hose fits perfectly and looks like an OEM piece. My goal is to have a very well performing street car without getting to the point of being likely to break ring lands, etc. Initially I wanted to be at 700 - 750 rwhp but backed off to avoid changing the fuel pump or being on the absolute edge with meth. After all, my car will be a daily driver for as much of the year as possible when Northern Illinois roads are free of ice, slush and salt. Therefore we will probably be closer to 600 rwhp with a 3.6" pulley and about 10 psi.
The meth kit is being installed. We initially were going to put an auxiliary tank in one of the cubbies but decided not to because of concerns about the long lines and possible problems with meth flow. I wanted to be able to use my windshield washers since the car will be driven in rain or worse if I am unlucky enough to get caught out in snow. We will use the windshield washer tank for the meth and Joe will install a small 1 quart tank for washer fluid in front of the radiator or intercooler on the driver's side. The A pillar mounted Auto Meter boost and fuel pressure gauges have been ordered and will be installed on Wednesday. Street tuning will be done and the new ACT twin disk clutch will be broken in with local stop-and-go driving prior to doing the dyno tuning. The goal is to complete dyno tuning by Friday, December 3. This will just beat the bad weather because we got cold weather and some very light snow at my house today and Michigan is probably worse. More pics of progress follow.
This is the new intercooler being installed in the car.
The new design lower intercooler hose fits around the sway bar without interference of any kind. A&A received the new hoses just before Stenod ordered my kit.
Blower installed in the engine bay.
Bypass valve installed near the front brake cooling duct behind the bumper cover where it is protected from debris from the street.
3.6" blower pulley expected to make about 10 psi and 600 rwhp.
Joe has done an excellent job of keeping me informed of progress and to let me know about any unexpected issues such as the differential leaks. I have pestered him with lots of questions and he has patiently provided explanations and advice on alternatives. The wealth of experience of Joe and his team really shows.
The meth kit is being installed. We initially were going to put an auxiliary tank in one of the cubbies but decided not to because of concerns about the long lines and possible problems with meth flow. I wanted to be able to use my windshield washers since the car will be driven in rain or worse if I am unlucky enough to get caught out in snow. We will use the windshield washer tank for the meth and Joe will install a small 1 quart tank for washer fluid in front of the radiator or intercooler on the driver's side. The A pillar mounted Auto Meter boost and fuel pressure gauges have been ordered and will be installed on Wednesday. Street tuning will be done and the new ACT twin disk clutch will be broken in with local stop-and-go driving prior to doing the dyno tuning. The goal is to complete dyno tuning by Friday, December 3. This will just beat the bad weather because we got cold weather and some very light snow at my house today and Michigan is probably worse. More pics of progress follow.
This is the new intercooler being installed in the car.
The new design lower intercooler hose fits around the sway bar without interference of any kind. A&A received the new hoses just before Stenod ordered my kit.
Blower installed in the engine bay.
Bypass valve installed near the front brake cooling duct behind the bumper cover where it is protected from debris from the street.
3.6" blower pulley expected to make about 10 psi and 600 rwhp.
Joe has done an excellent job of keeping me informed of progress and to let me know about any unexpected issues such as the differential leaks. I have pestered him with lots of questions and he has patiently provided explanations and advice on alternatives. The wealth of experience of Joe and his team really shows.
12-01-2010, 09:49 PM
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It is getting to the point that I am having trouble sleeping nights. 
I have tried not to think about it (much) and was geared up to pick it up this Friday but it might be late. 
The meth kit was delivered to Stenod a day late and the oil catch can is late. Finishing them will probably delay clutch break-in enough that the final dyno tuning will have to wait until Monday. Will find out prospects tomorrow.
Thanks to everyone who gave the thumbs up to Stenod. It makes me feel good about the final outcome. Should get a few more pics tomorrow of gauges and finishing everything up.
I have tried not to think about it (much) and was geared up to pick it up this Friday but it might be late. The meth kit was delivered to Stenod a day late and the oil catch can is late. Finishing them will probably delay clutch break-in enough that the final dyno tuning will have to wait until Monday. Will find out prospects tomorrow.Thanks to everyone who gave the thumbs up to Stenod. It makes me feel good about the final outcome. Should get a few more pics tomorrow of gauges and finishing everything up.
12-03-2010, 06:29 PM
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Knowing how eager I am to get my mitts on the car, Phil rearranged his schedule so he could complete dyno tuning on Saturday. My son and I wanted to be present to observe and learn and Phil graciously helped us out! 
They finished wiring and testing the meth system and gauges yesterday. I was going to use a Rev-Xtreme oil catch can but the company is under new management and the can did not arrive. Although a number of people have dumped oil fumes into the air, that is something I was trying to avoid. Joe said the A&A method works well and does not vent to the air and most customers use their method so that is what we did. Although I ordered a Racetronix wiring harness for the BAP, we didn't need to use it. A&A switched from Kenne Bell to the Flow Charger BAP and includes a wiring harness! It runs power directly from the alternator for higher voltage at the BAP. Thanks A&A for another upgrade to your kit! 
Installation is now complete and they said the car sounds strong. Phil will do clutch break-in and street tuning today and Saturday morning. My son and I should arrive about mid morning in time to watch the final dyno tuning. There is a potential complication with getting my hands on the car Saturday. We have to go around Lake Michigan and they are predicting lake effect snow for Indiana and lower Michigan tonight that might delay us getting there. However, "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these horsepower junkies from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." One way or the other, we WILL get there.
A few more pics follow.
We put high temp sleeves around the extensions for the rear O2 sensors and tie wrapped them to the heat shielding in the tunnel but Stenod rerouted them for better clearance from the exhaust pipes.
This shows the oil drain line for the Vortech V3 self contained head unit.
They installed a remote clutch bleeder. The braided line runs along side the brake reservoir. We used the w/w tank as the meth reservoir. This is a daily driver so I might need the fluid but in that case, I definitely won't be in boost.
Auto Meter Ultralite pod mounted gauges unlit.
Gauges lit up. They should have very good visibility at night.
Engine bay.
Overview of engine bay - COMPLETED!!
They finished wiring and testing the meth system and gauges yesterday. I was going to use a Rev-Xtreme oil catch can but the company is under new management and the can did not arrive. Although a number of people have dumped oil fumes into the air, that is something I was trying to avoid. Joe said the A&A method works well and does not vent to the air and most customers use their method so that is what we did. Although I ordered a Racetronix wiring harness for the BAP, we didn't need to use it. A&A switched from Kenne Bell to the Flow Charger BAP and includes a wiring harness! It runs power directly from the alternator for higher voltage at the BAP. Thanks A&A for another upgrade to your kit! Installation is now complete and they said the car sounds strong. Phil will do clutch break-in and street tuning today and Saturday morning. My son and I should arrive about mid morning in time to watch the final dyno tuning. There is a potential complication with getting my hands on the car Saturday. We have to go around Lake Michigan and they are predicting lake effect snow for Indiana and lower Michigan tonight that might delay us getting there. However, "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these horsepower junkies from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." One way or the other, we WILL get there.
A few more pics follow.We put high temp sleeves around the extensions for the rear O2 sensors and tie wrapped them to the heat shielding in the tunnel but Stenod rerouted them for better clearance from the exhaust pipes.
This shows the oil drain line for the Vortech V3 self contained head unit.
They installed a remote clutch bleeder. The braided line runs along side the brake reservoir. We used the w/w tank as the meth reservoir. This is a daily driver so I might need the fluid but in that case, I definitely won't be in boost.
Auto Meter Ultralite pod mounted gauges unlit.
Gauges lit up. They should have very good visibility at night.
Engine bay.
Overview of engine bay - COMPLETED!!
12-05-2010, 06:21 PM
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12-06-2010, 01:00 AM
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My son and I arrived at Stenod Performance about 10:00 am on Saturday. While waiting for Phil to finish clutch break-in, we walked around the shop looking at a couple of other street cars and about a dozen race cars including one in from General Motors for development work. After Phil arrived, he and Joe readied the car for dyno testing. We have participated in dyno tuning for my son's race kart engines but had not seen a complete car tune so we were especially interested in it. Phil tunes in stages starting at lower rpms and makes adjustments in various parameters before going to the next higher rpm band. At the end, he got what he thought was the maximum power and then made a couple of other adjustments to clean up a high rpm dip in the power curve. Finally he did one more run to verify the issue was fixed. Phil and Joe explained in general terms what they were trying to accomplish between runs. All-in-all it was very interesting.
This is the car just before being put on the dyno platform. I bought chrome repro Z06 wheels so I could get 11" rears for the 305 Nitto Invo's I bought from a Forum member. As soon as I get back home, the run craps will go back on until snow and salt are banished from Illinois roads.
Phil in the car and Joe discuss changes during tuning.
Now for the results. As a review of the equipment, the car started with a street tune on the stock engine. We added a Borla Stinger cat back and 1-3/4" Stainless Works headers with a catted 2-1/2" x-pipe without re-tuning. It made 359 rwhp at 6190 rpm and 346 #-ft of torque at 4865 rpm "before" on the Mustang dyno. Stenod added the A&A V3 Si trim with a 3.6" pulley and Alky Control meth system. While in there they put in an ACT twin disk clutch and replaced seals in the differential. "After" it made 604 rwhp at 6681 rpm and 518 #-ft of torque at 5491 rpm. Maximum horsepower went up 245 or 68% and maximum torque went up 171 or 49%. With the 3.6" pulley, it made a maximum of 12 psi which is in the area we were shooting for. We were not trying to be on the ragged edge since this will be a daily driver and I don't want to replace a motor anytime soon so I am well satisfied with the numbers.
The combined dyno sheet with "before" and "after" results follows.
Joe shaking hands with me as he turned the car back to me for the drive home.
Coming home was pretty uneventful. There were a lot of LEO's hiding out in Michigan when I drove up initially and Michigan is a long way from home to get a ticket. Besides I wanted to feel out the car before doing anything crazy. The car seems stock when you are not in boost except for a slight blower whine at times and a slight sshhh sound when shifting gears as the bypass valve operates. By the time we got close to Lake Michigan, the rain and sleet started. Snow didn't stick but the roads were wet. However, today the roads were dry even though it is cold. Of course, there was no use nailing the throttle in first or second. Even when rolling at 60+ mph in third, the tires would spin and I think they spun in fourth as well. We didn't try for any all out runs but the car accelerates unbelievably fast and seems like it doesn't want to stop as long as you keep the pedal down. This is an unqualified success! I would like to thank Joe Borschke, Phil Hoefler and Dan Shuler for the excellent job they did with my car.
This is the car just before being put on the dyno platform. I bought chrome repro Z06 wheels so I could get 11" rears for the 305 Nitto Invo's I bought from a Forum member. As soon as I get back home, the run craps will go back on until snow and salt are banished from Illinois roads.
Phil in the car and Joe discuss changes during tuning.
Now for the results. As a review of the equipment, the car started with a street tune on the stock engine. We added a Borla Stinger cat back and 1-3/4" Stainless Works headers with a catted 2-1/2" x-pipe without re-tuning. It made 359 rwhp at 6190 rpm and 346 #-ft of torque at 4865 rpm "before" on the Mustang dyno. Stenod added the A&A V3 Si trim with a 3.6" pulley and Alky Control meth system. While in there they put in an ACT twin disk clutch and replaced seals in the differential. "After" it made 604 rwhp at 6681 rpm and 518 #-ft of torque at 5491 rpm. Maximum horsepower went up 245 or 68% and maximum torque went up 171 or 49%. With the 3.6" pulley, it made a maximum of 12 psi which is in the area we were shooting for. We were not trying to be on the ragged edge since this will be a daily driver and I don't want to replace a motor anytime soon so I am well satisfied with the numbers.
The combined dyno sheet with "before" and "after" results follows.
Joe shaking hands with me as he turned the car back to me for the drive home.
Coming home was pretty uneventful. There were a lot of LEO's hiding out in Michigan when I drove up initially and Michigan is a long way from home to get a ticket. Besides I wanted to feel out the car before doing anything crazy. The car seems stock when you are not in boost except for a slight blower whine at times and a slight sshhh sound when shifting gears as the bypass valve operates. By the time we got close to Lake Michigan, the rain and sleet started. Snow didn't stick but the roads were wet. However, today the roads were dry even though it is cold. Of course, there was no use nailing the throttle in first or second. Even when rolling at 60+ mph in third, the tires would spin and I think they spun in fourth as well. We didn't try for any all out runs but the car accelerates unbelievably fast and seems like it doesn't want to stop as long as you keep the pedal down. This is an unqualified success! I would like to thank Joe Borschke, Phil Hoefler and Dan Shuler for the excellent job they did with my car.