Official Supercharger Owner's Thread: Would you supercharge all over again?

[wileetoyote]

Thanks lockd80. Thats good input from a towing perspective as I too am towing a modified pop-up camper with two quads and a shiiteload of gear (thus the 5k load range). I think your 100lb dawgs outweigh my two teens though

I guess when I think about it, although I start out in 112 degree avg. weather here in the valley, it cools off rather drastically as I get up in elevation and that my main concerns would be the three or four steep grades (6-degree) with 95-100 degree outside temps. My locked and loaded SAS rock-crawler '89 V6 4Rnr would have to be pulled off to the side of the road to cool down on one of the longest of those grades after doing just 30mph in 2nd gear. Since I've had the LC80, that hasn't happened but doing 45mph at a screaming 4600rpm plain sucks.

So back to SC'd 80's in the Phoenix area, any issues when temps hit near record highs of 117 degrees towing or non-towing?

WET

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Can you elaborate a little more on this? I'm debating pulling the trigger on one of the last sets of TRD SC (maybe?). My main use would be for towing a 5k lb. load up to Payson (Mog Rim) AZ from Chandler to escape the heat. I'm concerned that even with my cooling system in tip-top shape that I'd overheat. What were your issues with driving or towing the SC'd 80 when you owned it?

fwiw - I do have an aux pusher fan.

Any other SC'd 80's here in the Phx area?

Thx.
WET

You will be fine until temps hit 100 degrees. Towing up north in the summer peak w/ a SC - NO WAY.

FWIW I had a Ron Davis Rad, modded fan clutch, modded fan shroud, 75% water, cut fender skirts, 3" exhaust, modded cat, large pusher fan, cooler plugs, and removed the TB heater.

In cooler temps with high altitude the SC rocked.

 

[concretejungle]

i'm speaking off the cuff here since i don't have a supercharger.... but i would imagine with all that you have done as far as cooling system, a intercooler or methane injection would really bring you into safe territory.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

i'm speaking off the cuff here since i don't have a supercharger.... but i would imagine with all that you have done as far as cooling system, a intercooler or methane injection would really bring you into safe territory.

A intercooler maybe... methane injection is not enough for AZ heat at it peak.

FWIW I sold my SC80 a while ago and now lives a happy life in cool Golden CO.

 

[Filmpros]

I disagree ... but that is me. I always want everything tweaked for maximum performance and efficiency. I also believe that a tweaked and dialed-in vehicle runs better and lasts longer. In addition, why go through all the trouble of Supercharging an engine and then fail to fine tune everything and anything ... within reason and budget ... to assure optimum performance and reliability?

Do it right or do it over I always say.

Again, unless specifically 'out of spec', IMO/E, I claim injector cleaning and balancing is a waste of money on an FZ motor. Your sheet tends to support my claim.

Scott J
94 FZJ80 Supercharged

 

[TeeDiggs]

granted, i havent check much into SCs or turbos, but i feel like a goober cause i always though turbos were for diesels and SC was for gassers only?.... im such a noob

thought a turbo was essencially just the SC equvalent for a diesel.

anyone want to give some real low down easy differences for me?

 

[mot]

I'll be the first one to admit that I don't know JACK about them, but here's what I think I've heard before:

Turbo spinning the turbine through the exhaust gas and might cause some "lag" if it's too large for your engine/application.

SC, gets power off of the engine (boost always on), no lag, but robs power from the engine (Can't recall how much %).

Anyway, I think there are a few dozen people who have stated it more eloquently than I have elsewhere on Mud/Net.

 

[SBFJ60FIG]

I'll be the first one to admit that I don't know JACK about them, but here's what I think I've heard before:

Turbo spinning the turbine through the exhaust gas and might cause some "lag" if it's too large for your engine/application.

SC, gets power off of the engine (boost always on), no lag, but robs power from the engine (Can't recall how much %).

Anyway, I think there are a few dozen people who have stated it more eloquently than I have elsewhere on Mud/Net.

For sure on the $$$. Largest benefit to to a turbo IMO is that it takes energy that one loses via the exhaust gases and puts it to work compressing the intake air charge for free in effect, that is no parasitic drag on the crank. So more power is available. Turbo's only real drawback is indeed a bit of lag for the turbo to start "spooling up." But for most people a turbo will be a good thing in almost all situations, but if you're rock crawling some of the benefits will not be there for you. Turbo's usually give you some very cool compressor noise too! But I've heard you get a little with the S/C too, but as mine is still on the garage floor I would not know.

The S/C gives you pretty good fit and finish, true bolt-on installing and likely little in the way of reliability issues. You can't really decide to get a bigger S/C as you can with a turbo and you lose some juice to the drag on the crank.

 

[cruiserdan]

You can't really decide to get a bigger S/C as you can with a turbo

Not exactly. You can change the diameter of the pulley(s) and alter the boost pressure up or down.

 

[cryorunner]

[on a 97 LX450]
New to the forums here - at least posting. Since there's so much great advice here, I wanted to at least add my $0.02 from the point of view of someone completely irresponsible and uninformed.

OK, I guess I did actually read all the scary warnings before installing the SC - you know, making sure it cools, the fuel system is up to par, etc. (including tons of great info from the folks here). But if I'd really listened to everything I probably would have been too lazy to actually ever do it. So I just slapped it in at 100kmiles, and couldn't be happier! No problems so far after 20kmiles over a few years, though I don't abuse it that bad, and it not my daily driver so if it does breakdown due to my stupidity it's not the end of the world.

As to doing it again, of course! Really makes that vehicle for me. It's not even that it makes it powerful, it's just that it makes it comfortable. I'd come from an underpowered older 4Runner, so I actually bought the SC within days of getting the LX. Took two days and some beers to get it in, but it really is truly bolt-on.

It's a little overkill at sea level, and I don't tend to push it here. But at altitude it's a godsend. I don't tow, and would certainly clean up my act before doing that! It only just sees short spurts of power when its needed.

When I decided to break down and spend the money on buying this dedicated dirt toy (knowing I'd do the SC basically at the same time) there were two items that I thought might end up being a waste of money: the supercharger and the lockers. In the end both of these things have saved my butt and gotten me places I couldn't have gone otherwise - or maybe better put gotten me out of dumb places I couldn't have gotten out of otherwise.

As for turbo vs. SC, I'm perfectly happy with what I have, but have not tried the turbo for comparison. Simply because the SC is very much a known quantity for me, if I ever got another 80 (or maybe 100) the SC would be purchased again on the same day.

[Certainly not recommending that anyone ignore advice from all the "experts" here]