Today we're gonna be looking at the Vortech Supercharger System in black for the 2011
to 2014 Manual GTs.
This is a kit that you're gonna wanna check out if you're looking for a centrifugal supercharger
in black that comes as a complete kit, which is gonna include an air-to-air intercooler,
and an SCT SF3 inner programmer.
You have to perform very little modification to get this installed on the '11 to '14.
There's a few coolant system modifications that you're gonna to need to make, which we
will cover in a little bit.
This is a self-lubricating supercharger, and that means that you won't need to tap into
the engine oil, which some people do try to avoid.
This kit is great for someone looking to boost their Coyote, but be able to drive it like
it's stock still.
The install's gonna be a three out of three on the difficulty meter, and you can expect
to spend a day or two in the garage getting this installed.
In the world of superchargers you have two options.
You can go with a roots-style blower, or a centrifugal supercharger.
They're two very different styles of forced induction.
This kit here includes a centrifugal supercharger, which is a compressor because it compresses
the air.
A roots-style blower doesn't do this.
Simply speaking, it's an air mover, not a compressor.
You're gonna get different power curve with a roots-style versus centrifugal-style.
A roots-style tends to make more boost and lower rpms than centrifugals do, but centrifugals
are more efficient with higher boost numbers, and they don't have to battle heat soak like
roots-style blowers do.
So just know that before you make your decision on what's right for you and your build.
There are pros and cons to each type of setup.
Moving on to this kit that we have here, one of the things that I like most about this
kit is that it's a complete kit.
You order this and you'll have almost everything you need to complete the install.
The only things that you're gonna be missing are normal, outside items, like your spark
plugs and your coolant.
You will be draining your coolant, so you're gonna need replacement.
And, of course, you will need a new set of spark plugs for the boost.
That stuff aside, this kit's gonna come with a head unit, which is the V3 SI black supercharger,
the air-to-air intercooler, an SCT programmer so you can get your custom tune started easily,
a 98 millimeter MAF housing, high-flow replacement fuel injectors, air inlet assembly ducting,
air filter, a Maxflow Race Bypass Valve with a filter, which you will need since this kit
runs seven and a half to eight and a half psi, and, of course, all of the hardware that
you need to get the install done.
This is a dual-plate system so you'll also get all of your pulleys and your bracketry
that you're gonna need.
I will say that, depending on your other mods, and exactly how far you wanna take things,
you should consider picking up a Boost-A-Pump, or a fuel pump voltage booster, so you know
you won't have any fueling problems.
Vortech says that this is for manual cars only because it does come with a tune on the
SAP device that's for manual cars, not autos.
That doesn't mean that this kit won't fit an automatic.
It will fit with a few extra modifications to some of the lines, you'll just need to
get your own startup file from your tuner.
Vortech won't supply one for you.
If we look at some of the main components in more detail, we're looking at the V3 SI
head unit here.
Vortech makes a V1, a V2, and a V3, as well as a few other options like the V3 SI unit,
which is the unit that this kit comes with.
This is Vortech's most popular supercharger, and a big upside to this head unit is that
it has a self-contained lubrication system.
It comes with an attached oil drain extension so you don't have to remove the unit itself
to service it.
This is a quieter head unit.
Sometimes you hear louder centrifugal superchargers, but this one's quiet because it has the helical-cut
gears.
It's capable of a max of 26 psi, and it has a 78% efficiency.
Seventy-eight percent efficiency means less heat is made, and so there's more net power
and better durability.
Looking at the intercooler and the piping, the piping is mandrel-bent, three-inch aluminum
piping.
Now, a side note here, but the piping will not clear the fog lights on the California
Special models.
The fog lights will need to be removed, or you'll need to pick up some custom piping
of your own that'll allow you to keep your fog lights.
The intercooler, on the other hand, is a 24 by 13 by three and a half inch core, and this
thing sits really nicely in the bumper.
It's gonna be effective at keeping your air intake temps down.
When it comes to price, you can expect to spend right about $6,500 for this kit.
I'll start off by saying that no supercharger kit is gonna be cheap.
You're gonna be paying for forced induction.
But it is a complete kit, and you get everything you need for the install.
Now, if you don't necessarily need all of the items in this kit, but you need more flexibility
with a kit, you can always check out the tuner kit, and that's a little bit less expensive.
It will leave some things up to you to grab, though, but some people need that flexibility.
Install-wise, this is gonna be a three out of three wrenches on the difficulty meter,
and you can plan on spending a day or two in the garage getting this installed.
I wouldn't say that this is for the first-time wrencher, but more for someone that has some
experience.
You're gonna need your whole toolbox to get this one done, and, of course, a lift would
certainly make things easier, but you can do the job with a jack and jack stands.
You will need to pull your front bumper and your air intake, and drain the coolant from
the rad.
You'll remove your rad hoses, loosen the bolts on the water pump pulley, pull the MAF sensor
and the throttle body.
After that, you'll have some miscellaneous prep that will need to be done in order to
install the kit.
You'll remove the wiring harness and begin modifying the cooling system.
What you're looking at doing here is needing to cut a few things, shorten some lines, and
even modify some hose clamps.
You'll spend a good amount of time modifying the cooling system here, to make room for
the blower and the assembly, but if you think about it, you aren't making many permanent
modifications here.
You can always just buy new hoses, clamps, and a fan shroud, and return to the original
setup pretty easily.
You will need to bend one AC line to make room here, but it moves easily, so just be
careful with that.
You'll receive a new coolant reservoir, as well, so you can assemble and install that.
And the included instructions are step-by-step, so while I am glossing over some of the details
here, just know that Vortech will show you how to do all of this.
Once that's done, you can swap your spark plugs.
After the coolant-system modifications, you'll be ready to assemble the brackets and the
pulleys.
This isn't difficult, but it is a tight area to work in, so you'll have to be patient.
The brackets and the pulleys will be mounted while running the belt.
The PCV breather system will need to be modified, too, and you'll need to relocate the horn
assembly, and then you'll be ready to install the intercooler system.
The front now will be mounted up, and you can move on to installing the piping.
With the piping installed, you can move on to your fuel injectors.
You can disconnect your fuel lines, and very simply swap out your current injectors for
your new ones.
After that, you're looking at more reassembly.
Your rad hoses, the air inlet system, your front bumper, and anything else that needs
reconnecting at this point.
You are gonna wanna give everything a good once-over before you re-flash the car and
go ahead with the initial startup.
But, as you guys can see already, we have this all installed and ready to go on our
own GT, so we're gonna head over to the dyno, get tuned, and talk about power numbers.
We made a baseline run with our car in the dyno, which gave us numbers of 361 horsepower,
and 344 foot-pounds of torque at the rear wheels.
After we installed our supercharger, we're looking at numbers of 572 horsepower and 494
foot-pounds of torque, which makes for a peak gain of 211 horsepower and 150 foot-pounds
of torque at the rear wheels.
The peak gains are impressive, but what's even better are the curve gains.
You'll notice the curve gains as you're driving, and the curve gains are more of what you're
looking for.
The curve gains are 188 horsepower and 178 foot-pounds of torque, and I'm not sure how
you could be unhappy with that.
That's gonna wrap things up for the Vortech Supercharger System in black for the manual
2011 to 2014 GT.
As always, you can check it out more online, right here, at americanmuscle.com.