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Back In Black Part IVReckoning Day Nears As We Finish The Vortech Supercharger Installation From the February, 2009 issue of Popular Hot Rodding
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In the May '05 issue of GMHTP, we began our installation of Vortech Engineering's centrifugal supercharger kit on our '04 GTO. As those of you who have read the last installment already know, the system delivers 7-8 psi of aftercooled boost via Vortech's V-2 compressor, and the kit is advertised as adding 131 horses at the crank. Those lucky readers also are aware that we are hoping to see over 400 at the rear wheels, having spun the dyno rollers with the power of 302.7 horses before beginning the install. We got as far as bolting the blower itself on in the last issue. Now, follow along in the photos as we finish off the installation on our Phantom Black automatic test car by adding the blower ducting and aftercooler system. We promise that full results will follow in our next issue--but just to whet your appetite, we'll tell you right now that Vortech's advertised power increase was conservative, to say the least! Until next time, sweet dreams...  Having taken the front bumper...  Having taken the front bumper cover off last time, we now have easy access to the power-steering cooler, which GM mounted in front of the radiator-right where our aftercooler heat exchanger needs to go. Its metal mounting straps are unbolted and, after disconnecting the cooler's hard lines where they join to rubber lines just aft of the radiator, the assembly can be snaked out.  In order to prepare the power-steering...  In order to prepare the power-steering cooler for its new location on the GTO, a large portion of its hard lines must be trimmed off. This is accomplished easily enough by use of a hacksaw. Enough material must be left for new Vortech-supplied rubber lines to clamp on to. After cutting is complete, it is a good idea to run a magnet along the outside of the lines to try and get as many metal shavings out as possible; shoot some WD-40 in there too and let it trickle out.  The power-steering cooler...  The power-steering cooler screws to the underside of the front crossmember using a couple of L-brackets, and then the cooler is reconnected to the power-steering system using some 3/8-inch rubber line. Since the newly cut hard cooler lines have no flare on the end of them, we suggest doubling up on the number of hose clamps used to attach the rubber hoses, just to be safe. The power-steering system must now be bled, a process that involves turning the wheel lock-to-lock numerous times while keeping an eye on the fluid in the reservoir (to look for bubbles as well as make sure the level stays high enough).  Vortech relies on air-to-water-to-air...  Vortech relies on air-to-water-to-air intercooling to drop the temperature of the intake charge going into the engine, and the heart of the system is its charge cooler. As compressed air is blown through the liquid-cooled heat exchanger inside this box, the air temperature can drop by over 100 degrees, freeing up as much as 100 hp, depending on the vehicle application and boost level. For the LS1 engine's 10.1:1 compression ratio, intercooling of some sort is also a very good idea to avoid any possibility of knock.  Air entering the charge cooler...  Air entering the charge cooler will meet a heat exchanger with cool liquid flowing through it. Pressure loss (or flow restriction, whichever way you want to think about it) across this heat exchanger is minimal, only on the order of 0.25 psi. Some air-to-air intercooled systems can lose 3 or more psi before reaching the engine, often thanks to the extra plumbing needed to get compressed air to a front-mounted air-to-air intercooler. In addition, the "open" fin nature of Vortech's air-to-liquid heat exchanger causes less pressure loss per unit area compared to the more restrictive interior of an air-to-air heat exchanger. This is one of the reasons air-to-air intercoolers are often larger in size: to compensate for this effect and reduce their pressure loss.  Here, one end of the S-shaped,...  Here, one end of the S-shaped, 2.75-inch-diameter aluminum discharge tube is attached to the outlet of the V-2 supercharger. The rubber coupler sleeves that Vortech supplies are top-notch heat-resistant silicone rubber in none other than Vortech Blue. The other end of this particular discharge tube connects to the charge cooler.  Here, the charge cooler is...  Here, the charge cooler is slipped onto the S-shaped discharge tube. You may be surprised to learn (as were we) that no bracketry is used to hold this cooler in place; instead, it simply rests upon the wiring harness and coils below it. Fortunately, Vortech supplies thick foam tape that adheres to the underside of the charge cooler for protection.  In this photo, you can see...  In this photo, you can see just how tight the fit is between the charge cooler, its brass fittings, the dipstick, and the oil fill cap. It all works out just fine, though. The straight brass fitting is the inlet for cool liquid; the 90-degree fitting is the outlet for liquid that has been warmed by the compressed air passing through the charge cooler.  To complete the ducting for...  To complete the ducting for compressed air to travel through, an L-shaped, 3-inch discharge pipe is attached between the outlet of the charge cooler and a 90-degree silicone elbow that is affixed to the throttle body. One must be absolutely sure that the shorter leg of this duct is the one attached to the charge cooler or else things will not line up correctly.  At this point, it was nice...  At this point, it was nice to step back and take a look at just how far we had come with the kit installation, and we got really excited looking at that big honkin' blower system sitting atop the engine. You can also see here that with the stock strut tower brace reinstalled, a fraction of an inch of clearance is afforded between it and the top of the charge cooler; when adjusted correctly, it makes no contact whatsoever. Unfortunately, our BMR brace just wouldn't fit back on there.  Vortech's bypass valve ensures...  Vortech's bypass valve ensures that no more than 7-8 psi is seen at the throttle body, and it does this by rerouting compressed air back upstream of the supercharger as needed. This is especially important when one abruptly lifts off of the gas pedal (when shifting, for example), closing the throttle, and leaving compressed air upstream of the throttle body with no place to go. Instead of the air having to work its way backward through the supercharger--not good at all for the unit--the valve allows the air to bypass the V-2.  The bypass valve needs a vacuum...  The bypass valve needs a vacuum signal to work properly, and it gets one by splicing a brass tee fitting into the brake-booster vacuum line, which is connected to the intake manifold, downstream of the throttle body. As such, when the bypass valve senses a pressure difference between the intake manifold and the supercharger ducting, the valve opens, thereby diverting air into the area upstream of the V-2. Often, the driver of a Vortech-blown car hears a hissing of air when letting off the throttle quickly because air travels backwards out of the air filter.  Warm liquid leaving the charge...  Warm liquid leaving the charge cooler enters a water reservoir that functions to increase the volume of liquid to work with in the system so that it can soak up more overall heat energy at any given time. Warm liquid enters the top and leaves the bottom where it then travels on to an electric water pump, and finally, to a heat exchanger mounted in front of the radiator. Made of lightweight plastic polymer, the reservoir is formed to fit in the space ahead of the GTO's radiator and behind the bumper.  It's necessary at this point...  It's necessary at this point to attach a rubber junction to the brass fitting located at the top of the water reservoir, which will soon have an aluminum aftercooler water line slipped into it. The brass fittings here install into the plastic water cooler using open-end wrenches, but be careful not to overtighten them as the threads are, after all, plastic. Be sure to use some sealant on the threads. Note the nylon ratchet clamps Vortech gives you; they are a snap to install.  In order to make room for...  In order to make room for the water reservoir to sit in front of the passenger-side end of the radiator, a vestigial plastic bracket needs to be removed. Also, we discovered that the two power-steering cooler lines previously installed had to be squeezed as tightly to the left as possible, which necessitated stacking them vertically. In order to do this, some of the plastic radiator shroud (above them here) would have to be hacked away to make room.  To make matters worse, we...  To make matters worse, we hadn't left enough slack in the rubber power-steering cooler lines for them to be able to travel around the water reservoir and reach the power-steering cooler, as installed in the factory holes in the frame (marked with Xs). Thus, the power-steering cooler needed to be shifted toward the passenger side to compensate. Vortech's instructions didn't specify a length for the lines to be cut to.  The front-mounted heat exchanger's...  The front-mounted heat exchanger's function is to cool the warm liquid that has come from the charge cooler box (and subsequently, the water reservoir). Another advantage to Vortech's air-to-water-to-air system is that this heat exchanger can be much smaller than a traditional air-to-air intercooler thanks in part to the larger heat transfer coefficient afforded by liquid than air. This law of heat transfer helps allow the charge cooler mounted atop the engine to be compact in size as well.  The front-mounted heat exchanger's...  The front-mounted heat exchanger's function is to cool the warm liquid that has come from the charge cooler box (and subsequently, the water reservoir). Another advantage to Vortech's air-to-water-to-air system is that this heat exchanger can be much smaller than a traditional air-to-air intercooler thanks in part to the larger heat transfer coefficient afforded by liquid than air. This law of heat transfer helps allow the charge cooler mounted atop the engine to be compact in size as well.  The lower mounting bracket...  The lower mounting bracket for the aftercooler water reservoir shares a hole drilled in the frame with the cooler. It can be a bit of a challenge to get these two to line up properly with this previously drilled hole.  Marking and drilling yet another...  Marking and drilling yet another hole in the framerail, the driver-side end of the cooler can be tightened down. The cooler is just the right height so that it gets blasted with outside air that comes through the grille and under the bumper bar. In this view it looks like the power-steering cooler is going to take a bashing underneath the car, but we'll see later on that it is safe.  Vortech supplies some specially...  Vortech supplies some specially shaped aluminum tubing for the more complex twists and turns of the aftercooler plumbing. One such tube runs around the upper passenger side of the radiator to the brass fitting atop the aftercooler water reservoir. Warm liquid travels through this tube.  It's time to start the wiring...  It's time to start the wiring for the aftercooler water pump, and Vortech supplies a relay that we found mounted nicely at the front of the fuse box on the passenger-side fenderwell. This makes wiring into the box behind it, as well as attaching the black ground wire to the battery ground terminal ahead of it, an easy task.  The completed fuse box wiring...  The completed fuse box wiring is as shown here with the red wire (inline fuse included) going to the fuse box power supply and the yellow wire tapping into a terminal on the stock fuel-pump relay. Vortech didn't say which terminal to use, so we picked one and turned out to have guessed correctly; you should be able to tell from the photo which one it is. Some custom bending of the Vortech-supplied terminal tap is required to get it to fit in there just right.  Only one wire needs to be...  Only one wire needs to be run to the location of the aftercooler water pump, and we found the best routing for it was atop the upper crossmember in front of the radiator, past the hood latch assembly, and then down to the pump. This way the wire would be hidden nicely beneath the plastic radiator cover and had several locations where it could be zip-tied in place.  The aftercooler water pump...  The aftercooler water pump mounts in front of the radiator next to the cooler using a couple of Adel clamps and self-tapping screws. Because it runs off of a signal from the fuel pump relay, this pump will run whenever the fuel pump is running, i.e., whenever the car is running. We connected the pump's ground wire to one of the self-tapping screws holding the Adel clamps. To check that the wiring is correct, simply turn the ignition to "on" and the pump will cycle; it is very audible.  The bottom fitting of the...  The bottom fitting of the water reservoir connects to the inlet of the aftercooler water pump using a 23-inch length of 3/4-inch rubber hose. At this point we were getting really worried about refitting the plastic shroud that channels air from the GTO's lower grille to the radiator; this hose traveled right through where that piece needed to be.  Liquid that has already passed...  Liquid that has already passed through the cooler is run up to the charge cooler through a maze of tubing that runs through the passenger-side fender, behind the battery, and around the neck of the washer fluid reservoir. It is much easier to install this tubing if one first loosens the battery mount.  Attached to the water inlet...  Attached to the water inlet end of the aluminum tubing that runs behind the battery is a 50-inch piece of rubber hose that must be run just beneath the passenger-side headlight and across to the fitting atop the passenger side of the cooler. Here, we snake this hose behind the bumper bar and over to the cooler.  The path from the charge cooler...  The path from the charge cooler to the aftercooler water reservoir is completed by yet another piece of rubber hose that starts at the straight brass fitting on the charge cooler, runs in front of the battery, and connects to the already-installed aluminum tubing that passes over the upper passenger side of the radiator.  To complete the aftercooler...  To complete the aftercooler system tubing, one last section of rubber hose is run from the fitting atop the driver side of the cooler to the outlet of the aftercooler water pump. We had to get a bit creative here since the brass fitting in the cooler wouldn't fully tighten at the correct angle (90 degrees counter-clockwise from what you see here), otherwise, we could have used the one-piece molded hose Vortech provided and not have had to hodgepodge two hoses together.  After all of the plumbing...  After all of the plumbing has been hooked up, one final loose end remains: getting the stock plastic shroud to fit back on. Here we contemplate all the notching that will be required, as the reservoir, cooler, pump, water hose, and power-steering lines all interfere with the shroud going back on there.  After marking all the appropriate...  After marking all the appropriate areas to be notched, a Dremel tool or similar instrument can be used to cut the plastic shroud. Remove only as much material as is necessary since unneeded holes in the shroud will allow air to escape through them, depriving the cooler and vehicle radiator of necessary airflow. This is especially true at high speeds, when the area in front of the radiator becomes pressurized.  After several trial fitments,...  After several trial fitments, the shroud is finally ready to be reinstalled. We impressed ourselves with how well we got this piece of plastic to fit, but at the same time, we realized that, had we exhibited less patience in notching it, the job would not have come out nearly as well. Note that one of the aftercooler lines must pass through the shroud, so it is not a good idea to add water to the system until this step is complete.  With all of the aftercooler...  With all of the aftercooler plumbing hooked up, the system is ready for some fluid, which is poured through a cap on the charge cooler. Vortech recommends a 25 percent antifreeze and 75 percent water mix; we also went ahead and added some Water Wetter to further improve heat transfer in hopes of dropping the temperature of the intake charge even more. Note that the cap on the charge cooler must be very tight or it will leak.  Speaking of leaks, we found...  Speaking of leaks, we found one when we began adding liquid to the aftercooler system. It turns out what we thought was an unused, blind hole in the side of the water reservoir was in fact a through hole. We had to run out and buy a 1/2-inch NPT pipe plug to seal it. This was especially strange because a similar hole on the opposite side of the reservoir did not leak.  Finally, the bumper cover...  Finally, the bumper cover can be reinstalled and our GTO can look like a real car again. Those pesky snaps under the headlights go on much easier than they come off, with only a swift whack of the fist needed to seat them. But first make sure they are lined up correctly or you risk breaking some snaps--it appears we did just that in taking the cover off, as evident by the missing gray plastic below the rearmost portion of the headlight.  With the bumper cover back...  With the bumper cover back on, a peek underneath calms all fears about the power-steering cooler hanging in harm's way. In reality, it is tucked neatly behind the lowermost portion of the bodywork and is invisible from the front of the car. The scraped underside of the bumper cover (chock it up to careless driveway entry by the owner) is evidence that the only contact that occurs under here is much further ahead of the power-steering cooler.  Back under the hood, a small...  Back under the hood, a small clearance notch must be cut in the plastic radiator cover for one of the aluminum aftercooler tubes to pass beneath it. With this done, the cover can be reinstalled using the factory plastic clips--and the Vortech supercharger system installation is complete!  Vortech's custom tuning is...  Vortech's custom tuning is provided in the form of a DiabloSport Predator unit that simply hooks to the OBD-II diagnostics port below the dash and reflashes the computer. The Predator is a handy tool with a lot of functions, including, but not limited to: checking and clearing engine codes, real-time data gathering from the vehicle's sensors, and adjustment to the vehicle's tune if desired (though we have left Vortech's tune untouched).  While other manufacturer's...  While other manufacturer's blower kits can boast a "clean" install by keeping those plastic GTO engine covers, Vortech's system looks mean, mechanical, and ready to kick some serious Blue Oval behind. A turn of the key rewarded us with the familiar rasp of our SLP exhaust, along with a new aural sensation: the slight but noticeable whine of the Vortech V-2 SQ SC-trim supercharger. We put the tranny in "D," pulled out onto the road, and-well, you'll just have to wait until the next issue of GMHTP to find out!
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