Vortech LT1?
 

My brother is selling his Vortech V1 supercharger and I want to gather some information on whether or not I want it.

He has bigger injectors, crane cams fireball? ignition box, gauges and an 8 and 10 psi pulleys.

Currently my car has all the bolt ons, 6 speed, stock gears and I think it would make a nice edition. Even on 8-10 PSI should I have an inter cooler or can I get away with 93 octane and water/meth?

Would tell you its a bad idea, but, logic is silly.

Find a GOOD tuner, and do not push your luck. Either way, its not gonna last.

I vote no.

I wouldn't run more than 6 lbs and be sure to run a decent intercooler so you are not solely relying on meth.

Well I planned on building a motor over the winter anyway... nothing serious just wanted to hone/rering, ARP rod bolts run thinner head gaskets and a AI 230/238 cam. But I can change that to a lower compression build, same cam, ARP rod bolts and forged pistons.

You can certainly buy the vortech but I would wait until the motor was built up a bit more before throwing it on. You won't be happy if you grenade the stock shortblock and you end up having to start from scratch which will cost a lot more in the long run. If you can swing it, you should think about replacing the rods with a decent set of forged units. The stock crank is pretty strong so you can get away with just having it cleaned up.

Don't forget about the fuel system, crankcase evap, tuning, etc.

Anythig over 5-6Lbs of boost and you better have a good tune. Too much oost or if you go lean you'll take out the ring lands. LT1 stock pistons and just not good for power adders.

Pulley down the boost, or wait untl you have internals that can handle boost properly.

You'll want a fuel pressure gauge at the least as well.

Did you get your engine running right yet? Or resolve your wheel/tire/suspension issues yet? And you wanted to put 4: something gears in that weak 4th gen rear? I'm thinking you might have more pressing needs right now. Just throwing that out there. Brian makes good points about all the other costs associated with a blower.

Car is running right. Didn't regear because I was thinking about buying the blower.

Not going to change a weak 4th gen rear until it breaks. Not interested in new tires/wheels until after I kill the tires on it. Not going to waste money on new stuff when the old stuff is still usable.

$1,000 takes the blower, bracket, 2 pullies, 2 belts, piping. Still will need a fuel pump, injectors and retune.

Bulletproof the car first, then add blower. Invest in a good rear, suspension (tq arm, subframes), fuel system. It would benefit you if you dont get the blower. Then down the road, when you go FI, you are ready and also have choices.

Well I'm defiantly buying it. I figure if the car lasts the rest of the season I'll be happy. Just need time to put a motor together over the winter.

zraffz, how much money do you have to build up your car?

Enough and every week an extra $650 more comes to me. Only bill I pay is insurance and cell phone. I already have to have at least $5,200 into the car since buying it less than 2 months ago so I'm trying to recuperate some money before building a motor. I'm budgeting $5,500 for the rebuild starting over the winter. Probably won't finish it by then but I at least want to buy a block & bottom end (if mine isn't blown up by then) and sending it to the machine shop. Depending on what I have left to play with comfortably I might also send the heads out so after the winter all I have to buy is gaskets/cam/valvetrain/upgraded ignition & fuel system.


I'm really banking the motor lasts until next summer with the supercharger. It's not really my DD, I just drive it to work (3-5 miles) and occasionally town (8-10 miles) (only on nice days and for 3 seasons) so I am expecting it to last quiet a while.


Plan on having it machined to a 355 or 383 (undecided yet, when the time gets closer I will need to inquire if the stock crank is good still for my application. If I have to buy another crank I'm just going to have it stroked). Stage 2 Lloyd Elliot heads, custom grind LE and however much air the supercharger can safely force in... looking to build it over a 6 month period and I am hoping for 450+ WHP; which I think is reasonable.

I am confused at the logic behind throwing a used supercharger, on a high mileage motor, that doesn't do well with boost in good condition... in a car that needs to get you to work.

It's not my daily driver. I drive it to work over the summer but I don't have to. The supercharger had the bearings replaced but not the seals for some reason :-?

You're not understanding one thing. I don't give a damn if the motor grenades. These motors are a dime a dozen in stock form and worth a whopping $500. Worse case scenario the motor gives out before I'm willing to spend money to build a motor... then it sits and I drive the other vehicle.

im gonna play devils advocate and say that if you can get a good deal on the blower with the accessories and have the cash to do so, do it. i however wouldnt install it till you have all the supporting mods. that way if the project doesnt pan out or you lose interest you can always make your cash back on the blower plus a few for good effort

But the price of parts to support 8-10psi != cheap

We just don't want you to spend a bunch of money unnecessarily like on a new block. Trust us, when you do a full build, every penny counts.

get the blower, i always have "needs" but if a deal comes up that i cant pass up i jump on it when possible... if i could get a blower that would fit my engine for 1000 id do it and i dont even have subframe connectors yet :shock: i havent even run my 350 yet and i just got a 383, and again i didnt even get subframe connectors yet LOL see where im going with this?? if the 383 sits in my garage until i get subframe connectors so be it, but at least i have a 383 in my garage... breaking stuff is what AAA is for

Ill be the first to say a car that breaks a lot of parts is both expensive and frustrating.

Do things right, once.

Ugh... this sucks.
I am only still talking about this because I feel like enjoying the car for a few months now before pulling it apart. I'll enjoy it even more with the blower though.

However I really don't want to pull my motor out to change my pistons and rod bolts (I'm guessing that's all I'd need cause of the stock compression and the ring grooves) just to put it back in and take it back out a few months later.

he said hes going to build another motor anyway... only thing he will need is the supercharger posibbly the intake and tb headers... if he blows up his motor the worst that could happen is he needs new heads, and he may be planning on replacing the stockers anyway(i would)... man these guys sound like old men in here... mod it till you break it then build it again!:lol:

If he blows the motor, the worst that will happen is you have a giant paperweight. Sure stock LT1's or bare blocks aren't all that expensive but that money could be put into the new build.

It just makes common sense. Telling us we sound like old men would be the same as me calling you a naive kid who doesn't have any experience with a boosted motor lol. I don't think anyone is saying drop $20k on a engine build but boosting a stock LT1 above 6 psi is definitely rolling the dice. If it lasts prior to him building the new engine, then congrats but I would bet on the engine leaving him on the side of the road after a few solid power pulls.

And before anyone says it.....I'm not mad bro :)

I was just discussing it earlier tonight with a few people. I'm just going to call insurance tomorrow and take it off the road. I've never had a boosted motor, built a few gen 1 small blocks though. I'm just going to do it right from start to finish and let it sit for 6 months. This way I know it's going to last and it won't just be a **** tease for a few weeks.

im not mad either and no offense... sometimes its fun to break stuff... read my signature... and btw a friend had a 96 z28 auto with a vortech s trim(i believe that was the trim no quotes please) in '99... totally stock never had one issue, used to beat it on the street and at the track... he got rid of it a couple of years ago with 180k to get an LS1 t/a... i had a 95 cobra with a procharger for a short time period, (got rid of it in favor of a 98 z28) that was all stock bottom no issues... but yes neither of those had over 10psi:nod: i have however seen a friend run 12 psi with an intercooled vortech (again no idea of trim level) in a 93 cobra and he went through 3 shortblocks so yeah im a little naive:wink: