By Scott Brown:
Superchargers have a fine sporting heritage, and you don’t need to be a genius to understand their perennial appeal. They are potent bolt-on concepts, and with hundreds of kits available for convenient installation, questions abound. Here are a few:
Coyote power: Gen I (2011 to ‘14), Gen II (2015 to ’17), & Gen III
What are TorqStorm’s plans for further development of the Coyote engines?
– Bryan
Debuting in 2011, Ford introduced Coyote power to the Mustang GT and to the F-150 pickup truck. To date, TorqStorm has developed supercharger systems for the Coyote Gen I and also the Gen II but with limitations. So far, the latter operates not in late-model Mustangs, but in repowering classic Ford vehicles such as the 1958 F100, the1984 Mustang SVO and others. “Soon our focus will return to the first generation engines,” says the company’s Chris Beardsley, “as the sequential fuel injection—the multi-port system—was displaced by direct injection, which alters the supercharger’s configuration. TorqStorm aims to develop a supercharger for the Gen III engine but will follow its predecessors.”
A twentieth century concept, electronic direct injection in gasoline engines was employed in production engines by Mitsubishi in 1996.
Fox body without air conditioning or power steering
“I need a blower kit for my Fox body Mustang no a/c no power steering pump either”
–Charles
The drive belt travels from the passenger side above the water pump to the a/c compressor, the power steering pump, and onward to the crank pulley. When air conditioning and power steering are omitted, a pulley must be substituted to facilitate the drive belt’s travel down to the crank. If a pulley exists, all is well. Also, if the reverse-rotation water pump is omitted (similar to a 1979 Mustang) the belt could travel around the crank, water pump and alternator without the extra idler. ”These variants can be accommodated,” says TorqStorm’s Chris Beardsley, “but best to send a photograph to clarify.”
400 Ford
“What would be the better option? The 351C kit or the BBF kit since it’s a 10.3in deck.”
–Justin
Ford’s 400 and 351M use the same TorqStorm kit as the Cleveland, but because of their taller deck heights, they use a longer drive belt. For those interested, the letter M denotes Michigan as the facility that produced this tall-deck block.
Ford FE
“Do you have any recommendation on the crank damper without the cast v-groove in the damper?”
–Terron
Ford introduced their FE engine in 1958 and produced it with displacements of 332ci to 428ci until the mid-nineteen-seventies, and TorqStorm’s supercharger kit installs on all but requires a crank damper from 1968 and onward. The later damper accepts a bolt-on pulley and, thus, accommodates the supercharger’s drive belt arrangement.
Flathead V8 Fords
Occasionally owners of Flathead Fords marvel at the prospect of installing a supercharger. Unfortunately, modest demand hampers the prospects of small batch production for these nostalgic 1932 to ’53 machines.
Can I install an LS engine with a TorqStorm supercharger in my Ford?
This is dependent upon the configuration of the accessories: the power steering, the alternator and particularly the air conditioning, which is the largest of the three accessories.
If the air-conditioning is mounted on the passenger-side cylinder head, generally the supercharger manufacturer is compelled to mount the blower on the driver-side cylinder head. When supercharging is anticipated, it’s best to engage some foresight regarding the placement of the three accessories.
Electric water pump
“Do you offer a single supercharger kit for a SBF 302 that accommodates an alternator and air conditioning while running an electric water pump?”
–Graham“Usually yes,” says Chris Beardsley, “assuming the air conditioning compressor is mounted low enough to allow the drive belt to travel to and from the crank pulley without obstruction. To clarify, though, please send me a picture of your drive belt arrangement.”
Boost reference
“I’m going to order your kit but still trying to understand boost reference. I have a Holley Sniper Stealth, which indicates fuel pump pressure as 60 psi. Does this mean I need a regulator set at 60 psi?”
–Nate
According to Holley’s website, their Sniper Stealth requires an external regulator set to a base pressure of 48.5psi. However, by adding 10psi of boost requires a corresponding pressure increase at the fuel pressure regulator. Therefore it should be established if Holley’s Sniper Stealth operates safely with this pressure increase.
Do you make a kit for 2007 Mustang GT?
Hello Larry,
I replied to your email regarding this question 6 hours earlier and apologize if you didn’t receive my response. We do not build a system for this particular Mustang yet but may do so in the future. Currently, we have a large number of new systems to develop. If you follow our facebook/instagram, we outline the new kits as development begins.
Your BBF kit states for 1970 and later 429/460. Why not ’68 and ’69? My application would be for a ’68 Thunderbird.
Good Morning Bob,
Our system would fit the 1968 and 1969 engines. We have that change noted to update the BBF callout. Thank you for reminding us. We are always concerned about the fitment in the Thunderbird, Cougar, and Mustang with the 385-series engines. If you email me directly, I can give you a dimensional drawing of our BBF system. You can verify the system’s dimensions against your actual vehicle.
Actually seeing a 351 Cleveland engine mentioned in the same paragraph with the word SUPERCHARGED is more than enough reason to get excited by the possibilities.
I’ve been building naturally aspirated Clevelands for 40 years but none with multitudes of positive benefits offered by forced induction. I realize how supply and demand works when the engine in question doesn’t wear a bow tie.
Most of the complete kits for small Ford V-8’s have been virtually the same since the sixties and consist of a tiny Roots-type blower along with the required hardware to suit 289-302 Windsors.
Of course I’m familiar with the TorqStorm name but I need to know more about what’s readily available specifically for the Cleveland with 4-V quench heads, without AC or power steering with manual brakes (no vacuum required). It’s in a 1970 Mach 1 chassis that I use for street/strip racing and good times in general. The engine is extensively modified including former Pro Stock Cleveland heads featuring the full high port iron head exhaust port relocation done by Endyn Inc.
I can do a rebuild centered around the TorqStorm but I first need to know what’s available for the 351C. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys!
Hello Daniel,
We build the Cleveland systems in both single and twin configurations, and they have the added benefits of alternator, power steering and AC or without. Accessories run on a serpentine belt or traditional v-belts. If you’d like to contact me about your specific project, don’t hesitate. I’m confident we can design a package that will provide you with what you need.