Supercharger for Increased Performance

One of the most effective and dramatic ways you can increase horsepower to your car is installing a Supercharger. Superchargers are a forced air induction system, meaning they force compressed air into the engine. With increased air flow, means fuel can increase, meaning your motor can make 30% to 50% increased power.

Superchargers work as a belt-driven system in your car. Once installed, a belt drives the supercharger from the power of the engine in the same manner as an alternator or water pump. This differs from a Turbocharger, where it is powered from the exiting exhaust flow of the engine. Both are quite effective at producing exceptional power increases to a stock motor.

Types of Superchargers

There are three types of Supercharger systems:

Centrifugal Superchargers. A centrifugal supercharger uses an impeller which is spun by the drive pulley to compress air. The compressed air is then discharged through a scroll type housing to the engine. The impeller operates at a very high speed, due to the internal shaft being overdriven by the external drive pulley on the Supercharger. The Supercharger draws in air and the impeller compresses the air, then it is forced through the scroll of the Supercharger. The scroll acts as a collector and forces the compressed air through a discharge tube and into the engine. Centrifugal Superchargers are very popular for street performance applications.

Roots Superchargers. You probably recognize the Roots type Superchargers from the old days of late 60s and 70s muscle cars that had a huge scoop sticking out of the hood. The Root type Supercharger takes in air and passes it through intermeshing motors and collected in the area between lobes. The air is compressed and forced into the intake manifold and ultimately into the cylinders for increased horsepower. Roots Superchargers are popular for drag/street racing applications.

Screw Superchargers. The Screw type Supercharger is derived from and looks similar to, the Roots type Supercharger, but the manner in which compressed air is made is quite different. As air flows through the Supercharger, it is compressed through the screws and forced into the motor. The Screw type Supercharger is very efficient, giving increased horsepower throughout the RPM range.

Supercharger kits have come a long way over the years. With manufacturers such as Whipple, Paxton, Magnuson, Vortech, RK Sports and many others, you can find affordable Supercharger applications for virtually any make and model of car on the market today. Supercharging is a very cost effective and safe way to increase performance to your car. An excellent source to buy Superchargers for virtually any automobile is Corvette Garage. While their main focus is Corvettes, give them a call (ask for Nate) and he can order a Supercharger for virtually any car at a discount price with great service.