Not sure what route to go...

[91RS]

Is there a way to use a clutch type system like on a A/C compressor to engage and disengage the blower pulley on the fly ? Does that make any technical sense ?

Yes, but I don't believe I've ever seen an aftermarket of this. Mercedes used to have this on their 5.5L AMG engine.

 

[iamdub]

Thx guys , I really appreciate the input. I was wondering how’s the fuel economy on a supercharger?

Is there a way to use a clutch type system like on a A/C compressor to engage and disengage the blower pulley on the fly ? Does that make any technical sense ? What about having a propane/gas hybrid + supercharger. Propane is 110 octane.

With normal cruising, fuel economy should be affected very minimally if at all. It's only affected when under boost. Basically, if you drive it like you don't wanna use the power, it should get about the same fuel economy.

I think Magnuson is the one that has it, or maybe they all do, but they have an internal bypass valve (pretty much like a blow-off valve) that keeps the pressurized air from blowing into the engine when it's not needed. The more you push on the pedal, the more this valve closes and directs the pressurized air into the engine.

Is your truck a FlexFuel? E85 has a 113 octane rating. Granted, what you actually net from the pump is usually mid 50s to maybe 70s percent alcohol, but that's still gonna have a higher octane rating than E0 93. You'll have to check with the supercharger manufacturer, but you may have to upgrade your injectors and maybe the fuel pump to run E85 with boost. Your fuel economy will drop about 20-25% on E85, but if it costs you 20-25% less per gallon, then it's a wash.

All the engineering has been done already. That's why these systems are $6,000+. They're all ready to go- just install it and go and enjoy it as if it were a factory option. No need to make up complicated and gimmicky modifications.

 

[STORMIN08]

I agree with the performance vs cost scenario...but the COST really comes in additional time at the pump. Question becomes, how much is YOUR time worth.

 

[fozzi58]

Thx guys , I really appreciate the input. I was wondering how’s the fuel economy on a supercharger?

Is there a way to use a clutch type system like on a A/C compressor to engage and disengage the blower pulley on the fly ? Does that make any technical sense ? What about having a propane/gas hybrid + supercharger. Propane is 110 octane.

A Roots type blower (Whipple, Magnuson, etc) is your best amount of power for this application. However, ProCharger makes the i-1 which is an electronically controlled SuperCharger where you can basically turn off the power (kinda like valet mode) if you want.

As for your warranty, most service bays are willing to work with you as long as you can get the tune back to normal. The ones I have visited said they would and did overlook my headers, exhaust, suspension mods etc. With the ProCharger i-1, you can turn off the boost and get your tune back to normal so they can cover your engine and trans issues.

I've decided to let my warranty expire but I am somewhat regretting it. My wife has an '11 Enclave that we paid $2400 for the extended warranty for.. We only needed it 1 time but it paid for itself.

That being said, with only exhaust, intake, and a tune, my truck pulls decently for a 7000lbs vehicle.