PROCHARGER QUESTION

Has anyone here made a switch to a Procharger?
I have read some very impressive things about these self contained superchargers.
I am interested in getting opinions about using one of these on a 98 Riviera.

Don't believe anyone here has played with that idea, just Gen V swaps and turbo setups. You might find some info on 3800pro.com though, that would relate directly to a Riv application.

I've often though of using a procharger or other centrifugal supercharger to assist the guys with a 95sc. Since the m62 can't be lifted for the fitment of an IC, the snout could be taken off, a block-off plate and IC slid into the casing, and a centrifugal supercharger added in where the snout was. I figure I could fab up a block off plate that is also the mount for the centrifugal supercharger. Maybe something for me to try when I run into some more money, or run out of things to do to my 95...

It would work, and require some tuning, and allow for the addition of a 'real' intercooler. You'd just need the intake from a non-SC car, and appropriate bracketry. Not sure where you'd put the MAF, before or after the SC. I would guess before.

You can do a lot with the M90 though, so people haven't really invested much in the procharger. A turbo has as much or more potential for probably similar costs. (How much would a procharger kit cost?)

I'd never think about it if I had the m90 and series 2. But the series one falls on its face in the upper RPM and has more low end torque then it knows what to do with. Using a centi and intercooler would redistribute that power to match up better with a series 2. But for the price, i think there are better things that can be done with a series 2 SC engine..., or for the price, i could just swap to a series 2.....

actually, heres another reason not to work with it when you already have a roots blower:

From wikipedia on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrifugal_type_supercharger
"Since it is crankshaft-driven and cannot benefit from a device like a wastegate on an exhaust-driven turbocharger to control its rotational speed, its boost threshold is always within a thousand or so RPM of redline. As such, the horsepower rating of the engine is greatly increased, but in a small part of the upper RPM range."

I'm not sure its worth scraficing our wide power band for HP you can make with an m90 and series 2 engine...

and edit again... been thinkng about this all day and doing some research when I should be working. Alot of problems with the procharger is using them on applications where the engine was not designed for any kind of boost. I'm not sure our engines would have much problem with the transition. once my 95 is done to the tits, and is (maybe)not a daily driver I'm for sure going to try a procharger D1SC. Making a custom intercooler insert for the roots SC housing is no problem for me, and neither is making the D1SC mount where the roots nose used to be. but theres other things in the near future first, like rockers, an electric cutout, AC delete, and trying to custom fit the electric WP to a series one engine....

A few years back my company built intercoolers for procharger, I have since read many things about them both good and bad...I will say this, from my experience with them, they seem to only buy the cheapest components to put into their product to maximize profit...that said you get chinese bearings and castings from india or some other third world company, we were practically giving the intercoolers to them at cost and they still managed to find something cheaper. IMO our stock units have them beat hands down.

BKRIV wrote:

A few years back my company built intercoolers for procharger, I have since read many things about them both good and bad...I will say this, from my experience with them, they seem to only buy the cheapest components to put into their product to maximize profit...that said you get chinese bearings and castings from india or some other third world company, we were practically giving the intercoolers to them at cost and they still managed to find something cheaper. IMO our stock units have them beat hands down.

Well, considering all that, I would not buy nor recommend a Procharger.
Skimping on Castings and Bearings (especially bearings) does not produce a reliable supercharger in my opinion.

Quality product or not, a centrifugal type blower is the least efficient at creating low-end torque - by design. The HP curve is extremely linear, but at an angle. It builds on the the top end like a turbo, but it's not as efficient as a turbo, so the gains are less. A roots blower is much flatter, producing lots of torque down low, and a whipple twin-screw is the same except making much more power all around.

On the bright side, centrifugal blowers make a loud, higher-pitch sound, like a turbo. It's been compared to an F15 fighter taking off.

Centrifugals are best for the lightweight (compared to a riv) cars that have motors with a decent amount of torque without a power adder. They add a lot of top end power and don't have any terribly detrimental affects to off the line power because there's already plenty for the car. Think of a 5.7L camaro or a 5.0 powered mustang. Those, for instance, respond wonderfully to that style supercharger. Go to a slightly heavier car with less low end torque such as a 95+ mustang with a 4.6L and you see how many more upgrade with roots and twin screws.

Bottom line - we can really use the low end we have and there are no available CSC kits for our cars right now so that would make the install a little bit complicated, although not out of the question.