I've read stories, news and opinions on the ATI ProCharger blowing up engines, but I've also read how reliable and safe the system is. Obviously, these are conflicting views on the ATI ProCharger.

I plan to run with stock internals - no forged pistons, rods, or cams, but plan to use Kinetix Plenum.

For those of you who have been using the ATI ProCharger without problems, will you share with us what your secrets are. Do you have to buy extra parts (i.e., injectors, fuel pump, ecu reprograming, etc.)? How much boost? Pulleys? Etc?

I like the power the ATI ProCharger puts out and adjustability of the system, but I also want to run it safely without toasting a VQ motor.

Thanks.

RACE LA

 

you might want to post up over in the FORCED INDUCTION forum, you'll get more bites than just here in So Cal...

Cheers, Ted


'03.5 Sedan 5a: BS/G, Prem, Aero/Body, Sport, Nav
Click for MODS - www.teamtransport.org

 

Thanks Ted. I also posted the same on FI forum.

RACE LA

 

I have 13,000 miles on the unit now (15,000 on the car) and five track events. Not one problem other than the silly screen on the front of the intake getting loose from vibration.

Stock internals. Seven pound pulley. Standard Aeromotive FMU.

I think that there are two reasons the car has performed so well, in addition to the factor of luck. Run it conservatively and smart, and tune it properly.

The running part is simply breaking it in gradually, only slowly increasing the demand on the motor and the unit to feel your way up the performance range, getting to know how they work together. Then, once you are comfortable with it, using it wisely. Just stomping on it and thrashing the car about is going to stress any vehicle, boosted or not. Use, but not abuse, is a factor.

Tuning is more difficult. What I did was to make sure that the ATI went on FIRST. That is what it was designed for, a so called "bolt on" without other mods. Then I dyno tuned it with Darrin down at R&D Dyno in Gardena, who did a fine job with it.

Then, any time I did a subsequent modification to intake or exhaust, I kept the rpms well below 4000 and got back down there pronto and dyno tuned it again. Every time, and truly I mean every time, that a new mod was made to the engine, it ran a tad leaner than before, and we had to adjust the fuel management. I did not do a plenum, but did do a complete exhaust replacement, including headers, cats and catback. Then, once that was all done and tuned, and no more engine mods were to be made, and again that means the very same day, I went over to Technosquare and got the ECU reprogrammed to match up to the mods made, and that really was important I believe. Cut back on the timing at the high end an additional two degrees, diddled with the fuel maps, pushed the rev limiter to 7100, off with the speed limiter, etc etc.

In addition, I service the car very frequently, running synthetics and the highest quality lubricants and fluids in every application (6.75 quarts of Mobil 1 oil and M1-110 filter with high capacity ARC oil pan/Redline diff with MOC lubricant in the Nismo limited slip differential/Motul RBF 600 in the stainless brake lines). It is a few dollars more, but with the investment in the vehicle...my view is that it is important to recognize that there are additional pressures and heat, and you want to address them to reduce wear.

One never knows with FI what can happen if you go exploring the limits. What I did was to go cautiously and conservatively, and it has been very rewarding, both on the street and on the track. That is not to say that tomorrow I might not go up in a ball of smoke. But I think, and certainly hope, that will not be the case.

I think that if you start pushing the stock internals beyond the range of 360rwhp and 425 crank hp that you are moving into a more problematic realm of survivability and longevity for this motor. I have no scientific proof of this, just my opinion. I do know this much...those are the levels that I am working at, with safety and reliability so far, and I have no problems, and thus no regrets.

Good luck.

Cpe 6MT/Aero/Prem/ATI/RT cats/Borla hdrs-catbcks/Nismo flywhl-cltch/TS-ECU/Tein flex EDFC/Stillen sways

 

One additional point. My car is set up for the track for road racing, not quarter mile drag and not drifting. Indeed ATI has posted for quite some time that they do not recommend the unit for drifting because they think that there will not be satisfactory air flow over the intercooler. Maybe that is just conservative engineers and maybe it is not, but that is their position.
Also, at least as far as the drag strip goes, putting aside the fact that this car is not really properly configured for that type of action compared to many others, the centrifugal type supercharger produced by ATI, and Vortech, makes its power higher up in the rpm band, like a belt driven turbo. While it should bring on the power sooner and more effectively than a turbo for a quarter mile application, it will not be as effective as a roots or eaton blower. The best of course is still the lysholm twin screw, but they are expensive and I have yet to hear of one being applied to our motors. Those bring on power sooner, and further through the band, and can take prodigious amounts of boost, assuming the motor has been rebuilt to take it. But lots and lots of dinero needed. Really only makes sense for racing and custom built motors. Sigh.

Cpe 6MT/Aero/Prem/ATI/RT cats/Borla hdrs-catbcks/Nismo flywhl-cltch/TS-ECU/Tein flex EDFC/Stillen sways