Project Supracharger

[David P]

Today I managed to borrow a 1/8" BSPT tap.

 

Now I can locate the vacuum and oil breather hose connectors to the s.c. elbow and throttle body.

 

But I am still looking for both 1/8" & 3/8" NPT taps to thread the AEM MAP & AIT sensors into the distribution knuckle, this American pipe thread is uncommon here.

There's a couple of Yank car garages in the next one horse town, maybe i'll just mosy on over.

Edited January 22, 2011 by David P (see edit history)

[David P]

A routle through a large biscuit tin full of taps at one of the garages, unearthed a 1/8" NPT tap.

 

That just leaves the 3/8" NPT to hunt down.

[David P]

The Great 3/8" NPT tap hunt goes on.

 

To beat the challenge of having to spend £20 buying a tap to use just once for 1 minute to thread this last hole, I have taken the casting everywhere with me.

Today I have routled through 3 huge collections of taps without striking gold, but have found a BSP tap with illegible size I.D. that looks the right size, if it is, this thread is only 1 TPI different and will be good enough to locate a sensor.

 

Will brave the elements tomorrow.

 

I also picked up a T.T. auto prop and Torsen diff from Keron.

 

 

Just the N/A trans to fetch from Portsmouth, then I will have all the components for the hybrid.

[David P]

The 3" - 4" silicone elbow to connect t.b. to K&N has arrived, and also the old type HT lead connectors, :)

but still waiting for the stainless steel bends.

 

All of the holes in t.b, knuckle branch and s.c. elbow now have the correct threads and I have also found a sheet of 4mm alloy to fabricate the chargecooler. :)

 

My efforts to cut the ICV out of the N/A t.b. did not go well, there is a cavity in the casting that complicates the job,

so I have decided to use an ICV from a Mk3 turbo Supra, it is exactly what I was trying to make.

Waiting delivery of that too.

 

Can't complete the induction or S.C. mounting bracket or begin on charge cooler until the bends arrive, :(

so will make the charge cooler mounts next.

Edited January 29, 2011 by David P (see edit history)

[Steve]

Always a pain waiting for parts to turn up, really brings things to a halt.

 

Keep up the good work though

[David P]

Not completing any of this growing 3x3D jigsaw of components is frustrating, yet I must delay any permanent assembly before all of the pieces of this puzzle are here.

There's room for the components I am still unearthing for the project, but no room for error, they all have to be snuggled up with each other, then given a tack of weld.

 

Now I have the silicone induction elbow and a Lexus cruise cable there is a conflict of space, and the throttle body mount will need it's 3rd on car locating tack together session to angle the front upwards by around 15o.

 

As the conversion evolves I am developing finer ways of my first ideas, and this evolving DIY Supercharger Conversion jigsaw I am collating, is like a great big Airfix kit, not plastic, but chunks of steel and aluminium.

 

When all the bits are ready, it should glue together in a day.

Edited February 7, 2011 by David P (see edit history)

[David P]

Some pics.

 

I have made the charge cooler mounting brackets, the ends will be fitted with studs and trimmed to match tags on the c.c.

 

 

The silicone elbow needs to be an inch or so higher to clear the chassis rail so need to reposition the t.b. but need to wait until the larger s.c. pulley has arrived.

 

 

 

Edited February 7, 2011 by David P (see edit history)

[David P]

Good news - bad news update.

 

Bad news; The power steering pump I found on a burnt out engine has a bent shaft and is no good to line up the s.c. pulley.

Good news; Shane has offered to lend me a power steering pump and alternator for the jig engine.

 

Bad news; My original supplier of stainless pipe bends has let me down.

Good news; Now on their way from Demontweeks.

 

Bad news; The MA70GTE ICV has arrived, but is not quite right for the job.

Good news; Have found a JZA80GTE ICV and it's on it's way.

 

I have ordered a 4.2" supercharger pulley, and that should arrive next week.

 

As soon as these odds and sods are here, I can prepare the final pieces of the jigsaw.

 

The glue it all together day is looming.

Edited February 4, 2011 by David P (see edit history)

[David P]

I have managed to straighten up the wonky power steering pulley, I put the burnt pulley back on, gave it one clunk with the lump hammer and hit the jackpot.

Not absolutely sure what moved, I only gave it a 'test' clunk and was dissapointed how easy 'something' bent.

It is siezed in that position and spot on, so not tempting fate I have left that pulley on and cleaned it up a bit.

I have had my first play on a lathe, and cut the ribs off the water pump pulley ready to face the back of the belt, 'treated' the jig engine with the reworked runners and fitted the gaskets.

 

With the supercharger propped into position I have started working on the charger exit flange, recycling the Jag casting and 2 pieces of the charge cooler, now cut as close as I dare until TIG tacked.

I am trying to keep the finished height as low as I can, but the lowest I can get the exit from the charger is still 10 - 12mm higher than the top of core so need to raise the finished height of the brackets to match.

There is a flexi silicone hose joint and a 'wonk' to fit inbetween the charger and core.

In the pic the core is positioned 10mm above brackets and as far right as it can go without conflict of hose and oil breather connections at the back.

 

I am getting better tooled up for the job, I now have 2 angle grinders fitted with different discs, which saves a lot of time, and Bob has unearthed a 3 phase twin wheel bench grinder which we have fitted overhanging the end of the bench, it will take a 12" polishing mop.

 

Edited February 7, 2011 by David P (see edit history)

[David P]

I have been trying various combinations of options for the induction components and found I need to reposition the bypass valve.

 

Strange old World, maybe Bypass Valventine Day is soon.

 

I am peeved that I hadn't picked up sooner on this better design, with this out of the way, the plumbing becomes much simpler and I can make a stronger rear mounting for the charger.

 

I will find a new home for it on the charge cooler.

 

[David P]

The stainless pipe bends have not arrived.

 

So I started the weekend with a hunt around the scrapyard, found some 6mm mild steel plate, 12mm aluminium plate, 4" 1.6mm wall tube and an aerial pole with 35mm I.D.

 

Then spent the remainder of the day carving these into little pieces, along with resculpting a TT ICV and the Jag bypass valve.

 

Pics show the brackets now shortened to match the form, captive bolts fitted and with the charge-coolers 12mm aluminium feet mounted in position, the core now just sits on them and is ready for welding.

 

The charger side are longer to provide temporary support of the core at the finished height, and also showing a 'busy' area rear of the core.

 

 

Edited February 15, 2014 by David P (see edit history)

[David P]

Grinding again.............................

 

With the bypass valve relocated and it's mounting boss carved off of the induction casting, there is now space for a better fixing, I have extended the rear of the base-plate and cut the support arms ready for welding to the head foot.

There is also a short piece of 30mm bar between them, this has a 4mm hole with a 4mm bolt, that passes through an 18mm hole in the base plate and a 50mm washer under the nut.

This will act as a temporary support at the finished height for the rear of the base plate and it is 14mm moveable and fixable by 7mm left, right, forwards or back.

 

I have positioned the core as far right and as far back as it will go, cut and formed the top and bottom sections of core to knuckle branch.

 

 

Edited February 15, 2014 by David P (see edit history)

[David P]

The wire feed in the MIG keeps sticking and it's not working very well, but managed to get the arms and temporary adjusting support tag tacked to the head foot, it was strong enough to be carved into shape around the elbow so will do for the time being, i'm hiring a TIG welder next week, so if we haven't got the MIG repaired by then it can be finished it off with that.

 

Only a little job, but a great leap forwards.

 

The T.T. ICV and Jag bypass valve have been pruned to fit into their new homes in the growing mock up.

I have ground the b.p.v. mounting boss ground off the base of the elbow, which makes more space for a better fixing and simpler plumbing.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 15, 2014 by David P (see edit history)

[David P]

A few more pieces of the charge cooler are formed and taped into position.

 

I have remade the panel over the knuckle with a bend that is in keeping with the recycled parts.

 

 

 

Edited February 15, 2014 by David P (see edit history)

[ripped_fear]

looking good coming along very nicely!

 

what power figures you hoping to get out of her buy the end?

[David P]

Now the brackets are supporting everything where they should be, joining up the dots has become a lot easier.

 

You have reminded me that I haven’t posted the numbers for the chosen pulley size of 4.2”.

 

6.78” crank pulley / 4.2" supercharger pulley x M112 = 13.56psi (0.93 bar) 711 cfm (20,147 lpm) engine 6,800rpm s.c. 10,977rpm

dynamic compression 16.86:1 (figures allow for valve overlap and @ 95% ve)

 

Along with the water/meth and HHO, I think it could be possible to scrape into the exclusive 500 club.

 

All the numbers are posted for anyone who has a bhp cruncher program to make comment.

Edited February 16, 2011 by David P (see edit history)

[David P]

The fabrication of the charge cooler sections is as far as can be done for now, the final pruning around the hose tail will be better done after some welding.

 

Courtesy of dude, the jig engine now has a very dead power steering pump, and courtesy of Shane, now also an alternator.

 

Neither the supercharger pulley or the stainless bends have arrived yet, hope they turn up soon.

 

I have added 3 layers of 6 rib belt to the crank pulley, 2 down and 1 up, this increases the stock 5.5" pulley up to 6.78" ish, which is the diameter of the ATI pulley on engine in car.

 

 

Edited February 15, 2014 by David P (see edit history)

[Benjy]

i've not been on mkiv for aaaaages. came on here tonight for a nose because the wife's gone to win me £400 at a karaoke competition, and now I want a supercharger conversion on my N/A! You sir, are a god damned genius!! Just wish I had the patience to do something like this. And the time. And the money. And the know how...

 

Can't wait to see the finished article! If you fancy doing a re-run of this project, you can always do it on my Supra! lol

[David P]

Ben,

 

Thank you for the compliment.

 

Money; not much, £300 for the charger, £120 for the charge cooler, £100 for the pulley, £25 for the distributor cap, some odds and sods from ebay and a few scrapyard searches.

 

Relieve your missus of that £400 and you're half way there.

 

The 'know how' which is mostly plumbing, is posted here, so all you need is an angle grinder and a steady hand.

It doesn't matter how long it takes, my interest is the challenge and it keeps me out of the pub a bit.

Edited February 18, 2011 by David P (see edit history)

[David P]

Still waiting for the pulley wheel, stainless bends, parts to repair MIG welder, alloy rad neck and 3 3/4" T clamps which all were posted on monday, they are not labelled Royal Snail without reason.

 

Without these bits, I am scratching about with little jobs here and there.

Managed to get a piece of steel stuck on, just, and formed it around the Autobahn manifold, cut a 4mm alloy blank for the hole where the bypass valve used to be, made the mounting bracket and base for the swirl pot and recycled an N/A top hose casting to connect to the repositioned BV.

 

 

 

Edited February 15, 2014 by David P (see edit history)

[David P]

The charger pulley and parts to repair the MIG have arrived, so I have moved back onto the bracketry and tidied up where the birds had been.

 

I have fitted the pulley and for the first time the jig engine has a full set, this now allows me to line up the faces, and with a 25 thou feeler as a spacer, the height of the back of the bracket is perfect, also tacked on a couple of pieces of bar to the bottom of plate either side of the front arm, this allows the plate to slide and be adjusted without loosing front alignment.

Next time it goes on the car, I can slide it into the best position, nip up the bolt at the back and it will be ready to weld together.

 

The belt has been mocked with tape to show how much space there is to reposition the throttle body.

 

 

 

Edited February 15, 2014 by David P (see edit history)

[Andy Blyth]

I'd assumed you were using a separate drive belt for your supercharger. Isn't your water pump going to be driven backwards in that configuration?

[David P]

The engine in the car has a Meziere electric water pump and the pulley on the front of it is just an idler, it won't care which way it rotates.

[David P]

The pipes bends have arrived.

 

 

Today was a bit of a grind!

 

I have formed the flanges for each end, the face of the throttle body flange had twisted during welding and this is the rogue piece of 8mm tempered steel.

When found it was a 4" square of 8mm with a square hole in the middle, and after wondering what Bernard Cribbins might say about it?

I clamped it in the pillar drill and set about it with a hole cutter, it was taking a long time and without checking, assumed it was because of a dull blade, and the belt was slipping on the drill too.

Not having another the cutter the same size, I hung 2 pairs of mole grips on the handle for max weight before the belt slipped and got on with another bench job, every now and then giving it a good oiling, it used half a pint and took all afternoon!

So hard won was this hole I was determined not to be beaten by this 'angry' hunk, so I hammered and ground it into submission and re-tapped the threads.

 

It fought me hard all the way and I managed to set myself on fire again, twice..........

 

 

Voila!

The 'Bullet Proof' N/A supercharger throttle body mounting flange is hewn.

 

 

 

The other end I started from scratch with a nice piece of 6mm mild steel, and the same cutter went through it with 2 squibs of oil in less than a minute!

 

 

I have cut and straightened up the back of the mounting plate for more clearance from the manifold.

 

 

Modified the rake of the diagonal to clear the induction pipe.

 

Edited February 15, 2014 by David P (see edit history)

[David P]

I needed another pair of hands to help sort out the induction pipe assembly yet nobody was around today to help, so I found the Jag bypass valve a new place to live, this has 2 outlets on one side because it originally fed a V configuration engine, so have plumbed both into the charge cooler which also act as a mounting to hold it in place.

I haven't come across any alloy pipe the correct size for this job, so cut a slip out of a piece of the aerial pole and reduced the diameter by squeezing it with jubilee clips, once in the wonked holes, it springs back open and traps itself into position.

 

Then drilled and tapped the holes for the secondary water/meth nozzles, added the 19mm charge cooler hose tails and had a tinker around tidying a few jobs up.

 

 

Edited February 15, 2014 by David P (see edit history)