Whipple Supercharger Questions

[TexasTruck]

the only thing to be careful with is not ripping your sack off on the hood latch.

Now I know what you're talking about - that thing is lethal!

Sponsored

 

[NavyChief]

Been a minute, how did the install go?

 

[TexasTruck]

Been a minute, how did the install go?

Thank you for checking... well it was sitting on the engine... for about two hours... notice the missing left and right injector connectors... they should be sticking up on the rear sides of the manifold.

I had to remove it because the injector harness connectors would not reach the factory plug. I did get clarification from others, including Whipple about how the injector harness should be routed (above the injector clocking brackets/below the fuel rail) that will provide enough play to reach the factory connector and not pinch the harness against the heads. It was also suggested that I unwrap the anti-abrasion tape around the injector pigtails and straighten the wiring; some have a curly queue/twist in them reducing the overall length of the harness. Then wrap new anti-abrasion tape around it again.

Since then, life threw me a curve ball (sucks to get old) that I have to figure out before I can set the manifold again. Hopefully this weekend...

 

[NavyChief]

So you get to do that rear manifold bolt twice.. well three times counting taking it out.
I didn’t have the wiring being short on mine but do check those rear knock sensor pigtails on both sides of the engine before setting that manifold back in place.
Did you change the spark plugs? I know that passenger rear one is a bitch too.

 

[TexasTruck]

So you get to do that rear manifold bolt twice.. well three times counting taking it out.

Ha! No... I noticed the pinched injector wiring and lack of connectors before hand. I check how a few other things are playing out, including those two rear bolts, no words, just tight back there.

I didn’t have the wiring being short on mine but do check those rear knock sensor pigtails on both sides of the engine before setting that manifold back in place.

I will and I must admit, setting the manifold in place, while heavy, was just as you guys said. I was overthinking it I guess, just slow deliberate moves.

Did you change the spark plugs? I know that passenger rear one is a bitch too.

Yeah, I spent way to much time on that part. Between gap size and tools to use, etc. but I may have found a trick to it. I used a 3/8" 6" wobble spark plug socket/extension (Amazon special), a 3/8" universal, a 3/8" 4" extension, and a 3/8" ratchet. When we pull a plug out of the engine we tend to want to angle the ratchet away and out at the same time. Instead, pull right up into a cavity directly above the spark plug until the plug clears the engine. This cavity is behind the large PCM/ECM//TCM/? connectors. Once the spark plug clears the engine, now wiggle/angle the extension/spark plug towards the center of the engine and towards you with the ratchet following. A little backwards if you will I suppose. I will say the one thing that is unnerving about the spark plugs is pulling the coil off. Man! I thought I was going to tear the boot in two, but slow steady pulling seemed to do the trick.

I used the 6" from this package:

 

[NavyChief]

this is what I made up, I used cheaper stuff and JB welded them into one unit so they wouldnt come apart in the hole.

 

[TexasTruck]

this is what I made up, I used cheaper stuff and JB welded them into one unit so they wouldnt come apart in the hole.

Nice and you have 1/4" vs 3/8". That's pretty much what I have too. That universal in the middle allows it to bend as you start to pull the spark plug out. We have to change our plugs frequently, so I kept mine "welded" together for the next time.

Another thing to watch with your spark plug is when you install the new one don't drop it in the hole or else you might effect the gap. One final note is I read mixed views on using anti-seize on the spark plug threads. I guess quality spark plugs use nickel which is friendlier to aluminum ?‍

 

[TexasTruck]

I'm back at the install again. Routing the fuel injector harness on top of the clocking brackets keeps them from getting pinched now.

I'm struggling with the passenger rear bolt. Believe it or not, the drivers side rear bolt is easy compared to the passenger. I bought a small magnet pickup snake to help. To hold the bolt and fish in between the head the blower back there. The bolt hole is right below the fuel rail connector, but I can't see any thing; all by feel back there. I need longer arms too. I can feel back there and get a finger on the hole, but no way can I hold the bolt with two fingers and put it in the hole.

What did others do back there to insert the bolts?
Insert the bolts in the rear holes before I set the blower? I've seen no install instructions mention that though.

Thanks.

 

[Gooner5643]

I'm back at the install again. Routing the fuel injector harness on top of the clocking brackets keeps them from getting pinched now.

I'm struggling with the passenger rear bolt. Believe it or not, the drivers side rear bolt is easy compared to the passenger. I bought a small magnet pickup snake to help. To hold the bolt and fish in between the head the blower back there. The bolt hole is right below the fuel rail connector, but I can't see any thing; all by feel back there. I need longer arms too. I can feel back there and get a finger on the hole, but no way can I hold the bolt with two fingers and put it in the hole.

What did others do back there to insert the bolts?
Insert the bolts in the rear holes before I set the blower? I've seen no install instructions mention that though.

Thanks.

What I did after trying for 30 minutes to get that god awful bolt in was take the whole housing off again and threw a single piece of tape horizontally holding the bolt in the hole of the housing. Once the housing is in place peal the tape off and the bolt should fall into the threads.

 

[TexasTruck]

Thanks @Gooner5643 … I may just have to do that. Whipple take note: invent a way to capture the corner bolts so DIYers don’t get frustrated ?

I’ve already RR’d the blower twice… I’m about to through it in the trash. So close! One measly bolt!

One more question… how do you thread the crossover hose behind the intake? The hose wants to bend away from the gear box maybe to go around the vertical connections in the factory harness… I don’t want to strain the connections by the hose pushing away on them… if that makes any sense..,

I’ll keep after it…

 

[Gooner5643]

Thanks @Gooner5643 … I may just have to do that. Whipple take note: invent a way to capture the corner bolts so DIYers don’t get frustrated ?

I’ve already RR’d the blower twice… I’m about to through it in the trash. So close! One measly bolt!

One more question… how do you thread the crossover hose behind the intake? The hose wants to bend away from the gear box maybe to go around the vertical connections in the factory harness… I don’t want to strain the connections by the hose pushing away on them… if that makes any sense..,

I’ll keep after it…

You mean the rear fuel rail crossover hose? I think I installed it after the housing was in place and it didn’t interfere with the wires.

 

[TexasTruck]

Yes sir, the fuel crossover hose that joins the two fuel rails. With the blower in place the factory harness back there is right up against the blower gear box. The hose connects in a way that twists the hose making a gap between it and the blower.

It’s difficult to explain…. Here’s a pic showing how the hose bends outward…

With the factory harness close to the back of the blower, I guess the hose will naturally go around the vertical wires/connectors in this pic…

 

[TexasTruck]

Well, I got that last bolt in the hole! I cut off the end of a telescoping magnetic pickup tool and soldered it to a 12ga copper ground wire from a length of romex.

Then going in from side of the blower housing I roughly position the bolt in the area of the hole, guess is more like it. Using my right hand, palm side up, I reached in from behind, carefully found the bolt and put the bolt between my index and middle fingers and slowly felt around for the hole. I'm calling it lucky

Now.... how do I tighten it... I have the tool arrangement the instructions mention (1/4" ratchet, 6" extension, shallow 10mm universal). Going in from the side again, I tried to get the socket on the head of the bolt - no glory, one win per day I guess.

Thanks again for all the support!

 

[TexasTruck]

Been a minute, how did the install go?

It's installed and it even started A big shout out to @5.0Screw22 @NavyChief @Expat93 @Syclone Rob @AAWhyte @Gooner5643 for providing their support, experience, and for pushing me to finish.

I've got about 200 miles so far. I started back on Oct 12th, got as far as setting the housing and had to remove it. It sat for several weeks while life stuff happened. I restarted the week of Thanksgiving, on and off for ~17 hours over the next 10 days.

I've been taking it easy so far. The exhaust note is deeper, tougher than stock (I swapped in Tremor dual take-offs). The tune, WOW, spot on IMO, smooth daily driving, in traffic, stop and go, just normal but faster. Press the pedal a little swifter and it responds right now, I mean right now, no messing around. Not aggressively, but intentional, expected, no surprises if that makes sense. It just keeps pulling and pulling. Decel is nice too, nothing to note here, maybe a little more noticeable down shifting than stock, seems fine to me. In cab sound, you notice a faint moaning sound at idle. During accel just the rise and fall sounds with each shift, crisp, but not hard at all; no cluck, no second shift (TC lockup) in 4th gear. At 2-2.5Kish RPM, slightly louder moaning sound I guess. IDK, it's not obnoxious at all. Once you're cruising I don't notice any new sounds at all. Press the pedal to cause a downshift and now you know you're supercharged. I do notice I stay in 8th gear more often. Once I reach 60+ MPH it will use 9th and 10th gear. I haven't really gone above 3Kish yet.

There are bunch of install how-to's out there but they skip a lot of things. I am going to share my own install experience to help fill in the gaps, tips, pitfalls, do's and don'ts that might help others.

 

[NavyChief]

Yea the whipple tune has been by far the better tune. These other tune shops talk a lot of shit but I spent serious money on another tune and it was a complete mess. I guess they need to stick to mustangs lol. Cost me 1300 and ended up back on the whipple tune, So now I have an SCT sitting in a box with a crap tune.
The whipple install on my GT350 I’m going to try Lund as I didn’t get the kit with the canned tune this time or there is a local shop in Tampa I might tryso I can get some dyno time.

Sponsored