Your choice, stall or centrifugal blower? Of course both is the preferred, but....

skaarlaj

Probie Former Pink Bus Rider
Joined
Nov 16, 2015
Posts
767
Reaction score
6
Thought it would be fun to see what your opinions are on the subject. For me in the eighth mile, I think a nice stall would buy me more et than a centrifugal blower. I can't imagine making enough boost to make a difference in the first 100-150 foot with a centri without a stall, and in my opinion, the shorter the race, the more important the launch.

I'd guess my car with just the same blower and boost as I'm at now would probably struggle to do an 8.5 without a stall and was down to 8.2-8.3 with a stall before installing the blower.

The reason I bring this up is because I see alot of people show up at the track with street tires, no suspension, stock converter, crappy rear gearing, but bragging about XXX horsepower, and then being confused when someone who actually can launch decently eats them for breakfast.
 

94_cobra

forum member
Joined
Mar 16, 2017
Posts
52
Reaction score
0
I'd go with a converter! Probably much more enjoyable to drive too
 

skaarlaj

Probie Former Pink Bus Rider
Joined
Nov 16, 2015
Posts
767
Reaction score
6
That's also a favorable vote for a pd blower over a centri. which doesn't need a high stall converter, or "as much" stall speed as a centrifugal to work effectively.
 

tigerhonaker

Senior Member
S197 Team Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2009
Posts
6,516
Reaction score
29
Location
TN
That's also a favorable vote for a pd blower over a centri. which doesn't need a high stall converter, or "as much" stall speed as a centrifugal to work effectively.

Very true ...........

The PD is really like "instant" power !!!

In fact in some cases it's hard to control if you happen to have a lot of H/P & Torque with the PD S/C.

Terry
 

skaarlaj

Probie Former Pink Bus Rider
Joined
Nov 16, 2015
Posts
767
Reaction score
6
Very true ...........

The PD is really like "instant" power !!!

In fact in some cases it's hard to control if you happen to have a lot of H/P & Torque with the PD S/C.

Terry
Yeah, I've owned a few PD cars and a lightning with a PD, and although the pd blowers are very exciting and fun to drive, I prefer the top end scream of a centrifugal. But in the wrong application they can act like real slugs.

We have a 2001 4wd F150 super-crew, and the only blower kit available when I was wanting to supercharge that truck was a Procharger. We still have and love that truck, and on the highway and regular driving it's nice, but it won't win any races any time soon. It needs a stall badly, but I'd rather have a PD blower for that one any day, rather than the existing centrifugal paired up with a high stall converter.
 

tigerhonaker

Senior Member
S197 Team Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2009
Posts
6,516
Reaction score
29
Location
TN
Yeah, I've owned a few PD cars and a lightning with a PD, and although the pd blowers are very exciting and fun to drive, I prefer the top end scream of a centrifugal. But in the wrong application they can act like real slugs.

We have a 2001 4wd F150 super-crew, and the only blower kit available when I was wanting to supercharge that truck was a Procharger. We still have and love that truck, and on the highway and regular driving it's nice, but it won't win any races any time soon. It needs a stall badly, but I'd rather have a PD blower for that one any day, rather than the existing centrifugal paired up with a high stall converter.

As you say there is a place and application for both types of superchargers.

T.
 

tjm73

of Omicron Persei 8
S197 Team Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2010
Posts
12,092
Reaction score
1,638
Location
Rush, NY
.... the shorter the race, the more important the launch.

Regardless of length, in drag racing I think the launch is either the #1 most important thing, or maybe #2 after traction.

Years ago I beat a minimum half second faster car at the local 1/4 mile because I had a better launch. By better I mean quicker reaction and better 60'. I cut a nearly perfect light and my 60ft was like 3/10ths better. At the top end, another 100-150 feet and he would have taken me. But he ran out of track.

Personally, I despise 1/8th mile. Refuse to watch it. Refuse to race it. What's next? 1/16th mile drag races? That's beside the point. In 1/8th it seems the launch is extremely important. There just isn't enough time or track to fix it if it was bad.
 

skaarlaj

Probie Former Pink Bus Rider
Joined
Nov 16, 2015
Posts
767
Reaction score
6
I like the eighth because that's the nearest track to me at 110 miles away. I hear alot of people not liking the thought of the eighth, but if you improve your times in the eighth, you'll more than likely improve in the 1/4 as well. I think alot of street cars are becoming quicker and faster than ever before and keeping the speed down because of the shorter 1/8th mile track might be a decent idea for street cars that may not have a cage and other safety equipment that they should have, but simply don't because they're trying too hard to be a street car.

Then there's the clowns that hang a licence plate off the back of a pro mod car and call it a street car, aka (street outlaws) hahaha!!
 
Last edited:

tjm73

of Omicron Persei 8
S197 Team Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2010
Posts
12,092
Reaction score
1,638
Location
Rush, NY
I like the eighth because that's the nearest track to me at 110 miles away. I hear alot of people not liking the thought of the eighth, but if you improve your times in the eighth, you'll more than likely improve in the 1/4 as well. I think alot of street cars are becoming quicker and faster than ever before and keeping the speed down because of the shorter 1/8th mile track might be a decent idea for street cars that may not have a cage and other safety equipment that they should have, but simply don't because they're trying too hard to be a street car.

Then there's the clowns that hang a licence plate off the back of a pro mod car and call it a street car, aka (street outlaws) hahaha!!

I understand all that. I still don't like it personally. Not my thing. Lots of people like it. And that's fine.

The street outlaws thing is such a joke.
 

skaarlaj

Probie Former Pink Bus Rider
Joined
Nov 16, 2015
Posts
767
Reaction score
6
I understand all that. I still don't like it personally. Not my thing. Lots of people like it. And that's fine.

The street outlaws thing is such a joke.
Yeah imo those (street outlaw) cars need to either be in a trailer or at a track not the street. I think alot of people like to call their vehicles "street" because it'll be considered as either extremely quick/fast for a street car, or they're worried it isn't quite quick enough to be calling it a "race" car.
 

tjm73

of Omicron Persei 8
S197 Team Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2010
Posts
12,092
Reaction score
1,638
Location
Rush, NY
Well my brother has a 418W '88 Ranger that rolls through the gate and lays down numbers that just flat embarrass some race cars that show up on trailers. And then he drives it home. On 91 non-ethanol pump gas. Really really low 11's at over 122 without breaking a sweat off the foot brake. No boost. No NOS......yet.

To be fair we probably have a bunch of slow "race cars" at the track.
 

skaarlaj

Probie Former Pink Bus Rider
Joined
Nov 16, 2015
Posts
767
Reaction score
6
Well my brother has a 418W '88 Ranger that rolls through the gate and lays down numbers that just flat embarrass some race cars that show up on trailers. And then he drives it home. On 91 non-ethanol pump gas. Really really low 11's at over 122 without breaking a sweat off the foot brake. No boost. No NOS......yet.

To be fair we probably have a bunch of slow "race cars" at the track.
Hell yeah!!!! That sounds like a cool build that your brother has!!
 
Last edited:

Lowfast

Just another idiot
Joined
Jun 4, 2011
Posts
468
Reaction score
5
Location
Texan back in Texas!
We have a 2001 4wd F150 super-crew, and the only blower kit available when I was wanting to supercharge that truck was a Procharger. We still have and love that truck, and on the highway and regular driving it's nice, but it won't win any races any time soon. It needs a stall badly, but I'd rather have a PD blower for that one any day, rather than the existing centrifugal paired up with a high stall converter.

Which engine and how much boost? My old 2003 Supercrew was 2wd, so some weight savings, but the 5.4 running 12lbs of boost with the procharger (upgraded piping and intercooler) was pretty quick for such a heavy ride. Pulleying up to the 12lbs made all the difference hitting boost much sooner.
 

skaarlaj

Probie Former Pink Bus Rider
Joined
Nov 16, 2015
Posts
767
Reaction score
6
Which engine and how much boost? My old 2003 Supercrew was 2wd, so some weight savings, but the 5.4 running 12lbs of boost with the procharger (upgraded piping and intercooler) was pretty quick for such a heavy ride. Pulleying up to the 12lbs made all the difference hitting boost much sooner.

Mine has the 5.4 2 valve engine, weighs about 5400 if I remember correctly. It gets about 12-13psi at or near red-line, but the problem is that it's never very close to red-line with the wide ratios and pretty dismal gearing lol, it needs a stall and or a wastegate system and more aggressive 8 rib pulley set-up. Right now the blower has a no-slip 3" pulley, the pulley it came with only made around 4-5psi with our elevation.
 

tjm73

of Omicron Persei 8
S197 Team Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2010
Posts
12,092
Reaction score
1,638
Location
Rush, NY
A waste gate system like a turbo would probably do wonders. Pulley it to the max and get up to your desired boost sooner, then let the waste gate hold it there.
 

Lowfast

Just another idiot
Joined
Jun 4, 2011
Posts
468
Reaction score
5
Location
Texan back in Texas!
Mine has the 5.4 2 valve engine, weighs about 5400 if I remember correctly. It gets about 12-13psi at or near red-line, but the problem is that it's never very close to red-line with the wide ratios and pretty dismal gearing lol, it needs a stall and or a wastegate system and more aggressive 8 rib pulley set-up. Right now the blower has a no-slip 3" pulley, the pulley it came with only made around 4-5psi with our elevation.

Mine weighed 5200 on a metal scrap yard scale, not sure how accurate. With t he 12 psi pulley, I am not at elevation, mine made 500ftlbs at the wheels over most of the rpm range. Maybe the elevation is really killing the ability to build boost quickly. Taht or maybe having the upgraded intercooler and larger 3" piping made all the difference (or we may have different definitions of quick/fast for a truck) I hade 355 gears but always wanted to go 393's but ended up selling it a few years back. I still love/miss that truck.
 

skaarlaj

Probie Former Pink Bus Rider
Joined
Nov 16, 2015
Posts
767
Reaction score
6
Mine weighed 5200 on a metal scrap yard scale, not sure how accurate. With t he 12 psi pulley, I am not at elevation, mine made 500ftlbs at the wheels over most of the rpm range. Maybe the elevation is really killing the ability to build boost quickly. Taht or maybe having the upgraded intercooler and larger 3" piping made all the difference (or we may have different definitions of quick/fast for a truck) I hade 355 gears but always wanted to go 393's but ended up selling it a few years back. I still love/miss that truck.

Mine made nowhere near that much steam, similar to stock gen 2 Lightning numbers for mine. Still love and use the truck to this day though, just not fast, hahaha.
 

Latest posts

Support us!

Support Us - Become A Supporting Member Today!

Click Here For Details

Sponsor Links

Banner image
Back
Top