LSA Supercharger Installation

Tech discussions on the L77 6.0L V8.
Silversled
Posts: 270
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2016 7:13 am
Location: Tampa, FL

Re: LSA Supercharger Installation

Post by Silversled »

7) INTAKE

For the intake, I intended to weld up a custom 4” aluminum unit. However the Friday afternoon before the Christmas holiday, I realized I was almost out of Argon shield gas and everything had already closed…AAARRGH.

I had a leftover New Era CAI from my old CTS-V wagon. I did a couple of test fits and the MAF and PCV port was in the perfect location. The filter also fell perfectly into the dead space where the old airbox resided. Looked like a plan!

The only minor issue was that the CTS-V uses a different MAF style than the LS7 card MAF I intended to use. Luckily in my box of 4” mandrel bent aluminum tubes was an LS7 Card MAF plate. It looked like I could machine that down to make an adapter plate.

Image

Image


I drilled and counterbored the aluminum adapter plate for some small M5 stainless cap screws. On the intake itself, I cut off the mount bosses for the old CTS-V MAF then match drilled and tapped mount holes. I also had to remove some material to accommodate the LS7 MAF width. I sprayed some engine enamel on the areas I ground down and installed the new interface plate with black sensor safe RTV.

Here’s the finished result of the MAF adapter.


Image


Now installed in place with the IAT breakout cable

Image


The PCV connector needs to be rotated to connect properly to the intake. It required the use of a heat gun. It is on there really tight.

Image


Hood closed and picture taken looking forward to check hood clearance; there’s plenty.

Image


Intake looks pretty good (but I’m a little biased).

Image
2014 Chevrolet Caprice PPV
2014 Chevrolet Stingray Z51
2016 AMG C63
2015 BMW X5 iDrive 50i
CrashTestDummy
Posts: 2300
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2015 2:31 pm
Location: Pearland, Texas

Re: LSA Supercharger Installation

Post by CrashTestDummy »

Nice, detailed write-up, and nice work. Looks like it is NOT a plug and play sort of project.
Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas
2012 Caprice 9C1
1992 B4C 1LE Camaro
2018 Tahoe PPV (her car)
1995 DGGM Impala SS
1985 Firebird - 310 LS1 C Prepared autocross car.
1980 Bluebird Wanderlodge
And some others
Do YOU have my SPID?
Silversled
Posts: 270
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2016 7:13 am
Location: Tampa, FL

Re: LSA Supercharger Installation

Post by Silversled »

CrashTestDummy wrote:Nice, detailed write-up, and nice work. Looks like it is NOT a plug and play sort of project.
Thank you 'Crash. None of these projects are ever plug and play are they? ....but I'm fine with that. LOL.
2014 Chevrolet Caprice PPV
2014 Chevrolet Stingray Z51
2016 AMG C63
2015 BMW X5 iDrive 50i
Pursuit
Administration Staff
Posts: 969
Joined: Tue Apr 23, 2013 3:39 pm
Location: Omaha, NE area

Re: LSA Supercharger Installation

Post by Pursuit »

I second the sentiment! Great documentation, explanation and pictures. I appreciate the attention to details. Great effort and job!

Regards,

Maurice
Maurice Sheil

mhsheil@gmail.com

2011 Caprice Phantom Black 9C3
2012 Impala 9C1
1995 9C1 Caprice
1996 GMC Sierra C1500
1996 Chevrolet K2500 Extended Cab, long box, 454, 91,000 rust free miles
1974 SJ Grand Prix 455 well optioned with factory moon roof
SBRMD
Posts: 148
Joined: Tue Mar 19, 2013 7:29 pm

Re: LSA Supercharger Installation

Post by SBRMD »

Thanks for the great read Silver, always interested to follow your exploits.

Still getting up the guts to semi-mimic your center console work.
Steve Robin
Minneapolis, MN
'11 PPV 9C3 Phantom Black Metallic
Silversled
Posts: 270
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2016 7:13 am
Location: Tampa, FL

Re: LSA Supercharger Installation

Post by Silversled »

Pursuit wrote:I second the sentiment! Great documentation, explanation and pictures. I appreciate the attention to details. Great effort and job!

Regards,

Maurice
Thanks Maurice. I know a lot of fellow owners want to install an LSA blower so I thought my experience may be useful to some.
2014 Chevrolet Caprice PPV
2014 Chevrolet Stingray Z51
2016 AMG C63
2015 BMW X5 iDrive 50i
Silversled
Posts: 270
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2016 7:13 am
Location: Tampa, FL

Re: LSA Supercharger Installation

Post by Silversled »

SBRMD wrote:Thanks for the great read Silver, always interested to follow your exploits.

Still getting up the guts to semi-mimic your center console work.
Thanks SBRMD. Just jump in!!! LOL.

Wait until you see my mod of the complete new return style fuel system with dual staged fuel pumps......but that is another discussion.
2014 Chevrolet Caprice PPV
2014 Chevrolet Stingray Z51
2016 AMG C63
2015 BMW X5 iDrive 50i
Silversled
Posts: 270
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2016 7:13 am
Location: Tampa, FL

Re: LSA Supercharger Installation

Post by Silversled »

8) Heat Exchanger

This is a topic I spent too many hours of head scratching on trying to decide,
1) How to keep the windshield washer tank?
2) How I can keep as much of the trans cooler unblocked ?
3) Do I move the trans cooler?
4) Do I just buy a ZL1 AFCO unit and take out the Sawzall? (again with the Sawzall),
5) Do I buy an HX core and weld up my own HX?
6) etc. etc. etc.

While I’m still going to eventually weld up my own HX or modify an ZL1 AFCO unit, for now I decided on the Edlebrock 15409 which have the following dimensions, 17”(W) x 11”(H) x 2”(D). It fit nicely and allows me to retain the plastic scoop in the bumper and provide a more factory look, if that can be achieved.

I did loose the the washer reservoir. I got over it. LOL. That will be a project for another day (got some great ideas here…stay tuned).

As mentioned, I did not have any Argon over the Christmas holidays so I used an old fab hack that has worked in a pinch for me. JB Weld and rivets! Luckily I only had two lap joints in the whole bracket setup.

The Edlebrock already had 2 bosses on each side tapped for 6mm bolts. The entire bracket system comprised of two 2”x2”x0.125”T aluminum angle brackets and two small lengths of 0.125” thick bar stock. The mill made short work of the brackets and slotting of mounting holes. The brackets pick up the four threaded bosses on the back side of the crash bar that normally hold the washer fluid canister. I was prepared to add a third bracket on top but it didn’t need it since the installation is incredibly sturdy with just the brackets.

Here is the result.

Image

Image


I used the Cobalt filler neck for now and mounted it off a solid tab coming off the fuse box. I machined a bracket that indexes on the sides of the fusebox so the filler neck is locked into an angled orientation to facilitate the hose routing .

Image

Image


The -12AN braided hoses were run from the lid assembly down to the filler neck and to the pump. Since the details count, I secured the hoses with proper -12AN billet separators and finished the hoses at the filler neck with termination clamps.

Image

Image

The HX bottom outlet goes straight outboard through the 1.25” DIA hole and turns 90degrees to the pump inlet. This is one of the pieces I had to hunt for at AutoZone. I just found any 3/4” heater hose and cut it to size.

Image

Image

Image

Image

The only thing I have to say about the wiring of the pump is tap into the fuel pump controller. I would rather tap into a less critical system like the body controller fuse above it but my fuse tap interfered with another fuse.

Image

Image
2014 Chevrolet Caprice PPV
2014 Chevrolet Stingray Z51
2016 AMG C63
2015 BMW X5 iDrive 50i
CrashTestDummy
Posts: 2300
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2015 2:31 pm
Location: Pearland, Texas

Re: LSA Supercharger Installation

Post by CrashTestDummy »

So when is your PNP LSA kit for the ‘11-‘17 Caprice going to be available for order?!? I bet you can sell tens!! :)

Put me down for one.

Seriously, though, you are doing stellar work, especially in the fabrication department.
Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas
2012 Caprice 9C1
1992 B4C 1LE Camaro
2018 Tahoe PPV (her car)
1995 DGGM Impala SS
1985 Firebird - 310 LS1 C Prepared autocross car.
1980 Bluebird Wanderlodge
And some others
Do YOU have my SPID?
Silversled
Posts: 270
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2016 7:13 am
Location: Tampa, FL

Re: LSA Supercharger Installation

Post by Silversled »

CrashTestDummy wrote:So when is your PNP LSA kit for the ‘11-‘17 Caprice going to be available for order?!? I bet you can sell tens!! :)

Put me down for one.

Seriously, though, you are doing stellar work, especially in the fabrication department.

Thanks Gene. LOL. I have no intention of selling kits for this. That’s why I’m spilling the beans on the details of my build; kinda an open source thing. It’s just one interpretation of how an LSA install goes together. I hate sketchy workmanship so although I could have banged it together in 2 days I decided to take my time over the Christmas break.
2014 Chevrolet Caprice PPV
2014 Chevrolet Stingray Z51
2016 AMG C63
2015 BMW X5 iDrive 50i
Post Reply