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The Chevy Camaro has long been a staple for performance-seeking drivers, and the cream of the crop happens to be a V8 stuffed under the hood. Compared to its rivals, it’s the muscle car that’s arguably the most powerful as well as the most customizable. What does that mean when you want to go faster, whether it’s from stoplight to stoplight or across the finish line? It means there are power adders that bolt on to elevate your power from factory to fabulous.
Among the best options for bolt-on performance are supercharger kits, which ram more air into the intake, creating more power as the air-fuel mixture burns in the engine. With several choices, selecting the right Camaro supercharger kit requires some forethought and consideration. Here’s everything you need to do about choosing the right kit.
What is a Supercharger?
Essentially, a supercharger is an air compressor that’s designed to increase the air density in your Camaro’s air intake. Since the air-fuel mixture needs to be precise for a clean, powerful burn, getting more power from your engine requires not just more fuel, but more oxygen to go with it. A supercharger does that by compressing air and forcing it into the intake anytime the engine is running.
Superchargers are a forced air induction system, in the same category of performance parts as turbochargers. The major difference between the two is how the air is compressed. Whereas turbos use exhaust gases to spin a turbine that, in turn, spins the compressor, turbochargers are belt-driven off of the crankshaft pulley. Superchargers have an advantage, though, since boost comes instantly, where for a turbo, it takes some time for the turbo to spool up.
Choosing a Supercharger for Your Camaro
There are a variety of supercharger options on the market. But if you’re bolting one onto a high-performance engine like the Camaro LS1, you’d better know that it’s going to get the job done well. These are four categories that can guide you to the best supercharger kits for your money and performance needs on your Camaro.
Street vs Racing
First, you need to decide if you’re relegating your Camaro to strictly track use or if it needs to remain street legal. If you’re putting wheelie bars on it or welding in a custom roll cage, odds are you’re making it a track monster. It’s important to know since some superchargers aren’t street legal.
Bolt-on power adders need to be CARB compliant to be street legal, and not all of them are. Brands like ProCharger proudly boast a huge lineup of street-legal superchargers, but that can’t be said for every manufacturer or kit out there. If your car’s only for the track, it doesn’t really matter about emission compliance – although it might for your car’s race classification – but if you want your car to be street legal, your choice is quite important.
Types of Superchargers
Generally, there are three different types of superchargers available that offers pros and cons: centrifugal, roots, and twin-screw.
- Centrifugal superchargers are mounted to the side of the engine and look something like a mix of an alternator and a turbocharger. They’re driven by a belt and spin at up to 60,000 RPM inside, turning a compressor that generates around 7 PSI. Although these systems are among the least complicated and most efficient, centrifugal superchargers are among the least common design from the factory and much more common in the aftermarket.
- Roots superchargers are typically bolted to the top of the intake. It uses two lobes or impellers to compress air in a manifold and push it into the intake. The design is simple but it’s a bulky mechanism and is limited on how much air it can compress. The benefit is that it’s bolted directly to the top of the engine, minimizing any lag in boost. However, this style typically requires alot of underhood clearance or has to protrude from the top of the hood.
- Twin-screw superchargers operate in a similar fashion as a Roots supercharger and look pretty close to the same. It’s also belt driven, but it doesn’t have a manifold or chamber. Rather, if pushes it directly into the intake. These are slightly more efficient than Roots superchargers but tend to be pricier.
In most circumstances, you’ll find that Camaro superchargers that are bolt-on power adders tend to be centrifugal blowers.
Installation Options
It takes several hours to plumb in and install a supercharger, no matter what type you choose to go with. The degree of difficulty is pretty high for a novice DIYer, but it’s still doable. After installing the supercharger tuning needs to be completed to ensure the car isn’t running too lean or rich, and you’ll need to assess other systems like the fuel system and ECU to determine if other upgrades are needed to get it working well.
If your Camaro is bound for the track only, it’s not a bad plan to either install it yourself or have your race team do it together. That way, you’re better equipped to tune, repair, or troubleshoot any issues that come up.
Also, account for the time and cost to install the intercooler system. The air that’s fed into the engine should be cool to be as energy-dense as possible, and that will entail pulling the bumper and other body parts to fit the hoses and intercooler.
If it all sounds a little more complicated than you’re able to tackle, don’t stress too much. If you’re investing in the kit already, it’s not a bad idea to inquire about installation pricing from performance shops. It’s likely to take a few days to do, but it’s well worth it if means the job is done right.
Supercharger Prices
Whether you want a race-only supercharger for your Camaro or a street-legal kit, expect to invest somewhere between $7,000 and $10,000. That accounts for the kit itself, the labor to install it, and a buffer for extraneous items that are bound to come up. It’s about more than just adding 55% more horsepower, though – it’s about bragging rights and stocking the trophy case.
Shop at JEGS to find a forced air induction kit that fits your Camaro LS1, LT1, or any other generation you might drive. With a commitment to carry only the best parts from top manufacturers as well as our Lowest Price Guarantee, why shop anywhere else?
