Ready to talk supercharged American trucks and ponder your next high horsepower purchase? Let’s take a look at the Edelbrock’s TVS 2650 supercharger system, which can be outfitted on any 2019-2021 GM pickup sporting the 5.3-liter or 6.2-liter V8.

To find out a bit more about the installation process, and to see precisely what makes this particular supercharger CARB-compliant, we reached out to David Page, Forced Induction Product Manager at Edelbrock, for some insider info. While our interview shined some light on Edelbrock’s intentions for the GM 1500-specific TVS 2650 supercharger system, we felt the need to delve a bit deeper. You know, because third-party product testing is still a thing and we like getting second opinions about everything here at LSX Mag.

Luckily for us, the guys over at West Bend Dyno Tuning were more than happy to help out. The Wisconsin-based tuning specialist had just completed a series of pulls with a bone stock 2021 Silverado 5.3L, then slapped Edelbrock’s TVS 2650 supercharger system in for a quick comparison. While they were at it, they documented much of the installation and discussed some of the hiccups you might encounter along the way with ECU tuning, anti-theft programming, and a pesky little water pump problem.

As for the power figures and performance gains that this blower setup has the potential of generating, along with some of the vital emissions considerations that keep this supercharger kit 50-state legal, we left that up to David Page over at Edelbrock.

One-on-One With Edelbrock

When it comes to understanding forced induction, no one talks shop quite like David Page. After a 15-plus-year tenure at the COMP Performance Group, David has taken the lead as the Product Manager for all things forced induction over at Edelbrock. In the past year alone, he has overseen several groundbreaking advancements pertaining to his area of expertise, with the TVS 2650 supercharger system being one of the more recent.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this brilliant Edelbrock blower, it’s worth noting that at its core resides Eaton’s R2650 Gen-VI TVS supercharger. The rotors for this beast come packed inside a dual-pass, 3-core intercooled rotor case, and feature bolt-on runners, with a redesigned lid eliminating any clearance issues with the factory GM 1500 pickup’s hood.

As for the supercharger unit itself, its inverted design pushes air vertically so that the first pass of the intercooler can allow additional air pressure to form within the confines of the plenum. This two-cycle approach allows more concentrated blasts of air to reach the combustion chamber in force-fed amounts, thanks in part to the air going through the intercooler core multiple times.

While this form of forced induction is indeed quite fascinating, there were a few other burning questions we had about this blower system that needed answering. Luckily for us, David Page was more than willing to chat about the all-new TVS 2650 Supercharger System for newer V8-powered GM 1500 pickups, and this is what he had to say…

LSX Mag: What is the ideal application for this supercharger?

Page: Towing, drag racing, etc… It’s good for any [2019-2021 GM 1500 V8] truck owner who needs more torque and horsepower to do whatever they use their truck for.

LSX Mag- How hard is the installation and how long will it normally take?

Page: This is a good weekend project. Outside of the ECU-unlock process which requires sending the ECU off, this only takes around 10 hours to install.

LSX Mag- What kind of power gains can you expect?

Page: On the 5.3-liter truck, West Bend Dyno Tuning saw an increase of 132 horsepower and 144 lb-ft of torque. That’s 44-percent on both of those over stock. The 0-to-60 mph time dropped from 7.17 seconds to 5.91 seconds, and the ¼-mile ET fell from 15.22 to 14.06!

LSX Mag- What is the max power this unit is capable of?

Page: With the right pulleys in race-only mode, the blower itself is capable of supporting 1000 horsepower. There is a whole range between our CARB-legal hardware configuration and ECU calibration, and the physical limits of the blower. A truck owner can push the limits of the truck in a race environment. For towing or daily driving street use, our CARB-legal setup makes all the power you need and it’s convenient. We have done all of the hard work for you.

LSX Mag- Why is The TVS R2650 such a popular rotor choice?

Page: The 2650 rotor set is just very efficient. It seems to be a perfect fit for 5.0- through 7.0-liter engines.

LSX Mag- How is the tuning handled?

Page: For this application, like most of ours, we offer a kit that includes CARB-legal calibration and a tuning device, or we offer the kit without the calibration or tuning device. We have a very thorough calibration development process that not only focuses on getting the maximum torque and horsepower on wide-open throttle pulls, but provides excellent drivability, as well as safe operation in extreme environments such as towing heavy trailers and loads, up long inclines, at high elevations, and in extreme temperatures. We are very proud of our calibration process.

LSX Mag- What does maintenance look like on the Edelbrock Supercharger?

Page: The 4 ounces of oil in the supercharger has a 100,000-mile service life. That’s the only maintenance required.

LSX Mag- Are there any trucks or SUV models that this supercharger will not work on?

Page: In the newer GM vehicles, the SUVs seem to lead the trucks in [the arcitecture] ECM used and some other features. What this means is that because the newest trucks (2022 and up) use an ECU that is not accessible, those, along with the 2019-‘21 SUVs (Tahoe and Suburban) are not compatible with this kit yet. Other than that, all 2019-‘21 GM ½-ton trucks with 5.3-liter or 6.2-liter engines are covered by parts numbers 15665 (5.3L) and 15666 (6.2L).

Tricks to Installing a TVS 2650 Supercharger System on a GM Truck

As for the whole installation side of things, we noted a few potential issues that warrant mentioning. Both are easily fixed and of no major concern, but warrant consideration nevertheless.

The first is the fact that GM offered two different styles of water pumps on its 2019-and-newer V8-powered trucks. Edelbrock advises that you inspect the water pump on your truck and compare it to the two images provided in the installation guide before diving in head-first.

Certain models featured a water pump with a machined surface and two threaded holes, while others did not. If your rig does not have a water pump with a machined surface and threaded holes, then you are going to either have to procure one or machine and tap the necessary holes for the hardware prior to dropping the supercharger inside the bay.

Fortunately, this water pump (GM P/N:12707680) is easily obtainable, as it is a standard replacement option for trucks with a 6.6-liter gas engine. A bit odd, considering that it doubles as the appropriate pump for all 2019-2021 5.3L and 6.2L applications as well, but hey, by this point we’ve gotten used to General Motors making executive decisions about stuff like this and calling it a day.

That being said, if you swap the water pump, you’ll need to pop a fresh A/C belt on as well (GM P/N:12699889). Like any other modern GM V8, water pump removal requires detaching the A/C compressor, whereas the act of removing the belt involves chopping it off. Here, a GM service manual will come in handy, as it will show you how to remove and replace both the A/C compressor and the water pump. Luckily, this task does not require the removal of any refrigerant lines, so there’s no need to bleed and recharge the system afterward.

So What About Emissions and That Industry Leading Warranty?

Although the TVS 2650 Supercharger System is 50-state emissions-legal, this claim does come with a few considerations and caveats. The first of these is the fact that tuning the vehicle to any calibration other than the one supplied by Edelbrock will void the manufacturer’s warranty. So stick with the parameters they have in place, or you might run the risk of not passing emissions inspection. The same goes for Edelbrock’s impressive 3-year/36,000-mile warranty, as it too will be voided by not following the tuning guidelines set in place.

Another consideration is the fact that qualifying for the optional supplemental warranty requires taking the supercharger system to ab ASE Certified technician, a GM dealership, or an authorized Edelbrock installer (like West Bend Dyno) for installation. So unless you hold one of these licenses, that warranty plan, along with all optional supplemental warranties offered with the supercharger, will be void. This is why it is best to contact the Edelbrock Technical Support department with any installation questions you might encounter beforehand.

The next caveat pertains to any additional modifications that you might make to your GM truck. While an aftermarket cat-back exhaust won’t hurt anything, engine modifications that tinker with fuel and ignition timing can cause severe damage. Be wary of OBD-II programmers, MAF sensors, adapters, and any other device that may modify the signals going to and from the ECU.

You’ll also want to be cautious about slapping things like aftermarket underdrive pulleys and air intake kits on the vehicle, as these both have been known to hurt the TVS 2650 supercharger system’s performance capabilities.

Finally, there is the problem with gas, and no, we aren’t talking about the after-effects of that chili cheese burrito you just scarfed down.

Unless you are running 91-octane or higher, the Edelbrock TVS 2650 Supercharger System will fail. This is why the brand recommends running the engine until the tank is almost empty and then refilling it with 91-octane or higher. This process should be repeated twice before installing the supercharger setup, for failure to use premium 91-octane or better will only render that precious warranty worthless.

Parting Pulls

Specs, disclaimers, water pumps, interviews, and warranty information all covered, we turn toward the moment we’ve all been waiting for: Seeing a bone stock 5.3-liter GM 1500 pickup get outfitted with Edelbrock’s all-new TVS 2650 supercharger system and then allowed to stretch its legs on the dyno.

Not only is the content in West Bend Dyno’s brief nine-minute YouTube video informative, but it also provides a comprehensive overview of what the product looks like pre-installation, as well as what is required to get the TVS 2650 up and running safely. Did anyone else note the part about having both keys to the truck on hand and having the dealer do a “theft relearn” procedure on the ECU? That could be important…

ECU idiosyncrasies aside, we must admit that we are quite impressed by the results, with 130 additional horsepower at the wheels and about two-seconds faster acceleration during 0-60 mph pulls being the most notable improvements. Granted, traction was limited by the cold conditions and the limitations of the stock wheels and tires, so we’d be curious to see what results look like in summer with some stickier rubber and wider wheels.

We are also curious to see what power and performance gains the 6.2L variant of the GM 1500 pickup glean from Edelbrock’s TVS 26580 supercharger kit. Until then, we think we’ll let the specs and video below speak for themselves.