With the release of the LT4 in 2015 on the incoming C7 Z06, much debate has been created over the factory 1700 superchargers capabilities. Considering the larger GM superchargers before this, the 1900 and 2300, makes it seem like we were going backward. Many have chosen to swap this factory supercharger for a larger unit which has yielded some impressive numbers but at a decent price. For the average enthusiast, we came across some modifications from Kong Performance that may fill that void.
We reached out to the late model performance guys at Redline Motorsports, in Pompano Beach Florida, for some comprehensive testing of Kong Performance’s CNC-ported supercharger and the addition of a Nick Williams 103mm throttle body. The test mule is a 2018 ZL1 with a 10-speed automatic transmission. The car was outfitted with a mild camshaft package, long tube headers, 15-percent lower supercharger drive pulley, RotoFab intake system, and a splash of meth. “This is our base PHASE 3 package “Howard Tanner stated, owner of Redline Motorsports “it’s a common package and was a good choice for the test.”
To get the test rolling, Redline strapped the Z to their Land and Sea Chassis dyno and prepared to make some steam. Tanner, who is also Redline’s lead calibrator, begin to dial in the car for maximum power using HPTuners software to obtain the baseline. “When we get involved with these kinds of test the baseline is critical to the results,” Tanner explained, “once I get fueling and spark optimized I’m done playing with the laptop, we then let the parts show their effects.”
The baseline proved to be a solid package and yielded 673.2 horsepower at the wheels and 695.6 lb-ft of torque. Pretty impressive numbers, to say the least. Now the real test begins.
While still steaming on the rollers, technician Brandon Hayes removed the stock 1700 unit and replaced it with the ported blower from Kong Performance. At this point, it was removed and replaced with no changes. For this pull the guys at Redline retained the stock 87mm throttle body by using an adaptor plate even though the ported blower is designed to be used with a larger unit. The supercharger cooling system was bled to remove any air pockets from the swap, and then the crew went back to testing.
After getting the coolant temps back to the same numbers from the baseline, as well as stabilizing air temps, Tanner dropped the hammer to get the engine through its next test. This time the results where 694.1 horsepower and 714.7 lb-ft of torque. The pull netted a gain of 20.9 horsepower and 19.1 lb-ft of torque. “The ported blower is designed to be used with the larger throttle body” Tanner stated, “but we were curious to see the results with the factory unit. These gains are still good even without the larger unit.”
Test three was an easy enough process as the Nick Williams 103mm throttle body was swapped in with four bolts and reinstalling the Roto-Fab intake. With only 30 minutes between the last test, it was time to stretch the 10-speed out again.
This time the results yielded 720.4 horsepower and 739.5 lb-ft of torque, bringing a total gain of 47.2 horsepower and 43.9 lb-ft of torque to the wheels. Overall these are some impressive gains that would most certainly to be felt in your seat.
“Typically changes to the inlet of a positive displacement supercharger have significant benefits in total airflow consumption.” Tanner added, “The larger throttle body is the first hurdle in the chain, then it needs to travel through the snout towards the rotors.” The Kong Performance ported unit allows the air to make an easier transition while increasing the airflow, and the increased power figures prove that it works.
So as it seems, there is another option for adding some additional power without having to purchase a bigger supercharger. If you are looking for more power out of your factory supercharger, give Kong Performance a call. You can also visit them online at kongperform.com.
