Supercharge a Sloppy Suburban. Diesel. Part 1

Diesel. Supercharger. Two positive words. Add deplacement and you're good. Oh, I forgot, low cost and do it yourself attitude should be added to the picture as well.

Here's what it's all about; The Salt Slush Team is seriously thinking about making one of Magnus, mad but magic projects come true. We're talking about revitalizing an old, sloppy, somewhat sad Suburban. With a Supercharger from the salvage yard. We' don't want to waste a Magnuson or VMP Supercharger when making prototypes, but we need an Eaton TVS supercharger to make efficient boost pressure. So, Magnus got one from a  Audi V6 3.0 TDI (gasoline).

But why? Ok. Here's why;

1. Confession: We've been inspired by Roadkill (Hot Rod Magazine)

2. A supercharged Diesel vehicle is amazing to drive [only a few of us have done that]. No lag. Just torque.

3. Because we can... 

It will take some time to accomplish this task. But we'll be successful...eventually….for sure...

All professionell chef's prepare an mise en place (it's french and if you don't know what it is google it and try to figure out what it means). Here's Magnus while making those small, but subtile adjustments that will make an Audi V6 TVS Supercharger mount effortlessly on an old Chevy Suburban V8 Diesel.

Yes you're all correct. An adapter is needed. Luckily there was a Lathe available and a weekend to spare. Life's good.

Magnus and two pulleys. Yes, he's about to make a show off

Remark1: Is this the first poly-v and v belt combination ever?

Remark2: The Jeep Grand Cherokee 5,9 in the background has nothing to do with this. 

Left: a modern poly-v type of pulley from god knows what.

Right: a more conservative V-belt crank pulley from the old Chevy V8 Diesel

The amazing adapter that Magnus milled. Drawing is available, in Magnus mind. 

Purpose: Pull pulleys together and make magic.

How?

Here's how; Take the amazing adapter, in shiny steel and put it on top of the Chevy crank pulley, apply the screws and add…

...the fancy new poly-v pulley on top and Voila! You've got yourself the first building block of a the first ever (?) Chevy Suburban V8 Diesel & Audi V6 TVS Supercharger combo.

Next step? Magnus will move the monster to the Salt Slush workshop when he's motivated.

How it will end? Nobody knows. But we'll tell you all about it.

Or at least most of it.

Probably.

Let the good times roll - Ford Mustang Coyote Supercharged!

Ford Coyote 5.0 Ever since I first read about this engine I knew that it would represent a new era in Muscle Car community. With 4 valves per cylinder overhead cams and very well working combustion & gas exchange system (high specific power per liter as natrural aspirated) I understood that only one thing was missing. A Supercharger.

Why not turbo? Well, the disadvantage of the dual overhead cam engine is its size, not necessarily the engine weight, but its size. It will always be geometrically bigger than the comparable LS/LT engine and in addition the engine compartment of the Modern Mustang is busy to say the least.

The obvious conclusion for me was and is; add a high efficiency supercharger to a high efficient engine of reasonable displacement and you'll get a very nice engine with a lot of torque and power. Did I mention Speed?The only problem we've had is that we've (i.e Salt Slush Racing) have not been able to offer Supercharger kits for Ford Mustang with Coyote 5.0 V8 engine.                   

Until now...Because now we've established contact with VMP Performance in US and will be able to offer their Eaton TVS based supercharger kits is Sweden and other European countries.

That feels really good, because we can't live with the tragedy of not bringing joy to Mustang guys and girls car life!

12 min, two guys and a VMP (TVS 2650) 2017 Mustang. 

Coming up soon! 

The VMP Odin TVS 2650 Supercharger kit for Ford Mustang 5,0 for those looking for a discreet super efficient kit with amazing charge air cooling and even more power...

When you've got the power...opportunities are endless. Enjoy!

Christmas, Snow and Boost pressure.

Christmas. A sane, social and somewhat soggy event. But let's accept facts and acknowledge that it's booooring too. On top of the above, Santa's death by boredom take place when it's dark as a nightmare outside. Constantly. At the northern hemisphere.

Here's how to survive

Alternative 1: Rice up from the sofa, make a proper excuse and go to the workshop/garage...weld, mill or bend tubes and feel at ease.

Alternative 2: Rice up from the sofa, make a proper excuse and walk to the workshop/garage.  Fire up the Turbo-Snowmobile and get your motor running.

Alternative two only applies if you happen to live in the very North of Sweden or in any similar cold, snowy godforsaken den where the 2-stroke, boost pressure and snow combo make sense and fun.

Let us introduce you all to a man that knows how to squeeze out 230hp out of a 0,85L (51cu in) 2 stroke DI machine. A boost pressure of 0,45bar (6.52 psi) makes it all happen.

Andreas Marklund's Ski Doo with AirWerks Turbo kit...

...makes sense for those with a crave for speed, power and fun in the snow.

Merry Christmas and Boosted New Year!

Pomona in rain

Early December morning in San Dimas. The California drought seems far away. It pours outside the hotel door. The bed feels warm and the dawn is grey. But none of these matters. Because we were about to look for what cannot be found. For the treasure at end of the rainbow. For the Find, The Steal or anything on our list that can please our restless searching for parts and inspiration.

Pomona. This Amazing Swap meet is relaxed in December. The heat and stress from August are all gone. The California Winter is a like a Nordic Summer. Rain and Sun alternates while the temperature hovers around15-20degC.So we felt at ease, rose to the occation and drove down to the open space of ethernal oppertunaties.

And we got Lucky. Let me try to tell you how.

Bare sheet metal Buick -38 custom. I rain. I piece of art. Not a weld seem to much.

Carina on her restless move to something amazing.

What it is? No use asking me, neither the owner because he had the same question.

What I Think? I love it.

The mysterious object front

Nice rear end, same mystery.

Pick you piece. An Oldsmobile 1938 beyond repair. 

Hard to resist. An old 2 cylinder boxer lawn mower. Luckely Carina was out of cash.

Not there yet, but a first sign. We were closing up. The end of the Rainbow was near.

If you haven't been looking for a -49 Oldsmobile bench seat you might not know what I mean, but imagen that you've been searching eBay for half a year continuosly with limited success. Then you'll know…

Nirvana. The (current) ultimate goal. A 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 bench seat.

Yes, the rain stopped. 

Leaving the gates of heaven with a smile and a light burden. 

It was time to go home. It was time to face cold hard Nordic rain again.

 To endure darkness, survive Christmas and look forward to next race season at

Bonneville Speed Week 2020 and pray for a hard dry surface of salt.

Stop it! No more bouncing around

Are you destined to carry a heavy load? Are you in an eternal loop looking for various stuff? Or do you just want to be prepared? 

If your answer is yes to any of the questions above, you need an old pick up truck as a complement to your vehicle portfolio.

A C20 Chevy square body 1979 long bed is a good alternative since it's robust like hell and and has a roomy bed. But there are drawbacks. I'm talking about the bumpy ride that comes with the C20 when occasionally driving around with an empty truck bed. While we're on the subject of disadvantages, the standard brakes are able to provide some kind of retardation. Which is good. But critical people with crave for stopping power might be disappointed. 

But there's a solution and it's all about reducing weight. Here's what I'm talking about:

The truck. A standard C20 with ZZ4 crate engine, 14 bolt rear end and Wilwood calipers at the front wheels.

The standard rear end brakes are nothing for the weak and faint hearted. 

Weight: 32kg (70 lbs) each.

Luckily loosing weight has never been easier. The super solution comes from Lugnut 4x4 who has developed a disc break kit for the heavy duty 8 lug, 14 bolt GM rear end that comes with the Chevy C20.

 

 Working with GM 14 bolt rear ends brings other advantages too. All parts serves as workout weights. Which means you can avoid the gym, go the workshop instead, eat protein and drink beer and still feel good about it.

Stopping power improved and 16kg (35lbs) less weight per side. Which means a massive reduction of 32kg (70lbs) unsprung mass! Without reducing any torque or load capacity.
A substantial difference in driving experience as a result. Smooth modern brakes and no more pothole bouncing around. Success!

 

The brake calipers are equipped with emergency brakes (parking brakes) too, but wire system changes for these took more time than all the other modifications together. 

But eventually all fabrication was done (pictured parking brake wire extention)...

...and where to go first if not to the gas station? 

Yes, they are shining like diamond in a goat's ass.

The Circle Sector Dilemma

Eternal Life. To not have that is a problem. A real problem. Because there's so much to do and so little time.  No, I'm not talking about the every day puzzle or a too short weekend. Nope. I'm talking about inquiring minds and their constant crave to create and the limited time to learn.

Example; I know a lot about engine boosting and that's all good. I've learned that over decades of daily business. I'm a pretty good machinist too. But how about my sheet metal skills? Mediocre. What would it take for me to be a really good sheet metal shaper. Another 10000 hours? How about painting? Wouldn't that be good to know too? 
How to manage?

At birth there's a lot of hours available. Let's assume that you're the sleepy type and need 8 hours of sleep and as well the ambitious and work/study 8 hours per day while spending 3 hours per day, 7 Days a week on eating, drinking, sex, etc. etc.

You will still have +90000 hour over an active life span of 50 years. Which means that you can fool around the first 20 years and die comfortably at early age of 70 and still be amazing in 9 different areas. Not too bad.

If you find this way of thinking stressful, then lower the ambition and accept the you'll never be a judge, a jeweler and jockey in one life.

Now to the advice, instead of painful personal development programs...Peek. Be curious. Take small bite of many cakes. And not the least, have fun!

Here's some Salt Slush examples

Team work is fun. So we spent some years on building a race car and take it to Bonneville Speed Week.

When you need a stack for your bass and your band, do it the Magnus way. Build one.

If you feel the urge go mechatronic, after a long Supercharged El Camino project, follow Anders example and make you own CNC machine. When it's ready you can mill with it too.

Perhaps you just want to make an complicated Engine. Then use our example and build and Ardun V8 based on a French Flathead Ford.

It keeps you away from other investments too.

Ohh. I forgott! We have Speed Shop too. 

Full of Turbos

And Superchargers.

.

  

El Mirage Oct 2019

We weren't there. Because we're here, in Gothenburg Sweden. But we we're there, mentally. We can feel how the early morning sun warms up the cold desert. The drivers meeting instructions and the psychological interaction between the cool relaxed surface and the deep, anxious race feeling. A magic motor moment.

 

No need to be wordy, just absorb the feeling.

October race at El Mirage (1,3 miles) 2019. After 3,12 min Rick race the 132 Scandinavian Street Rod Lakester for the first time with the first (?) Twin Turbo Ardun V8 Engine. [Turbos Borg Warner EFR7670]