DIY Stillen Supercharger

wortmeister

Sorry about the multiple posts. Happened because I wanted to ensure info was in the DIY forum. I'm retired, 70 years old, and the Z is my daily driver. Rather than dyno numbers, my advocacy of the Stillen kit is based on seat-of-the-pants experience with the difference it makes in real-world driving performance. Best I can describe it, it's like installing another VQ37 in the trunk. I would never have believed a little spinning compressor could make such a difference. The only downside: the low-ratio first gear in the auto trans requires a slow foot on the gas pedal for launches. Even with a limited-slip diff and 9" wide Potenzas, the rear tires melt if you stab the throttle. I'm still learning how fast the pedal can be depressed to get the fastest launch.

I chose the Stillen kit over other's because I wanted reliability, rather than the last horse that could be extracted just before the engine blew. Summer temps in Phoenix regularly exceed 110 degrees, and having a huge air-air intercooler obstructing the entire radiator didn't seem a wise plan. Stillen's air-water intercooler also has advantage of cooling the intake charge immediately prior to entering the cylinders. The cooler the charge, the less chance of supercharging's nemesis: engine-destroying detonation. The flow restriction imposed by routing the entire intake charge through an air-air intercooler requires turning the supercharger faster to attain a given boost level, which can't help the supercharger itself last longer. Stillen's shorter after-supercharger ducting, unrestricted by a full-flow air-air intercooler, also reduces dead space which must be re-pressurized when the throttles are fully opened suddenly, making full power available more quickly.