The supercharger wars are heating up in the 2010 Camaro SS ranks as a plethora of belt-driven boost makers have made their way into the market. This month GMHTP sampled the newly released Edelbrock E-Force supercharger system for the fifth-gen Camaro. Versions are available for both the standard LS3 and the automatic-equipped L99. We hooked up with five-time Pro Street champion and noted engine builder Pat Musi to test the E-Force supercharger. Musi's Camaro has less than 1,000 miles on the odometer and is 100 percent stock. In that trim, GM claims the LS3 produces 422 hp and our test Camaro rolled out 348 rwhp and 345 lb-ft of torque (SAE) on a Dynojet. We quickly realized the 348 rwhp is gobbled up by the fifth-gen's massive size. But that kind of power is a nice starting point, and with a little boost we knew the Camaro was capable of producing Shelby GT500-slaying horsepower.
The E-Force blower fits under the hood nicely and is easy to install for those who have experience working on cars. The supercharger is based on the Eaton Gen VI TVS 2300 rotors-the same rotor package that's used in the supercharged LS9 engine found in the Corvette ZR1. For those unaware, the Eaton Gen VI TVS 2300 features a unique four-lobe design with 160-degree twist and 140ci capacity. This design allows the rotors to be highly efficient with minimal air temperature increases and silent operation-until you lay into the throttle hard and the blower screams with rage. The TVS blowers are known for low-end grunt; not just a big peak torque result but also a very broad curve. That will help the Camaro get moving against its lighter competitors.
Pat Musi Performance is an...
Pat Musi Performance is an authorized Edelbrock E-Force distributor and has teamed up with Performance Tuning to offer installation; the first install was performed on Pat Musi's personal 2010 Camaro SS. To get started, the front fascia is removed, as are the wheels. It is required in order to bolt-on the heat-exchanger and circulation pump. We are amazed that there is no cutting required and only two holes need to be drilled (for the intercooler hoses to pass through).
Edelbrock's engineers didn't just stuff the TVS guts into a case and let it rip. Instead, the company focused on a few key areas to help increase performance over other systems utilizing the same Eaton internals. One of the highlights of the system are the 12-inch long runners. Longer runners promote more torque because of the wave theory. The intake flows air into the cylinder head runners, and when the valve is shut that air bounces off the backside and reverberates back into the manifold. The longer the runner, the more stored up air there is available for the cylinder to ingest when the valve reopens. Street-worthy engines should utilize a longer runner length as it helps torque production at lower engine speeds. Race-oriented combinations require shorter runners to enable the engine to turn higher rpm levels and take advantage of larger cylinder heads. It is a balancing act that we could spend 100 pages explaining theories and such.
Contrary to popular belief, runner length does affect performance of the blower despite the notion of it putting constant pressure on the back of the valve. Rob Simons of Edelbrock broke down the benefits on long runners for this application. Simons explained, "it is true that there will be continuous positive pressure in the intake manifold while under boost, however, the magnitude of that pressure will fluctuate rapidly with every intake valve opening cycle; that can be observed by adding an instrument to the intake runner with a high-resolution pressure transducer and logging it at a high log rate. The resulting data will show the fluctuation in pressure due to the aforementioned wave phenomenon." Simons is the lead engineer of the supercharger project at Edelbrock and his résumé also includes work on the American-made Saleen S7 supercar.
The engine cover is removed...
The engine cover is removed in order to gain access to the air intake and intake manifold. The E-Force supercharger will sit on top of the engine in place of the manifold and Edelbrock provided a new air intake system.
A low-profile aluminum valley...
A low-profile aluminum valley cover is included in the kit.
Edelbrock ships the supercharger...
Edelbrock ships the supercharger system assembled; save for the Edelbrock-supplied fuel injectors and fuel rails as well as the pieces like your throttle body, vacuum hoses, and sensors that are swapped over to the unit.
Edelbrock provided us with...
Edelbrock provided us with this illustration of the rotor and intercooler layout. The blower forces air upward, through the air-to-water intercoolers, and then into the 12-inch long runners.
The factory rubber gaskets...
The factory rubber gaskets are reused on the E-Force blower.
Larger fuel rails are included...
Larger fuel rails are included in the kit and use -6AN line, which has an adapter to connect to the factory supply lines.
Edelbrock provides 52 lb/hr...
Edelbrock provides 52 lb/hr fuel injectors and interestingly, the Camaro kit retains the factory fuel pump setup. Corvette E-Force systems include a high-volume fuel pump but the Camaro's stock pump is up to the task. Just be warned, if you turn up the supercharger or add exhaust, ported heads, or a larger camshaft odds are you will have to address the fuel supply issue-pumps and injectors.
The factory 90mm throttle...
The factory 90mm throttle body is swapped to the E-Force inlet. It isn't a restriction with an out-of-the-box system but might be if the TVS 2300 is pushed to its limits.
A six-rib pulley drive system...
A six-rib pulley drive system is utilized and Edelbrock turned to an outside engineering company to help design a stable and suitable setup. The pulley is mounted on the front-side of the E-Force unit.