Supercharged small block

[goneboatin]

I've got a 350 MPI, I'm toying with the idea of supercharging, (Whipple, Procharger, etc.). Has anybody out there done that with a small block? I've got a Howard 22 Sport, is it worth it, or should I just step up to a big block? Would my Bravo 1 hold up? Any comments?

[Drakar]

I took a 355 (factory lower-end and heads) and added a B&M 144 (Roots) blower and changed the cam to match the blower. I kept the boost at 5PSI due to the cast pistons, rods, crank...etc. It ran great!
This spring I added a SuperChiller intercooler (to cool the charge and reduce the possibility of detonation), Lightening Headers, straight exhaust, complete MSD Marine system and increased the boost a little (since it still is a cast bottom-end). It ran very well...but, on the second trip out, there was an oil leak (still trying to determine the exact spot in the front of the engine) and I didn't catch it in time....now I have a lower-end knock :(
I planned on this upcoming winter adding a short block or a rebuild (383) with all forged components and raising the boost to the max the blower could produce....looks like Phase II will be occurring sooner. I'm looking at the MoTown 427/454 short small blocks... still hoping some one replies to my earlier post.
The Bravo 1 works great....and I don't think you have to worry unless you plan on producing more than 600HP. I would suggest a drive shower.
I attached a picture of the old setup...and will add the new setup after I take a pic of it.
Good Luck!

[Drakar]

Old Setup...

[goneboatin]

Your setup looks pretty cool. I'm looking for more grunt and midrange. My boat will do about 60+ on the speedo (not GPS), loaded with the family, gas, and coolers. I'd like to go faster, but the wife always gives me the stink eye when I open it up. I'd kind of like to keep it close to stock other than the supercharger so everything fits under the engine cover. Plus, my engine is fuel injected, if I change things like the cam, add headers, etc., I'd be adding more variables into the computer program. The less I change, the less of a chance things will break or go wrong, (I hope).
Other than that oil leak, no blower related problems?

[Drakar]

I had the unit overhauled from Holley a few years ago (new rotors...etc.), a friend gave me the unit. In the 'new setup' I upgraded the belt system from 6rib to 10rib to prevent any slippage when I 'turn-up' the boost (after I upgrade the lower end).
You probably will get away with adding the supercharger and maintain reliablilty as long as you keep the boost at 5PSI. I have learned a great deal from this site....and there are lots of discussions about the different types of superchargers... Roots, Centrifugal, Screw-Type...
It is all about cylinder filling (learned that from Infomaniac) and cooling the charge for greater density. With the factory cam, it may not be optimzed for a blower application....not to say you couldn't use it.

[BobY]

The year of your boat will narrow down your choices. Procharger, Whipple and Vortech all have kits for 2001. Whipple and Vortech do not make a kit for 2002-up. I had a custom Procharger kit added this year at 3.5 PSI boost which gave me 12 MPH on my 22' boat. Prop went from 22P Bravo I to 26P Bravo I. Speed went from 58 GPS to 70 GPS.

[Drakar]

New setup...

[Sand Dawg]

On your guy's setups...How much room do you need in front of the lower drive, the pulley bolted to the crank, in inches fom stock to now???thanks

[GEOO]

My Procharger works well on my Custom Built Small Block.

[goneboatin]

After reading the Whipple Warranty thread in this forum, I'm getting gun shy of any type of enhancement to my engine.

[Blown_Rob]

here is mine