boostjunkie

Hi, I was looking for some input on procharger motor reliability. I have a 509merc with a m3 procharger kit and im rebuilding the bottom end of the motor now. I was wondering if its best to dump the boost and go all motor or keep it. Will the motor last for a while at 6PSI? Any help would be great, Thanks!

ckin62

Well I am in that same debate. I build a couple 540 ci M1 Procharged motors recently and have had to go into one a few times for different reasons. I am wondering about the reliability of the system as well. If you get your tune up dead on, I feel that the reliability will be there. It just takes alot of test time to get the motor tune where it needs to be. I blew up once on the dyno. Lifting the head gasket allowing water into the cylinder. Too much detonation. Got that solved and now 10 hours into operation I have beat out a set of bearings. Not sure the reason just yet. Plugs dont show any signs of major detonation but that certainly could cause bearing wear. I also have had issues with tons of blow by. I am sticking it out and going with the chargers again. When they run they make great power. I went from 80 mph to 94 mph and feel there is much more left in it. Just takes time and of course money..LOL

Chris@HPS

I talked to procharger yesterday about 2 of there kits for our boat.
I think I am going that route as well. BTW, if you beat the bearings out that is from detonation. Detonation will not show on the plugs unless it detonates for a long period of time, then usually melts the plug tips. Since you had 10hrs on the motors it was probably detonating every now and then over the 10hrs time frame.

Chris

Young Performance

Prochargers are no different than any other supercharger. You have to set them up and tune them correctly or they will not live.....period. That means large enough fuel lines, pickup in the tank and filter head, large enough pump, water lines, oil cooler, etc etc. It's not that cheap to do it correctly, but it's even more expensive to do it 3 or 4 times.
Plan on spending another several thousand over and above the superchargers. Prochargers are great as long as you don't listen to one single thing that Procharger tells you. Throw the fuel pressure regulator away immediately. What else needs to be done really depends on which base engine you are starting with. It's not a job for the average, or above average, mechanic. You need someone that does them on a regular basis (in boats) that has customers that have been running them for years and are still happy. Obviously, I do them. There are several others that can do them and make them right as well. Sent it to one of us and do it once. This is coming from someone that has seen NUMEROUS engines come in that have are blown up, torn up, f'ed up, etc from an incorrect, or just poor, installation. It will make you regret ever mentioning the word supercharger.
Do a search on here and you will find some good info on supercharging your engine, no matter which one it is.
Give me a shout if I can help.
Eddie

Turbojack

You can do it your self. As long as you ask a lot of questions first and get everything right. There are a few procharged engines in this site that are making big HP and are living.

As Young says, DO NOT listen to procharger.

I think a m1 procharger on a 540 is a lttte too small procharger for that size motor. An m3 or bigger is needed.

articfriends

iTrader: (1)

I am also running a 540 with m-3sc, I made 1115 hp on Crocketts dyno and have been running blown set-tups for years. I haver NEVER beat the bearings out of my motor or melted down, I run ALOT of boost (12-14 psi at wot) on usually just pump premium, my 92 octane setup made 1057 hp and I run that 90% of the time, as Eddie sais, properly set-up you should have very few problems, if it blew up on the dyno I would find a new dyno operator/tuner. As far as actually longevity, I run zero gap rings, I built my first blower motor with std rings and it had bad leakdown by 75 hours, by 125 hours it was pushing every oil out of every seal on the motor. I now rebuild my motor ever 120 hours or so, that could be stretched somewhat if you were running less boost but its just part of the game, Smitty

ezstriper

I am running a stock 500HP that is 509 fresh, with a M3SC, I redid whole fuel system, aero 1000 pump, #10 line, aero boost ref regulator with return to tank, running a MSD digital 7 box, pull timing out under boost, water/alcohol injection..all to make reliable..also completly redid oil system, big cooler, #10 lines, moroso filter mount....hopefully will be very reliable...

Kidnova

What kind of HP are you looking for?

ckin62

It turns out that the crank was cracked in the #2 main boss. It was cracked around it then about 3/8" across. I think it was cracked when I had the short block built. This motor dropped a valve seat and locked up previous to that build. The machinist says no, but this was the only bearing eat away. I never lost oil pressure totally but the oil pick-up did get clogged from the bearing material. When the oil pressure started dropping I shut off to find the issue. So where I'm headed is, now I dont think it was detonation that caused this issue.

ckin62

I have heard this before. I was only looking for 5-7 psi and running XR's so did not want to go over 750hp or so. This is why I went with the M-1. I have been happy with them to this point. Just working some major grimlins out. (I guess)

I agree with not listening to Procharger...

Do build your own fuel system around a aeromotive 1000 pump with properly sized lines.