Whipple Supercharger Questions

[NavyChief]

From reading the details the numbers on the stage 1R are better than the stage 2 plus you save 500. That’s a little kick in the balls for everyone that paid full price for a stage 2.

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[TexasTruck]

@NavyChief I thought so too… Then I thought maybe it’s a misprint…

 

[TexasTruck]

I did the install myself in Jan and have 15k miles on it so far and it’s been trouble free.

I’ve been checking area dealerships and speed shops to get quotes to either buy/install or BYOSC/install. It’s looking like I’ll do the install myself. I just can’t bring myself to pay that kind of money… warranty or not…

It seems like there are four trouble spots.
- Removing the factory manifold rear harness.
- Getting at the LH rear manifold bolt.
- Refitting the belt pulleys.
- Refilling the cooling system without air.

Do you have any tips, tricks, watch out for this advice for DIY installation?

 

[TexasTruck]

I’m looking at power curves that exceed 7K RPM…

How is that they can raise the RPM limiter and not do damage to the engine?

 

[NavyChief]

It seems like there are four trouble spots.
- Removing the factory manifold rear harness.
- Getting at the LH rear manifold bolt.
- Refitting the belt pulleys.
- Refilling the cooling system without air.

Do you have any tips, tricks, watch out for this advice for DIY installation?

-The rear harness is pretty easy, I just used a trim tool to pop the clips off the manifold (You don't have to separate any of the wiring as I did and it's the knock sensor banks and are a bitch to reconnect after everything is put back together)
-On that bolt I used a wobble extension attached to a short socket to give me the deflection I needed.
-I had no issues with the belt pulleys but I have a pulley tool kit I bought from Autozone so maybe that's why I didn't have issues. (Tool)
-Here I had no issues as well but I have a tool to pull air from the coolant (Tool)

Other things that I did that were a bit tiresome were:
-FIRST and FOREMOST is to open the tomahawk and download your stock tune to send off and get your custom tune from Whipple to upload into your tomahawk. DO NOT wait until your ready to install your tune because you know it will be a sunday and you will have to wait 24-48hrs to get the tune. I sent mine off a week before I started so it was ready to go.
-The rear supercharger lid bolts are a bit of a pain but just needed to be patient and take my time
-The lid gasket can stretch and be too long so when you are pushing it into the groove check to make sure you don't end up with extra at the end or you have to pull it out and start over.
-The vacuum line on the driver side I had to modify to fit properly and that wasn't in the instructions
-The spark plugs are a pain on the passenger rear but snap on makes a tool specifically for this task on coyotes. I used two universals and a small extension between them which I JB welded so they didn't come apart on me in the hole so I could snake it down. I tried taping my tools together but they almost came apart in the hole so I made a permanent tool for the task.
-The band clamps they sent me were too short so I had to buy some locally so check that fit.

All together I spent 2 days with about 7-8hrs per day plus about 2-3 trips to the parts store and home depot.

 

[AAWhyte]

I’ve been checking area dealerships and speed shops to get quotes to either buy/install or BYOSC/install. It’s looking like I’ll do the install myself. I just can’t bring myself to pay that kind of money… warranty or not…

It seems like there are four trouble spots.
- Removing the factory manifold rear harness.
- Getting at the LH rear manifold bolt.
- Refitting the belt pulleys.
- Refilling the cooling system without air.

Do you have any tips, tricks, watch out for this advice for DIY installation?

I can answer #4 for you. I used this on my wife's car several times and works well. This is the only way to fill modern cars/trucks to eliminate air pockets etc. Especially on cars that have smaller radiators on either side of the car, vettes. I do not have this exact one, but something very similar.

https://www.harborfreight.com/cooli...MIgare0urt_gIVss3jBx2wugpOEAQYASABEgJiq_D_BwE

Edit: Navy Chief beat me.

 

[TexasTruck]

My goodness, thanks @NavyChief and @AAWhyte ! Above and beyond! That's what I needed and gave me more confidence to do this myself.

It turns out I still have a coolant vacuum purge from my 6.4 PS DSL days.
The serpentine belt tool is a good one to have in general.
I have 5K miles on the engine today, so I might leave the plugs alone.

Thanks again and the information in this thread will help others....

 

[TexasTruck]

The Coyote 5.0 has direct and port injection. I thought I read some where that the PI's are only used in idle scenarios.
Maybe their tune combines them to get more performance?
Why else would the stage 1R and 2 kits include port injectors?

 

[TexasTruck]

Getting close to install time. I've been hounding Whipple on the install instructions. Even though I'm installing a Ford Performance/Whipple, I see very little, if any difference between the Whipple Stage 1 instructions.

A couple of things that I'm getting different answers on and I thought others might know....

1) What spark plug gap? Both kits provide spark plugs. They are pre-gapped to 0.029. The FP/Whipple says 0.031" and the Whipple Stage 1 says 0.032". The FP/Whipple kit is less HP/TQ so maybe that's why.
2) Do you assemble the fuel injectors, clocking brackets, rails together then install them as one piece or individually (insert fuel injectors into manifold, then the clocking brackets, then the rails, then attach the rails to the manifold?
3) There is a part called the "Tee nut". It's used to adjust smooth belt pulley and belt tension. The "Tee nut" has an offset hole and depending on how you install it (hole up or down) can provide more or less belt tension. Which way do I install it, hole up or down? Here's a pic for reference showing the holes is up.

TIA!

 

[NavyChief]

1. I bought the Ford Performance plugs as my stage 2 didn’t come with any and I left them at the gap they came with which was .031”. I feel like that small of a gap change is not going to make that much of a difference so I would just leave it in the middle.

2. I did it like your second version

3. I honestly don’t remember this one but I would imagine I would have installed to give me the most adjustment. Sometimes I went by how the pic showed it when reading through.

 

[JExpedition07]

The Coyote 5.0 has direct and port injection. I thought I read some where that the PI's are only used in idle scenarios.
Maybe their tune combines them to get more performance?
Why else would the stage 1R and 2 kits include port injectors?

Port injection is used at low rpm, it starts mixing around 2,000+ and at wide open it’s mostly direct injection. Mid range is there both are 50/50, but low revs is port and high revs is direct.

 

[TexasTruck]

3. I honestly don’t remember this one but I would imagine I would have installed to give me the most adjustment. Sometimes I went by how the pic showed it when reading through.

Thank you @NavyChief !

The "Tee Nut" adjusts in a slot. The belt wraps underneath the pulley. The lower position tightens the belt. The upper position loosens the belt.

"Tee Nut" hole down will give the most belt tension. Hole up loosens the belt. I suppose I'll just try both positions and look at the OEM belt tensioner to see if the pointer is in the middle... if there is such a thing....

 

[TexasTruck]

What do you guys think about attaching grab handles to the left and right side of the manifold to give you something to hold on to while you try to gently set it on the engine.

Something like this and attach the ends to the lid bolts. These surfaces are machined flat so careful not to mar the surface.

 

[NavyChief]

I say take it apart and see how you feel lifting. It’s not too bad split apart. The belly of the supercharger is lower than the mating surface so it doesn’t contact anything when you sit it on the core support to crawl into the engine bay.
the only thing to be careful with is not ripping your sack off on the hood latch.

 

[TexasTruck]

Alright… handles are a bad idea or poor execution… or both… that’s exactly my concern… the intake port gaskets… and where to hold the manifold without grabbing the fuel rails… I’ll place some soft material around the core support and battery area to stage the manifold. Then get on the topside creeper and move it to the engine…

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