exclusive - Paxton Superchargers
Transcription
exclusive - Paxton Superchargers
M5LP-070900-SELF 6/1/07 5:08 PM Page 58 EXCLUSIVE: PAXTON IL SUPERCHARGER Pulling Punches PUNCTURED OIL PANS CAN BE A THING OF THE PAST WITH PAXTON’S NEW INTERNALLY LUBRICATED SUPERCHARGER ustang fans love supercharging, except when it comes to punching the hole in the oil pan for lubrication. Some do it, but it’s an angst-filled moment; others just can’t swing the hammer. Using the opportunity to sell more superchargers, Paxton has developed—or redeveloped—an internally lubricated supercharger.The blower carries its own supply of oil and doesn’t require any communication between the engine oiling system and the supercharger. In turn, that means there’s no need to plumb a pressurized oil feed line or return line to the engine’s oil pan. It’s a concept Paxton pioneered in the ball-drive days but abandoned for an engine-oil feed when the boost and rpm levels of modern hot-rodding proved too much for the friction ball drive. A pressurized oil feed from the engine remains a viable way of lubricating a centrifugal supercharger, and Paxton has no intention of abandoning it.There are some good reasons for the company to add an internally lubed blower to its offerings.We’ve already mentioned the first: punching the hole. Putting a hole in a perfectly good oil pan to fit an oil return line is too much for many people, so providing a choice between an oil-fed blower and an internally lubed one should result in more Paxton blower sales. Eliminating the oil-feed and return lines also means fewer steps during installation, making it quicker and cheaper. That’s always a plus. Especially since Paxton is seeking to expand its sales to car dealers. Notoriously parsimonious, dealers demand quick-and-easy installations, and are resistant to what they perceive as mechanical mayhem—punching holes, for example. Finally, oil-fed superchargers rely on gravity to return drained oil to the engine. In Mustang applications, this isn’t an issue. For Paxton, there are installations where a gravity drain is problematic. In those cases, an internally lubed blower offers the ability to mount the supercharger almost anywhere the drivebelt or jackshaft can reach, including lower than the oil pan. M Challenges & Solutions Giving a supercharger its own oil supply raises questions of oil cooling, cleanliness, aeration, distribution, and—most importantly— control inside the tight confines of the supercharger transmission. To understand how Paxton addressed these concerns, let’s review what’s happening inside the drive section of the company’s centrifugal blower.The action begins at the supercharger pulley, driven by the blower belt.The pulley is mounted to a shaft that’s part of a large MPaxton’s new internally lubricated (IL) supercharger (right) offers all the performance but fewer installation hassles compared to its familiar oil-fed Novi 1200 brother. MRemove the cover on the IL and this is what you’ll see: the large drive gear and the smaller impeller gear covered by the plain disc of the oil slinger. The cover provides the location for the two ball bearings seen here. drive gear inside the supercharger’s transmission. It mates with a much smaller impeller gear, which is mounted on the impeller shaft and directly turns the impeller.The two gears feature helical (curved) teeth and form a gear ratio of 3.6:1.The relationship between the crankshaft pulley and the blower pulley is also a gear ratio, typically around 2:1, giving the overall 7.2:1 a step up between the crankshaft and the supercharger impeller.Therefore, if the engine is ambling Text and Photos by Tom Wilson Horse Sense: It doesn’t matter if they’re internally lubed or oil fed, centrifugal superchargers such as Paxton’s IL deliver top-end horsepower without adding unmanageable torque down low. That typically translates into easy-to-manage traction on street tires. 58 5.0 SEPTEMBER 2007 M5LP-070900-SELF 6/1/07 5:08 PM Page 60 EXCLUSIVE: PAXTON IL SUPERCHARGER along at 2,000 rpm, the impeller and its gear in the blower are turning 12,960 rpm. At 6,000 engine rpm, the supercharger is whizzing along at 43,200 rpm.There’s tremendous energy whirring inside the blower’s transmission and at its impeller. It’s this prodigious rotation inside the transmission that causes all the frustration when trying to lube and cool the gears and their ball bearings inside the blower trans.The big concern is the gears, as the ball bearings need only a mist of oil for lubrication. Oil-fed blowers spit oil through a 0.032-inch hole at the gear interface, with a constant flow of filtered oil supplied by the engine.The amount inside the blower is controlled by the small orifice, and it’s constantly draining out the bottom of the blower to the oil pan.There’s never a large volume of oil in the gearbox, just a heavy mist to constantly wet the surfaces. With internal lubrication, the supercharger has 4 ounces of oil. Think of it as a wet sump compared to the dry sump oiling of the oil-fed blower. This volume is necessary to allow it to cool, but pouring this much fluid into an unmodified oil-fed blower transmission means the dervish of gears entrains the oil and races it around the perimeter of the transmission housing. This heats the oil, beats air into it causing it to foam, and doesn’t put it where it’s needed, at the center of the transmission where the gears and bearings are. Paxton’s solutions are to cast fences in the oil’s path to stop the roundy-round flow, provide a slinger to fling oil where it’s needed, and use specially formulated lightweight oil for its lightweight and antifoaming capabilities. Oil filtering is addressed by regular changes. To see how the new internally lubricated transmission housing and its oil-control fences are laid out, it’s best to examine the photos and captions. Paxton arrived at this configuration, including the shape and volume of the IL supercharger’s transmission housing, by beginning with a standard oil-fed blower fitted with a clear plastic cover. Once the flow was visually determined, trial and error gave the various MThe drive gear (left) and driven-impeller gear (right) are identical to those in the oil-fed supercharger. The only difference is the addition of the oil slinger—the large flat disc—to the impeller shaft assembly. The slinger dips into the oil sump and flings a fine film into the drive-gear portion of the blower. It’s the only oil “pump” in the system. MRemove the gears from the supercharger housing and the details of the redesigned housing are apparent. The bottom of the housing is the oil sump at the bottom in this photo. The angled fences are anti-windage devices, as is the semicircle fence around the impeller bearing bore. This housing is used on oil-fed and IL Paxton superchargers. OPaxton designed the oiling improvements to function in the IL and oil-fed superchargers, so this housing is now used for all Paxton 1200- and 2200-series superchargers. The three threaded holes along the bottom are for the return oil drain when used as an oil-fed blower. Three holes are provided to accommodate any clocking of the supercharger—they’ll likely all be plugged in IL applications; in oil-fed blowers two are plugged and one has a drain fitting. At press time, Paxton thought it might provide an oil-drain fitting and hose in one of the holes on IL blowers to facilitate the oil change. OMost of the supercharger cover is filled in to form a thin opening between the drive and driven gear sides of the supercharger housing. This reduces windage and improves oiling. An O-ring seals the cover-to-housing interface. COST & AVAILABILITY superchargers will be available in mid-July 2007, according to Paxton. Only the ’05-’07 Mustang kit will be available initially; the second kit will come shortly thereafter for the evergreen ’86-’93 Mustangs. They remain a major market for Paxton. Kits for SN-95 Mustangs will follow the Fox cars. It’s tougher to call the kit prices—they hadn’t been set at press time. According to Paxton’s estimate, the individual IL superchargers (blower head only) will cost a bit more than the existing oil-fed units, but the IL supercharger kits should be slightly less than their oil fed brothers, thanks to the missing oil plumbing. IL 60 5.0 SEPTEMBER 2007 MAssembled on the bench as they are in the supercharger, the 3.6:1 ratio gearset would have the blower pulley at left and the impeller at right. The close quarters among the gears and oil slinger are obvious. Besides being quiet, the combination of wide and helical gears provides more gear engagement. M5LP-070900-SELF 6/1/07 5:08 PM Page 62 EXCLUSIVE: PAXTON IL SUPERCHARGER shapes and angles needed to kill the roundyround action, direct the oil flow, and shear or knife the air/oil hurricane inside the transmission. Paxton says the exact oil specifications are proprietary, but confirms the lube is a light synthetic oil designed to avoid foaming. Motor oil can’t be substituted, as it would foam, cause more heat, entrain, and perhaps bubble out the vent. Regular oil changes are required, but at press time Paxton hadn’t determined the exact interval. It will likely be once a year/ 12,000 miles, but could be slightly longer or shorter depending on testing. It was sent to an independent test lab for several durability trials, each approximating 50,000 miles of use. Oil changes are facilitated by drain holes in the bottom of the blower.The regimen was promised to not involve pulling the blower out of its brackets to turn it upside down.We’re expecting a hose and drain valve at the bottom of the blower.The oil is filled through the dipstick hole. Function & Reliability Naturally, Paxton wanted the new IL supercharger to meet or exceed all the existing standards for power output and reliability. Because the blower uses the same pulleys, gears, impellers, and volutes as its oilfed units, it’s no surprise Paxton’s testing showed no difference in power output ON THE DYNO BASELINE RPM 2,043 2,117 2,205 2,300 2,435 2,515 2,600 2,706 2,817 2,901 3,012 3,113 3,205 3,316 3,407 3,509 3,600 3,704 3,805 3,922 4,000 4,103 4,203 4,320 4,400 4,511 4,610 4,719 4,821 4,924 5,000 5,101 5,207 5,302 5,419 5,503 5,600 5,708 5,805 5,910 6,000 6,125 TORQUE 224 227 228 230 231 229 230 232 233 231 229 228 229 231 235 239 243 242 244 246 247 248 250 251 250 249 246 245 244 242 240 237 234 229 225 221 217 213 209 204 201 195 PAXTON IL DIFFERENCE POWER RPM TORQUE TORQUE 87 92 96 101 106 109 113 120 124 128 131 135 139 145 152 160 166 171 177 183 189 193 200 206 209 213 215 219 224 227 228 230 231 231 231 231 231 231 231 230 229 227 2,008 2,107 2,205 2,320 2,409 2,509 2,610 2,708 2,827 2,910 3,012 3,105 3,212 3,304 3,407 3,513 3,608 3,719 3,817 3,906 4,000 4,119 4,211 4,312 4,405 4,501 4,606 4,708 4,813 4,904 5,006 5,107 5,203 5,312 5,407 5,503 5,602 5,710 5,825 5,904 6,000 6,119 236 234 238 242 246 248 249 252 260 263 261 262 259 264 270 280 290 298 304 308 306 313 320 327 330 328 328 327 326 327 330 330 332 331 330 329 328 326 323 321 316 315 POWER 89 93 100 107 112 118 123 129 140 145 149 155 158 166 175 187 199 211 221 228 233 245 255 268 276 280 287 293 298 305 313 320 329 334 340 345 349 355 357 360 361 366 12 7 10 12 15 19 19 20 27 32 32 34 30 33 35 41 47 56 60 62 59 65 70 76 80 79 82 82 82 85 90 93 98 102 105 108 111 113 114 117 115 120 POWER 2 1 4 6 6 9 10 9 16 17 18 20 19 21 23 27 33 40 44 45 44 52 55 62 67 67 72 74 74 78 85 90 98 103 109 114 118 124 126 130 132 139 hown here are dyno results produced by one of Paxton’s test cars, an ’06 Mustang GT convertible. It’s owned by Paxton Manager Tom Catalano, and it’s stock other than the blower and some bolt-on suspension parts. It’s also the same car seen in our installation photos. You may see short-tube headers in the background, but they weren’t installed when the dyno tests were performed on Paxton’s in-house Superflow chassis dyno. All test data was supplied by Paxton from development testing. We’re showing the naturally aspirated baseline run and a typical power run with the supercharger installed. As expected, the power gains are dramatic and correspond exactly with the equivalent oil-fed supercharger. MPaxton uses high-quality, aerospace ball bearings where appropriate. That’s mainly on the impeller shaft, which spins up to 50,000 rpm and must absorb thrust due to the helical-cut gears. The bearing carries our favorite three-word inscription, as well as “Vortech,” which is Paxton’s sister company. The brand name identifies the bearings without letting the world know who the supplier is, and confirms Paxton’s dedication to quality control—not just any old bearing is being used. PClearance between the drive gear and housing is tight, about 1⁄16-inch along the oil control fences. This keeps oil from clinging to the gear and roping itself around it. Shedding the oil reduces the power needed to drive the blower and allows the oil to gravity-feed its way to the sump. S 62 5.0 SEPTEMBER 2007 MCooling is the main job of the blower oil; only minute amounts are needed to lubricate the ball bearings. Thus, the slinger doesn’t move a ton of it, and at 14,000 to 50,000 rpm, accuracy isn’t a problem. Enough oil gets washed over the gears to provide lubrication and cooling. In fact, simplicity was a design goal of Paxton’s; the company knows that the less complicated the part, the more reliable it is. M5LP-070900-SELF 6/1/07 5:08 PM Page 64 EXCLUSIVE: PAXTON IL SUPERCHARGER between IL and oil-fed Paxton superchargers. We’ve included before and after dyno tests of the prototype IL Mustang installation in a sidebar; they show the expected gain at the rear tires. Paxton’s durability testing was conducted in the shop, on the road, and in outside labs. The only parts requiring validation were the lubricated parts in the blower’s transmission and the oil itself. Because the gears and bearings are the same as those used in the oil-fed superchargers for years, the only unknown was the lubrication and cooling. While Paxton used its chassis and engine dynos, the most definitive IL tests were done on the road using instrumented test mules with extensive datalogging.The driving was done on the hilly country in Paxton’s Southern California region, including the long and steep Highway 14, Baker, Cajon, and Grapevine grades, as well as the long run to Reno, Nevada, including the high-altitude Bishop grade.The data showed plenty of underhood heat, around 200 degrees on 98-degreeambient days, and some supercharger heat. The blowers were instrumented to reveal the individual bearing’s temperatures—front and rear impeller bearings, for example—and the lubricant.Testing was designed to find the source of blower heat, and the two important factors include the ambient temperature and impeller speed. Interestingly, the blower oil temperatures tend to be slightly lower in the IL superchargers than the oil-fed units except under the worst conditions. In any case, Paxton was comfortable with the IL’s heat performance and has no plans to fit the supercharger with a pump and oil cooler, as was optional PTaking another look at the lower end of the blower housing shows the occasional machining touches designed to maintain gear-tohousing clearance. MJumping to conclusions, here’s the finished Paxton 2200 high-output (charge-cooled) IL installation on an ’06 Mustang GT. From the top it’s essentially impossible to see the difference between it and the existing oilfed kit. The IL offers no difference in blower sound qualities and the weight difference is negligible. MAnother consideration given to using the new Paxton blower housing for the IL and oil-fed superchargers is shown here. The U-shape cutouts in the windage fencing allow spray oil to reach the impeller in oil-fed blowers. The 0.032-inch oil spray jet is located in the threaded hole seen across from the U-shape window; a second window and hole are provided 180 degrees away to allow different supercharger clockings. Only one is used at a time in oil-fed blowers; none are in IL applications. PNo changes were made to the back of the supercharger housing. It works with the same impellers and scrolls as previous Paxton superchargers. PTo use only two covers across the entire supercharger lineup, Paxton has drilled and tapped the outside of the covers with numerous threaded holes. The only difference between the two covers involves one large threaded hole for a belt tensioner. This is the non-tensioner cover used on S197 Mustang applications. 64 5.0 SEPTEMBER 2007 MOil level and quality checking is done via dipstick. Two holes are drilled and tapped in each cover to allow the dipstick to fit in whichever hole is uphill. The other one is plugged. The supercharger holds 4 ounces of special synthetic oil which will likely require an annual change. MIL superchargers are vented using this trick dipstick. The vent hole on the cap is clearly visible; it communicates with the blower internals via the slight gap left between the dipstick and cap when the cap is swedged onto the stick. Even in this close-up shot, the clearance is nearly impossible to see. Also shown are the sealing washers and plug used on the hole opposite that occupied by the dipstick in the blower housing. MThe finished installation is compact, with the blower belt barely visible between the engine and supercharger. While this view mainly illustrates the S-bend in the intake-air path, along with the open element air filter and aftermarket mass air meter, it also shows the dipstick and matching plug atop the supercharger housing. MWhile the throttle body is never touched, the intake manifold must be removed to access the engine coolant crossover passage running just behind the alternator. M5LP-070900-SELF 6/1/07 5:08 PM Page 66 EXCLUSIVE: PAXTON IL SUPERCHARGER toward the end of the friction-ball era. Fitting In Paxton’s business requirements for the IL blower were that the new supercharger fit into the existing lineup with minimal disruption. The IL superchargers augment— not replace—the oil-fed superchargers, which continue in production. In fact, as the POur installation was done on a car that already had the blower kit installed, so we’re showing the results of the coolant hose rerouting. The welch plug is where the stock Ford coolant bypass exits the engine. The Ford nipple is extracted with some brutality, and the welch plug is installed. The Paxton water neck is then installed atop the coolant crossover casting; it’s visible here just above the welch plug. PWith the coolant rerouted, the intake manifold is reinstalled, along with Paxtonsupplied high-capacity fuel injectors. The intake manifold, throttle body, fuel rails, and almost all the associated plumbing is unchanged. POne hose section that changed is the PVC assembly. The stock PVC valve is retained, but it’s slightly rerouted. A series of cut hoses and clamps replaces the stock molded plastic line. PSticking the camera between the engine and the radiator shows us the reconfigured coolant bypass hose assembly. It includes the thermostat housing. Paxton supplies the necessary molded hoses and instructions on how to modify the existing hoses; the point is to open the necessary space for the supercharger. PA pair of idler pulleys is mounted on the front of the engine using existing holes. They both use unusual Paxtonsupplied stud/bolt hole combination fasteners. These are needed because the blower mounting plate mounts to the bolt hole portion of the fastener while the idler pulley is sandwiched between the engine and blower mounting. 66 5.0 SEPTEMBER 2007 photos detail, its hardware improvements are also used in the oil-fed superchargers. The IL drops into the existing oilfed blower brackets and mates with all tubes, belts, and so on. If an existing oil-fed blower customer wanted to switch to the IL blower, it could be done by swapping in the new blower head unit, as the engineers refer to the supercharger proper. It also means a minimum amount of new part numbers for the Paxton organization to absorb. Expect the familiar-standard (non-chargecooled) and high-output (air-to-air chargecooled) kits. Impeller trim levels for the Paxton blowers are the same for oil-fed and IL kits.These would be the Novi 1200 rated at a 680hp capacity and the Novi 2200 rated at 900 hp. PWith the pulleys mounted, the serpentine belt is next. The engine accessories and supercharger share the same belt; Paxton supplies the required longer belt in its kit. It must be threaded into position before the blower goes on. PSupercharger-tocharge-cooler tubing is mounted on the driver side. The clamp that suspends the tubing from a tab on the radiator support is being tightened after all the tubing is in place. PPaxton has long been known for its stout blower mounts, and the IL superchargers fit into them with no modifications. A series of standoffs correctly space the blower mount; the bolts are left loose for now. POn the passenger side, the charge cooler discharge air is routed using more aluminum tubing. All the tubing is nicely bent and mounts with simple screwdriver work. PThe supercharger is placed in its mount, a procedure that requires fiddling. The supercharger, its mount, the drivebelt, and some hoses all come together at once. PAt this point, the installation switches to the air-to-air charge cooler fitment. The first piece of aluminum tubing is slid into position. It will lead from the downward-facing supercharger discharge to under-car tubing that takes the air forward to the charge cooler. MThe cooled intake air is lead to the throttle body using a heavy, cast-aluminum intake tube. It mounts using simple hose clamps. MWith the charge cooler and tubing installed, the front bumper cap can be replaced. MThe Paxton charge cooler is big—it can support 900 hp worth of charged air. It mounts behind the front bumper, using long replacement bolts and existing bolt holes. The front bumper cap must be removed to access this area, a job that looks more involved than it is. PSome of the front bumper cap is secured by the same fasteners holding the inner fenders in place. Once the bumper cap is in position, the inner fenders can be reinstalled and the pop-on plastic fasteners replaced. A special tool for prying the plastic nails helps, but a screwdriver will work. M5LP-070900-SELF 6/1/07 5:08 PM Page 67 PTo make room for the charge-cooler coolant tank, the passenger-side engine-wiring loom must be pulled out of the way. This is done by pulling it against the inner fender, then bending the soft A/C service point tubing back to form a lock. It’s sort of crude, but is easily done, costs nothing, and has no effect on A/C functioning or testing. PWith the wiring loom pulled aside, the coolant tank is lowered into position between the engine and right shock tower. Some assembly of brackets and nipples is required, but it’s all simple wrench work. The stains on the tank attest to our photo car’s status as a test mule, with multiple IL installations. The techs were guessing this was the car’s 10th installation of this kit. MA coolant hose extension is required; it lies atop the radiator and is joined by crimping a band clamp. There’s a special tool for this that’s not supplied by Paxton, but the job can be done with wire cutters if care is taken to crimp the band from both directions to even the load. PWith the first bypass assembly in place, the second one goes in. Again, this is simple hoseclamp work, but the working room is cramped. This step is easier with someone to hold things out of the way. PInstalling the cold-air kit is easy. A new mass air meter is supplied to replace the stock one molded into the air filter box. PUnder the tank access cover you’ll find the fuel pump, fuel level sending unit, and fuel pickup/return assembly. It’s secured by a locking ring that’s tapped out using a long punch. MThere’s no worry about extending the wiring to the mass air meter; a Diablo Mafia unit supplies the needed wiring. It’s a simple plug-and-play device, which extends the useful range of the MAF electronics. In this case, it also supplies some welcome wire length. PPaxton supplies an electronic tune in a DiabloSport Predator flash tuner. It communicates with the engine management computer using the diagnostic port under the dashboard. ODue the high volume of air between the supercharger and the throttle body in air-to-air charge-cooled Paxton kits, they use two bypass valves. Here’s the first one assembled with its plumbing being placed below the supercharger. Which to use—the traditional oil-fed or the new internally lubed Paxtons? Punch the hole or change the oil? The choice is yours. IL Installation Installing the Paxton IL supercharger follows the same basic procedure as the familiar oil-fed variety, except there are no oil lines to plumb. Assuming the more popular high-output kit is being installed with its complicating air-to-air charge cooler, plan on a six-hour installation; you’ll probably spend an entire weekend if it’s your first blower install. Major points include fitting the blower MWith more air being pumped into the engine, more fuel must be injected. Paxton’s auxiliary in-line pump is added to the existing Ford fuel pump which lives in the fuel tank. Removing the rear seat reveals this large, round rubber plug. Pry off the plug to locate the fuelpump access in the top of the fuel tank. and its bracket into the front engine dress—it shares the serpentine drivebelt with other accessories. Removing the front bumper cap to bolt on the charge cooler and fitting a second fuel pump to the assembly submerged in the fuel tank are other things that need to be done. No holes are drilled, but the engine coolant and other hoses are cut and extended or rerouted. Engine management upgrades are accomplished with a DiabloSport Mafia MAF extender and a reflash of the engine computer via a Diablo Sport Predator. Once installed, the supercharged engine will need premium 91-octane or higher fuel. It will give a definite gear noise even PWith the fuel unit removed from the gas tank, the Paxton auxiliary pump can be piggybacked to the stock pump. The job is shown halffinished here—the Paxton pump is the silver cylinder with the black top, while the factory pump is bright white and to the left. All that’s left to attach are several fuel hoses. The assembly can then be returned to the fuel tank, finishing the supercharger installation. with the helical gears (heard mainly outside the car), and swell the powerband starting around 3,500 rpm until near bursting at redline. 5.0 SOURCE 5.0 Paxton Automotive Dept. 5.0 1300 Beacon Pl. Oxnard, CA 93033 (805) 604-1336 www.paxtonsuperchargers.com SEPTEMBER 2007 5.0 67