KY_BOB

iTrader: (2)

OK guys, I've been searching, reading, and soaking up info. Now I need some opinions and reasoning.

As you see in my sig, I have a '02 Avalanche 1500 Z-71, 5.3. I've done a few minor performance mods and probably not made the best choices. I came to this forum looking for some performance mod ideas and have got a lot of great info. I was looking at spending $1000-1500 to pick up my heavy a$$ truck. I was thinking trans, converter, exhaust, and maybe cam but I'm thinking the only way I'm going to be happy is with more drastic measures and some more money.

I've already ordered a trailblazer converter, shift kit, both servos, and seperator plate, so that much is a given. Those parts are not yet installed, still waiting on some of them to come in, but will be by the second week in Jan.

Now I'm thinking about making a bigger step and supercharging it. I'm very limited by my budget, so it will most likely be the only mod other than the trans so please don't say you need to buy brand X supercharger, so and so cam, ect. I'm now thinking about bumping the budget up to $4k and that's a max, so a intercooled Radix is out of the question.

I've done a ton of reading and narrowed my choices down to 3 different different blowers and I would like opinions on the positive and negitives of these three. My choices are Vortech, Whipple, and the new Magnacharger Radix NI (non-intercooled).

I know I'll be limited as to how much boost I can run by looking only at non-intercooled superchargers but at this point I'm only planning on installing the base kit and tune and nothing else. At some point down the road I may look at some options for more power but for now, it's just going to be the basic kit.

I will be installing the kit myself, so the ease of installiation is a concern. I plan on having this truck for years and driving it on trips, so longevity and dependability is a big concern. It goes without saying that I want a considerable amount more power than I have now. It will from time to time see a drag strip but that's not it's primary use, so consider that.

What do you all think?


Thanks in advance,
Bob

1slow01Z71

iTrader: (36)

Look for a used intercooler radix. You need a roots blower to get that heavy beast moving. Centrifugal is going to leave you wanting a stall bigger than the tb and will want to take forever to wind up in that heavy truck. The radix produce its torque peak so low that IMO it cant be beat for your app. There is one in teh classifieds fro 3480 or so and you need injectors an fuel pump and tune but atleast you could get the cahrger and the main stuff then save for the rest. Injectors are ~300 from Nleson performance a site sponsor fuel pump can also be hand from him and inline one with his harness for about 180 (think thats what I paid for it) and then you can get his tune for ~500 and have 40 more hp than the magnacharger tune and when you upgrade stuff later such as a cam or lts or whatever you get free retunes good setup IMO.

DanaliHD

iTrader: (5)

you can often get a whipple for $1500 or less, then get some 42lb injectors for $300 or so, then get a dyno tune for $500ish OR a mail order tune

My whipple made 416/478. not too shabby for non intercooled. I do use a methanol injections kit also, $400 or so.

KY_BOB

iTrader: (2)

Your right. That's not shabby! I know I could piece something together but I'm really looking for a bolt-on kit with everything that I need and a warranty.

I have a friend that's a naval engineer and very organized, that's willing to help me. With some good directions, I'm sure we can install it without a problem.

I know that with a few changes (tuning, injectors, cam, exhaust, ect) I can get a ton more power and I may do some of that some day.

For now, I want simple. I'm meeting some friends for an Avalanche GTG in May at a 1/8th mile drag strip and want to be sure that I can turn dependable runs in the 9's. I know that's not fast but if I can run low 15's in the quarter and deep in the 9's in the 1/8, with a 6000# truck, I'll be happy.

FWIW, I'm leaning toward the Whipple.

1slow01Z71

iTrader: (36)

Radixes jsut arent really going to be found in your price range at this time. You cant deny what he did in his heavy truck with a whipple if you can find one for a good price then go for it.

KY_BOB

iTrader: (2)

I've searched the internet from one end to the other and I think I've found as good of a deal as possible. I can get a brand new Whipple kit for $3950. That's the max I can spend but it's doable. There's a lot more power that can be had with some more mods, if I chose to later on.

If one of the other kits has it's advantages, I'll go that way.

DanaliHD, did you do the install yourself?

CHarris

iTrader: (5)

I've got a Radix that I'm ready to deal on. It's in the parts for sale section.

You could get it completed for under $4k. Based on the fact that you have a 5.3 I would knock the price own by not including the pulleys that you wouldn't want to use anyway.

Let me know if you are interested. The price and package are somewhat flexible.

1slow01Z71

iTrader: (36)

Whipple has whats known in the performance circle as crap-tronics. o if you buy the whipple you need ot get a custom tune and ditch the whipple piggyback computer. I thought of going this way for while but decided I want cubes instead. I would find a good used Whipple and buy a custom tune from Nelson and then get a alky injection kit so you can pump up the boost. Thats what I would do in your position if I was you.

Mr. Sandog

IMO centrifugals (ATI, Vortech) are out simply because they make most of their power up high in the RPM band and are really for racing. If this is your daily driver and you want some performance before 3000 RPM, you won't care for the ATI/Vortech too much.

With your requirements of 'simple' and 'ease of installation', you won't be happy with anything other than a Radix. If you pick up a Whipple you have all kinds of issues to deal with, like 1slow01Z71 talks about above. While the Whipple may be solid technology, the product leaves a lot to be desired. You will have more than a few things to do to get it running properly and safely.

You also say you want a 'bolt-on kit' with 'everything' you need and 'a warranty'....yet it seems like you don't want to spend what something like that costs. Like they say in project management, you can have it fast, you can have it good, you can have it cheap - pick two, because you can't have all three.

The three here are: (1) Good Technology, (2) Complete, and (3) Cheap. The Whipple has (1) and (3). The Radix has (1) and (2). Either toss in more money, or be prepared for some headaches. I'd say do what you can to get CHarris' Radix, that's your best bet for what you want - getting a complete Radix setup for something less than retail price.

KY_BOB

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for your input, Naked. If you would do me a favor, don't mention this thread on the AV sites. I'm hoping to surprise some people at the Huntsville GTG.