How to Supercharge a Mustang: A Complete Guide to Superchargers (2023)

How to charge a Mustang and everything you need to know about the process

How to load a Mustang. Read on for more information here. Superchargers have been around for over a century and ever since then people have been looking for ways to improve the performance of their vehicles. In some cases, the installation of a compressor can increase performance by more than 70%. It will immediately turn your car into a beast!

Well, the amount of horsepower you get from a blower depends on the power of the engine. And when you combine a powerful supercharger with a muscle car like the Mustang, the possibilities are incredible.

Since superchargers are so popular, you can also find models that are already equipped with superchargers. In these cases you do not need to do anything else. The engine will be incredibly powerful with the original version of the car and all you have to do is enjoy driving.

If that's not the case, you need to find a blower that fits your engine and that you like. Here we take a look at some of the options, supercharger details, and everything you need to know about supercharging a Mustang.

the compressor

the compressorThey are air compressors designed to add more air to the combustion chamber. Since the size of the engine cannot be changed, the only way to burn more fuel is to add more air. The idea behind superchargers is quite simple and it is the easiest way to increase the horsepower and torque of your car.

Regardless of the type of compressor you buy, they all follow the same principle. The installation process is not as complex as you might think, but more on that later. Superchargers come in all shapes and sizes, and you can easily find supercharger kits designed for a specific vehicle.

types of compressors

There are three main types of compressors that you can find in cars today:

  1. centrifugal turbo
  2. centrifugal compressor
  3. positive displacement pumps

The first type here is super turbocharged or simply turbocharged. These blowers are powered by the exhaust gases from the engines, which means they are not as efficient at low speeds. Centrifugal compressors are mechanically connected to the motor, usually via the belt. As a result, turbochargers have a linear increase in performance and can also perform well at low speeds.

Finally, Positive Displacement or PD pumps are probably the most popular version you can find. The term positive displacement is used to describe devices that force air through them, compressing them in the process.

As you can probably imagine, there are several different types of PD bombs that you can also come across:

  1. root
  2. Lysholm
  3. sliding sash
  4. displacement type

while there are othersthe PD pumpYou can find on the market, Roots and Lysholm are the most popular in the automotive industry. Also, while the basic principle behind it is similar, the design is quite different.

First, Roots type compressors have two identical rotors and usually two vanes. Lysholm, on the other hand, is commonly known as a twin screw and has a male and female rotor. The number of vanes in Lysholm compressors varies from model to model.

Remember that other versions like Eaton, Whipple or Roush compressors are just a subcategory of Roots and Twin Screw.

History of the Ford Mustang

Let's take a look at the history of the Mustang. The vehicle was designed in 1964 and is known as a pony car. This is a term used for stylish and affordable models, and Ford predicted that the new Mustang would sell around 100,000 vehicles a year.

But the prediction was wrong. Instead, the Mustang sold more than 400,000 units in its launch year, and it took Ford two years to sell the millionth. No one knew how popular the Mustang would become, and it served as the inspiration for many other models for years to come.

The Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger followed in the Mustang's footsteps and remain popular to this day. The Mustang has evolved over the years, and each new model offered something different.

The first generation Mustang1964-1973
The second generation Mustang1974-1978
The third generation Mustang1979-1993
The fourth generation Mustang1994-2004
The fifth generation Mustang2005-2014
The sixth generation Mustang2015-present

One of the interesting things here is that each Mustang model offered design changes. And the changes were often more than remarkable. The third-generation Mustangs were unlike any that came before them, and there are almost no ties to the muscle cars that came before them.

Plus, the fourth-generation models resembled regular coupes, and the fifth generation brought the modernized, muscular design you're probably familiar with.

Engines in Mustangs

The first thing to mention is that engines have changed with each generation of Mustang and even multiple times within a single generation. This means that a 2015 vehicle and a 2018 vehicle are likely to have different engines even though they are both 6th generation.

As a result, over the years you will find Mustangs with V4, V6, V8 and various other engines. It depends on the series of your vehicle and the year of manufacture.

The reason for this is that the type of engine in your car will determine which supercharger you can install. Superchargers are not universal and you can't just buy one. Each engine model has its own supercharger, so it is important to know the following:

  • One more time
  • Model
  • engine art
  • machine size

For example, let's say you have one2015 Ford Mustang GT. That means you have the first series of sixth-generation cars, and the Ford Mustang GT used a 5.0-liter Coyote V8. you must find oneSupercargador Mustang GT 2015that can match the 5.0-liter Coyote V8.

While the name of the engine is the same, the 2018 and later models use an updated version of the Coyote V8, and you can't use the same supercharger for the 2015 and 2018 models. The older version offers 435 hp and 400 lb.-ft. -ft of torque, while the latter makes 460 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque.

A similar rule applies to all Mustangs, so you need to know the year of manufacture, whether it's a V6, V8, or other engine, as well as series like GT, GT500, Bullitt, etc.

supercharge a mustang

When you have all the information you need, you can start thinking about compressors. The first thing to decide is what type of compressor you want to buy. As mentioned, you have the option to choose Roots, Twin Screw, Centrifugal, or Turbo type. Each of these models offers different extensions and it is up to you to find the model that suits you best.

Also, both the roots type and the double screw type come in different shapes. If you like what Roots has to offer, you can go for a model from Roush Performance, Eaton and others, while the most popular twin screw compressor is the Whipple.

Whipple compressors are made in the USA. They offer excellent performance and the only difference between them and other twin screw models is that Whipples always have three and five lobes on the screws. For other models, the number of lobes may vary.

It's also worth noting that Ford already sells supercharged Mustangs and adding another one wouldn't make sense. Ford uses Eaton or Roush compressors in their vehicles.

install supercharger

This brings us to the next step: installation. You have two options for installing the blower:

  1. install it yourself
  2. Take your car to a service center

While the installation process isn't incredibly complex, it does require some hands-on experience and mechanical knowledge. Someone who has never installed a compressor before may need more time to complete the process and if you are not happy with that, leaving it to professionals may be the best option.

You can also purchase a compressor kit that already comes with the necessary parts for installation and all you need is the right tool. If you decide to install it yourself, almost all manufacturers provide installation instructions you can follow, and there are step-by-step instructions for installing a blower.

Following the guide will show you how to load up a Mustang, allow you to complete the process yourself, and also provide important maintenance details. Remember that regular maintenance is more than enough and you should change the compressor oil as often as the engine oil.

The following link is a typical installation guide that comes with almost every compressor kit on the market. Although this is from Vortech Superchargers, all manufacturers have their own instructions that are very similar to this one.How to Load a Mustang Installation Guide

How much to charge a Mustang GT

The price of compressors varies depending on the type, size and performance increase. You can find a cheaper blower for some Mustang models. But if you want quality and performance, you have to pay a little more.

Of course, the type of blower you want plays a big part in the price. For example, Whipple compressors may be a bit more expensive, but they offer excellent performance and incredible quality.

In general, the Supercharger will be priced between $5,000 and $8,000. Of course, the price of a single compressor is significantly lower compared to the kit, but we still recommend that you go for the kit. You can expect a similar cost for aSupercargador GT Mustang 2006Also.

Finally, if you plan to install the compressor yourself, you can save yourself a few bucks. Remember that if you have to pay the professional to install it, it only adds to the total cost.

How to Supercharge a Mustang: A Complete Guide to Superchargers (1)

Can a Mustang EcoBoost be charged?

EcoBoost is a type of engine developed by Ford that first appeared on the market in 2009. The main idea behind these engines is to provide the same power and torque while offering better fuel efficiency and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

These engines were used in various Ford models, and the first EcoBoost-powered Mustang was part of the sixth generation of vehicles. It came out in 2015 and the version was 2.3L l4. It also marks the return of four-cylinder engines in Mustangs andMustangs EcoBoostit offers 310 hp with 320 lb-ft of torque.

Newer versions of the Mustang EcoBoost built from 2018 to present had the same amount of horsepower but with 350 lb-ft of torque. One of the first things you'll notice is that this four-cylinder engine outperforms the V6.

So can you load it? The answer is yes and no. The Mustang's EcoBoost engine is already loaded. So you don't really need to add a compressor since one is already installed. However, that doesn't mean you can't update it. You can replace your existing twin scroll IWG blower with the larger one and get more power by replacing the intercooler, downpipe, injectors and other parts.

Is the Boss 302 charged?

The Boss 302 is a racing version of the Ford Mustang and was originally built in 1969 and 1970. The car returned in 2012 and 2013 and those are the only models available. The original engine in the 1969 and 1970 models was a small-block 4.9-liter V8. It offered 290 hp and 290 pound-feet of torque.

The second generation of the Boss 302 offered an updated version of the Coyote, which had 444 hp in 2012. However, it is possible to find models with Roush R2300 TVS, which brings a significant increase in horsepower, allowing the car to reach a few Incredible 715 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque.

So if you have a stock version of the Boss 302 engine, you can upgrade it further. The production version of the 2012 Boss 302 is not turbocharged and has a 444 hp engine.

Another frequently asked question is,it's a supercharged GT350? Learn more here as there are a few different versions of the GT350 model.

How to Supercharge a Mustang: A Complete Guide to Superchargers (2)

What Mustangs are supercharged?

Let's take a look at some of the models that Ford dealers have offered over the years. As we mentioned above, you can find Mustangs with superchargers pre-installed, but they're not as common as you might think.

Modelpower and engineOne more time
Ford Mustang SVO175 CV, 2,3 l l41984
Shelby GT500550 PS, 5.4 liter V82007-2009
Shelby GT500662 PS, 5.8 liter V82013
Mustang310 CV, 2,3 l EcoBoost l42015
Shelby GT500760 PS, 5.2 liter V82020

These are just a few examples of supercharged vehicles, but there are also models designed to perform better. A perfect example is the Roush Performance series of Mustangs, but they are not identical to the original versions of the car. It is best to have your vehicle checked out and make sure it is not a special supercharged version of a Mustang.

Should I charge my Mustang GT?

Why not! Superchargers are the most efficient way to improve the performance of your vehicle. While upgrading other parts we mentioned above may also work, the HP increase won't be as significant.

The good thing about compressors is that a professional can install them in ten to twelve hours and you can remove them at any time. Installing a supercharger requires no permanent modifications to your vehicle, there is no cutting or welding, and you can always remove it if you wish.

But honestly, why say goodbye to a compressor?

FAQs

What do I need to supercharge my Mustang? ›

These key areas need to be addressed before installing a supercharger:
  1. Wider wheels and tires with a stickier tire compound.
  2. Upgraded suspension.
  3. Stronger half-shafts, driveshaft, and clutch.
  4. Consideration of the fuel you plan on running.
  5. Correct injectors for your fuel of choice.
  6. A SAFE tune.

Can a stock engine handle a supercharger? ›

Because superchargers push the air/fuel mix into an engine, they're well suited to stock motors — provided you don't get greedy with how much boost you want to run or how hard you want to rev the engine.

How much HP does a supercharger add to a Mustang? ›

Produces 750 horsepower/670 lb-ft of torque. 50-state legal. Fits 2018-2021 Mustang GT 5.0L V8.

How do you prepare an engine for a supercharger? ›

Supercharging Basics – Engine Preparation
  1. 7.0:1 to 9.0:1 compression ratio. ...
  2. Higher than 8.0:1 is not necessary or recommended. ...
  3. 4 - 7 psi boost level. ...
  4. 4,500 - 5,000 engine rpm. ...
  5. Exceeding this limit may over-stress the cast pistons and cause failure. ...
  6. Eliminate detonation (pinging).
May 16, 2018

What octane should I use with a supercharger? ›

You will also need to run a premium grade fuel (91+ octane) if you have a supercharger, turbocharger, or if you have an ignition programmer that advances your ignition timing.

Do supercharged engines need premium gas? ›

In supercharged engines boost pressure behaves the same way. That's why the highest-performance engines require higher-octane fuel.

References

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