Ok, so you are going to supercharge your engine and you plan on running around 5-8 psi. Sounds like a fun car
. So lets say you build your system, set it at 8psi and you dyno 175 whp. Good for you. What if it is only at 165? 155? 145?
Could happen. Then what? You need to run higher psi with a supercharger to reach your hp goals compared to a turbo. It could very well be possible with proper tuning. So how do you plan on tuning it? Standalone? Too expensive. Custom Superchip? If it works, awesome. You also need to beef up your fuel system a lot.
Let's say you make it to 175. You do all your maintenence ahead of schedule, you baby your tranny. Then one day your friend (wife, kid, co-worker, fellow CEG'er) borrows your car, puts in some 87 octane...
Or you are trying to impress some chick next to you at the light...
It's 120 in AZ and you need to fill up at "Joe's Discount Gazz" 100mi from the next station...
"8psi seems ok, let's try 9..."
That $800 you saved just went to replacing your blown motor. And you still have no intercooler.
There is a difference between saving money and cutting corners. Saving money is good. Cutting corners is bad. If money is so tight, that you can't buy a intercooler, what happens when you blow the engine? I will build my first FI system when I can afford to build the system and buy a new motor. There is a reason that factory turbos have low compression AND intercoolers. And don't say "But it's not a turbo" because from the throttle body back, its all the same to your engine.
Or just build the darn thing and see who's right. Can you afford to take that chance?
