Progress Thread Progress Thread- From6to8's 1994 Cobra Supercharger install

[Noobz347]

I can only speak to my setup, but i installed it per Paxtons instructions. I'll have another gander just to make sure i'm actually correct, but i believe I am in how i'm explaining my setup.

Edit: i am correct in how i was explaining it. The brass barb with the hose and metal check valve is where the line from the VC goes to (before MAF) into the airbox:

Progress Thread Post in thread 'Komo's 1990 GT - Parts Gathering Purgatory'

May 9, 2025

Supercharger install is done!

Got the fuel feed hardline out of the little bracket and that was it, elbow was so easy to get on with that out of the way. One thing I had to do is route the A/C hose in between the inlet and discharge piping. It has wiggle room so not pinching anything and it’s not bent all weirdly:





Then put the line from the oil fill tube to airbox:



From there it was just putting the discharge tube on:





Which basically wraps up the install.

I found the right hex head bit to put the breather on the...

• gkomo

• 

What is that silver cylinder, a check valve?

 

[from6to8]

What is that silver cylinder, a check valve?

Probably is since he said that there's one in that area and then there's one near the throttle body or something. Or the PC valve.

I was also reading something where I believe they said the supercharger kits actually come with a some kind of fuel filter looking thing.

Scott list included 3 gauges which are boost vacuum, elec fuel pressure, and a I think it's a wideband air fuel I have a fuel pressure gauge under the hood so what I need one in the car unless it's just personal preference? I know I need the boost gauge but what I need the wideband air fuel? I guess that's good to have to be able to check things or whatever but if I don't necessarily need it I may only get the boost gauge

 

[gkomo]

What is that silver cylinder, a check valve?

Haha yes it is. Has an airflow arrow on it and everything.

 

[gkomo]

Probably is since he said that there's one in that area and then there's one near the throttle body or something. Or the PC valve.

I was also reading something where I believe they said the supercharger kits actually come with a some kind of fuel filter looking thing.

Scott list included 3 gauges which are boost vacuum, elec fuel pressure, and a I think it's a wideband air fuel I have a fuel pressure gauge under the hood so what I need one in the car unless it's just personal preference? I know I need the boost gauge but what I need the wideband air fuel? I guess that's good to have to be able to check things or whatever but if I don't necessarily need it I may only get the boost gauge

Boost is good but A/F is more important. Ideally get both. I have boost and A/F on my Apillar (A/F still isn’t hooked up), and I have coolant temp and oil pressure gauges on my shelf waiting to be installed as well.

 

[from6to8]

Boost is good but A/F is more important. Ideally get both. I have boost and A/F on my Apillar (A/F still isn’t hooked up), and I have coolant temp and oil pressure gauges on my shelf waiting to be installed as well.

I have water oil and battery I already hooked up on the a pillar. I'll probably get the two gauge instrument cluster thing and do boosting and air fuel

 

[from6to8]

You will have more than enough fuel flow regardless of which parts you go with.

Speaking of which.... Something @AeroCoupe mentioned:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ium8jf4Jm04&list=PLmH4cY5RfBUWaLcmgN_voW67Y1Vzz1t0U&index=2

finally got around to watching the video, good stuff. Now going to go back and see what Aero said about the hanger. I guess overall it makes no sense to upgrade the lines and not the hanger. I know Aero mentioned upgrading the 1/4 to an 8AN for feed and using the 3/8 as the return. I'll likely just use the 255 with oem hanger. I know in a perfect world you want to make everything as perfect as you can but all these years and all these cars running on oem hangers with bigger pumps I guess they will be decent even if not perfect with what a different hanger would allow

forgot to add, what if you upgraded the hanger and still had the oem lines, would it still be a restriction coming into the hanger, causing cavitation still?

Just re read what he said and makes sense to not get a 340 and not upgrade the lines to take advantage of it. Now I guess some have went with a 340 and not upgrade the hanger or maybe the lines, or maybe upgraded the lines and not the hanger, or vice versa lol.

 

[nicholase]

I guess you made that comment for him?

As for mine mine is currently the valve cover goes to the CAI and that is after the meter.

Running the power pipe it appears that it will also be after the meter I will just have to run a long hose that will connect to the power pipe, run it through the fender well where the pipe will be.

so at less than 6 psi will I be ok running a setup like gkomo with the check valves in 2 locations and not worry about using a breather at all or even catch can?

You only want a check valve on the line that goes from the PCV to intake manifold. That prevents boost pressure from entering the crankcase.

The PCV intake line (valve cover to fresh air intake tube) needs to be moved from its current location like you mentioned becasue now that will be pressurized. Anywhere between the MAF and S/C inlet is acceptable.


A device on the inlet line to catch any blow by oil is a good idea. That way no oil is getting sucked into your S/C inlet. A small filter that you regularly change or an oil seperator at minimum.

Should look like this cheesy photoshop I made lol:

Stock:

After Supercharger:

For some reason the Vortech kits re route the PCV inlet incorrectly to the air filter lid before the MAF. It's not right. Not sure why they do that. They put a silver fuel filter thing there to catch any oil from getting sucked through the main air filter. I think thats what Komo is referring to.


Notice how the PCV inlet line is in the same location relative to the MAF and throttle blade but in a non boosted area in the S/C image. I welded a bung to my powerpipe for it. It's in the engine bay not far from the valve cover nipple.

 

[from6to8]

You only want a check valve on the line that goes from the PCV to intake manifold. That prevents boost pressure from entering the crankcase.

The PCV intake line (valve cover to fresh air intake tube) needs to be moved from its current location like you mentioned becasue now that will be pressurized. Anywhere between the MAF and S/C inlet is acceptable.


A device on the inlet line to catch any blow by oil is a good idea. That way no oil is getting sucked into your S/C inlet. A small filter that you regularly change or an oil seperator at minimum.

Should look like this cheesy photoshop I made lol:

Stock:

After Supercharger:

For some reason the Vortech kits re route the PCV inlet incorrectly to the air filter lid before the MAF. It's not right. Not sure why they do that. They put a silver fuel filter thing there to catch any oil from getting sucked through the main air filter. I think thats what Komo is referring to.


Notice how the PCV inlet line is in the same location relative to the MAF and throttle blade but in a non boosted area in the S/C image. I welded a bung to my powerpipe for it. It's in the engine bay not far from the valve cover nipple.

Oh gotcha and I appreciate the time to do that image, that's very helpful. So I think I got the gist of what you mean now. I guess I'll have to geta bung welded and take it to a performance shop or something who will know what I'm talking about when I tell them what I need .

So done the way Komo has it will suck in oil even though he has the filter or check valve?

 

[gkomo]

Maybe they do it the way mine is setup because there's no where to weld a bung to the ty drier vent inlet tubing they use in the kit. Also, remember i'm a low boost kit so maybe it doesn't really matter anyways.

 

[from6to8]

Maybe they do it the way mine is setup because there's no where to weld a bung to the ty drier vent inlet tubing they use in the kit. Also, remember i'm a low boost kit so maybe it doesn't really matter anyways.

yeah I can see that. I mean I'll likely be around well according to Tre Performance who I'll get the V3 from, a modded car will see less than the 6-8 psi a stock car would see so sounds like I'm in the same boat as you. @nicholase and @Noobz347 I guess I'll be fine running it like Komo?

then again I'll still need to get a bung welded to the power pipe since I'll be running a pipe and not what comes with the S/C?

 

[from6to8]

i guess that's not how to tag lol.

test @from6to8

 

[from6to8]

kind like in this one @nicholase , is yours like this?

 

[nicholase]

The way komo did it is how the instructions say. The PCV air inlet is moved to the air filter lid before the MAF. So as you can see below, it's sucking in un metered which isn't correct, but, I'm sure thousands of people have it that way.

See how the air going into the valve cover and through the engine then into the intake manifold to enter into the combustion process hasn't been through the MAF? That's what the term un metered air means.

Keep in mind all the images I poster previously are for when the engine is making vacuum. Idle, cruise and what not. Engine vacuum in the intake manifold behind the throttle plates is what sucks air into the PCV inlet the direction the arrows show.

When you no longer have engine vacuum, like at WOT, things change. Crankcase pressure builds and the arrows change direction. Blow by gasses fill the crankcase and look for a way out. There is no longer engine vacuum to suck them out. Because you had to install the check valve in the PCV line there is only one place for the pressure to go.

Notice below the PCV check valve is closed due to boost presure in the inake manifold. The only way for crankcase gasses to get out is through supercharger inlet. There may be oil mist mixed in. That's why you want a filter or seperator to catch it.

(You can also see why you wouldn't want a check valve there.)

I'm running a pretty complicated PCV set up that works excellent. But it's probably outside the scope of this. If you do it the way I mentioned, running it to the powerpipe with a way to catch oil mist you'll be good to go for the boost level you are suggesting.

Man, that's a lot of talk about suck and blow

 

[from6to8]

The way komo did it is how the instructions say. The PCV air inlet is moved to the air filter lid before the MAF. So as you can see below, it's sucking in un metered which isn't correct, but, I'm sure thousands of people have it that way.

See how the air going into the valve cover and through the engine then into the intake manifold to enter into the combustion process hasn't been through the MAF? That's what the term un metered air means.

Keep in mind all the images I poster previously are for when the engine is making vacuum. Idle, cruise and what not. Engine vacuum in the intake manifold behind the throttle plates is what sucks air into the PCV inlet the direction the arrows show.

When you no longer have engine vacuum, like at WOT, things change. Crankcase pressure builds and the arrows change direction. Blow by gasses fill the crankcase and look for a way out. There is no longer engine vacuum to suck them out. Because you had to install the check valve in the PCV line there is only one place for the pressure to go.

Notice below the PCV check valve is closed due to boost presure in the inake manifold. The only way for crankcase gasses to get out is through supercharger inlet. There may be oil mist mixed in. That's why you want a filter or seperator to catch it.

(You can also see why you wouldn't want a check valve there.)

I'm running a pretty complicated PCV set up that works excellent. But it's probably outside the scope of this. If you do it the way I mentioned, running it to the powerpipe with a way to catch oil mist you'll be good to go for the boost level you are suggesting.

Man, that's a lot of talk about suck and blow

ok I guess I'll have a bung welded in then since I'll have the pipe anyway vs the airbox like he has.

I'll have to decide rather i want to run a filter, separator, or catch can.....

 

[from6to8]

The way komo did it is how the instructions say. The PCV air inlet is moved to the air filter lid before the MAF. So as you can see below, it's sucking in un metered which isn't correct, but, I'm sure thousands of people have it that way.

See how the air going into the valve cover and through the engine then into the intake manifold to enter into the combustion process hasn't been through the MAF? That's what the term un metered air means.

Keep in mind all the images I poster previously are for when the engine is making vacuum. Idle, cruise and what not. Engine vacuum in the intake manifold behind the throttle plates is what sucks air into the PCV inlet the direction the arrows show.

When you no longer have engine vacuum, like at WOT, things change. Crankcase pressure builds and the arrows change direction. Blow by gasses fill the crankcase and look for a way out. There is no longer engine vacuum to suck them out. Because you had to install the check valve in the PCV line there is only one place for the pressure to go.

Notice below the PCV check valve is closed due to boost presure in the inake manifold. The only way for crankcase gasses to get out is through supercharger inlet. There may be oil mist mixed in. That's why you want a filter or seperator to catch it.

(You can also see why you wouldn't want a check valve there.)

I'm running a pretty complicated PCV set up that works excellent. But it's probably outside the scope of this. If you do it the way I mentioned, running it to the powerpipe with a way to catch oil mist you'll be good to go for the boost level you are suggesting.

Man, that's a lot of talk about suck and blow

is your power pipe if you're running one in the engine bay or fender? I know you mentioned your hose from the VC to the pipe is close. For me that'll be about an 18 inch hose or a little longer to run through the bay wall to the pipe.

 

[gkomo]

The only difference in @nicholase "Vortech Instructions" diagram, assuming the arrow on the PCV "filter" in the diagram is the flow of air, i have my arrow pointing towards the air filter box, not towards the engine. So with the check valve there, no unmetered air can come back into the engine/VC, but excess pressure from the engine can escape back to the air filter.

 

[from6to8]

Oh and I gotta get the IAT sensor bung welded in the power pipe as well correct, like this? I just googled images of VC hose to power pipe on SN95 cars and looking at pics.

Not sure if the Anderson pipe has the bung welded for IAT sensor and VC nipple but if it does i might just get it vs the UPR boostmaster for $149. Looking at images of some anderson's right quick it might not have the bungs welded in

 

[gkomo]

Edit: i may have been mistaken that that filter is a check valve. After more research it does seem to be just a fuel filter... maybe it does allow unmetered air into the crankcase. I'll need to look at my specific P/N, i just googled the PCV bypass kit P/N and zoomed in on the stock photo, which was WIX 33033 which is a fuel filter. But i don't recall if mine is a WIX product or not.

Something to think about. I wonder if i could add the same UPR check valve i used on the other side of the PCV system in between that filter and the air box?

 

[from6to8]

Edit: i may have been mistaken that that filter is a check valve. After more research it does seem to be just a fuel filter... maybe it does allow unmetered air into the crankcase. I'll need to look at my specific P/N, i just googled the PCV bypass kit P/N and zoomed in on the stock photo, which was WIX 33033 which is a fuel filter. But i don't recall if mine is a WIX product or not.

Something to think about. I wonder if i could add the same UPR check valve i used on the other side of the PCV system in between that filter and the air box?

Possibly can man I hope you get it figured out. I just called an exhaust shop waiting on the guy to return my call to see if he can weld the bung on the pipe for the IAT sensor and the one for the hose coming off the valve cover

 

[gkomo]

Since i'm curious now, i've emailed Vortech to ask why their setup is the way it is.

Also, just for anyways sake, here's the instruction manual that tells you how to run that line: