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S197 Mustangs Edelbrock E-Force Supercharger UpgradeThe New Edelbrock E-Force Supercharger For S197 Mustangs Exceeds Expectations From the August, 2009 issue of Modified Mustangs & Fords By Wayne Cook Photography by Tracy Stocker
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Tech | S197 Supercharger Install
Even though the Edelbrock E-Force Supercharger System for the 4.6 Three-Valve Mustang GT is new, it already has a good reputation. Out in the Ford performance world many of the people we talked to want one because of the great power production at very manageable boost levels. As a system, the Edelbrock E-Force blower is one of the cleanest out there, and one of the most integrated to its application. Everybody knows Edelbrock does its homework and this setup is so carefully designed and constructed that it's available with a warranty to match that of your new car as long as the system is professionally installed. When you crack open the contents... When you crack open the contents of the Edelbrock E-Force supercharger kit you'll find plenty of shiny, new parts. Obviously the supercharger main body is shown at the center with the engine covers at either side. At the left we find the serpentine belt, intercooler pump and wiring, air filter, and water crossover. At below center is the intercooler heat exchanger, throttle body, and pulley brackets. At the upper right is the intercooler fluid reservoir. The red programming module is also shown to the left of the intercooler heat exchanger along with the kit's injectors and spark plugs. The Edelbrock blower is installed onto the engine in an inverted form, so that it fits down low in the engine valley allowing for a low-profile fit and long runner length. The supercharger housing is integrated into the intake manifold for an OE-like assembly onto the engine, eliminating the possibility of vacuum leaks between gasket surfaces. The system eliminates exterior brackets and apparatus hanging off the side of the engine as well. The E-Force blower utilizes a front-inlet configuration providing a short and very direct induction pathway. An 85mm electronic throttle body is included in the kit. Sitting right above the supercharger and below the runners is an air-to-water intercooler measuring 110 square inches. At the center of the system are Eaton Gen VI TVS supercharger rotors. Their four-lobe design features 160 degrees of twist, which allows for improved flow potential, minimum temperature rise, quiet operation, and optimum reliability. The Edelbrock E-Force blower is designed to maximize airflow at every juncture and to minimize restriction into and out of the supercharger. The Edelbrock E-Force kit is a complete intercooled system designed specifically for this engine. The result is a serious horsepower upgrade using a moderate amount of boost that's actually safe to operate on a completely stock engine. Edelbrock says that the kit is also pending 50-state emissions legality, and can be had with an optional 3-year/36,000-mile warranty so that there are no worries when installing it on a brand-new car. From an appearance standpoint we'd have to agree with Edelbrock that the E-Force kit is a great-looking engine compartment upgrade. With the carefully styled plenum and matching side covers, it provides a very finished appearance. There are two kits available, PN 1580 ($5,794), which is the street kit, and PN 1585 ($4,479), the competition kit. If this system is being installed on an '05 or '06 Mustang GT, you'll need to have the Cooling System Upgrade Kit, PN 15804, to complete the installation. The kit relocates the thermostat from the cold side of the radiator to the hot side for improved cooling and comes with all necessary hoses, clamps, and hardware. The kit cost is $121.95. Replacement of the OE spark plugs is also required if your car is an '05 to '07 model. The correct heat-range plug is already installed on '08 and later Mustangs. Limited edition Mustangs such as the Bullitt or Shelby have a larger diameter air inlet from the factory. This alters the signal provided by the mass air meter. Installation of the E-Force Supercharger on these cars will require the use of a standard Mustang GT airbox or the Edelbrock Competition Air Intake, PN 15808. The system installation is carefully described in the excellent instruction booklet, which is more than 30 pages long and includes 200 photographs and illustrations. Since we don't have the space here to cover every aspect of the installation, we'll try to give you an overview of the task and a sense of what's involved. Even though we shadowed the guys at Livernois Motorsports for the E-Force install, the job should be more than possible for the typical enthusiast with the required tools in the garage.  Here's the blower unit out...  Here's the blower unit out on the bench at Livernois plainly showing the inlet and discharge ports for the intercooler and throttle body mounting flange. The design does indeed create long runners, which measure out at 15 inches. Low end torque and great throttle response result.  Disconnect the windshield...  Disconnect the windshield washer lines before having an assistant help you with removal of the hood. Next, the battery is removed. Here, the fasteners for the battery tray are also undone before the tray itself is taken away. After undoing the electrical connections at the air meter, remove the factory airbox and intake ducting.  Next, various engine control...  Next, various engine control components such as the charge motion control valve, throttle position sensor, and electronic throttle control are disconnected. Electrical connections to the fuel injectors and fuel pressure sensor are undone next, as well as the engine's PCV connections. After the fuel rail fasteners are removed, the rails and injectors can be taken away from the engine, as seen here. Use a rag to control any fuel spillage. The engine coolant should... The engine coolant should be drained at the petcock on the bottom of the radiator. Remove the intake manifold bolts using a 10mm socket. Use an extension to access the center pair hidden between the intake runners. Don't bother to remove the throttle body as it will not be reused in the blower's installation. After a careful check that everything is clear, the intake manifold can be removed from the engine, as seen here. The Results Are In
The test vehicle already had a few basic performance modifications in place. The 4.6L Three-Valve engine had a high-performance exhaust system consisting of Hedman shorty headers, an off-road H-pipe, and axle-back exhaust system. The car also has a set of MSD ignition coils. Thusly equipped, the car produced 293 rwhp and 311 lb-ft of torque. When the Edelbrock supercharger was added, the numbers grew to 437 rwhp and 404 lb-ft of torque. Those figures represent an improvement of 144 horsepower and 93 lb-ft of torque. | RPM | HP | TQ | | 2,000 | 125 | 321 | | 2,500 | 172 | 356 | | 3,000 | 217 | 379 | | 3,500 | 265 | 395 | | 4,000 | 305 | 400 | | 4,500 | 345 | 404 | | 5,000 | 381 | 401 | | 5,500 | 418 | 389 | | 6,000 | 426 | 369 | | 6,500 | 437 | 350 | Edelbrock rates the kit at 6 pounds of boost. However the boost was found to increase slightly as rpm levels grew. The boost log from the dynamometer pulls revealed the following figures. The next area to address is... The next area to address is the serpentine front accessory drive. The OE tensioner will be modified and components will be replaced by parts included in the Edelbrock kit. Here the serpentine drive belt is removed from the engine. | BOOST LOG | | RPM | BOOST | | 4,000 | 5.733 lbs | | 4,500 | 5.701 lbs | | 5,000 | 5.798 lbs | | 5,500 | 6.342 lbs | | 6,000 | 7.272 lbs | With the completely finished appearance and a consistent and reliable 144 extra horses on tap, it's easy to understand why the interest level in the E-Force blower is so high. More Power To Be Had
If you're like us and you can never have too much power, don't worry, the E-Force blower is ready to handle more. Besides the aforementioned Competition Kit (we installed the street system here), there's the Competition Air Intake, which is an open element-style cold air system with integral mass air meter. Several pulley diameters are also available to increase boost levels and tune the blower to your specific needs, including 3.50-, 3.25-, 3.00-, and 2.75-inch blower pulleys. A set of 60 lb-hr injectors (41 lb-hr come with the street E-Force) are also available and support up to 800 hp, perfect for the Competition Supercharger kit.  Remove the four bolts retaining...  Remove the four bolts retaining the alternator support bracket and remove the bracket from the top of the engine. There are two nuts retaining the alternator at the bottom that must also be removed. Disconnect the electrical connections and the alternator can be taken out of the car.  Disconnect the hoses at the...  Disconnect the hoses at the water crossover, catching any spillage into the engine with shop towels. Remove the water crossover from the engine as shown here.  This view of the engine bay...  This view of the engine bay shows things broken down almost as far as we're going to go. At this juncture it would be wise to tape over the intake ports to keep anything from falling in. Now would be a good time to install the correct heat range spark plugs from Edelbrock if your car is an '05 to '07 model.  These hard cooling lines are...  These hard cooling lines are held in place by a clip at the firewall and also at the engine valley via a bolt near the passenger-side cylinder head. In this photo, the lines have been removed from the engine bay so that they can be modified to work with the new supercharger system. The bracket joining the lines together will need to be cut to allow the lines to be separated.  Use a flat-blade screwdriver...  Use a flat-blade screwdriver to raise the six push-lock pins that retain the radiator shroud and remove the shroud.  Begin the removal of the front...  Begin the removal of the front fascia by undoing the various fasteners attaching it to the car, including the body bolts retaining the grille. Continue the process until the entire front bumper cover is removed. Don't worry; the Edelbrock instructions are quite detailed as to where all the fasteners are located, even if the Livernois guys are making it look easy.  Replace the inner and outer...  Replace the inner and outer bumper support mounting bolts with those supplied in the kit. Their longer length allows the heat exchanger to be mounted behind the bumper reinforcement. Here, the heat exchanger is shown being fit into position.  This photo shows the intercooler...  This photo shows the intercooler water circulation pump being prepared for installation. The technician has just installed the 5-inch length of -inch hose to the pump and secured it with a clamp. The second clamp is also in place to make the connection to the heat exchanger.  You'll need a helper to ensure...  You'll need a helper to ensure the blower is lowered into exactly the correct position. Be sure all mating surfaces are clear of obstructions such as wires or hoses. Look through the injector holes to check for correct alignment with the injector ports in the cylinder head. Once the unit is down, its position cannot be shifted even slightly without disturbing the intake seals. The new water crossover must also be in position when the supercharger is lowered into place. Once the blower is positioned, tighten the 10mm fasteners to 8 ft-lbs according to the tightening sequence diagram provided by Edelbrock.  Here, the pump is shown in...  Here, the pump is shown in position on the outer bumper mounting bolts on the passenger side of the car. The upper end of the hose will be connected to the coolant reservoir. The details for the correct wiring procedure for your car's model year are carefully explained in the Edelbrock instructions.  Back on the bench, the supercharger...  Back on the bench, the supercharger unit is placed upside down as the new intake seals are carefully installed. No adhesive is used and each seal stays in position when seated properly.  With the blower in position,...  With the blower in position, the various engine support systems are put back into place. Here, the fuel rails and injectors are shown installed. They are attached with new hardware supplied in the kit. Reconnect all of the injector and engine wiring according to instructions.  Other accessory drive modifications...  Other accessory drive modifications include the addition a belt-tensioner brace. Before it's installed, the factory stop that limits the arm travel is removed by grinding, allowing increased travel range. Once the reinforcement is in place, the tensioner assembly is reinstalled onto the engine.  Here, the generously sized...  Here, the generously sized 85mm throttle body is installed onto the inlet elbow with the hardware provided. Reassemble the air meter and induction ducting whether you are using the factory or Edelbrock aftermarket equipment.  Before the alternator can...  Before the alternator can be reinstalled it must be equipped with the Edelbrock supplied pulley. The instructions don't call for a specific torque value but say to use blue Loctite on the pulley nut installation. Install the alternator and reestablish the electrical connections.  The intercooler reservoir...  The intercooler reservoir is the last component in the intercooler-heat exchanger system. Here it's shown installed and being connected to other system components.  Once the unit is installed,...  Once the unit is installed, the included Diablo Sport tuner is connected to the OBD II diagnostic port underneath the dash. Follow the instructions to set the various operational parameters. This photo of the completed installation shows that the system is so carefully integrated to the engine it looks almost like a factory option.
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