Supercharged HSE 4.6

[MAKTRK]

Gidday there all..new to the website and Im hoping I can get some info from the extensive knowledge base here on supercharging a 4.6 P38 Rangie. I will be using the resources of Horsepower Engineering Australia KENNEBELL (http://www.hpengineering.com.au/index.html)

I guess Im after the learnings from people on here who currently own OR have done this to their 4.6 and what problems they encountered. I will be more than happy to post images and progress of the project as it develops but again, any insight to tuning issues/problems will be appreciated!

Mak

[Pedro_The_Swift]

Welcome to AULRO.COM[biggrin]

I am looking forward to your Project.
I know the Gems V8's were supercharged by a company at some stage,,

I havent read a lot on here about it...

Bring it on [bigsmile]

[prelude]

Supercharging a P38 V8 basicly means replacing the ECU. That is to say, you would need a new map and thus a chip (two actually) in your GEMS ECU, the bosch thor has not been done yet afaik, or something like a megasquirt which you can piggyback onto the standard ECU. The reason for doing this is that the ECU en BECM just love to talk to each other, in code even :) and if one of them is not happy with what it is hearing, the engine will not start :( The reason that this is a problem is because starting the engine in a P38 is not actually a flow of electrons going through the ignition switch to your starter relay but a small signal to the BECM, which in turns sends out an electrical current to power the relay for your starter motor etc etc.

There has been a bloke in the UK (where else?) that has done a megasquirt on a P38 GEMS, if you want to go that route I can dig it up for you :)

AFAIK the supercharged P38's that came from the factory also actually bypassed the ECU. As did the overfinch blokes, they shoehorned a GM V8 in there for more power.

In any case, great fun to squeeze more power out of those beauties! Mind you though that on a tired engine and driveline this can spell trouble...

Cheers!
-P

[Pickles2]

A pretty impressive website, but I couldn't find any specific mention of the 4.6 engine. Do they have experience with this engine, and if so have a specific kit for it?
If they don't, wouldn't there be a few reputable Aussie companys like Harrop etc who may be able to assist?
Finally, I don't know how much power, or how amenable this engine is to a supercharger, but I reckon it'd need internal upgrades as well, to cope with a supercharger?
What about an LS3?
Just a few of my thoughts, but I LOVE V8s (there's no substitute for cubic inches!), any V8, so I'm looking forward to your "journey".
Good Luck, Pickles.

[TheTree]

Hi

This site contains masses of info about the Rover V8, here is a page on forced induction

Forced Induction and Nitrous (http://www.mez.co.uk/tuningtheroverv8-pt10-new.html)

Small block Chev install

350 chevy conversion, fitting the engine (http://www.mez.co.uk/chevyupgradeinstalling-new.html)

There are also LS1 conversions around

Good Luck
Steve

[Keithy P38]

My opinion, an LS3 and 6 speed auto would be less of a headache than supercharging the 4.6. As mentioned above, you'll get more power and torque plus better fuel consumption from an LS.

From what I've read in the past, supercharged 4.6's don't get even distribution of air (or something along those lines) and you end up with some cylinders running lean, then bang!! There was one getting around here years ago! Didn't last long at around 7 pounds of boost.

Cheers
Keithy

[prelude]

Keithy is right, there was indeed a problem with that! Mind you, that was a GEMS afaik and the air intake had not been sufficiently modified. The rover V8 can indeed be supercharged without trouble, but you would need to alter quite a few things :)

I tried to find the link but can't find it :( if you have the patience to go through a lot of pages, check the rpi engineering facebook page. I'm pretty sure it was on there at some point

-P

[banarcus]

Supercharge it mate! Just don't plop the blower on top of your bottom section of the inlet manifold - unequal amounts of air going into the cylinders like those have already said. Mount it on the side and have it going to the stock upper intake via the throttle body. Piggy back your existing ECU by using a megasquirt controlling your fuel and spark. Happy days!

[andyaa]

Hi all - my first post here. What brand/make/model supercharger is recommended and who sells them? Mine is a 1998 4.6 with a high spec rebuild and stroked to 5.0l - the people who did the rebuild say 'the engine will easily handle a low boost system' - but what's the first step - who do I approach? Any insights gratefully received. I'm in Melbourne. 127316127317

[andyaa]

Well, I'm not too good at uploading photos - I'm in Melbourne [but in Coventry UK for a couple of months before heading home]. Regards Andrew

[Pickles2]

Hi all - my first post here. What brand/make/model supercharger is recommended and who sells them? Mine is a 1998 4.6 with a high spec rebuild and stroked to 5.0l - the people who did the rebuild say 'the engine will easily handle a low boost system' - but what's the first step - who do I approach? Any insights gratefully received. I'm in Melbourne. 127316127317
You could try Les Richmond Automotive, in the Northern suburbs of Melbourne. Check their website/Facebook etc.
Never been there, but they do some very interesting custom L.R. stuff, LS engine conversions etc, they're currently placing an LS3 & 6 Sp Man into a Puma Defender,..and it's looking good.
I've never been there, but from the pics & articles I've seen, they really do seem to know what they're doing. I think there's a guy on this site with a grey/silver Puma 90 that gets his work done there.
Worth a phone call, I'd reckon,....let us know what they say.
Pickles.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

would the internals know the difference between low boost turbo and low boost SC?

[andyaa]

Les Richmond a good suggestion thanks.

Pedro - I have no idea - are you suggesting a low boost turbo is an option?

Regards

[Pedro_The_Swift]

[bigwhistle]
options are good!

but no,, more a tech question than anything,,

its just from the way you worded it,, [smilebigeye]

[Pickles2]

Forum Member D90 orkney is the forum member who's had a considerable amount of work done on his Puma 90 X Les Richmond,...you might do well to speak to him?
Pickles.

[banarcus]

You have one sexy P38 there andyaa!!

[mtb_gary]

Hi all - my first post here. What brand/make/model supercharger is recommended and who sells them? Mine is a 1998 4.6 with a high spec rebuild and stroked to 5.0l - the people who did the rebuild say 'the engine will easily handle a low boost system' - but what's the first step - who do I approach? Any insights gratefully received. I'm in Melbourne. 127316127317
Nice lookong p38! It looks from the pics and the p38 registration plate like it's bbeen well loved!

[andyaa]

Thanks for the compliments. I bought it for my dad. He drove me and my three sisters around Australia in 1975 for 6 months in a series III LWB when I was 8 years old - across the Jardine; followed the train track across the nulabor etc - thus began the love of land rovers in our family. When he fell sick 12 years ago he said he wanted to do one last drive - he always wanted a range rover but could never afford one - so I bought one for him to do one last drive - unfortunately he passed away before I could give it to him so he never knew - so it gets looked after. I'm also starting to do a ground up restoration of that same series III when I return to Melb form a year in the Uk in a couple of months. Cheers