I've been wondering about the chances of putting in a turbo or supercharger into my 2007 SS, was wondering if anyone has done it before. Which one would be cheaper? Which one would do less harm to my engine/transmission? What are the other Pros and Cons of each?

 

I know of a turbocharger kit for the ls4, i don't know of a supercharger kit.

looking at about $4k for the turbo and probably $3k for the transmission build

 

to my knowledge there are 2 turbo kits for the ls4. the car tuning kit that i think runs 5k and there was another one on tech that i believe could be had non intercooled for 3k. there are no sc kits for it. im sure it would be a pain running one with the belt setup on the ls4, and lack of hood clearance. the sc with that instant boost definitely will make the car even harder to launch than it already is now. a trans build up would be wise either way. there have been numerous n2o kits run on the ls4 with good results. it would probably be the cheaper route. if you arent spraying it of the line i think the trans would last far longer than it will on a turbo or a non existent sc. on the sc it being an ls motor im sure the lsx based sc kits would bolt to the motor, but the intake is spun backwards on the ls4 and it only runs one belt so you would have to do some fab there to make it work.

 

The turbo kit would be easier for sure, since they are already available for this engine/vehicle. Just google cartuning and you'll find it. It runs $5700 shipped. It will ruin your stock trans, especially if you use it to its full potential at the track with some slicks, so figure another $3-5k for a full on trans build.

A supercharger kit would be much easier on this car though than many others. Many supercharger manufacturers makes kits for LS engines- so you'll already have 90% of the work done. It will then just be a matter of some minor fab, and getting the belts to line up. Whipple has a universal kit for sandrails and such with LS engines that would put your air inlet on the same side (instead of having it turned around like the new camaro kits). Seems like their kits run $5000-7000. You also have to watch hood clearance, as I don't think anyone has done an aftermarket supercharger kit on an LS4 in a Wbody. You'd obviously need to spend the same amount as the turbo kit above for a built transmission.

 

the blower definitely wont clear the hood. there was a guy running a turbo on tech that tried to run the intake from a truck on the ls4 and it stuck out of the car by a good amount. so your definitely going to have to cut and scoop the hood to clear the blower.

 

I have the cartuning kit and I LOVE IT! That being said, I thought that I was pretty mechanically inclined because I changed my own oil and brake pads. There is no better option when it comes to forced induction than the cartuning kit and it was a MONSTER for me to install. Good luck with whatever path you choose. Maybe you will trail break the supercharged route.