How to Supercharge a Mustang: A Complete Guide to Superchargers

Superchargers

Superchargers are air compressors designed to provide more air into the combustion chamber. Since the size of the engine is something you can’t change, the only way to burn more fuel is to add more air. The idea behind superchargers is quite simple, and it is the simplest way to increase how much horsepower and lb-ft of torque your car has.

Regardless of the type of supercharger you get, they all follow the same principle. The installation process is not as complex as you might think, but more on that later. Superchargers come in all shapes and sizes, and you can easily find supercharger kits that are designed for a specific vehicle.

Types of Superchargers

There are three main types of superchargers you can find on cars today:

1. Centrifugal turbo
2. Centrifugal supercharger
3. Positive displacement pumps

The first type here is super turbocharger or simply turbo. These blowers are powered by the engines exhaust gasses, which means that they are not as efficient at low RPM. Centrifugal superchargers are mechanically connected to the engine, usually via the belt. As a result, centrifugal superchargers have a linear increase in performance, and they can work well even at low RPM.

Finally, positive displacement or PD pumps are probably the most popular version you can find. The term positive displacement is used to describe devices that push the air through them, compressing it in the process.

As you can probably guess, there are several different types of PD pumps you can find as well:

1. Roots
2. Lysholm
3. Sliding-vane
4. Scroll-type

While there are other PD pumps you can find on the market, Roots and Lysholm are the most popular in the automotive industry. Furthermore, while the basic principle behind them is similar, the design is quite different.

Firstly, Roots-type superchargers have two identical rotors, and they often have two lobes. Lysholm, on the other hand, is commonly known as a twin-screw, and it has a male and female rotor. The number of lobes on Lysholm superchargers varies from model to model.

Keep in mind that other versions like Eaton, Whipple, or Roush superchargers are just a subcategory of Roots and twin-screw.

History of Ford Mustang

Let’s take a look at the history of the Mustang. The vehicle was designed in 1964, and it is known as a pony car. This is a term used for affordable, stylish models, and Ford predicted that the new Mustang would sell around 100,000 vehicles each year.

But the prediction was wrong. Instead, Mustang sold over 400,000 during the release year, and it took Ford two years to sell the millionth one. No one had any idea how popular the Mustang would become, and it served as an inspiration for many other models in the following years.

Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger both followed in Mustang’s steps and are popular to this day. As for the Mustang, the car kept evolving over the years, and each new model offered something a bit different.

The First Generation of Mustang	1964–1973
The Second Generation of Mustang	1974–1978
The Third Generation of Mustang	1979–1993
The Fourth Generation of Mustang	1994–2004
The Fifth Generation of Mustang	2005–2014
The Sixth Generation of Mustang	2015–Present

One of the interesting things here is that each model of Mustang offered changes in design. And the changes were often more than noticeable. The third-gen Mustangs were unlike any previous ones, and there are almost no connections to the previous muscle cars.

Furthermore, the fourth-gen models were similar to regular coupe cars, and the fifth generation brought the modernized muscle design you probably know.

Engines on Mustangs

The first thing we should mention is that engines changed with each generation of Mustangs, and even several times within the same generation. That means that a vehicle from 2015 and one from 2018 will probably have different engines even though they are both from the sixth gen.

As a result, you could find Mustangs with V4, V6, V8, and several other engines over the years. It all comes down to the series of the vehicle you own and the year it was manufactured.

The reason why that is so important is that the type of engine you own in your car will determine the supercharger you can install. Superchargers are not universal, and you cannot just go and buy any. Each model of the engine has its own supercharger, which is why it is essential to know the following things:

• Year
• Model
• Engine type
• Engine size

For example, let’s say you own a Ford Mustang GT from 2015. That means that you have the first series of cars from the sixth generation, and the Ford Mustang GT used a 5.0L Coyote V8. You will need to find a 2015 Mustang GT supercharger that can fit the 5.0-liter Coyote V8.

While the name of the engine is the same, models from 2018 and forward use an updated version of Coyote V8, and you won’t be able to use the same supercharger on both 2015 and 2018 models. The older version offers 435 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque, while the newer one has 460 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque.

A similar rule can apply to all Mustangs, which is why you need to know the year, whether it is V6, V8, or some other engine, as well as the series like GT, GT500, Bullitt, and so on.

Supercharging a Mustang

When you have all the necessary information, you can start thinking about superchargers. The first thing you’ll need to decide is what type of superchargers you want to buy. As we mentioned before, you have the option to pick Roots-type, twin-screw, centrifugal, or turbo. Each of these models offers different improvements, and it is up to you to find the model that suits you best.

Furthermore, both Roots-type and twin-screw come in different forms. If you like what Roots-type has to offer, you can go for a model designed by Roush Performance, Eaton, and other models, while the most popular twin-screw supercharger is Whipple.

Whipple superchargers are made in the U.S. They offer excellent performance, and the only difference between them and other twin-screw models is that Whipple always has three and five lobes on the screws. For other models, the number of lobes may vary.

It is also worth mentioning that Ford sells supercharged Mustangs already, and it would be pointless to add another one. Ford uses either Eaton or Roush superchargers in their vehicles.

Installing a Supercharger

That leads us to the next step — installation. There are two options you have for the installation of the blower:

1. Install it by yourself
2. Take your car to a service centre

While the installation process is not impossibly complex, it does require some hands on experience and mechanical knowledge. Someone who never installed a supercharger might need more time to finish the process, and if you are not comfortable with it, leaving it to professionals might be your best possible option.

You can also buy a supercharger kit that arrives with the necessary parts for the installation, and the only thing you’ll need is appropriate tools. If you do decide to install it by yourself, almost every manufacturer provides an installation guide you can follow, and there are step-by-step instructions on how to install a blower.

Following the guide will show you how to supercharge a Mustang, allow you to finish the process all by yourself, and it will also tell you important details about maintenance. Keep in mind that regular maintenance will be more than enough, and you need to change the oil in the supercharger as often as you change the one in your engine.

The following link below is a typical installation guide that comes with most every supercharger kit that is available on the market. Although this one is from Vortech Superchargers, all the manufacturers have their own guides quite similar to this one. How to supercharge a Mustang installation guide

How Much to Supercharge a Mustang GT

The price of superchargers is different based on the type, size, and increase in power. For some models of Mustang, you might be able to find a cheaper blower. But, if you want quality and high-performance, you will need to pay a bit more.

Naturally, the type of blower you want will play an important part in the price. For example, Whipple superchargers can be a bit more expensive, but they offer excellent performance and incredible quality.

In general, the price of the supercharger will be between $5,000 and $8,000. Of course, the price of a supercharger alone is significantly lower compared to the kit, but we would suggest going for the kit anyway. You can expect to pay similar costs for a 2006 GT Mustang supercharger too.

Finally, if you plan to install the supercharger yourself, you’ll be able to save a couple of bucks. Keep in mind that if you need to pay the professional for the installation, that only increases the overall cost.

Can You Supercharge an EcoBoost Mustang?

EcoBoost is a type of engine developed by Ford, and it first appeared in 2009. The primary idea behind these engines is to deliver the same power and torque while offering better fuel efficiency and fewer greenhouse emissions.

These engines have been used on various models by Ford, and the first Mustang with the EcoBoost engine was a part of the sixth generation of cars. It appeared in 2015, and the version was 2.3L l4. It also marks the return of four-cylinder engines in Mustangs, and EcoBoost Mustangs offer 310 horsepower with 320 lb-ft of torque.

The newer versions of Mustang EcoBoost, made from 2018 till present, had the same amount of hp, but with 350 lb-ft of torque. One of the first things you can notice is that this four-cylinder engine has better performance than the V6.

So, can you supercharge it? The answer is yes and no. The EcoBoost engine in Mustangs is already turbocharged. So, you don’t really need to add a supercharger, since there is one installed already. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t upgrade it. You can replace the existing twin-scroll IWG blower with the bigger one, and you can get more hp by replacing the intercooler, downpipe, fuel injectors, and other parts.

Is the Boss 302 Supercharged?

Boss 302 is a racing version of the Ford Mustang, and it was originally made in 1969 and 1970. The car made a comeback in 2012 and 2013, and these are the only models available. The original engine in the 1969 and 1970 models was a 4.9L V8, and it was a small-block engine. It offered 290 horsepower and 290 lb-ft of torque.

The second generation of Boss 302 offered an upgraded version of Coyote, which had 444 horsepower in 2012. However, it is possible to find models that have Roush R2300 TVS which gives a significant increase in hp helping the car reach an incredible 715 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque.

So, if you own a stock version of the Boss 302 engine, it is possible to upgrade it further. The stock version of Boss 302 from 2012 is not supercharged, and it is an engine with 444 horsepower.

Another common question that is often raised is, is a GT350 supercharged? Find out more here as there a few different versions of the GT350 model.

Which Mustangs Are Supercharged?

Let’s take a look at some of the models that Ford dealers have offered over the years. As we mentioned before, you can find Mustangs with preinstalled superchargers, but they are not as common as you’d think.

Model	Power and engine	Year
Ford Mustang SVO	175 horsepower, 2.3L l4	1984
Shelby GT500	550 horsepower, 5.4L V8	2007–2009
Shelby GT500	662 horsepower, 5.8L V8	2013
Mustang	310 horsepower, 2.3L EcoBoost l4	2015
Shelby GT500	760 horsepower, 5.2L V8	2020

These are just some of the examples of vehicles that came with a supercharger, but there are also models designed for better performance. A perfect example is the Roush Performance series of Mustang, but they are not identical to stock versions of the car. The best course of action would be to check the vehicle you have and ensure that it isn’t a special version of Mustang with a supercharger.

Should I Supercharge My Mustang GT?

Why not! Superchargers are the most efficient way to improve the performance of your vehicle. While upgrading other parts we mentioned before can also do the trick, the increase in hp will not be as significant.

The best thing about superchargers is that a professional will be able to install them in ten or twelve hours, and you can remove them at any point. Installing a supercharger doesn’t require permanent modifications to your vehicle, there is no cutting or welding, and you can always remove it if you feel like it.

But let’s be honest, why would you want to say goodbye to a supercharger?