Lethal Performance GT500 Blog

Lethal’s GT500- 3.4L Whipple Install Kit Write-Up w/Pics

Well the time has come. Since we received our GT500 we’ve had plans to throw the big 3.4L Whipple on it. However, there were several things we wanted to do in preparation of the blower upgrade which included suspension, driveline and cooling modification. Now that all of that is done it’s time to throw the badboy 3.4L Whipple on and make some power!! Several months before we received our 3.4L our good friend Dustin Whipple from Whipple Superchargers let us know a top secret project he’d been working on. It was a new rotor profile which was more efficient than the last. Dustin was so impressed with how the new rotor profile performed that he told us he had plans of adding that profile to all of their compressor sizes. In this case we’re speaking of the Gen II W210ax 3.4L blower. Dustin told us that the new rotor profile was much more aggressive than the last design and simply flowed more air. Not only did it flow more air but it did so with less RPM’s and lower IAT temps. He noted a 2 PSI increase in boost at the same pulley level as before. As if Whipple’s superchargers weren’t already the most efficient twin screws on the market they just got better.

For the GT500 the 3.4L blower doesn’t fit under the stock hood or strut tower brace without using the 3.4L Install Kit. The blower is just so massive that when fitted on top of the GT500’s 5.4L motor there’s just no room. This installation kit consists of some K-Member spacers, Modified Motor Mounts, Sway Bar Relocation spacers, Lowering springs and all the necessary hardware for a complete install. Once the car has installed the 3.4L install kit the monster 3.4L supercharger fits the stock hood and strut tower brace perfectly.

The concept behind the install kit is to space the K-member from the frame. This helps lower the motor 3/4″. The next part of lowering the motor is the modified motor mounts which help lower the motor an additional 1/2″. As you lower the motor you’ll need to correct the location of the sway bar so that it retains the stock geometry. This is done with an additional set of spacers which are included in the kit. Now that we’ve spaced the K-member and lowered the motor the body height in the front of the vehicle is raised by 3/4″. To correct this and give the car a stock look along with stock driveability we include a special set of lowering springs to bring the car back to the stock ride height. Lastly included in the kit is a set of fuel rail spacers. These are not needed when using the stock injectors but when upgrading to the taller 60lb injectors the rail gets raised as the 60’s are taller than the stock 52’s.

There’s been a lot of confusion and skepticism about the 3.4L install kit and lowering the motor but we’re here to show you all that it’s first off not a difficult installation and most importantly something that doesn’t compromise the stock ride or driveability of the car. Lowering the motor and spacing the K-member is a simple task and when rewarded with the ability to run the biggest and baddest twin screw on the planet!

Here’s the kithttp://www.lethalperformance.com/pages-productinfo/product-16864/wk-34linstall-34l-install-kit-allows-34l-to-fit-under-stock-hood.html

Here’s the blower

http://www.lethalperformance.com/pages-productinfo/product-14080/wk-200215b-whipple-2007-plus-shelby-gt500-w210ax-supercharger-kit-black.html

Although the kit is a relatively easy kit to install we recommend having a professional do the install.

The first step of the installation was to go into the engine bay from above with the intake off of the car in order to remove the plastic pushpins on each side which keep the head of the stock K-member bolts in place. Once they’re removed and the bolts are loosened from the underside of the vehicle they can easily be pushed up and out of the frame. We then raised the car on the lift and supported the engine and transmission using 2 transmission jacks.

Working with one side at a time we were now ready to install the K-member spacers. We first removed the nuts on the front K-member mounting location and loosened the bolts on the rear K-member mount. We slowly lowered the transmission jacks which then gave us just enough room to slide the spacers in between the frame and the front K-member mount. If after lowering the jacks you still don’t have enough room to slide the spacers in you can loosen the nuts from the other side of the k-member just enough to where you have enough room to slide the spacers in on the opposite side. Just make sure to not fully remove the bolts or nuts from the opposite side of the K-member that you’re working with.

Here’s where we removed the stock K-member bolts

Then we used the long bolt and washer supplied with the kit and dropped it through the frame, spacer and K-member from the top. Using the supplied washer, locking washer and nut we then tightened up the nut on the bolt. Do not fully tighten the nut until you’ve finished placing the spacers on the front and rear K-member mounts as tightening them before installing the rear K-member spacers will not give you the ability to adjust the K-member if needed.

Here’s the front K-member mounting position with the spacers

Now for the rear K-member spacer we made sure there was enough space to slide the spacer in. Using the supplied 2.5″ bolts we bolted them through the rear mount of the K-member and spacer to the frame.

Here’s a picture of the rear K-member mount with the spacers

Once we were done with 1 side we moved to the other and did the same exact thing making sure that the engine and transmission were still supported with the transmission jack supports.

There’s a few other things that are part of the 3.4L Install kit which we didn’t have to due since we removed our front Sway bar as well as we’re running the BMR KM011 lowered K-Member. If you are still running the stock K-Member you’ll need to install both the Lowered Motor Mounts and Sway Bar Bracket Relocation Spacers.

Here’s a picture of where to install the spacers on the front sway bar mounting bracket.

Here’s where we space the bracket for the Sway Bar Support

Our review of the Whipple 3.4L Installation kit is a very positive one. The kit we use has everything we needed for a complete install. Everything went on the car just how it was supposed to and the kit did exactly what we wanted it to do. With the 3.4L Whipple now installed there’s still plenty of clearance for the stock hood and the stock strut tower brace. I’ve personally logged several hundred miles on our car with the new setup and the car ride great. There’s no difference that I can notice on how the car handles or how it feels. As I drove through the country roads on the way to the NMRA season opener in Bradenton, FL the 3 hour drive was a blast. Again the car drove great through all of the windy roads and after the long haul we took the car to it’s fastest times ever running a 10.65@132.xx MPH. On the street and the track the 3.4L Whipple installation kit was like it wasn’t even there. This is why we’re 100% confident in selling these kits to our customers. Not only can you now run the sickest twin screw blower for the GT500 but you can do it all under the stock hood and strut tower brace.

The other part of the installation which we did not cover here is the front lowering springs. Our 3.4L Installation kit comes with the proper springs to bring your car back to the stock ride height. For our car we had already installed the BMR front and rear lowering springs. What worked out good for us is that BMR doesn’t make a GT500 specific set of springs. However the rear BMR lowering springs work out great on the GT500. Lowering the car and giving it an aggressive stance. The front BMR springs however are made for the GT which has a much lighter front end then the GT500 so the spring rate used on the front springs is less than it would be for a GT500. With that said the BMR springs lowered the car quite a bit. More than what was needed to give it a sleek look. We looked at the front end of our car with the BMR springs and realized that after adding the 3/4″ spacer kit that the BMR front spring height would be perfect. Once the install kit was done and the car was pulled out of the garage we were very happy as what we though was going to happen did. The BMR springs were perfect in the front. Below is a picture of our car as it sits today with the Whipple installed using the BMR front and rear lowering springs.

Whipple Installed

If you have any questions pertaining the 3.4L Whipple Install kit or the all new Gen II 3.4L GT500 Whipple Supercharger please feel free to give us a call.

Big thanks goes out to Dyno Joe from Dyno Joe Performance for participating in our build and sending us the installation kit for our car. We appreciate the support Joe!

Here’s how the car sits now