Doing it right the first time: The Supercharger

Hi!

Just got my Taco last month, and I've got big plans for it. ('13 DC V6 Off-Road). I've tried to educate myself as well as possible and use the search function to find answers, but I want to make sure I understand some things really well before I spend the money.

First, it's a daily driver. I want it to be faster, look better, sound better, and still handle nicely on the road while boosting its off-road and performance capabilities. I plan on doing some off-roading in the future!

I'm gonna armor the truck, lift it, and put bigger rims and tires, which will all make it heavier. I want to compensate for the extra weight and friction.

So...number one on the list is the supercharger! I'm 95% sold on this, but I want to make sure I do it right. As I understand it, if I just go buy it and have the dealer (gonna have the dealer do it to maintain warranty) install the unit and re-flash the ECU, I'll see some gains, but they won't be as much as they could if I make some additional changes. If I read correctly, the truck's reliability might also be compromised without additional changes. The changes I am intending to make (based purely on what I've read) are:

* TRD Supercharger with Re-Flash
* TRD Exhaust
* URD Stealth 2.85" Pulley (Will the dealer be okay with installing this?)
* URD Fuel Pump
* TTC Performance Oil Catch Can
* Will this affect my ability to get it to pass smog in California?
* Headers would void my warranty and cause Smogging issues right? If No and No, would they give me considerably more HP boost?

I want to make sure the truck runs as long as possible with as little chance as I can get of mechanical failure. How am I looking so far? Any suggestions on things to add, take off, or change? Money's not much of an object, given a few months of overtime shifts, so as long as it's not ridiculously expensive, I can consider it. Any input it welcome, and sorry if my question is awkward or incomplete due to lack of knowledge.

 

Supercharger with reflashed ecu to start. All the other stuff can be added later, and will likely cause issues with Smog and Toyota warranty.

See if the stock supercharged engine is fast enough, I venture it will be.

 

I'm totally ok with just doing the SC and reflash, but I got the impression that if you don't at least upgrade the fuel pump, you can run into some easily avoidable problems. I wanna get at least 150k out of the truck, so I'd like to make sure it all goes together right the first time.

Also, will the cat back exhaust be a smog issue? Obviously it's not a warranty issue, but what about smog?

 

I personally plan to upgrade my fuel pump before adding the SC. Looks like it can be a little bit of a pain to install but fairly low cost insurance and the ability to change fuel filters down the line.

Do you plan on installing some/all of the stuff yourself or will a mechanic be installing it?

 

I don't have a S/C but I know the dealership will NOT install the pulley...it will void its warranty...hence the the name of the pulley. "stealth" so that its not obvious by the dealer if you have warranty work done.

 

I've never done anything more complicated than change a flat tire, oil filter, some spark plugs, etc. I did re-do the brakes on my '86 Toyota Corolla Tercel when I was 17, but I don't even know if I did it right. I had a friend's mom help me! (OUCH!!)

So I'll have a mechanic install the stuff. The dealership will install the S/C so that I maintain the warranty. There's a local guy I plan on using for the rest, but I'm not much of a gambling man. If the "Stealth" pulley is likely to become a warranty issue, I might just skip it. I'd hate to have a problem and then find that I'd shot myself in the foot when they say, "Uh, hey asshole. Nice try, but we found your URD Pulley, so go pound sand."

And if I DO install the pulley, I'll keep the old one and swap it before I take the S/C in for any repairs, just to be sure (is that a viable solution or am I smoking crack?)

 

Toyota won't or shouldn't void any warranty with the pulley unless they can prove it caused the issue. If it has to do anything with the power train Toyota will heavily look at the smaller pulley and most likely blame that anyways lol

To the OP, I've been running quite the mods on the re-flash and with the 2.7 pulley without any issues, you will be fine with the 2.8 pulley. If anything did happen to break with the supercharger while you had the 2.8 it's not the easiest task to swap pulleys back an forth all the time.

 

Dealer will not install pulley. Or they should not. Pulley will void warranty it says so in the warranty paper you get after install. The paper says the following will void warranty.

CAI, Pulley Exhaust Headers, Fuel pressure regulator or bypass system. These are not limited any mod will void warranty. I am waiting for 60k or 5 years to replace pulley. I was going to put the stealth on but lost my nerve. I am going to wait and then throw on the red URD pulley. I have the 2.85 stealth for sale $75 if you want it. Fuel pump kit from URD is a good idea! I bought that as well and will probably put that on before 5 years or 60K.

I am not sure if you can swap pulleys back and forth. I think once you remove it you cant reinstall. Press fit or sum such shit. I am not 100% on this so if you find out let me know. Good Luck and boost on my friend.

 

Well hear is my 2 cents but your probably not going to like it. If you want your truck to last and be problem free I would suggest skipping the supercharger. A supercharger subjects your engine/drivetrain/exhaust/fuel system to pressures and demands that it wasn't intended for. Another thing is its a pickup truck not a sports car. If you want a supercharger you should have bought a Cobra. Its kinda like seeing a hooker with a bible in her hands. It just doesn't mesh.

 

Blm is right about a truck being a truck. But I am still glad I went with the supercharger. Merging is easier. Truck runs better in high altitude. Better hwy milage.

 

I don't agree at all. Build a 600horse monster you better build up everything else, but the stock TRD blower with the upgrades the OP is talking about is very managable and should not have a drastic, if even noticable, effect on the life of the truck.
And yeah...It's a truck, so I want to be able to tow comfortably and merge/avoid other cars in any fashion I deem necessary. If YOU don't want a supercharger, don't get one. But don't try to pass off your opinion as fact.

 

Not to get too off topic, but some people might like seeing that!

Anyway, I agree... OP, you've talked about "doing it right the first time" and one of your requirements is to keep it as dependable as possible. Well, you have to pay to play and the more stuff you add, the more that can/will go wrong and become less dependable....

 

I appreciate the feedback, and I don't mind looking at it from a different perspective. Dependability is super important to me, so considering that when looking at upgrading is wise.

I'll get the suspension upgrade I want, along with front/rear bumpers, rock sliders, and new wheels/tires. Then I'll see if it seems underpowered and go from there. The "cool factor" of having boost really appeals to me, as well as the increased power and speed, but if its going to significantly increase the risk of serious mechanical problems, I might have to reconsider.

 

The Toyota supercharger kit is designed to be both productive in power, and safe for the engine and it's support components. While the overall power output of the supercharger is not excessive, it was designed to be safe for the engine and related components and relatively inexpensive to purchase. If the supercharger is installed by a dealer, your warranty is still good and will not be voided by having this device on your Tacoma. It was designed to be driven, but not raced. I would say that if someone could drive both a Supercharged Taco and a similar regular Taco and drive them both the same way, the amount of engine wear would not be excessive. Toyota would not install a device that would wear out the motor prematurely if driven normally and not modified.
If you wish to know about Supercharging, and can read a book By Corky Bell of BEGI , called: Supercharged ! Design, testing and installation of Supercharger Systems. This book is a Primer on how to design a system for any motor, with all the calculation and math in the book along with personal information about the different types of supercharger systems on the market. You may want to read that book and decide if you want to go beyond the basic and safe Toyota system to extract more power from your Tacoma. You may find that the attempt to extract more power will require more money and more components to be replaced to make your above average supercharger work.
I know you do not plan to go this far, but it is a slippery slope of wanting more as you will see when you start to do your lift and additions of new parts on other areas of your truck. Good Luck.

 

I don't think I'll need any MORE power than just the S/C. The only accompanying parts I'd want to include with it would be to make it more reliable and safe for my truck, not vice versa.

It sounds like the S/C might still be a viable option then. Good. I was pretty excited about it and didn't like the idea of giving up on that mod.

 

What's with the name calling? You Inbred, Fudge Packing, Moron. You have your opinion and I have mine. Mine is based on simple physics. Increased pressure creates increased heat which creates increased wear. Can't really say what the increased wear would be with this unit but I would be willing to bet the demand on mechanicals is increased.

 

Yes there is a factory warranty but that only lasts 5yr/60k miles. After that the added stress on the engine will definitely have a factor to how long the engine will last. So it will definitely affect the durability in the long run. It may be the difference between the engine lasting 200k vs 250k but its still there.

 

Nothing lasts forever. Enjoy the momement. Boost on.

 

There's no smog issues on Kodiak Is. No emissions testing or vehicle inspections. However, if you chose to remove all the items for smog, ensure you keep them and they can be put back on when you transfer out.