GTO Fortification, Part 1

Here's the finished supercharger oil return line and fitting. By lubricating with pressurized engine oil (which is filtered and gets changed regularly) rather than self-contained oil, the supercharger becomes maintenance-free. An added benefit is faster warm-up time and optimized thermal stability for enhanced bearing life.

Larger 42-lb/hr injectors replace the stock injectors (right) to meet the added fuel-volume requirement under boost conditions. The stock fuel rails and wiring harness are retained.

GM's stock power steering pump pulley (PN 92066356) is replaced with a wider Vortech pulley (top) that will run the supercharger. You'll need to buy or rent a pulling tool like the one shown.

Again, you'll need to buy or rent the proper installation tool to mount the pulley drive hub onto the power steering pump. Never use a hammer for this job as it will damage the seals and bearings in the pump.

Before the new pulley is bolted to the drive hub on the power steering pump, the supercharger mounting plate must be installed using the supplied fasteners. The plate is made of 0.5-inch zinc-plated steel for rigidity.

The preassembled Vortech V-2 SQ S-Trim centrifugal supercharger bolts to the mounting plate, and the stock GTO serpentine accessory drivebelt is retained.

Next, the cast-aluminum air inlet duct is installed with silicone coupling sleeves and clamps.

This supplied Gilmer drivebelt connects the supercharger to the dual-row Vortech power steering pump drive pulley. The stock serpentine accessory drive system takes the extra load in stride, as proven on thousands of similar GM Gen-III-style Vortech installations on Firebirds, Corvettes, and trucks.

The tension idler is set to eliminate slack in the drivebelt. A gentle preload is achieved, then the cinch belt is tightened.