ZZ383 Vortech Supercharger - Crate Engine Confessional

Dyno days can be a blast, especially when we're pushing the limits of engines simply to see how much power can be gained from various combinations. Albeit, those days aren't always easy; no matter how far ahead you plan you just never really know what to expect. Basic tests, like swapping manifolds and camshafts, tend to go well, but when you're firing up a fresh motor, mounting a supercharger, and trying to further the test with a cam swap, it becomes a lot more complicated-well, usually.

To say that this test went unusually well would be a complete understatement, and because we have to give props where they're due, Vortech Engineering's Bob Endress was the shining star this month. He selflessly took the time out of his busy schedule to set up the entire assembly, and he even camped out in the dyno cell with us during the three-day thrash session. This meant getting the GM Performance Parts ZZ383 ready to rock on the dyno, setting up the GMPP serpentine belt system, tapping the oil return line into the pan, and mocking up the Gen II supercharger kit. Endress will tell you it didn't take long, but it sure helped to facilitate our testing.

To tell you the truth, it was almost unnerving wondering when something was going to go wrong. Instead, from the onset we made power, and then more power, and even more power on top of that. While we'd even go as far as to say that we put together the ultimate crate-engine package, in all reality, we just had perfectly matched components that obviously worked well together. Utilizing a complete a GMPP ZZ383, a GMPP single-plane manifold, a Demon carburetor, and a complete Vortech Engineering Gen II blow-through supercharger system we had a serious powerhouse generating over 600 hp. At one point we were pleased to leave the testing at 692 hp-nah, we couldn't do that. A quick change of the pulleys and everything above that was pure gravy. We obviously won't give away all the sordid details here, so read on for the blow-by-blow results.