To Boost - or not to Boost

I'm biased, I love my turbo. Once you drive a turbo, you won't regret it.

I'd suggest the DDM stage 1, you can adjust the pressure you want by either adjusting the lever on the wastegate or install a boost controller. So, if you want to go mild with 3 or 4psi, it's very possible.

Since you are planning ahead, just watch for one of their sales next year.

I'll even come up and help install it.

I have the Alpha turbo with 9 to 10 psi which is probably as close as you can get without internal mods to allow more boost. IMHO, I love my turbo and if you decide to go with it, I would get as much as I can out of it and get the best bang for your buck. However, in the meantime, if you do not have the Pedal Commander, get it as you might be happy with the way it responds. Good luck.

Obviously, I am going to be biased on my kit. I have driven all of them out there at this point and we do have the most responsive turbo on the market with little to no lag. We can do a setup so you can control boost just like all the other kits out there and have multiple options for controlling boost. If you have 93 octane there, I would go right to our stage 2 9psi kit and we can even set up a high low boost switch or regulate boost in some other way as well.. In the city or cruising, 6psi or less is great. It feels more spirited than ever and still gives plenty of power without sacrificing daily drive ability. 6psi on the highway is great but in my opinion 9 is better for passing at highway speeds. I initially installed a high low boost switch right on my dash so when I was in town I could run 6psi and just by flipping a switch I could go to 9psi. 5th gear is so tall that dropping to 4th for real passing power is a good idea. If you only have 91 octane available to you, 6psi is going to be your max recommended boost. Feel free to reach out at anytime if you have any questions. As far as sales we do a sale every year on the Black Friday weekend and outside of that I can also help a bit being a repeat customer.

Quote from Miller Time

However, in the meantime, if you do not have the Pedal Commander, get it as you might be happy with the way it responds. Good luck.

The pedal commander isn't going to make a difference in highway passing speeds as it does not add any power. You can accomplish everything the pedal commander does just by putting your foot all the way to the floor.

Quote from Doc&Ruby

Sadly, I don't have access to anything more than 91 octane near me... unless there is a reasonable cheap octane booster out there that actually works. Probably wouldn't do that though - too afraid if I had a senior moment and forgot to add it!

The vast majority of the population is more than happy at 6psi. You'll still have gobs more passing power on the highway than you do now.

Quote from Kyle D

The pedal commander isn't going to make a difference in highway passing speeds as it does not add any power. You can accomplish everything the pedal commander does just by putting your foot all the way to the floor.

You are 100% correct that the Pedal commander does not add any power, but it does let you get to the power your motor is capable of faster - - putting my foot to the floor with the pedal commander turned on gets me up to speed much faster than if I do the exact same thing with the Pedal commander turned off. It opens the throttle body faster - and you can mash your foot as hard and as fast as you like and without the pedal commander it will never open as fast

Now just to be clear I am not saying it is a replacement for more power of going boosted - - it isnt, they are two very different things, but your statement makes it sound like you can do what the pedal commander does by simply pushing the pedal harder and faster and that is not correct

Quote from Doc&Ruby

Ok, I'ma start out by saying that this question may be asking for trouble - but I'm going to forge ahead anyhow....

I'm thinking of putting a turbo on Ruby sometime next year when Ruby's factory warranty runs out. This isn't a for sure thing, but I'm thinking strongly about it. It's a lot of $$$ for me, so I wanted to talk to y'all about the pluses and minuses of boosting your ride. I do know that after putting on a better header, less restricted exhaust, and getting an ECU tune (all from Kyle D and ZZP), I'm much happier with the way Ruby performs... but I think I would like a bit more. (I know... famous last words!)

I'm really pretty happy with the performance off the line (85%). I'm really not interested in shredding tires, smoking burnouts, or doing crazy donuts and leaving black patches on the roads around my house. Where I'm most dissatisfied is: 1) passing performance - I'd feel safer with more get up and go when passing, 2) acceleration in 3rd, 4th, and 5th gear when traveling at 2000 - 3500 rpm, 3) Acceleration and power when already at highway speeds (60-80 mph). This last is a real concern. There are times on the highways when I see someone acting stupidly, or maybe they just don't see me, and I need enough power to get out of a bad situation. Yeah, I know, it may be better to slow down and let 'em go by, and that is usually my go to response, I tend to be a relatively defensive driver (No snickering - I haven't had an accident if over 40 years!)

I have a pretty good idea what turbo vehicles are, I've had a Subaru Legacy GT Spec B, a Dodge Stealth R/T twin turbo, Dodge Spirit Turbo, etc. Did fine with all of them. Never burnt out a clutch or a turbo (except the Subaru, which had other lemony problems). This said, I've never had a turbo vehicle which wasn't factory, or where I would be responsible for as much of the upkeep and regular maintenance as I will be with Ruby.

So be frank with me - what are your thoughts, your cautionary tales, your regrets (if any!) Help convince me either to take the giant Turbo bungee jump or to back away from the ledge!

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There are a couple options for you going forward. From reading the post it sounds like most of the time you are completely happy with your Slingshot and the upgrades you already have. That being said, you want some more power for those short bursts, which is a common request. Can you tell us how you are driving your Slingshot when you want the most power from it, what RPM are you shifting at? I only ask, as we get a lot of people that want more power, but they sometimes are not taking advantage of what they already have. A lot of these customers seem to be worried about running the engine out to redline when shifting or downshifting a couple gears on the highway to get the gearing and torque advantage, just want to make sure you are getting the most out of what you have now.

If you are using everything you have now, and boost is the next step for you, then the turbo kits out there are going to be the best bang for your buck. The supercharger kit we offer is the only setup that can offer zero lag and linear power, but it is much more expensive and for just a little boost in power around 6psi, the turbo kits make sense.

Since you have already been working with ZZP for your other mods, most likely you will return to them for the turbo kit and although it may seem their turbo kit is very similar to ours, there are some differences. To ease installation, our turbo kits have the option of a completely replaceable oil pan that is already setup for the oil drain line, no drilling tapping, worrying about shavings, etc. Our oil drain is also routed to the front of the engine, where it can drain easier above the level of the oil like every OEM application. We also offer the only oil pan gasket available for the Ecotec with our kit, instead of having to rely on just RTV to seal the pan, making for an easier installation. We also offer almost any powdercoat color option for the charge tubes to match any theme you may have. We also have tech support available at night and weekends incase you have any questions during or after the install. Our kit has higher quality braided stainless steel lines for all of the water and oil lines. The tune on our Stage 1 kit is done with software that allows the most specific customization for boost than any other kit out there.

Hopefully that helps a little bit, and maybe we can help make some suggestions that will allow you to get some more out of what you already have.

Dave

Doc&Ruby , I am planning on going boosted also. I plan on going up within the next couple of weeks and talk with Dave@DDMWorks about which boost application suits my driving the best, turbo or supercharger. I too am just looking for something that will give me good drive ability around town and extra power when I want it Hope to get the setup installed in February 2020 if it fits into Dave’s schedule. I am lucky that I live about 30 minutes from Dave@DDMWorks and can get some expert advice on my decision. Maybe the experts on this forum can help with your decision. Once I talk with Dave, I will let you know which boosted application I decided on. Good luck with your decision, I know from reading about the differences of each boosted application that the choice can be a little difficult.

I have to admit that I am guilty of not using the power band of the Slingshot as well as I should / could - I guess I am a bit gun shy as they say about running up near redline. I can guarantee there are times when I should down shift when I don't

Thanks for pointing this out - I am sure I am not the only one

Well Doc&Ruby , you know my opinion, I love my supercharger. You also have to add in the cost of getting someone to change the oil pan or drill it if you want to use a turbo. If I go through all the trouble of lifting an engine for that work, it gets a new engine and clutch at the same time.

Go Boosted or go slow!

Personally I would love to go supercharged, but it won't happen until after 2022 when my extended warranty is up

The only question after getting boosted is...how much more boost can I run...

I am a turbo guy at heart, there is so much fun in driving the boosted sling over stock. I will warn you that you will always want more. Lol. If you can do the 9psi over the 6psi I would highly recommend it. I like the idea of the switch to change boost.
Dave or Kyle can get you on the right path as they can do this blind folded.

1) I think both systems require oil lines adapted to your pan. So a self install should think of this, as you don’t want a drippy pan.
2) Good gauges to keep an eye on A/F
3) Turbos have a mated exhaust.

With all that said the SC is an easy install and relatively less to worry about. They are also very fast and a consistent pull. I would drive either one. If you can turn wrenches the turbo may be ok. If you just want drive it, I would look hard at SC.
Drive them both and listen close to Dave and Kyle, they won’t steer you wrong.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

One other thing to ask about is your current ZZP muffler - - if I am not mistaken it is the exact same unit that they use with their turbo setup so they might be willing to give you a slightly lower price since you already have this part of the system

It's worth asking I think

I used everything my Sling I had, and it was the regular thing to do. Rev limiter bounced many, many times, usually a few times each tankful. I sold that one about a month ago, 49k on it and used no oil, no noises, and the oil was relatively clean at 3500 miles (Mobil 1) give or take. I had Bob's tune, CAI, Header, CAT delete.... but I really wanted more.

The boost Gods smiled on me. I bought Brody's SS ( bjk81 ) with the DDMWorks Big Kahuna package. Sold my original one, but took many mods and switched them first. I can tell you two things.... 1st and 2nd are a no go if pressing it hard above 2500 ish RPM. But 3rd.... (yes, I've have it break loose under hard acceleration at 75 on a hot day) is more controllable. To be honest, it likely will be more of a challenge in the twisties, but every time I nudge it in the first 3 gears I grin like a 13 year old on his first ride at the local amusement park....

Expensive... yes. Worth it? Let's just say that I'll keep this one and fix anything that breaks..... it has more than I need, but all that I want.....