Magnum supercharger

connor grimes

connor grimes

TJ Enthusiast
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Hey guys so I had the opportunity to buy a magnum power supercharger kit off a guy who bought it and decided to go a different direction via a V-8 swap it has everything I need including a Mishi Moto radiator I’m curious as I’ve been following threads for a long time on this forum regarding superchargers I know that the magnum is the best kit as recommended by Chris and others on this forum however recently Kris has said if he could do it all over again he would go with a turbo I’m just wondering what the latest consensus is and if it’s worth going ahead and buying this supercharger kit for my TJ any opinions would be greatly appreciated thank you Also I apologize for the run-on sentences as I’m using voice text to make this post while driving
 
Yes, I would have gone with a turbo. Turbos are more efficient and as I always tell people, while the Magnum Powers unit is very nice (and Charles is a great guy) it's probably the furthest thing from a bolt-on kit imaginable.

Building a turbo kit for a TJ wouldn't be hard.
 
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connor grimes said:
What if it could be had for $3500?
Click to expand...

Go for it! If you want to put the work into getting it running right, there's nothing wrong with that.

I've just come to realize that while it's a nice supercharger, it's a lot of work to get that thing dialed in and setup the way it ought to be.
 
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Chris said:
Go for it! If you want to put the work into getting it running right, there's nothing wrong with that.

I've just come to realize that while it's a nice supercharger, it's a lot of work to get that thing dialed in and setup the way it ought to be.
Click to expand...

And the designer of the turbo kit is a member here.
 
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Chris said:
Yes, I would have gone with a turbo.

Building a turbo kit for a TJ wouldn't be hard.
Click to expand...

Just sparking some curiosity...
Coming from the turbo/fast-car scene myself.

I'm wondering how reliable a turbo system would actually handle on a mild-offroad scenario, or if anyone ACTUALLY wheels regularly on a reliable turbo setup.

Turbo systems are extremely finnicky & fragile in terms of being bashed around, despite what many people like to advertise.
It's not as solid of a system as a Supercharger. There's a lot of brackets, piping, fittings, etc. All of which are subjective to fail due to harsh driving scenario's (ie. offroading, bouncing around, shaking, jolting, etc)
There are a lot of parts that need to be planned properly to not only operate in conjunction with each other, but to do so reliably.

In stock applications, turbo systems are generally pretty good, but I have yet to see a truly 'reliable' aftermarket turbo system, on any vehicle.
There's a LOT of money that goes into chasing a reliable aftermarket system, especially on an engine that wasn't specifically designed for it.
(and majority of those claiming they have one also see more garage time than drive time)

Despite those opinions, there's also a few facts to take into account for the Turbo vs Supercharger debate.
Turbo's require higher consistent RPM's to maintain boost/manifold pressure.
There's not much power to be made below a certain RPM threshold, which doesn't line up well with off-road wheeling
(most of which is operating at a consistent low-ish RPM).
The cold truth is, Turbo systems SUCK unless you're pushing the RPM's required to build boost.
Obviously this can be negated by utilizing a smaller turbo housing, which would require lower exhaust pressure to operate efficiently, but then you're pushing back into the boat of spending $4-6k and still 'not making enough power'.

For rock bouncers, pegging off of red-line, I can see it working somewhat well.
For the general off-roader/crawler, the benefits of a turbo system seem nill to me, in comparison to the low-mid range power/reliability you can pull from a supercharger.

I feel as though a supercharger would possibly offer a bit less power, but do so more consistently.
Whereas a turbocharger would sound cool on paper, and might even dyno well, but rarely would you reap the benefits off-road, unless you're playing in that 3k rpm range.

Lastly, while i'm blabbering, I overall feel an engine swap in general would be more cost-worthy than either of the two options for a TJ, unless you fully build the 4.0. Even then, the 4.0 is not an efficient engine in terms of power output.

Feel free to correct me if i'm wrong or looking at this sideways.
Would love to see some opinions/facts surrounding the topic.
 
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zachpeakee said:
Just sparking some curiosity...
Coming from the turbo/fast-car scene myself.

I'm wondering how reliable a turbo system would actually handle on a mild-offroad scenario, or if anyone ACTUALLY wheels regularly on a reliable turbo setup.

Turbo systems are extremely finnicky & fragile in terms of being bashed around, despite what many people like to advertise.
It's not as solid of a system as a Supercharger. There's a lot of brackets, piping, fittings, etc. All of which are subjective to fail due to harsh driving scenario's (ie. offroading, bouncing around, shaking, jolting, etc)
There are a lot of parts that need to be planned properly to not only operate in conjunction with each other, but to do so reliably.

In stock applications, turbo systems are generally pretty good, but I have yet to see a truly 'reliable' aftermarket turbo system, on any vehicle.
There's a LOT of money that goes into chasing a reliable aftermarket system, especially on an engine that wasn't specifically designed for it.
(and majority of those claiming they have one also see more garage time than drive time)

Despite those opinions, there's also a few facts to take into account for the Turbo vs Supercharger debate.
Turbo's require higher consistent RPM's to maintain boost/manifold pressure.
There's not much power to be made below a certain RPM threshold, which doesn't line up well with off-road wheeling
(most of which is operating at a consistent low-ish RPM).
The cold truth is, Turbo systems SUCK unless you're pushing the RPM's required to build boost.
Obviously this can be negated by utilizing a smaller turbo housing, which would require lower exhaust pressure to operate efficiently, but then you're pushing back into the boat of spending $4-6k and still 'not making enough power'.

For rock bouncers, pegging off of red-line, I can see it working somewhat well.
For the general off-roader/crawler, the benefits of a turbo system seem nill to me, in comparison to the low-mid range power/reliability you can pull from a supercharger.

I feel as though a supercharger would possibly offer a bit less power, but do so more consistently.
Whereas a turbocharger would sound cool on paper, and might even dyno well, but rarely would you reap the benefits off-road, unless you're playing in that 3k rpm range.

Lastly, while i'm blabbering, I overall feel an engine swap in general would be more cost-prohibitive than either of the two options for a TJ, unless you fully build the 4.0. Even then, the 4.0 is not an efficient engine in terms of power output.

Feel free to correct me if i'm wrong or looking at this sideways.
Would love to see some opinions/facts surrounding the topic.
Click to expand...

Yep, your concerns are my concerns as well. Down here in Arizona I don’t do forced induction if I can avoid it. I would rather have a naturally aspirated engine with a lot of torque.
 
zachpeakee said:
Just sparking some curiosity...
Coming from the turbo/fast-car scene myself.

I'm wondering how reliable a turbo system would actually handle on a mild-offroad scenario, or if anyone ACTUALLY wheels regularly on a reliable turbo setup.

Turbo systems are extremely finnicky & fragile in terms of being bashed around, despite what many people like to advertise.
It's not as solid of a system as a Supercharger. There's a lot of brackets, piping, fittings, etc. All of which are subjective to fail due to harsh driving scenario's (ie. offroading, bouncing around, shaking, jolting, etc)
There are a lot of parts that need to be planned properly to not only operate in conjunction with each other, but to do so reliably.

In stock applications, turbo systems are generally pretty good, but I have yet to see a truly 'reliable' aftermarket turbo system, on any vehicle.
There's a LOT of money that goes into chasing a reliable aftermarket system, especially on an engine that wasn't specifically designed for it.
(and majority of those claiming they have one also see more garage time than drive time)

Despite those opinions, there's also a few facts to take into account for the Turbo vs Supercharger debate.
Turbo's require higher consistent RPM's to maintain boost/manifold pressure.
There's not much power to be made below a certain RPM threshold, which doesn't line up well with off-road wheeling
(most of which is operating at a consistent low-ish RPM).
The cold truth is, Turbo systems SUCK unless you're pushing the RPM's required to build boost.
Obviously this can be negated by utilizing a smaller turbo housing, which would require lower exhaust pressure to operate efficiently, but then you're pushing back into the boat of spending $4-6k and still 'not making enough power'.

For rock bouncers, pegging off of red-line, I can see it working somewhat well.
For the general off-roader/crawler, the benefits of a turbo system seem nill to me, in comparison to the low-mid range power/reliability you can pull from a supercharger.

I feel as though a supercharger would possibly offer a bit less power, but do so more consistently.
Whereas a turbocharger would sound cool on paper, and might even dyno well, but rarely would you reap the benefits off-road, unless you're playing in that 3k rpm range.

Lastly, while i'm blabbering, I overall feel an engine swap in general would be more cost-worthy than either of the two options for a TJ, unless you fully build the 4.0. Even then, the 4.0 is not an efficient engine in terms of power output.

Feel free to correct me if i'm wrong or looking at this sideways.
Would love to see some opinions/facts surrounding the topic.
Click to expand...

I disagree with most of that. I'll type out a long winded reply most people won't finish reading later tonight over a beer or two 😆
 
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SkylinesSuck said:
I disagree with most of that. I'll type out a long winded reply most people won't finish reading later tonight over a beer or two 😆
Click to expand...

Sure thing!
I'm curious as to what you disagree with.
I tried my best to NOT include my own bias.
(I personally prefer turbo systems over Superchargers, although I bashed turbo systems in my message)

However, I wouldn't personally consider EITHER for a factory TJ engine.
On the wild-card chance I did choose one, it'd be a Supercharger. (for reasons I listed)
 
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connor grimes said:
assuming I went ahead with the supercharger, how is the reliability of running a supercharger ?
Click to expand...

It's not that simple.
Reliability in my experience is purely relative to your personal application.
Either option can be extremely reliable, while both options could also be extremely problematic.

By nature, in a stock for stock scenario, Superchargers tend to be least problematic.
This is partly due to the system itself, and how it is designed to operate.


IN A VERY GENERALIZED NUTSHELL:
Superchargers are a fairly straightforward application.
Bolted to the intake, driven via belt, and it serves as a forced intake system.

Turbocharged systems are connected to both the exhaust AND intake systems.
Exhaust goes into Turbo, Turbo creates pressure & sends exhaust to Intercooler, then to intake.
(a lot more parts/pieces that transfer pressurized air / more chances of a leak or malfunction)

Neither of these comparisons are including the amount of supporting mods it takes to "make more power".
Injectors, tuning, etc.

Long story short..
Supercharger would give you constant reliable power throughout the powerband.
(It's belt driven, so the power is a constant percentage of engine output at every RPM range)

Turbocharger would give you potentially MORE power, but only after a certain RPM threshold.
(you have to provide adequate exhaust gas to spin a turbo to create more pressure / ie. "turbo lag")

I would argue strongly that NEITHER option is "reliable" out the box.
There's going to be issues and hiccups with both options.

But then again, you might get lucky, install one and never have a single issue.
It all comes down to how big of a plate you want, and how much do you feel like eating.
 
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zachpeakee said:
It's not that simple.
Reliability in my experience is purely relative to your personal application.
Either option can be extremely reliable, while both options could also be extremely problematic.

By nature, in a stock for stock scenario, Superchargers tend to be least problematic.
This is partly due to the system itself, and how it is designed to operate.


IN A VERY GENERALIZED NUTSHELL:
Superchargers are a fairly straightforward application.
Bolted to the intake, driven via belt, and it serves as a forced intake system.

Turbocharged systems are connected to both the exhaust AND intake systems.
Exhaust goes into Turbo, Turbo creates pressure & sends exhaust to Intercooler, then to intake.
(a lot more parts/pieces that transfer pressurized air / more chances of a leak or malfunction)

Neither of these comparisons are including the amount of supporting mods it takes to "make more power".
Injectors, tuning, etc.

Long story short..
Supercharger would give you constant reliable power throughout the powerband.
(It's belt driven, so the power is a constant percentage of engine output at every RPM range)

Turbocharger would give you potentially MORE power, but only after a certain RPM threshold.
(you have to provide adequate exhaust gas to spin a turbo to create more pressure / ie. "turbo lag")

I would argue strongly that NEITHER option is "reliable" out the box.
There's going to be issues and hiccups with both options.

But then again, you might get lucky, install one and never have a single issue.
It all comes down to how big of a plate you want, and how much do you feel like eating.
Click to expand...

Well said.
I was part of the Ford SVT world for many years and owned many Supercharged vehicles. All roots type from Roush to Magneson.
Loved the instant power of them, but still very much respected the abilities of a turbo charged vehicle.
Chased all the Fun Ford Weekend events all over the Eastern U.S. until they ended.
Personally I can’t see the value in a FAI TJ, or any other Jeep vehicle.
 
zachpeakee said:
Just sparking some curiosity...
Coming from the turbo/fast-car scene myself.

I'm wondering how reliable a turbo system would actually handle on a mild-offroad scenario, or if anyone ACTUALLY wheels regularly on a reliable turbo setup.

Turbo systems are extremely finnicky & fragile in terms of being bashed around, despite what many people like to advertise.
It's not as solid of a system as a Supercharger. There's a lot of brackets, piping, fittings, etc. All of which are subjective to fail due to harsh driving scenario's (ie. offroading, bouncing around, shaking, jolting, etc)
There are a lot of parts that need to be planned properly to not only operate in conjunction with each other, but to do so reliably.

In stock applications, turbo systems are generally pretty good, but I have yet to see a truly 'reliable' aftermarket turbo system, on any vehicle.
There's a LOT of money that goes into chasing a reliable aftermarket system, especially on an engine that wasn't specifically designed for it.
(and majority of those claiming they have one also see more garage time than drive time)

Despite those opinions, there's also a few facts to take into account for the Turbo vs Supercharger debate.
Turbo's require higher consistent RPM's to maintain boost/manifold pressure.
There's not much power to be made below a certain RPM threshold, which doesn't line up well with off-road wheeling
(most of which is operating at a consistent low-ish RPM).
The cold truth is, Turbo systems SUCK unless you're pushing the RPM's required to build boost.
Obviously this can be negated by utilizing a smaller turbo housing, which would require lower exhaust pressure to operate efficiently, but then you're pushing back into the boat of spending $4-6k and still 'not making enough power'.

For rock bouncers, pegging off of red-line, I can see it working somewhat well.
For the general off-roader/crawler, the benefits of a turbo system seem nill to me, in comparison to the low-mid range power/reliability you can pull from a supercharger.

I feel as though a supercharger would possibly offer a bit less power, but do so more consistently.
Whereas a turbocharger would sound cool on paper, and might even dyno well, but rarely would you reap the benefits off-road, unless you're playing in that 3k rpm range.

Lastly, while i'm blabbering, I overall feel an engine swap in general would be more cost-worthy than either of the two options for a TJ, unless you fully build the 4.0. Even then, the 4.0 is not an efficient engine in terms of power output.

Feel free to correct me if i'm wrong or looking at this sideways.
Would love to see some opinions/facts surrounding the topic.
Click to expand...

I wheel mine quite a bit, although "wheel" as a general term is highly subjective. I don't run too many buggy lines or 5 diamond trails, but my skid plates are well broken in. I haven't had a problem yet relating to the turbo system. Once everything is bolted up it's pretty solid and moves with the engine as a unit isolated from the suspension or frame. I also drive it on the street a fair amount as well and have had very few issues.

Superchargers have brackets and pipes as well; they also have a belt that pulls the blower assembly towards the crank putting a lot of stress on those brackets. Not to mention the belts. Anyone who has ever had a turned-up blower can tell you the belt number off the top of their head.

Then there are the crank problems. I have fixed several blower engines that have spun the damper on the crank. There is a lot of twisting force that the crank snout and damper pulley that they were never designed to handle. If you put enough load on that crank pulley it will roll right through that keyway and spin on the snout. The fix for that is a new crankshaft plus labor. I have a Viper in the shop with a Paxton getting that done right now.

The old debate about turbo lag is about 20 years past its prime. Modern turbos can spool almost instantly and are not the old diesel transplants like guys were running in the 80s and 90s. I'll link a video below of my Jeep doing a launch from idle. You can skip to the 55 seconds to see just the launch. My boost gauge is just in front of the shifter. I think you would be hard pressed to get anything to boost much quicker.

I don't know what kind of trail riding or rock crawling requires any more horsepower than the stock 4.0 to be honest. Sand and mud I understand, but I don't use boost when rock crawling.

Engine swaps are cool period, but expensive. Done correctly and fully integrated I think you would spend significantly more than a supercharger or turbo. The swaps my guys have done in the past were all well over 10k.

 
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