RHINO Supercharger FAQ

(Frequently Asked Questions)

1. Q - Are Superchargers and Turbochargers equal in efficiency? 
   A.- Yes, for all practical applications. Old fashion centrifugal superchargers suffer efficiency loss due to their large size and inefficient design. When a CVT clutch is used (like the Rhino), efficiency is actually higher on the supercharger than the turbo. This was studied in depth and well documenter by Audi.
   

2. Q - Does a Supercharger Have Lag?
   A - NO! None what so ever. Turbos have Lag, because it takes time for the exhaust to spool up the turbo. A Supercharge, being driven directly by the Motor, has Zero lag time. In fact, a Supercharger has anti-lag. It is many times MORE responsive than any normally aspirated vehicle. When you are asked to think of the most powerful internal combustion engine you can, a Top Fuel Dragster should pop into your mind. They produce over 8000HP. They also run blowers...all of them. This instantaneous response can be a significant advantage for someone that is on and off the throttle.
   

3. Q - Do I have to hack holes in my rhino to install a MPI blower?
   A - NO! There are no holes added with the exception of 3/16" rivet holes and 1/4" mounting holes. Everything mounts in stock holes. The fuel tank is moved and the side panel is modified for the filler neck.
   

4. Q - Can a novice install this kit?
   A - Yes! Although this is a fairly complex product, installation is a snap. If you can install a set of pipes, you can install our blower kit. Typical FIRST TIME install times are about 8 to 10 hours and experienced installers run around 4 to 6 hours. These time estimates to not allow for any clutching modifications, but are typically 1/2 to 1 hour. Everything happens without removing or taking apart the motor. You DO NOT even have to remove the exhaust or drain any fluids.
   

5. Q - Will I have problems jetting and clutching this kit? 
   A - NO! Since the boost is instantaneous, there is nothing funny going on with the fuel. We simply add a metered increase in fuel delivery as a direct relation to the boost. There is actually less variation in the air/fuel ratio than a stock rhino.
   

6. Q - What clutching changes do I have to make?
   A - Relax the unit will work with stock clutching. For optimum performance we recommend a new secondary spring and a modified primary clutch sheave. Our setup has been tested from 2500 to 10,000 feet. There are additional products available that will help even more, but with this kind of HP and throttle response clutching gets easier, not harder. Just throw a lot of weight at it. 
   

7. Q - My state has laws against modifying the exhaust system. Will this kit effect the noise level of the vehicle? 
   A - NO! There is absolutely no modification required to the stock exhaust. All advertised performance numbers are through the stock exhaust. On back to back dyno runs with open exhaust and stock exhaust the unit produced exactly the same HP on both runs. Aftermarket exhaust is OK if you want to loose more weight, but be careful, some of the products out there don't work as well as the stock system; you could actually loose some power.
   

8. Q - What kind of durability does the supercharger itself have?
   A - There are almost no failures with these units in there 5 year plus history (over 7500 units). It has been used on motorcycles and larger versions with identical designs are used by OEMs on cars. This unit actually packs a warranty that is not voided with off-road use. Off-road applications have a 1 year plus warranty. The entire kit carries a 1 year manufacturers warranty against defects.
   

9. Q - How can this kit produce more horsepower and be more reliable than turbo kits?
   A - Simple, contrary to popular belief, turbos are NOT free horsepower. If you don't believe this, just take off your turbo's airbox and setup the carbs stock and go ride the vehicle with the turbo still in the exhaust pipe. We have dyno tested this exact scenario for both turbos and blowers. Turbos do not take less power to drive than blowers, some kits required 14 psi to match the HP we made at 10 psi. It is not our intent to bag on turbos, it is just that they are out of date, unreliable for usage on gas engines, melt stuff and have been replaced by superchargers on nearly all US gasoline automobiles.  There is a lot more to a forced air system efficiency than the air compressor itself. Compressor sizing (and turbo sizing) play a big role. On a turbo, exhaust design is key. Just how much you compromise it to fit all this stuff in a vehicle is the measure of the engineering quality.
   

10. Q - Do I have to run Race Fuel?
    A - NO! pump premium at 10 PSI is perfectly acceptable.