|
In early 2000, as ATI's engineers
were working to bring the new self-contained portrayer models into
production, there was excitement in the air. In addition to making
these patented new superchargers available in the automotive and
marine markets that ATI was already serving, there was a clear opportunity
to help customers in new markets. In particular, it was very apparent
that performance products for the truck and SUV aftermarket had
not changed much in recent years, and that these customers were
not benefitting from the latest advancements in technology.
In other markets, intercooling had become the standard for supercharging
by late 1999, with the top 3 marine supercharger manufacturers and
top 2 aftermarket automotive manufacturers either offering or planning
to offer complete intercooled systems. Yet not a single manufacturer
at that time was offering intercooled supercharger systems for trucks
and SUV's. This situation was actually very similar to the automotive
market in 1994 and marine market in 1996, when ATI was the first
to introduce complete intercooled systems for customers in both
of these markets.
Not surprisingly, competitors followed ATI's lead 2-3 years later
in both of these markets, and intercooling is now the standard,
with customers benefitting greatly from this innovation. The introduction
of ATI's new truck and SUV systems was timed to begin with the debut
of the new P-1SC ProCharger in April of 2000. With self-contained
oiling, quiet operation and a 4.10 step-up ratio, ProCharger engineers
were confident that the P-1SC was the best supercharger available.
Combined with the tremendous benefits of integrated air-to-air intercooling,
these engineers were also confident that they would substantially
raise the bar for reliable truck/SUV performance.
 |
The rest, of course, is history,
with systems now available for Ford, GM and Dodge trucks and SUV's.
Customers are now routinely recording power gains of 65-70% with
Intercooled ProCharger systems running pump gas, and are also benefitting
from the only 3 year warranty available with a self-contained supercharger.
There is also even more power available for some applications, if
so desired. The benefits of intercooling for additional power are
fairly clear. Cool air produces a more dense air/fuel charge and
allows more ignition timing, which together produce more power per
pound of boost. Intercooling also reliably allows more total boost,
and helps to flatten the boost curve, which together produce more
average boost and power, as well as more total power.
Equally important, however, is the fact that intercooling also substantially
improves reliability by reducing exposure to detonation. Truck and
SUV towing applications are actually very similar to marine applications,
in that they both involve continuous duty usage which can generate
high exhaust gas temperatures and threaten engine longevity. Thanks
to the superiority of Intercooled ProCharger technology, ATI has
conservatively tuned its truck/SUV boost and power levels for reliable
operation even in extreme towing applications, just as ATI conservatively
tunes its marine applications to accommodate customers who drive
at wide-open throttle for extended periods.
This means that for some sport truck or all-out racing applications,
it is safe to turn up the boost even further for even higher power
gains, and this is illustrated well by the relatively higher boost
levels that are seen in Intercooled ProCharger systems for automotive
applications. Turning up the boost and power does require additional
fuel delivery, however, and some applications may require fuel system
upgrades to safely do so. For most customers, however, this new
technology simply means that you can have the best of both worlds:
industry-leading power gains, with a conservative tune and industry-leading
engine longevity.
|
