Power Play: A Big Block and a Big Blower Deliver 1,197 Horsepower

Richard Holdener, January 3, 2018

This is the third installment of the Mad Adder series. The previous two rounds subjected a 540-inch big-block crate engine from BluePrint Engines (BPE) to nitrous and a roots-style supercharger. Both confirmed the platform's durability under forced induction. With a 250hp nitrous shot, the 540 produced 937 hp and 891 lb-ft of torque. With a 6-71 supercharger kit from Speedmaster and The Blower Shop, it made 939 hp and 866 lb-ft at 11.1 psi.

The BPE 540 was built for this. It features a heavy-duty four-bolt block, 4340 forged steel crank, forged H-beam rods, and forged aluminium pistons. A set of as-cast aluminium BBC rectangular-port heads with 119cc combustion chambers produces a boost-ready 8.5:1 compression ratio. The cam is a solid roller - 0.652-inch lift, 255/262-degree duration split, 114-degree LSA.

For this round, the power adder is a ProCharger F-1A-94 centrifugal supercharger - the largest 9-inch unit in their lineup.

The EFI Conversion

Rather than running a blow-through carburettor, the decision was made to convert to EFI. The Speedmaster blower intake was replaced with an Edelbrock 454-R configured with injector bungs, 120-pound Holley injectors, a 105mm Wilson Manifolds throttle body, and a billet CNC inlet elbow. The aluminium discharge tube routed from the supercharger through ProCharger's supplied air-to-water intercooler and into the throttle body.

Installation and Results

The ProCharger kit installed cleanly. The only setup required was clocking the discharge to align with the intercooler tubing. The air-to-water intercooler dropped inlet air temperatures by over 100 degrees using dyno water. The F-1A-94 is self-contained - no drilling or tapping the oil pan.

The kit was supplied with a 7.65-inch serpentine crank pulley and a dedicated 8-rib belt. Optional configurations include 12-rib serpentine or cog belt drives, with V-belt or serpentine accessory drive options. ProCharger supplied multiple blower pulleys; a 4.25-inch 12-rib combination was used for testing.

At a peak of 11.8 psi - well below the unit's 30+ psi capability - the supercharged BPE 540 produced 1,197 hp and 953 lb-ft of torque, revving to 7,000 rpm on race fuel. Tuning was handled by a Holley HP management system. Additional power was available with smaller blower pulleys, but the objective - exceeding 1,000 hp - was met decisively.

1. The BPE 540 crate engine in long-block form - heavy-duty block, forged internals, BPE aluminium heads, roller cam, and a comprehensive warranty.

2. The Edelbrock 454-R intake, converted for EFI use. Edelbrock offers several intakes designed for this application.

3. The intake configured for eight injectors - 120-pound units from Holley ensure adequate fuel delivery under boost.

4. Wilson Manifolds supplied the 105mm throttle body for the ProCharger test.

5. The two-piece CNC inlet elbow from Wilson Manifolds - precision-machined and built for blow-through applications.

6. A Kenne Bell Boost-A-Pump supplemented the dyno fuel pump at 17 volts to meet the fuel demands of the blown big block.

7. In naturally aspirated trim, the low-compression 540 produced 646 hp at 6,100 rpm and 627 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm.

8. ProCharger installation required removing the stud girdle and fitting a shorter valve cover to clear the supercharger. Alternate bracket options are available.

9. The ProCharger F-1A-94 - compact, efficient, and straightforward to plumb compared to turbo setups.

10. Speedmaster fabricated a custom valve cover to fit over the rockers and under the F-1A-94 - illustrating the tight clearance between the supercharger and the valve train.

11. The F-1A-94's impeller design supports over 1,200 hp in a compact package. ProCharger offers units sized for a wide range of power targets.

12. The 7.65-inch, 12-rib crank pulley provides sufficient impeller speed even with larger blower pulleys.

13. The 4.25-inch blower pulley produced a peak of 11.8 psi - far below the F-1A-94's ceiling, but sufficient to push the 540 well past four digits.

14. ProCharger's air-to-water intercooler delivered strong flow, minimal pressure drop, and over 100 degrees of charge cooling on dyno water.

15. Pressure and temperature monitoring across the intercooler core confirmed a 100+ degree inlet air temperature reduction.

16. ProCharger's blow-off valve eliminates the pressure surge when lifting off the throttle at high rpm and boost levels.

17. The results: 1,197 hp and 953 lb-ft of torque at 11.78 psi. The naturally aspirated baseline of 650 hp nearly doubled under boost - with capacity remaining in the F-1A-94 for more.

Photos by Richard Holdener