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Tech: 2015 Mustang 10-Rib Blower Drive

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By EditorTurner

Tech: 2015 Mustang 10-Rib Blower Drive

Get a Grip

Gaining more consistent boost with a Whipple 10-rib belt drive upgrade

By Steve Turner
Photos courtesy of Lethal Performance

We haven’t checked in on Lethal Performance’s 2015 Mustang GT project in a little while, but if you have followed our coverage so far you know the car quickly escalated from bolt-ons to nitrous to a supercharger. It has since run a 10.53 at 135 mph on the quarter mile. Of course, that isn’t the end of the road for this project.

Here’s how we last left Lethal Performance’s 2015 Mustang GT. It was putting down 805 horsepower to the rear wheels with around 11 pounds of boost from the Whipple 2.9-liter supercharger. At that boost level, the six-rib belt was just fine. However, we know Team Lethal wants to turn up the wick without belt slip, so an upgrade was in order.
Here’s how we last left Lethal Performance’s 2015 Mustang GT. It was putting down 805 horsepower to the rear wheels with around 11 pounds of boost from the Whipple 2.9-liter supercharger. At that boost level, the six-rib belt was just fine. However, we know Team Lethal wants to turn up the wick without belt slip, so an upgrade was in order.

In fact, there are more aggressive mods in the plans for this project, but before things get really wild, the Lethal team wanted to maximize the existing combination. With more trips to the track in mind, they wanted to ensure that there was no boost-robbing belt slip. To head that off at the pass, the car gained one of Whipple Superchargers 10-rib belt drive upgrades (PN WHP-WB-COY10-15; $1,500).

“We’re always looking to take things to the next level and it’s no different with the new 2.9-liter Whipple kit. Although we really didn’t experience any belt slip at the stock 11- to 12-psi range we knew we would probably see some once we started upping the boost with a smaller pulley,” Jared Rosen of Lethal Performance explained. “So it was a good idea to tackle that problem with the 10-rib setup Whipple designed. Their kit was complete and fairly easy to install and no there’s no worrying about whether we’ll see boost loss when going down the track at higher boost levels.”

The core of the Whipple 10-rib upgrade is this 20-percent-overdrive ATI Super Damper. Not only is this unit SFI approved, which makes it race legal, but the aforementioned overdrive allows for for increased boost without reducing belt wrap. That’s because you can get more boost without swapping the supercharger pulley for a smaller unit. Smaller pulleys are wrapped by less belt, so if you go too small the belt can slip.
The core of the Whipple 10-rib upgrade is this 20-percent-overdrive ATI Super Damper. Not only is this unit SFI approved, which makes it race legal, but the aforementioned overdrive allows for increased boost without reducing belt wrap. That’s because you can get more boost without swapping the supercharger pulley for a smaller unit. Smaller pulleys are wrapped by less belt, so if you go too small the belt can slip.

The kit in question is a bolt-on replacement for the standard six-rib drive. It features all the necessary 10-rib pulleys, tensioners, idlers, and belt for the swap. And, not only does the kit’s wider belt reduce belt slip, but its crank pulley helps produce more boost with the same blower pulley size. That’s because the heart of the kit is a 10-rib, 20-percent-overdriven damper from ATI.

“The car hasn’t been to the track with the new belt setup however on the dyno our tuner Ken Bjonnes of Lund Racing said that the higher boost levels were much more consistent and held better than before,” Jared added.

With reduced belt slip and more consistent boost, the new belt drive is ready to help push this project to its next level of performance. We can’t wait to see how this car runs with more boost, but to see how it gained more blower belt grip at Power by the Hour in Boynton Beach, Florida, keep on reading.

The ATI unit comes with appropriate hub for a Coyote crankshaft, but there is some assembly required, so follow the instructions carefully. Power by the Hour technician Donnie Renfrow joins the damper with the hub using the supplied fasteners. He first applied thread locker to those fasteners. Then he tightened them with a ratchet before torquing them to the prescribed spec.
The ATI unit comes with appropriate hub for a Coyote crankshaft, but there is some assembly required, so follow the instructions carefully. Power by the Hour technician Donnie Renfrow joins the damper with the hub using the supplied fasteners. He first applied thread locker to those fasteners. Then he tightened them with a ratchet before torquing them to the prescribed spec.
With the damper assembled and torqued, Donnie marks the fasteners to show they have been properly tightened. You definitely don’t want those bolts coming loose at high rpm.
With the damper assembled and torqued, Donnie marks the fasteners to show they have been properly tightened. You definitely don’t want those bolts coming loose at high rpm.
The 10-rib upgrade includes the necessary wider idlers, pulleys, and tensioners to accommodate the wider belt. Of course Lethal also opted for several 10-rib supercharger pulleys that will facilitate an increase in boost.
The 10-rib upgrade includes the necessary wider idlers, pulleys, and tensioners to accommodate the wider belt. Of course Lethal also opted for several 10-rib supercharger pulleys that will facilitate an increase in boost.
It’s tough to get a shot down in the morass of belts and cooling hose in the front of a new Mustang, but Donnie pulled the stock damper, pressed on the ATI unit. Then he installed the new pulleys, idlers, and tensioners. Then routed and installed the 10-rib belt and the car was ready for action.
It’s tough to get a shot down in the morass of belts and cooling hose in the front of a new Mustang, but Donnie pulled the stock damper, pressed on the ATI unit. Then he installed the new pulleys, idlers, and tensioners. Then routed and installed the 10-rib belt and the car was ready for action.
Returning to the dyno at Power by the Hour with the new drive system, the power was up a bit, but the boost curve was more consistent over the pull, which should show up on the racetrack.
Returning to the dyno at Power by the Hour with the new drive system, the power was up a bit, and the boost curve was more consistent over the pull, which should show up on the racetrack.
With the six-rib drive and just over 14 pounds of boost the Lethal Performance 2015 Mustang GT put down over 805 horsepower and over 618 lb-ft of torque.
With the six-rib drive and just over 14 pounds of boost the Lethal Performance 2015 Mustang GT put down over 805 horsepower and over 618 lb-ft of torque.
It’s not a direct comparison with the 10-rib setup, as the Whipple cranked out almost another pound of boost. However, you can see that the boost is more consistent across the log.
It’s not a direct comparison with the 10-rib setup, as the Whipple cranked out almost another pound of boost. However, you can see that the boost is more consistent across the log.

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