How does the Stillen S/C deal with the learning ecu? How do they fool the ecu to think everything is normal?

 

Nitrous doesn't kill motors, stupid people running nitrous kill motors. It is all in the tuning. You can blow a motor on a poorly tuned 50 shot, and run strong with a stock motor on a well tuned/maintained 150 shot. Direct port solves all the distribution problems, but if you want to run a 50-75 shot dry, you'll be fine. Just tap the nozzle as far from the throttle body as possible, so the nitrous has a chance to mix evenly with the intake charge.

 

The farther away to tap the nozzle the less effect the shot has. So a 50 shot becomes only a 30-40 shot if you tap it by the air filter. Hence why I stress the only way to get a realiable setup that makes power is a DP kit. I don't think Nitrous is bad, but I do think in the wrong hands it can lead to problems. I've known quite a few people that were only running a 50 or 70 shot and took all the precautions (colder plugs/MSD timing retard) and still cracked ringlands. It had to be because of the unequal distribution.

 

I tend to go back and forth on this but I'd prefer a supercharger. I'd ideally like NA but the Z just doesn't make anywhere near enough power NA. Even with some extensive mods (heads\cams etc..) it would still be short on power for my tastes.

That's why I can't wait for the Stillen or better yet Nismo SC. (I still doubt Nismo will make one though.) You get the feel of NA, no lag. And true newer turbos do decrease the lag but it's still there. Plus they make tons of heat, and tap into your engine oil. It also lowers the exhaust note, and I prefer the NA exhuast sound. True SCs will make lower power than a comparable turbo b/c a turbo has no parasitic drag, but I'll take the drag and instant throttle response.

My other car is a turbo Eclipse AWD, so I know about turbos and how they behave. The other downside with turbos is the usual gaggle of electronics that have to accompany it. Boost controller, turbo timer, fuel cut defencers (not sure if the Z will need this?) and then extra tuning capability like an AFC usually helps too. Superchargers are a bit more straightforward.

Lastly you can change the pulleys on the SC to gain more power. That's the norm for Mustang Cobra guys, and has been for Lightnings for awhile.

Like everything else, to each his own. I'm very glad tuners are making SC's for the Z because everybody tends to follow just what the Japanese tuners do, and they don't like SCs. And yes you have to change the hood somewhat, big deal. If you want it, buy the hood. If not, get turbos. Pretty simple.

Check out the corvette forums and see the cars with the roots superchargers, pretty sweet. That's a fairly common power adder for those cars. I love the whine they make, it's different than the turbo whistle I'm used to in my Eclipse.