Deal of a lifetime installation nightmare of all times! I bought a used Vortech kit for a price I cannot disclose. 100 miles on kit...

Step1. Remove, remove belts, remove bumper, etc…basically entire front of car….check, this is easy so far!

Step2. Drill hole in oil pan. WHAT? Are they serious? Hmm…one day delay. Lets call some shops and Vortech to see if this is a must.
A.Vortech says the drain line is gravity feed so if placed at the bottom of the oil pan, circulation is limited, drill hole high on oil pan sleeve…make sense to me.
B.Shop A. Says we place spacers on them. Some of those SC’s were a bad batch but some worked out fine. Either way, that bad batch could have been because of poor circulation, or simply a bad batch. I cant take that risk. Considering I went to AutoZone, Home Depot and Lowe’s about 15 times during this install and spent about $600 on miscellaneous items, tools, tape, safety glasses, gloves, etc.
C.Shop C. Buy a Turbo kit blab la….look man. I just bought a Vortech kit, my question was about the drain line. Thanks good day.
D.Shop D. never returned my call.
I decide to go with Vortech’s advise and start drilling…

 

Step2.a (optional) remove oil pan. I heard these were a pain so I decided to check out the shavings and go from there (to be continued later).
Step3. Install black bracket onto front of the motor.
Oh wait, take it back of, the SC needs to be on it first. Remove
Oh wait, the cam sensor lines need to be behind the bracket. Remove
Oh wait, the small mount screws need to be on the bracket prior. Remove bracket and SC.
Oh wait the drain line need to route this way, not that way…Remove
Oh wait, the Air Filter and PCV hose needs to lay inside the bay before the bracket goes in. Remove.
Oh wait, I skipped the step about the Intake because I didn’t have the factor MAF housing and tube, thought hey, that’s easy I will put it in later. WRONG. Remove bracket and SC.
This took a trip to Stafford because they said they had the part, but didn’t. I ended up trading my HUGE INJEN intake, for the small 6inch MAF housing and sensor.

 

Step 4. Install oil feed and drain lines….every goes well. Until the feed line. It has some weird nozzle fitting that goes into the SC. Because I work out and have .9% body fat (yeah right) I freggin snapped the nozzil off INSIDE THE SC! NOOOOoooo! I feel like throwing up at this point.
Call Vortech for the best and worst case scenarios…$50, $400, or $900 bucks depending…URGH!

So I go by a tap and die set and hope my F-15 Crew Chief skills are still in play. After 3 or 4 minutes looking stupid I decide to turn my drill to reverse (tap sets are reverse threads) and the bit drilled right into the broken piece! There is hope at this point….
I disconnect the drill from the bit and grab some vice grips. I slowly easy the broken nozzle fitting thingie out of the SC. I felt like a kid in a candy store. I think I did a cartwheel. My wife was like “what’s the big deal?” I’m like nothing; I am just one bad ****! LOL
Oh wait, to get the SC off, I had to remove the bracket and SC again! URGH!

Step 5 is on hold because the sickest wheels I have ever seen just showed up. By the way this is like day 6 or 7 on the SC install.

I go down and jack the back of the car up, at this point only the front was up. I remove the TSW that have been so loyal to me and the MIDA Function Tune Meets and roll them down the boat. I mean the BUICK..lol. I decide to grab the cover off the Buick to put it on the G, because the neighbors are starting to look at my car in pieces with disgust.

OMG they are sooo FRESHHHH…. I stop and pause, thank God and continue after snapping a few pics. Which can in handy because after Memorial Day (Day 10 or 11) for the install, someone came and stole all my parts, tools, screws, nuts and bolts.

All my steam was let out of me like a fregging uppercut from Mike Tyson in his prime. I cant describe the emptiness I felt when my wife called me and asked if I took the wheels off the car!

 

I decide not to get too worked up. I have a hole in my oil pan, missing brand new wheels, all my tools, but life isn’t that bad. I am healthy, so is my wife and unborn child. Then my wife says, “Did you see the Buick? The window is broken.” I am like who would try to steal the Buick? Then it hits me… The TSW’s are in the Buick. I run down only a few cars (underground parking) only not to see the wheels sitting in the seats like I left them. That was the Knock out blow…so I thought.

We call the police, insurance, etc. I go back to work. I go down that evening to account for all the missing parts and see what’s needed to finish the install. I look down an the criminals leave my jack stands but jack my car up with the freggin muffler! I am sick at this point. I could weep like a baby at any moment. I don’t want to call anyone because I feel like a smuck..who can I trust, that isn’t a suspect?

I call my good friend Karl aka MISTRESS. I tell him and he starts laughing. I am like WTF! He thinks I am joking, when he realizes that I am serious….there is silence as if it was him that was receiving the news about his car.

He tells me to meet him at Sweetwater in Centerville and he brought me flashlights, tools, and the best gift ever…a set of OEM 19’s. I could tell he truly was upset about the incident because he knows how I had to move some investments around just to squeeze out the little money I had for all this.

I decide to make a post that next day and the love gives me a second wind.

 

Step 6. This is pretty much step 1-7 because everything is off the car. I buy drill bits, new drain hoses (stolen), and keep pushing. I am determined to get done in one day which I do…. Somewhere in there I decided to drop the oil pan. The crooks took my dang oil pan bolts along with my NISMO shift knobb..URGH. What doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger right?

Fuel Pressure regulator, Fuel Pump, Fuel lines, Wiring… we are done with Mechanics. Its all Unichip (which Karl came over and installed) wiring from the chip to the relay and I am done…no need to rush. I can finish this tomorrow.

Step whatever: drop fuse into relay and I hear..bizzzz. HUH? Why is the fuel pump on with no key in the ignition. Check wires again…fuse….bizzzz. Hmmm. I must of missed something small. Check diagram… fuse…biiizzz.

Call Vortech, it’s your relay $20
Call Vortech, maybe you have an outdated installation manual
Download..same print dates….not that..hmm
Call Karl
Call vortech, it’s your wiring
Call TENGAI
Call Frank
Call Vortech, it’s your UNICHIP $990
Call Vortech, the “Unichip makes the ground so its your chip or wiring!”

 

Day 14+ I forget…who cares..staring at my car on OEM loaner rims, with a Vortech that doesn’t have augmented fuel. What the Hell. I crank it up… and let it idol! No leaks…I plug in the fuse so the fuel pump is running and punch it a few times….SOUNDS SO MEAN! I shut things down and feel like I accomplish at lest a little bit.

I take a much needed break from the car and the VA lifestyle and drive to St. Louis… the entire time I am thinking about what Vortech said on the phone.. “Unichip makes the ground so it’s your chip or wiring!”

I call TENGAI and say “Man think this out with me” (I am in Ohio driving to St. Louis at 630am and he is headed to work).

Two ground wires….
Two hot wires…..

One of the grounds is toggled by the Unichip. But it says in section 7.2 D. “Run a ground wire from the negative terminal on the fuel pump to one of the mounting screws.”

How can the Unichip supply the ground to something that is grounded to the frame?

I call up Vortech (Indianapolis by this point) and explain my discovery…

A short pause…”yeah, you’re right, you should skip that step.” I then ask, where does it say skip this step. If I skip step 7.2D I don’t install the fuel pump at all? Response was, “that shouldn’t be in there, you skip that step.”

I get back from StL cut the ground wire off the fuel pump itself, and I have been boosted ever since.

 

Considering I only worked on it a few hours each night….all day on a Saturday…it didn’t take as long as it looks. I technically did everything from start to finish (minus bad wiring directions) in about 10 or 11 hours. If I had to do it again, I am sure I could do it in about 6 hours with help holding flashlights. This is all without a lift. I did it all with flashlights and a roll buddy to slide under my car. It wasn’t difficult at all, only difficult to get the right tools, parts, and information. I don’t know if that’s worth what some shops charge or time.

Your call: TIME or MONEY! Good luck with your build, hopefully it goes a little smoother than mine!


Base map is what’s running now. Function cant tune Unichip. Altered was unaware that Vortech was now running Unichip (so was I until I opened the box)... so I am looking for a Unichip tuner. Anyone know where I can get my Unichip tuned? Atlantic Motorsports is the only place I know of. What’s the MidA experiences with dealing with them? Please PM responses if negative.

 

Thats whats hot I have the same install i need to do. If you need some extra hands I would love to help so I can also learn how to install mine. I sent a pm. Damn I am a day late and a dollar short. Sound like a great install. I might have to take some pointers from you. I want t install this myself just have to find someone willing to help me out with it.

 

i am done with the install but I can help you out with it no doubt...

703-731-2057
Corey

 

Damn Cory .. I'm glad you got your SuperCharger in!... sounds like it was a PITA.. even without the a$$holes stealing your stuff halfway thru.. it still sounds like a PITA.

I'm still on the lookout for your shizzle my nizzle. I will help you beat $hit out of the bastages when we find them.

 

LMAO nice man,... congrats.

 

sounds like a bit of a nightmare man, but at least you are boosted!

I'll have to check out the new set up and some point!

 

It will be interesting with you and I... Although that C6 had to max out third to get around those GZILLA plates...(on the track)...I didnt know that the C6 is in third until almost 120mph....wow!

It was only a pain because I never done one...like I said 6-8 hours with some one holding a light or in a shop is the absoulte max for this.

 

I have to get it tuned but maybe someone can chime in on this...

It seems to be faster when I am not on WOT. When its 3rd of the way to the floor it seems like it boost more. Maybe its just me..but thats seems to be the situation.

Dyno to come soon!

 

Yeah i almost wrecked looking at some gold wheels on a LEX.

Insurance seems to be cool, but they had to interview me before cutting me a check. Wjhat I paid was less than retail but the wheels were never even driven on, so they cant say they were used. I have proof that my car has been on jacks and torn apart for the last 2 weeks so thing should be cool. should find out something today hopefully.

 

yea man it will be interesting between us for sure, once you get everything sorted out lets head to a track and have some friendly runs

 

It's felt that way in my current Z and my Old 1g DSM as well. Dunno why though

 

WOW.. I would have lost it. I'm glad you kept your cool. Are you happy with the Vortech? I'm dying for power but I only have like 3G to toss into the Z right now (if that) haha. Not too many options.

 

To be honest. I love my new found power...however having driven many 470+ RWHP cars...its not a holy mother of God hold on fast.

I see why people screw up and buy the bigger pully. Its a tad slower than a C6....thas all I need.

If I were you I wouldnt buy one mod until I could buy a Stillen SC, Vortech SC, or JWT TT....all running near factory set tunes...

Dont let anyone talk you into spending way more than you want. If you want big power. Buy a built block first, then buy the Boost, then get it all installed.

My 20/20 hind sight opinion. I wasted so much money on mods that I couldnt use with my boosted set up...

what performance mods did I get to keep?

HF Cats
Y Pipe
APS Tall Boy
Everything else was sold or given away.

If I would of got the Stillen, the APS would of been a waist also.

 

Time to form a mid-A beat down crew again!
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2. bb1314
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