intercooler and intake runners. The E-Force, on the other hand, is mounted inverted in the valley, closer to the engine. Air flows upward into an air-to-water intercooler before making a nearly 180-degree turn into the 15-inch-long intake runners, which offers an almost straight shot into the cylinder heads. The inverted design allows for longer intake runners, which help increase low-end torque production.
"We wanted to design a system to maximize power and torque without losing any of the streetability for street/strip guys," explains Rob Simons, Edelbrock's vice president of research and development. "We also wanted the kit to look factory, which is why we went with OE-style connectors for all of the PCV tubing and wiring connections."
When you look at the system, the most impressive part is the centerpiece-the supercharger. The unit comes as a complete assembly with the supercharger, intercooler, and intake manifold already assembled. The size of the supercharger assembly can be a bit intimidating, but outside of lifting it into the engine bay, the kit couldn't be easier to install.
To handle the installation, we headed to Blow-By Racing in Boca Raton, Florida. Chris Jones and the rest of the BBR crew have tons of experience with supercharged '11 Mustangs, and we knew the installation and tuning would be top-notch.
"The Edelbrock E-Force kit was by far the easiest supercharger kit we have ever installed," explains Jones, owner of Blow-By Racing. "The small amount of time it took to install the kit was very impressive. The fitment was spot on and every aspect was covered. Edelbrock hit a home run."
Along with the base kit, Edelbrock supplied us with four extra pulleys-3.50-, 3.25-, 3.00-, and 2.75-inch versions to test with the 3.75-inch variant that came in the kit. We also tested Edelbrock's Competition intake in our quest for big power.
Follow along with the photos and captions as we install and test Edelbrock's E-Force supercharger for the '11 Mustang GT.
| Pulley Diameter | Stock Airbox | Edelbrock Competition Cold-Air Intake |
| HP | TQ | HP | TQ |
| 3.75-inch | 469 | 447 | 505 | 441 |
| 3.50-inch | 507 | 483 | 538 | 465 |
| 3.25-inch | 559 | 496 | 555 | 494 |
| 3.00-inch | N/A | N/A | 599 | 533 |
| 2.75-inch | N/A | N/A | 619 | 566 |
For our Edelbrock E-Force...
For our Edelbrock E-Force supercharger install, we headed to Blow-By Racing. Adam Spiegel, a loyal BBR customer, recently purchased a black ’11 GT, which he upgraded with a Steeda cold-air intake, off-road X-style mid-pipe, and custom BBR tune.
Spiegel was looking to take...
Spiegel was looking to take the horsepower numbers to the next level, and the E-Force system was a perfect fit.
1a The Edelbrock E-Force...
1a The Edelbrock E-Force supercharger may have an unconventional look, but it is designed to make power...
1b ...The inverted design...
1b ...The inverted design allows Edelbrock to use a large 110-square-inch intercooler to lower air charge temperatures. The inverted design also eliminates a sharp turn in the intake track, giving pressurized air a smoother, straighter path to the combustion chambers.
2 The base kit comes with...
2 The base kit comes with a 3.75-inch pulley. Edelbrock supplied us with four smaller variants (3.50-, 3.25-, 3.00-, and 2.75-inch) for higher boost levels.
3 Jones started the installation...
3 Jones started the installation by removing the front fascia, radiator cover, strut tower brace, and intake manifold. All of the work can be done without removing any other parts.
4 Starting in the front,...
4 Starting in the front, Jones slid the large heat exchanger into position in front of the AC condenser. Edelbrock did a great job of designing the kit to fit using existing hardware and brackets already on the car. The heat exchanger fit as if it were a stock replacement part.
5 Next, the intercooler pump...
5 Next, the intercooler pump was mounted to a plate supplied in the kit and bolted to existing bumper bolts. Keep this plate loose until all of the intercooler hoses are in place.
6a The only modifications...
6a The only modifications needed are on the front cover...
6b ...Simply drill and tap...
6b ...Simply drill and tap three holes (which are easy to access with just about any electric drill) using the supplied drill bit and tap.
7 The only modifications...
7 The only modifications needed are on the front cover. Simply drill and tap three holes (which are easy to access with just about any electric drill) using the supplied drill bit and tap.
8 The supercharger assembly...
8 The supercharger assembly is then lowered onto the cylinder heads.
9 Next, Jones installed the...
9 Next, Jones installed the supplied fuel injectors into the rails. You must emove the boost bypass valve actuator to access the hardware. Be sure to mark the actuator rod so it can be reinstalled in the same position.
10 After you install the...
10 After you install the serpentine belt and make the electrical and hose connections for the intercooler pump, it’s almost ready to start. Edelbrock supplies a pre-calibrated tuner with the kit. This is the tune we used for initial startup, as well as our first dyno test. Beyond that, Jones handled all of the tuning duties using SCT software.
Before we started the install,...
Before we started the install, Spiegel’s GT cranked out 403 rwhp and 390 lb-ft of torque. Although this is great for a daily driver, he wanted more. After loading the Edelbrock calibration into the Copperhead ECU, we ran the car on BBR’s Dynojet again. The results were 457 rwhp and 437 lb-ft of torque, giving us a gain of 54 rwhp and 47 lb-ft of torque from just 4 pounds of boost. But that wasn’t nearly enough!
11 Jones then went to work...
11 Jones then went to work altering the calibration. After a few more pulls, he was able to extract 469 rwhp and 447 lb-ft of torque for an additional gain of 12 rwhp and 10 lb-ft of torque at just 4 psi.
12 Edelbrock sent us four...
12 Edelbrock sent us four additional smaller-diameter pulleys to increase the boost level. Horsepower and torque were increased with each pulley change, until we reached the limit of the factory mass air housing running the 3.25-inch pulley.
13 Higher boost levels can...
13 Higher boost levels can blow out the spark. The stock spark plugs in the Coyote are gapped at 0.050 inch. Although this works well in a naturally aspirated configuration, it’s simply too large of a gap when air is forced into the combustion chambers.
14 To remedy this issue,...
14 To remedy this issue, Jones installed a set of Brisk plugs. The new plugs (right)are one heat range colder and gapped to 0.035 inch.
15 To extend the range of...
15 To extend the range of the mass airflow sensor, Edelbrock supplied us with a prototype version of its competition cold-air intake. The new mass air housing measures in at 95mm, which is 10mm larger than the stock housing.
When all was said and done,...
When all was said and done, Spiegel’s ’11 GT cranked out 615 rwhp and 571 lb-ft of torque, for an overall gain of 212 rwhp and 181 lb-ft of torque. The addition of Edelbrock’s E-Force supercharger kit has made this GT one serious street monster!