The 6.1 HEMI Supercharger User Manual. The 6.1 HEMI engine is a wonderful engine found in the SRT8-powered Chrysler 300C, Dodge Charger, Challenger, and Magnum, and Jeep Grand Cherokee. It produces 420-425 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque out of the factory, making for a thrilling and very quick ride. Even with 370 cid of displacement, some may find the performance to be insufficient. While you can always add a few bolt-ons to produce some extra ponies, those looking to make serious power will want to consider a 6.1 HEMI supercharger (also known as a blower).
This post will walk you through the process of supercharging your 6.1 HEMI powered SRT8. We’ll go through how supercharging works, several types of blowers, and how much horsepower the 6.1 HEMI can handle. Then, we’ll select the top five 6.1 HEMI supercharger kits on the market today. Let’s get started.
6.1 Overview of the HEMI Engine
From 2005 to 2010, Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep used the 6.1 HEMI engine in six model years. It was installed in the 2005-2010 Chrysler 300C SRT8, the 2006-2010 Charger SRT8, the 2006-2008 Magnum SRT8, the 2006-2010 Grand Cherokee SRT8, and the 2008-2010 Challenger SRT8. It produced 420 horsepower in the Grand Cherokee and 425 horsepower in all other models. All variants produced 420 pound-feet of torque.
The 6.1 HEMI is a V8 engine with 6.1 litres (370 cid) of displacement with aluminium cylinder heads on an iron block. The 6.1 HEMI is essentially a little larger and more powerful version of the 5.7 HEMI, which was released a few years before it. The 6.1, like all other Gen III HEMIs, features an overhead valve (OHV) valve train, but variable valve timing (VVT) was not available at the time.
Unfortunately, the engine was only available until 2010, after which it was quickly replaced by the larger 6.2 and 6.4 HEMI engines. Nonetheless, it was a solid and trustworthy engine for many years, and it still has a big aftermarket community. Many people have modified their 6.1 HEMI to produce well over 700 horsepower, with some instances producing 1,000 horsepower. With a ProCharger at 22 PSI on a 6.1 HEMI, this Dodge Charger produced 1,500 horsepower.
6.1 HEMI Supercharging Fundamentals
Now, let’s go over the fundamentals of installing a supercharger package on your 6.1 HEMI powered SRT8. Before you go out and get a full kit, you should know what you’re getting yourself into. Most supercharger builds will require a budget of at least $10,000-$20,000. This includes not only the kit itself, but also installation, supporting mods (such as tuning), and any other optional improvements you may desire along the way. Let’s start with supported mods for your kit.
HEMI Modifications and Tuning
While superchargers are exciting additions that provide a lot of horsepower, they are rarely the only modification made to a vehicle. You must consider not only internal engine changes to ensure that your engine can tolerate the power, but also other bolt-on alterations and tuning to get the most out of your supercharger kit.
Long-tube headers, cat-back exhausts, and intake manifolds are some basic bolt-on alterations that can complement a supercharger kit. Long-tube headers are excellent upgrades since they significantly increase exhaust flow. By lowering back pressure and enhancing scavenging, your engine will be able to move air more quickly in and out of the engine, resulting in more power.
Cat-back exhausts link to the ends of long-tube headers and finish the exhaust system with a silencer. While they won’t add much power, they will undoubtedly increase the volume of your engine’s howl. Long-tubes and a cat-back will also offer an additional 20 wheel horsepower to your blower.
Intake manifolds are another typical addition for centrifugal kits. They can improve flow into the engine to fully utilise the new supercharger. The intake manifolds on roots and twin-screws are often low-rise and included with the kit, making them a little more difficult to improve. However, porting is an excellent method to improve them.
What’s the point of tuning?
Tuning is a definite must if you intend to supercharge your SRT8-powered vehicle. Your 6.1 HEMI will not survive even a light boost without adequate engine control. Before beginning to purchase for your construction, make sure you have a capable tuner, which can include reliable email tuning (e-tuning) over the web. The majority of kits provide tuning for engines that are otherwise stock or have been mildly changed.
Power Limits for the HEMI Block and Internals
Before you buy a 6.1 HEMI supercharger kit, you should know how much power your engine can handle before you improve the internals. The 6.1 HEMI block is constructed of iron and is extremely long-lasting. Unfortunately, the internals are not as strong. Hypereutectic aluminium pistons, powdered metal I-beam connecting rods, and a forged steel crankshaft are used in the 6.1 HEMI.
Although the block and crankshaft are quite sturdy, the pistons and connecting rods have failure sites. Generally, 500 wheel horsepower is regarded the safe limit for the 6.1 HEMI internals. After that, you should consider having forged pistons and forged rods. You’ll also want to install head studs and possibly a larger oil pump.
Depending on how you intend to use your vehicle, you may wish to update the driveline as well. The more you wish to track or drag your automobile, the more you need strengthen the suspension and handling. Sticky tyres indicate that your drive train may experience high shock during launches, demanding strengthening.
How much power can my 6.1 HEMI handle?
It’s difficult to say how much boost the 6.1 HEMI can handle. Many tuners and enthusiasts used to warn against going above 5-6 PSI unless the engine was built with forged internals. However, as tuners have gained more experience with the engine, those criteria have shifted.
Most tuners and shops will allow stock engines to run up to 8-9 PSI of boost by 2023. That puts you at 500-550 wheel horsepower, which is the internals’ limit. Any higher than 9 PSI and 550 wheel horsepower, and you risk throwing a rod/breaking a piston, all of which are costly and time-consuming repairs.
Various Types of 6.1 HEMI Superchargers
On the 6.1 HEMI, three types of superchargers are usually used: centrifugal, roots, and twin-screw. They all have advantages and weaknesses, and they are all capable of producing significant levels of horsepower and torque.
The first type is centrifugal superchargers. Centrifugal superchargers resemble turbochargers in appearance and operation, although they, like other superchargers, are powered by a belt. The belt on centrifugal blowers powers an impeller, which spins a compressor, which sucks and then pushes compressed air into the engine. Centrifugal blowers are often installed alongside the engine and prior to the throttle body. Air is drawn in through the intake, then through the centrifugal blower and into the throttle body and intake manifold.
Then there are root superchargers. Roots blowers are belt-driven as well, although they do not compress air. They function effectively as air pumps, forcing additional air into the engine, where it is compressed. They are by far the most basic form of supercharger kit for the 6.1 HEMI. Roots blowers are mounted on the engine’s hood and on a low-mounted intake manifold. The throttle body (if present) on these engines is normally positioned before the blower, where the air intake attaches.
Finally, there are twin-screw superchargers. These look and operate similarly to roots blowers, but they compress the air before directing it into the engine. They are essentially better and more efficient versions of roots blowers, although they are far more expensive. Their positioning is same to that of roots blowers. On the SRT Hellcat and Demons powered by 6.2 HEMIs, Chrysler/Dodge employs twin-screw superchargers.
What is the most powerful supercharger?
One of the most significant distinctions between supercharger designs is how and when they deliver boost. Roots and twin-screw setups will provide instant boost and by far the highest low-end torque. This is due to their ability to attain maximum boost quickly, even at low RPM.
Centrifugal blowers will not provide the same low-end responsiveness, but they will be better than stock. Centrifugal blowers, on the other hand, have a substantially larger peak boost. This is because the compressor operates similarly to a turbo in that it takes time to generate up greater boost. They will easily outflow and outperform both roots and twin-screw setups at the top end.
If you want to get the greatest horsepower and torque out of your setup, centrifugal blowers (or even twin-turbos) are your best bet. If you choose a more modest setup that excels on the street, an instant spool of a roots or twin-screw blower may be a better alternative.
Best HEMI 6.1 Supercharger Kits
Now that we’ve covered the 6.1 HEMI and what it takes to supercharge it, let’s get into some recommendations! The following are the top five best 6.1 HEMI supercharger kits:
- Kenneth Bell’s
- ProCharger
- Magnuson
- Whipple
- Edelbrock
These five supercharger systems provide an excellent balance of power, performance, pricing, and dependability. There are dozens and dozens of superchargers available for the 6.1 HEMI, thus this is not a full list. Instead, our list only includes the best selections on the market. You can’t go wrong with any of these options because they are all high-quality 6.1 HEMI supercharger systems.
The 6.1 HEMI dynos at around 350-380 wheel horsepower out of the factory, depending on fuel, weather, dyno type, and so on. The power outputs listed below are based on a stock medium of 365 wheel horsepower.
1) Kenne Bell Mammoth SRT8 Supercharger Kits
Price: $ 7,099.00 – $8,949.00
Power output: 525+ wheel horsepower (capable of over 1,000+ horsepower)
Twin-screw design
No CARB approval:
The Kenne Bell Mammoth 6.1 HEMI supercharger kit is our first option. Kenne Bell is a well-known name in the business, and they manufacture supercharger kits for a wide range of MOPAR and Ford automobiles. We highly recommend their kits because of their exceptional quality and outstanding reputation in the market.
The Kenne Bell 6.1 HEMi supercharger kits come with a variety of blower configurations. There are 2.8, 3.2, 3.6, 4.2, 4.7, and 4.9 litre blowers to select from. This means that depending on the size, you can produce anywhere from 500 to well over 1,000 wheel horsepower.
They all have twin-screw blowers and look quite clean and sleek from the outside. The enormous liquid-cooled intercooler appears to be very durable and visually appealing. The air intake is situated quite low in the engine compartment, ensuring the coolest possible flow of air. These kits are a little pricy, but they are well worth it and will last a long time.
2) SRT8 ProCharger Supercharger Kits
Price: $6.748.00+
Power output: 500+ wheel horsepower (capable of over 1,000+ horsepower)
Centrifugal is a type of centrifuge.
Yes, CARB approval.
The 6.1 HEMI ProCharger kits are up next. ProCharger, like Kenne Bell, is well-known in the supercharger industry and community. They are widely featured on various YouTube builds and on social media as a result of extensive promotion. Nonetheless, they are known for producing high-quality products and have kits available for a wide range of performance engines from a variety of manufacturers.
You have a variety of blower sizes to pick from, just like Kenne Bell. The standard kit includes a P-1SC blower, which may be easily upgraded to a P-1X or D-1X. The P-1SC will have a starting power of 500 wheel horsepower and can reach 825 horsepower. The P/D-1X have 875 and 1,000 horsepower ratings, respectively. Or, as seen in the earlier 1,500 horsepower Charger video, you can go even bigger with an F-1A supercharger.
The ProCharger blower has a centrifugal design. It features both intercooled and non-intercooled versions, although we strongly advise purchasing a cooler. They will significantly reduce temperatures and guard against detonation. A CARB-approved version with a registered EO number is available.
3) Magnuson TVS2300 SRT8 Supercharger Kits
Price: $6,895.00
Output power: 465-485 wheel horsepower
Roots of Hybrid
Yes, CARB approval.
The Magnuson TVS 2300 Supercharger Kits for the SRT8 Jeep Grand Cherokee and SRT8 Chrysler/Dodge 300C/Challenger/Charger/Magnum come in third place. Magnuson, affectionately known as “Maggies” by many enthusiasts, has been a dependable name in the supercharger industry for many years. They began in the early 2000s and manufacture blowers for both the aftermarket and OEM markets.
A TVS2300 hybrid roots style blower is included in their 6.1 HEMI supercharger package. The TVS2300 is the same supercharger seen in the Cadillac CTS-V, Mustang Shelby GT500, and Corvette ZR-1, so you know it can deliver considerable performance while remaining dependable. The kit includes a front-mounted intercooler heat exchanger, an electric water pump, and a reservoir for the intercooler cooling fluids.
The Magnuson provides less power than the other kits on this list. The Magnuson TVS2300 adds 100 wheel horsepower and 100 lb-ft of wheel torque to the Grand Cherokee, and 120 wheel horsepower and 120 wheel torque to the other cars. It is a high-quality system that may be paired with headers, tune, and a camshaft to increase power even further. They are CARB approved and have EO numbers.
4) Whipple Gen 5 SRT8 Supercharger Kit
Price: $8,195.00
515 wheel horsepower is the power output.
Twin-screw design
No CARB approval:
The 6.1 HEMI Whipple Supercharger Kit is ranked fourth on our list. Whipple, like the other companies mentioned above, is regarded as an industry standard when it comes to supercharger kits. They began producing them in the 1980s and 1990s and, along with Kenne Bell, are the pioneers of the twin-screw design.
There is a Whipple W18RF 3.0 litre supercharger kit available for the 6.1 HEMI. It increases wheel horsepower by 150+ above stock, resulting in roughly 515 wheel horsepower on the low end. The W18RF blower has a twin-screw construction and a volumetric efficiency of 99%. The Gen 5 blower has around 50 horsepower more than the Gen 4.
Everything you need is included in the kit, including larger fuel injectors, fuel rails, spark plugs, an integrated intake manifold, and an air-to-water intercooler. It is a well-made 6.1 HEMI whipple supercharger kit, although it is pretty expensive for the power output.
5) Edelbrock SRT8 Supercharger Kit
Price: $9,293.87
556 horsepower (470 wheel horsepower) power output
Roots are a type of plant.
Yes, CARB approval.
The Edelbrock stage 1 supercharger kit for the 6.1 HEMI is the last item on our list. Edelbrock is one of the oldest names in the performance industry, having begun commercially producing racing items in the 1930s and 1940s. They were highly known during the muscle car period for their carburetors and intake manifolds, and now they make a wide range of equipment, including superchargers. Their supercharger kits have received positive feedback and have a great reputation in the racing community.
A TVS-R2300 roots blower, identical to the Magnuson blower mentioned above, is available with the Edelbrock package for the 6.1 HEMI. It generates 556 horsepower and 501 lb-ft of torque at the flywheel, which translates to around 470 wheel horsepower and 445 wheel torque. It has an air-to-water and high-capacity intercooler, and it produces 6 PSI of boost.
While Edelbrock is well-known for its excellence, the price of this package is a little difficult to swallow. It’s difficult to explain being the most costly package while simultaneously being the least powerful, especially given that it only adds roughly 100 wheel horsepower. They have good reviews, so if you require the Edelbrock name and are willing to give up some power, you won’t be disappointed.
Related : The 6.4 Powerstroke Cold Air Intake Instructions
Summary of the Chrysler 6.1 Supercharger Upgrade
The Chrysler/Dodge 6.1 HEMI engine is a rock-solid powerplant that responds admirably to supercharging. It is larger and stronger than the 5.7 HEMI and can produce more horsepower while remaining dependable. The Dodge 6.1 is underpowered out of the box, and adding a blower is a simple (albeit expensive) way to remedy this.
There are numerous 6.1 HEMI supercharger kits on the market. The Kenne Bell and Whipple are both high-quality twin-screw designs. The Kenne Bell package will provide significantly more power, but the Whipple kit is also not to be overlooked. The Edelbrock roots-style kit is good, but the price makes it questionable.
The ProCharger package includes a centrifugal option capable of producing up to 1,500 horsepower. It is a dependable choice that starts at 500 wheel horsepower and may be increased as needed. Finally, the Magnuson “Maggie” 6.1 HEMI supercharger is an excellent piece of equipment. It offers a significant improvement over stock without sacrificing quality, and it is extremely reasonably priced.
