As a long time editor of super/turbocharging newsletters and books, it has amazed me at the lack of affordable superchargers for small engined drag racers, Bonneville racers, recreational engines like personal watercraft, marine, or motorcycles. And most small vehicles don't have engine compartment space for turbos and intercooler plumbing, or can tolerate the high engine compartment heat, so superchargers are the natural alternative. Back in 2001 we launched a research and development project to build a simple, inexpensive blower for millions of "forgotten" small engines. The results are impressive -- more than we dreamed possible at that time.  If you have average backyard skills, you can now build a Gator supercharger for yourself for a few hundred dollars. Only common hand tools and a small drill press are required.  This book also includes many pages of details on draw-thru and blow-thru carburetor systems (but not fuel injection), air amplification, and alternate cooling technology, so an expensive, bulky intercooler is never required. This is a DO-IT-YOURSELF BOOK jammed with hundreds of pages of technical information you can't find anywhere else, and many drawings and photos to make building easy.

BELT DRIVE TURBO OR SUPERCHARGER? This book covers 5 years of development to build affordable small blowers for the "other 90%" of the world's engines that the supercharger industry currently chooses to ignore.  It details building both belt drive turbos and superchargers in several sizes for 1, 2, 3, and 4 cylinder engines and is constantly updated. This information isn't available anywhere else at any price.

OWN A SMALL MACHINE SHOP? Obviously there are many small engine markets out there that would welcome an affordable small supercharger, if available. The purpose of the above project from its beginning was to design a blower that could be mass produced in small backyard shops or local machine shops here in the U.S. as opposed to seeing this market ultimately dominated by imports. With small engines making up an ever higher percentage of the market, small superchargers are certain to become a rapid growth industry.

THE COST: The new Gator supercharger costs less than $200 to build in its basic form (to the industry standard 5-6 psi boost on 4 cylinder engines). Industrial quality bearings, impeller, etc. are off-the-shelf parts but the cost of aluminum scrap could vary. The shaft must be made by a competent machinist and will probably run $50-$70 machinist. Volume construction would cut this cost considerably.

HOW MUCH BOOST? This is surely the most common question I am asked. Of course boost varies depending on engine size in relation to the supercharger's size, impeller speed, and other factors. The Gator supercharger is unique in that several additional modifications can substantially increase boost IF YOUR ENGINE CAN TOLERATE HIGH BOOST. Most small engines can't, so the industry standard of 5-6 psi suits most applications.  To the other extreme, Gator superchargers are very compact and can be easily compounded for much higher boost levels if desired.

The SUPERCHARGING SMALL ENGINES book is $14.95 plus $5.00 shipping.  I DO NOT SHIP INTERNATIONALLY DUE TO HIGH COSTS.