Supercharging a 2rz: Eaton M62 vs M90

Hello TW

I have been batting the idea around in my head for a few months on boosting my little taco. "It's a 2.4, why even bother? Trade for a V6" no!

I've talked to a few of you over PM about this, feel free to chime in again so your knowledge is available for posterity. I was set on turboing but now am looking at superchargers, so I'd like to keep this as much about SCs as possible. I had most of a turbo setup pieced together (theoretically) but kinda scared myself away from it, I started getting into learning the tuning on them and scared myself away from it. I don't think there's anyone even close to me that has done this and could help me out on tuning a turbo setup.

Supercharging seems simpler to me and a lot more common. And frankly for where I'm looking for power, it makes more sense (more low end grunt). The only reason I didn't go SC from the beginning was because of the "cookie cutter" approach to it, buy a $3500 kit and that's what you get. I liked the idea of piecing a turbo kit together myself to fit my needs best, so now I'm trying to do that with a blower.

So from what I can tell, the only kit out there for 1st gen 4 bangers is now sold by LC Engineering. It was produced by Alpine Developments (which from what I can tell is a South African company?) and they have gone under or something and LCE picked up production. This is the same kit TRD sells for these trucks, just without the TRD badging (I think). It uses an Eaton M62 blower and the kit comes with a 5th injector and all the necessary stuff to install. I'd like to use an M90 blower on my setup. It is bigger in volume, so it'll create the same amount of boost as an M62 without having to be spun as fast (keeping temps down) and can be pushed farther later on than an M62 could be (I've read about people putting a spacer on the head to lower compression and then upping the boost).

Does anyone have experience with both of these blowers? Could plenums between them be interchangable? I'm hoping to just buy the plenum from LCE and it'll bolt right up to an M90 (which can be had for less than a hundred bucks on ebay all day, tons of 90s GM and Ford cars came from the factory with them. I have a list compiled if anyone is interested)

The next issue is the snout, I'm assuming it won't line up perfectly if I find that the plenums are interchangeable, would it? I'm not sure if there's just one standard one that comes on all the M62s and M90s or if they are built to an OEM's spec.

As you can tell this is still in the "pipedream" stage, but hoping to make it a reality soon. Any input is helpful.

 

I really thinking about getting a s/c as well. I've been looking at the URD kit. I'd like to hear what people have to say as well.

 

Ok I talked to Wes at LCE yesterday, very helpful guy. He contacted Magnuson for me to ask about interchangeability between M62 and M90 blowers. They told him that both were discontinued and sent me drawings of their replacement models. Assuming the 2 new blowers are identical (in mounting at least) to their older relatives (I'm still waiting on a reply from him to confirm) they are not interchangeable. So I either need to find an M62 to use or make an adapter to put an M90 on an M62 manifold. I don't really trust my solidworks skills to draw that without having either part to measure so I think I'll just go with the M62. He also told me that the snouts are all the same on those blowers, so pulley alignment shouldn't be an issue.

 

I just read through this thread where they argued for 19 pages about the M62 vs. M90... Now my brain is full of fuck and I'm second guessing myself

http://www.redlineforums.com/forums/performance-modifications/17053-m62-vs-m90.html

 

Hhhhmmmmm........well, you know what I say.

 

Yes... turbo(s) haha. As soon as my spare engine bush and money tree are mature and producing their respective fruits I'll follow in your footsteps (well actually Paradise Racing's footsteps) and throw the world's fastest 4 cylinder into a Tacoma

Anyway, the general consensus I've found is to stick with an M62, but to get as new of an M62 as possible. So I'll be on the lookout for an MP62 out of a Cobalt SS. This is based on a lot of discussion I've found on similar sized engines around the net. There aren't big enough gains to be had from an M90 to be worth trying to make one fit.

http://www.capa.com.au/eaton_mp62_4th.htm

^This is a great place to compare them, the biggest difference I noticed was on the power required to drive the supercharger. At the top end where the M90 would have the largest advantage over the M62, The M90 requires over 50 HP to be driven vs. 35 for the M62. If I figure it'll make 200hp at those RPMs, The M90 is drawing 26% of the engine's power to be driven vs. 17% for the M62. In order to overcome that loss, I'd need far more work done to the engine than I'm willing to do to have the M90 generating as much boost as it needs to to be worth it.

Anyway, I shall start my supercharger search. I think budget is my top priority, so I'll llook for an MP62 but would also work with an M62 if the price is right. I'm thinking this can be kept under a grand.

 

sorry to revive this but did you ever get around to this project? I'm curious as my "new" pickup might need this