That looks like a turbo rather than a supercharger....it even says turbonetics on the side...maybe I am missing something?
Arctic Cat Prowler Super Chargers
If your looking to add real power to your cat, then here is your answer. ATVonics has co-developed a SuperCharger system with Pro-charger.
This system has fully adjustable boost levels, belt driven direct drive for instant boost, fully self contained requires no oil supply from the engine, and delivers a nice cool intake charge with or with out a intercooler.
Get readdy to buy some axles....
For EFI or Carbed Prowlers.
![]()
www.ATVonics.com
[email protected]
503-260-1386
This system has fully adjustable boost levels, belt driven direct drive for instant boost, fully self contained requires no oil supply from the engine, and delivers a nice cool intake charge with or with out a intercooler.
Get readdy to buy some axles....
For EFI or Carbed Prowlers.
www.ATVonics.com
[email protected]
503-260-1386
1 - 20 of 31 Posts
I think it is basically a belt driven Turbo.. (Which is basically what a supercharger is anyways I guess)
Well that may be but a turbo and supercharger are different breeds of animal.
I wonder what it does for power across the rpm range, not just peak HP gain...
I wonder what it does for power across the rpm range, not just peak HP gain...
Good eye...while a supercharger needs power to make power, a turbo does not.
Maybe we can get some clarification or maybe he just uploaded the wrong image?
Maybe we can get some clarification or maybe he just uploaded the wrong image?
I am a diesel tech and on all acounts that looks like a turbo.
I drive a diesel and I agree 
Could it be a modified housing though?
Could it be a modified housing though?
A turbo charger it typically driven by exhaust. In this case it is driven by a belt just like a supercharger, however the one they are using is a turbo.
Ok I stand to be corrected. The real difference between the two is the way they are driven. Turbo is exhaust driven and a supercharger is typically belt driven. They both introduce compressed air. Take a few moments and read this. The kits looks cool by the way. Keep up the good topics guys.
HowStuffWorks "What is the difference between a turbocharger and a supercharger on a car's engine?"
HowStuffWorks "What is the difference between a turbocharger and a supercharger on a car's engine?"
To me the concept is simple.. They modify a turbo or design a supercharger based on a turbo, by taking off the turbine and installing a cog pulley, connect it to the motor and waalaaa!! It's like the pro charger set up almost.. It is a real nice set-up and will eliminate turbo lag.. Sure it takes power to make power this way, as opposed to a exhaust driven turbo, but lets face it, much more than 8 lbs of boost and the cost of the kit is going to be the last of your worries!
I would really like to know how well their test platforms are holding up?? The stock torque to yield head bolts don't hold very well with added pressure, and the heads lift.. Maybe they have come up with a solution already for that???
I would really like to know how well their test platforms are holding up?? The stock torque to yield head bolts don't hold very well with added pressure, and the heads lift.. Maybe they have come up with a solution already for that???
Oh and not that this is really the place to discuss this, however, with a forced induction motor you need to ensure that you do not run any sort of iridium plugs as the resonance in the motor can cause the tip to become loose and find its way into the motor...sorry just a side thought.
Prowler Super Carger
First of all we (ATVonics) use both Super Chargers and certain Turbo's depending on the application. We could debate Turbo's vs SuperChargers all day long.
But here's the scoop this is a SuperCharger system, cog belt driven directly from the crank.
The actual superCharger head is a Pro-charger specially made for ATVonics designed for small cc applications. It's made from solid billet 6061 aluminum,U.S.A. made, self contained step up gear driven impeller system like a turbo but its belt driven, so it builds instant boost and all across the power band but doesn’t use exhaust to drive it. Anyone who follows car racing knows Pro-charger they work..... An they have many world records to prove it.
So for small engine applications you can develope instant boost and torque; you don’t have to wait for the exhaust to spin up the impeller (turbo lag).
And because its belt driven you don’t pick up all of the heat from the exhaust drive side like turbo's, the boost charge stays cool and O2 dense.
Also because its cog belt driven you can easily change your boost levels by just changing one of the drive pulleys and thus changing you ratio's to the SuperCharger.
We suggest setting the boost at 7-8 lbs max, a good safe boost level. However certain customers that are racing or running only at very high altitude applications on some of our UTV track vehicles have it running at higher boost. Why because they are in thin air and need the extra boost to regain power loss.
A couple of things effect small engines and can cause problems especially under boost.
1. Heat... small engine need to remain cool, if you run a hot boost charge into engines they can be affected in many ways. Some of the most devastating effects are detonation, overheating and even engine failure.
That's why turbos should always run Intercoolers to cool this charge because it's a hot charge (exhaust driven); we only use intercoolers to gain even more power not as a necessity.
2. Oil supply... these engines don’t have a lot of Oil to utilize. Our system is self contained, needs no oil supply from the engine. Eliminating another problem, no extra oil tanks, no external oil pumps and lines running hot oil to and from the engine and charger head. Less chance of oil failure to the engine or charger head and engine oil remains cooler.
3. Some believe turbo's are free horsepower, and don’t draw power from the engine and that exhaust is free power. Not quite true. Think of your engine as a big air pump. The easier exhaust flows from the engine the cooler it runs and less restriction on the engine. The pistons pump the expelled and burnt air charge out of the engine. If the piston has to push the air out of the exhaust and thus push an impeller on a turbo then it draws energy to push this restricted exhaust out. It draws power off the crank for the piston to push the exhaust out into a restricted flow.
If you don’t believe me then put a restriction plug in your exhaust and see what it does to engine horse power and engine temps.
Now I'm not here to dive into the age old debate of Turbo vs Super Charger and which one is best. I think their are applications for both.
However for small engines that doesn’t drive a lot of exhaust flow most turbo's will have some lag and not as lower end torque power. If you pick a tiny turbo that spools quickly and provides low end torque, then it runs out of demand boost on the high end. On the other hand if you choose a turbo that is larger and has a lot of deliverable boost charge then it takes a while for the exhaust to build up enough pressure to spool the turbo and a thing called (Turbo lag) happens. This really shows its ugly face on the smaller engines that don’t produce a lot of exhaust flow like say, a big block Chevy.
And yes their are ways to reduce these conditions and sequentially run turbos together and get huge power all of the way through the power band, from low end to high end.
But now you’re talking about a big expense and a huge set up.
For those of you who don’t know what this is, it's having a small quick spool turbo directly feed a larger volume turbo in sequence.
Mostly for racing, their are a lot of things that can go wrong here....
So in this case for a UTV that really needs low end torque and huge power up to say 65- 70 mph then the simple and cost effective solution is a direct drive Super Charger to builds instant boost.
For certain other applications a turbo is the only logical choice, and I personally believe their is only one turbo on the market that we use, for all of the above reasons.
Let the comments fly.........................
First of all we (ATVonics) use both Super Chargers and certain Turbo's depending on the application. We could debate Turbo's vs SuperChargers all day long.
But here's the scoop this is a SuperCharger system, cog belt driven directly from the crank.
The actual superCharger head is a Pro-charger specially made for ATVonics designed for small cc applications. It's made from solid billet 6061 aluminum,U.S.A. made, self contained step up gear driven impeller system like a turbo but its belt driven, so it builds instant boost and all across the power band but doesn’t use exhaust to drive it. Anyone who follows car racing knows Pro-charger they work..... An they have many world records to prove it.
So for small engine applications you can develope instant boost and torque; you don’t have to wait for the exhaust to spin up the impeller (turbo lag).
And because its belt driven you don’t pick up all of the heat from the exhaust drive side like turbo's, the boost charge stays cool and O2 dense.
Also because its cog belt driven you can easily change your boost levels by just changing one of the drive pulleys and thus changing you ratio's to the SuperCharger.
We suggest setting the boost at 7-8 lbs max, a good safe boost level. However certain customers that are racing or running only at very high altitude applications on some of our UTV track vehicles have it running at higher boost. Why because they are in thin air and need the extra boost to regain power loss.
A couple of things effect small engines and can cause problems especially under boost.
1. Heat... small engine need to remain cool, if you run a hot boost charge into engines they can be affected in many ways. Some of the most devastating effects are detonation, overheating and even engine failure.
That's why turbos should always run Intercoolers to cool this charge because it's a hot charge (exhaust driven); we only use intercoolers to gain even more power not as a necessity.
2. Oil supply... these engines don’t have a lot of Oil to utilize. Our system is self contained, needs no oil supply from the engine. Eliminating another problem, no extra oil tanks, no external oil pumps and lines running hot oil to and from the engine and charger head. Less chance of oil failure to the engine or charger head and engine oil remains cooler.
3. Some believe turbo's are free horsepower, and don’t draw power from the engine and that exhaust is free power. Not quite true. Think of your engine as a big air pump. The easier exhaust flows from the engine the cooler it runs and less restriction on the engine. The pistons pump the expelled and burnt air charge out of the engine. If the piston has to push the air out of the exhaust and thus push an impeller on a turbo then it draws energy to push this restricted exhaust out. It draws power off the crank for the piston to push the exhaust out into a restricted flow.
If you don’t believe me then put a restriction plug in your exhaust and see what it does to engine horse power and engine temps.
Now I'm not here to dive into the age old debate of Turbo vs Super Charger and which one is best. I think their are applications for both.
However for small engines that doesn’t drive a lot of exhaust flow most turbo's will have some lag and not as lower end torque power. If you pick a tiny turbo that spools quickly and provides low end torque, then it runs out of demand boost on the high end. On the other hand if you choose a turbo that is larger and has a lot of deliverable boost charge then it takes a while for the exhaust to build up enough pressure to spool the turbo and a thing called (Turbo lag) happens. This really shows its ugly face on the smaller engines that don’t produce a lot of exhaust flow like say, a big block Chevy.
And yes their are ways to reduce these conditions and sequentially run turbos together and get huge power all of the way through the power band, from low end to high end.
But now you’re talking about a big expense and a huge set up.
For those of you who don’t know what this is, it's having a small quick spool turbo directly feed a larger volume turbo in sequence.
Mostly for racing, their are a lot of things that can go wrong here....
So in this case for a UTV that really needs low end torque and huge power up to say 65- 70 mph then the simple and cost effective solution is a direct drive Super Charger to builds instant boost.
For certain other applications a turbo is the only logical choice, and I personally believe their is only one turbo on the market that we use, for all of the above reasons.
Let the comments fly.........................
I can't believe I read the whole thing, no comment, need a nap lol
First off I think your system looks like a good one.. I would really like to see pics of where you are running the cog off the crankshaft..
Will this set up work on the thunder cat (prowler 1000) motor?
I agree with almost everything you said, including that turbo's are not 100% free horsepower, but, I also believe that comparing a spinning turbine, isn't really a comparison to a "restriction plug" in your exhaust system...
Look forward to seeing some more pics of your system..
Have you addressed head lift at all? Are you having head gasket issues on stock motors?
P.S. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.. AND thanks for developing aftermarket prowler parts! I bought a billet aluminum dash from you and appreciate the time it saved me making one!
[
Will this set up work on the thunder cat (prowler 1000) motor?
I agree with almost everything you said, including that turbo's are not 100% free horsepower, but, I also believe that comparing a spinning turbine, isn't really a comparison to a "restriction plug" in your exhaust system...
3. Some believe turbo's are free horsepower, and don’t draw power from the engine and that exhaust is free power. Not quite true. Think of your engine as a big air pump. The easier exhaust flows from the engine the cooler it runs and less restriction on the engine. The pistons pump the expelled and burnt air charge out of the engine. If the piston has to push the air out of the exhaust and thus push an impeller on a turbo then it draws energy to push this restricted exhaust out. It draws power off the crank for the piston to push the exhaust out into a restricted flow.
If you don’t believe me then put a restriction plug in your exhaust and see what it does to engine horse power and engine temps.
Look forward to seeing some more pics of your system..
Have you addressed head lift at all? Are you having head gasket issues on stock motors?
P.S. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.. AND thanks for developing aftermarket prowler parts! I bought a billet aluminum dash from you and appreciate the time it saved me making one!
[
Prowler Super Charger
Sorry for the looooong post last time, just wanted to get the basic questions out of the way.
Keeping to our suggested boost levels we havent had any head issues.
We do have a racing customer that has more money than god and wants only pure power that will blow anything away; running in the ball park of 12-14 lbs of boost. I think it's only a matter of time before that goes into orbit, but thats the way he wants it.
He is always blowing something up and rebuilding it better, it's just the way this wild man is.
And no we havent put it to a Thunder Cat engine yet, but I've been called a lot about doing so.
Here's a question for the forum: do you think theirs a need and a market to super charge that 1000 hemi motor????????????
Sorry for the looooong post last time, just wanted to get the basic questions out of the way.
Keeping to our suggested boost levels we havent had any head issues.
We do have a racing customer that has more money than god and wants only pure power that will blow anything away; running in the ball park of 12-14 lbs of boost. I think it's only a matter of time before that goes into orbit, but thats the way he wants it.
He is always blowing something up and rebuilding it better, it's just the way this wild man is.
And no we havent put it to a Thunder Cat engine yet, but I've been called a lot about doing so.
Here's a question for the forum: do you think theirs a need and a market to super charge that 1000 hemi motor????????????
Dont know about the others but I dont have more money than god, hell sometimes I wonder how I afford to dump any money in mine, but somehow I always do.. As far as my personal need for speed, my vote is yes. Make one for the 1000 motor. If you need to test it or get input, I have a 1000 in my prowler right now!
Build it and they will come.ATVonics PowerSports said:Here's a question for the forum: do you think theirs a need and a market to super charge that 1000 hemi motor????????????
Can these super chargers be used in mud/water riding or are they to be used in desert-riding?
Prowler Super Charger
They can be used in water and mud the intake and discharge (boost) is sealed and wont let water in, however the belt drive could get gunk in it and throw the belt if you sat in a chest deep swamp mud for a long time.
I have a guy running it in deep water and said he threw a belt in the swamp when swamp grass got into the lower drive belt and pulley.
He then build a pulley guard around the pulley and lower part of the belt to keep out swamp grass (what ever that is) and havent heard a thing sence them.
I called him yesterday to check in with him and the system.. he was out in Arizona ridding for the week. When he calls me back from his ridding adventure I'll have him do a post.
His receptionest says all he does now is wait for vacation or the weekends to ride.
They can be used in water and mud the intake and discharge (boost) is sealed and wont let water in, however the belt drive could get gunk in it and throw the belt if you sat in a chest deep swamp mud for a long time.
I have a guy running it in deep water and said he threw a belt in the swamp when swamp grass got into the lower drive belt and pulley.
He then build a pulley guard around the pulley and lower part of the belt to keep out swamp grass (what ever that is) and havent heard a thing sence them.
I called him yesterday to check in with him and the system.. he was out in Arizona ridding for the week. When he calls me back from his ridding adventure I'll have him do a post.
His receptionest says all he does now is wait for vacation or the weekends to ride.
we Have People interested in our 1400cc kit for the 1000 so i would imagine there would be people interested in Supercharging them
1 - 20 of 31 Posts
- This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Arctic Cat Prowler Forums
A forum community dedicated to Arctic Cat Prowler UTV owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, off roading, safety, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Recommended Communities
