3.6 Pentastar Supercharger Guide
The 3.6 Pentastar V6 engine has been in production since 2011, and it is one of the most popular engines for vehicles in the Chrysler (Stellantis) lineup. In the Chargers and Challengers, it makes 292–300 horsepower, and the Jeeps get the slightly less powerful 285 horsepower version. However, if you are looking to seriously turn up the wick and get some more performance, adding a 3.6 Pentastar supercharger is an excellent way to go on any model and much easier than a HEMI swap.
3.6 Pentastar Supercharging Basics
Now let’s talk about the basics of adding a supercharger kit to your Pentastar powered vehicle. Before going and purchasing a full kit, it’s important to understand what you might be getting yourself into. Typically, most supercharger builds will need a budget of at least $10,000-$20,000. This includes not just the kit itself, but also installation, supporting mods (like tuning), and other optional upgrades you might find yourself wanting along the way. First, let’s talk about supporting mods for your kit.
Supporting Mods and Tuning
Depending on your build plans for the 3.6 Pentastar supercharger kit, you may or may not want to add additional supporting mods. Some people simply put on a supercharger kit and don’t add anything extra, but most people will add supplemental mods to help the supercharger work more efficiently and ultimately make more power.
One of the most common upgrades is going to be long-tube headers. Headers are aftermarket exhaust manifolds, and they can free up an additional ~20 wheel horsepower on top of your gains from the blower. Connected to your headers is the cat-back exhaust, and these are also popular upgrades. While they won’t do a lot from a power perspective, they will add a nice deep rumble to your exhaust that increases volume, too.
However, the most important mods you will want to look at are going to be related to the suspension and handling. Adding 150+ horsepower to an otherwise stock car, truck, or crawler will definitely change the handling characteristics. If you’re in a sedan, you might want to look at things like coilovers, lowering springs, and sway bars. If you have a crawler or off-roader, you might want to look more at sway bars, control arms, shocks, and springs.
Brakes and Tires
Of course, you will also want to look at getting better tires and likely some upgraded brakes. Tires are some of the most important but underrated parts of a car’s ability to handle. Remember, 150+ horsepower gains are meaningless if you can’t successfully transfer it from the tires to the pavement with traction.
Finally, you’ll need to make sure you have adequate stopping power after adding a blower. Your stock brakes might be okay if you have a sport/performance package, but otherwise most stock brakes need to be upgraded to safely handle the extra power. It’s not a question of if you will stop, but how effectively and how long it will take.
Why is Tuning Important?
Bar none, including all the supporting mods listed above (besides maybe brakes), the most important mod you need to have done if you plan on a 3.6 Pentastar supercharger is tuning. Having a tuner (either online or in-person) give you a map that will make sure your car operates safely and correctly is of paramount concern. Without tuning, your engine will not be able to safely handle the extra air from the supercharger, resulting in lean air-to-fuel ratios and detonation, causing melted pistons/thrown rods/cracked blocks.
Tuners can optimize your fueling, ignition and cam timing, and boost pressure, to ensure that not only are you making the most power possible, but that your engine can handle it. Finding a tuner who is reputable and has handled your model and modifications before is a great idea, and can only be avoided at your own risk. MAKE SURE YOU TUNE!
Pentastar Block and Internals Power Limits
Now the inevitable next question is how much power can the Pentastar cylinder block and internals (connecting rods, pistons, crankshaft, etc) can take before failing. While there is no magical number, most people would say that going past 450-500 horsepower is about the limits of the stock internals. At that stage, you will want to start thinking about forged pistons, rods, and head studs for reinforcement.
The block is likely good well past that for another few hundred horsepower before seriously being jeopardized. However, most people who do go over 500-600 horsepower are either race teams with built engines or are using the larger HEMI V8 power plants. So you are in a bit of uncharted waters pushing that with the stock Pentastar. In addition, you’ll also need a custom blower kit, as all of the ones available max out around 450 horsepower.
How much boost can my 3.6 Pentastar take?
Most tuners will keep boost on a stock 3.6 Pentastar to 12-13 PSI maximum. Above 14 PSI and cylinder pressure starts to become an issue, which means knocking and detonation. It is possible to go above 14 PSI, but usually it’s not done on a stock engine.
Different Kinds of 3.6 Pentastar Superchargers
Now let’s talk about the three different kinds of 3.6 Pentastar superchargers available: Centrifugal, Roots, and Twin-Screw.
Roots and Twin-Screw
Roots and twin-screw superchargers are belt-driven and relatively similar, but they have some important differences. Both of them are usually placed on top of an engine and suck in air through an air intake and throttle body, before it is pushed into the supercharger itself. There, it passes between a series of rotors or lobes on its way through the intercooler and intake manifold and into the engine.
The difference between roots and twin-screws has to do with the rotors. On a roots blower, the rotors spin in opposite directions which pushes more air into the manifold then it can take – causing positive pressure. The air then becomes compressed inside the intake manifold before pushing into the engine.
On a twin-screw blower, the rotors spin in opposite directions, but mesh with each other and compress the air between them, where it is then sent into the intercooler/engine. So on roots blowers the air compresses in the manifold, on twin-screws the supercharger rotors actually compress the air. Needless to say, twin-screws are much more efficient and can produce more ultimate power than roots.
Centrifugal
The other option is a belt-driven centrifugal-style supercharger. Centrifugal superchargers look similar to 3.6 Pentastar turbochargers, and sit alongside or in front of the engine rather than on top of it. They use an impeller to draw in air to be compressed in a small compressor housing, called a volute, and the centrifugal force of the air pushes it into a diffuser.
The diffuser converts the compressed air from low-speed and low-pressure to low-speed but high-pressure. It is then sent to the intercooler, throttle body, and intake manifold, and into the engine.
Centrifugal blowers offer the greatest power potential, but struggle to make low-end torque like a roots or twin-screw blower. Centrifugals are also usually the easiest to fit to an engine, as they are smaller and fit under the hood easier.
Best 3.6 Pentastar Supercharger Kits
Now onto the fun part, our recommendation for the 5 Best 3.6 Pentastar Supercharger Kits on the market today. We have a mix of centrifugal, roots, and twin-screw blowers, so you can pick your poison. We also have some CARB legal options and some off-road only kits, for whatever application you need.
1) Ripp Supercharger
Supercharger Type: Centrifugal
Applicable Models: Chrysler 300; Dodge Charger/Challenger/Durango/Ram 1500; Jeep Wrangler/Gladiator/Grand Cherokee
Price: $5,375.00 – $7,009.00
Carb Approved? Some kits
First on our list are the various 3.6 Pentastar supercharger options from Ripp Superchargers. Ripp has by far the most extensive selection and support for supercharging the Pentastar, and they are very well known in the Pentastar and MOPAR communities. They also make blower kits for the larger 5.7, 6.1, and 6.1 HEMI engines, too. Some of their kits are CARB approved, while others are not.
For most of their kits, Ripp uses centrifugal-style superchargers with a Vortech V3 Si Trim blower. Also included in the kits are all supporting mods needed to run the kit, like injectors, sensors, vacuum lines, etc. Ripp also provides a tune, but they recommend getting a custom one done for safety and to get the most power. All of their kits also include intercoolers, most of them front mounted.
The Ripp kits are available for pretty much every 3.6 Pentastar you would be looking to supercharge. It supports the Chrysler 300; Dodge Charger, Challenger, Durango, and Ram 1500; and the Jeep Wrangler, Gladiator, and Grand Cherokee. Depending on the blower, kit, and vehicle model, the Ripp units will provide power outputs from 350–450 wheel horsepower and similar lb-ft of torque.
2) Edelbrock Supercharger for Jeep Wrangler JK/JL/JT
Supercharger Type: Roots
Applicable Models: Jeep Wrangler/Gladiator (2012–2020)
Price: $6,261.87 – $7,717.87
Carb Approved? Yes
Next on our list are Edelbrock’s Jeep Wrangler JK, JL, and JT supercharger kits. Edelbrock is one of the most reputable and longest serving names in the automotive performance industry. They have been making performance parts for hot rods since the 1950s, and their blower kits are known for being reliable and potent.
Edelbrock offers kits for the 2012–2020 Jeep Wrangler. They are all roots style superchargers, with most of them being Eaton Gen VI 1320 TVS blowers. They will deliver power outputs around 315 wheel horsepower and 275 wheel torque, increases of 46% and 27% over stock, respectively. Also included in the kit are very efficient air-to-water intercoolers with heat exchangers, as well as all supporting mods to run the kit.
The Edelbrock units are only available for the Jeeps, and they are reported to fit under the hood with no modifications. Purchase of a tune with the blower kit is optional from Edelbrock. Their kits are CARB approved, meaning they will pass emissions for any state.
3) ProCharger For 3.6 Pentastar
Supercharger Type: Centrifugal
Applicable Models: Dodge Charger/Challenger; Jeep Wrangler/Gladiator
Price: Starting at $6,298.00
Carb Approved? Jeep – Yes; Dodge – No
Our third entry on the list is the tried and true ProCharger setup. ProCharger have been one of the most consistent names in the forced induction industry for many years, and their centrifugal-style superchargers are considered the standard for many.
ProCharger offers multiple kits for both the Dodge Charger/Challenger and the Jeep Wrangler/Gladiator. Most of them come with the P-1SC blower standard, but that can be upped to larger blowers with more power. The P-1SC is good for a 40-45% horsepower gain on just 7 PSI of boost. Included in the kits is a large air-to-air intercooler and all supporting mods needed.
Some of the ProCharger kits are CARB approved with EO numbers, but others are not. As of this writing, only the Jeep kits have CARB approval. The ProCharger kit is also pretty reasonably priced for what it provides, and can be had in multiple different colors.
4) Sprintex Supercharger for 3.6 Pentastar
Supercharger Type: Twin-screw
Applicable Models: Chrysler 300; Dodge Charger/Challenger; Jeep Wrangler/Gladiator
Price: $6,695.00
Carb Approved? Yes
Our penultimate blowers are the Sprintex Superchargers for the Chrysler 300; Dodge Challenger/Charger; and Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator. Sprintex is a relatively new name to the supercharger industry in the U.S., as they are based in Australia. Still, they have acquired a decent reputation in their short time, mainly producing MOPAR and Toyota parts.
The Sprintex blower is a front entry S5-335 Twin-Screw Generation II supercharger. The kits come with all necessary parts, as well as a larger air-to-water intercooler that immensely helps with cooling and uses Laminova boost tubes. It is a solid kit that also has the benefit of being CARB approved and having an EO number.
While Sprintex may be the newcomer to our list, their kits have gotten decent reviews so far. They offer good power gains while maintaining CARB approval. And they definitely need to be considered if you’re serious about supercharging your 3.6 Pentastar.
5) Magnuson Supercharger for Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Gladiator
Supercharger Type: Hybrid-roots
Applicable Models: Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator (2018–2021)
Price: $7,195.00
Carb Approved? Yes for 2018–2020 Wrangler and 2020 Gladiator only
Our final entry on the list is from the tried and true Magnuson superchargers for the Jeep Wrangler and Gladiators from 2018–2021. Like Edelbrock and ProCharger, Magnuson has been one of the biggest names in the supercharging industry. And not just for Jeep and MOPAR. Their kits have been used on pretty much any make you could think of, and are usually known as “Maggies” by those who are familiar with them.
The Maggie kits use a Vortech TVS1900 hybrid-roots style blower that provides an exceptional 440 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque. That means about 375 wheel horsepower and 325 wheel torque, which are pretty substantial upgrades over stock. The kit comes with everything needed for installation, as well as a larger front-mounted intercooler.
The Magnuson kit is also CARB approved with its own EO number, making it an option no matter where you live. It’s a solid kit that provides more power than most at a relatively affordable price.
3.6 Pentastar Supercharger Guide Summary
For those looking to supercharge your 3.6 Pentastar, you have several great options at your disposal. Starting with the Ripp Superchargers, they are available for pretty much every make and model and provide pretty good power. Their centrifugal-style blowers fit well in the engine bay, and they have several different kits that are guaranteed to have good fitment.
Our other centrifugal-style option is from ProCharger. Their kits are also very well reviewed within the community. Their P-1SC blower is very popular on a number of cars, and provides quick response with good top-end power. The one twin-screw on the list from Sprintex is relatively unknown. But, it has gotten some good reviews so far. Power-wise it is one of the top options, and the kits appear well built.
Finally, we have two roots-style options, the Edelbrock and Magnuson kits. They both use different types of Vortech TVS blowers. These are some of the top roots-style kits on the market, and they deliver excellent power while staying CARB legal on most models. Overall, you can’t go wrong with any of the options on our list.
Have you considered supercharging your 3.6 Pentastar or have you already done so? Let us know in the comments below!