LS2 Supercharger Upgrade Guide

Chevy/GM first brought out the LS2 engine in the 2005 Chevrolet C6 Corvette, SSR, and Pontiac GTO. It also made its way into various other GMC/Chevy/Pontiac vehicles, like the G8, Trailblazer SS, and Sierra/Yukon. From the factory, the LS2 engine produced between 300-400 horsepower and 360-400 lb-ft of torque, depending on the vehicle. However, if you really want to make your LS2 come to life, getting an LS2 supercharger is the way to go.

The stock 300-400 horsepower is okay, if you’re just getting around town, but if you’re driving a 6.0 L V8 you probably have your sights set a little higher. Modding a naturally aspirated LS2 will only get you so much, and if you want more than 500 horsepower you’ll definitely need forced induction.

This guide will cover the top options for upgrading your LS2 superchargers. We’ll take a look at the most well reviewed and well respected LS2 superchargers within the GM/Chevy community, and analyze them by cost, performance, and craftsmanship. Regardless of the LS2 equipped or swapped vehicle you own, there is a supercharger system for you.

*Keep in mind, the LS2 was available in a pretty wide range of vehicles. This guide is meant to cover blowers for as many LS2 equipped vehicles as possible. However, still make sure you confirm fitment with your specific vehicle model before making any purchases.

**The LS2 had several variants. To make things easier, all LS2 variants will be referred to singularly as the LS2 unless otherwise noted.

LS2 Engine History

General Motors introduced the LS2 engine for the 2005 model year. They based the LS2 on both the LS1 and its high-performance variant the LS6. Chevy/GM bumped up in the LS2 to 400 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque in the Corvette, and between 300-360 horsepower in other applications. The LS2 appeared in a wide range of vehicles, including the GTO, G8, Caprice PPV, Sierra/Yukon, Suburban, Silverado, and much more.

The LS2 only lasted until 2009, when GM retired it. However, it was offered as a crate engine for several years, and is still used by independent builders and shops. In addition, a few of the LS2 variants lasted a few years longer, like the L77 that lasted until 2017.

The L76/77/98 LS2 Variants

GM released three variants based on the LS2: the L76, L77, and L98. These were similar in design to the LS2, but had improvements like Variable Valve Timing (L76), flex-fuel compatibility (L77), and/or Active Fuel Management (L76/77) – depending on the specific engine. These lasted until the 2017 production year for the L77, and were primarily designed for use in the Australian market by GM’s former subsidiary Holden, though some have also been used stateside. The L98 was never offered in the U.S..

LS2 Engine Basics for Supercharger

Previously, we’ve looked in-depth at the LS2 engine before, so we’ll just go over some of the basics here. The GM/Chevy Gen IV small-block LS2 is based on its Gen III small-block predecessor, the LS1. It has a relatively simple pushrod OHV, 2 valve per cylinder design, featuring an aluminum block and head.

The LS2 has a bore and stroke of 4.000″× 3.622″. This results in a total displacement of 6.0 L, an increase over the 5.7 L LS1. The LS2 retains the six-bolt main caps, 4.40″ center bore, and deep-skirt case from the LS1. Both had steel crankshafts and sequential multi-port fuel injection, with the LS2 having 34 lb/hr flowing injectors.

In the Corvettes, the LS2’s aluminum block weighs 15 lbs less than the LS1 block. This weight reduction is courtesy of a thinner-walled exhaust manifold, smaller water pump, and a smaller oil pan. It might sound alarming that the oil pan requires a full quart less oil than the LS1, but it’s not. The pan has completely redesigned baffles to keep oil flowing through the pickup and is wingless instead of “gull-wing” design. Again, this revised oil pan was just for the Corvette version of the LS2.

The biggest thing to know about the LS2 when it comes to modding is the cylinder head. The LS2 used GM’s LS cathedral port head, which is relatively undesirable. Compared with the rectangular port head used on engines like the LS7, the cathedral ports do not flow as well and perform worse at higher RPMs, though they are arguably slightly better for low-end torque.

LS2 Variants: L76/77/98

The three LS2 variants are all very similar to the LS2 with only minor changes. The main difference between the LS2 and the L76 is the introduction of Active Fuel Management (AFM). Also new for the L76 over the LS2 was the introduction of Variable Valve Timing (VVT) for the camshaft. VVT allowed for better fuel efficiency and tuning for power than non-VVT engines.

There are several differences between the truck and car L76 engines. The cars had lower-rise intake manifolds, intakes, and exhaust manifolds, all to accommodate the smaller bay. L76 cars have a 10.4:1 compression ratio, while trucks have a lower 9.7:1 ratio.

The L77 is basically a flex-fuel version of the L76 that can run ethanol blends in addition to petrol. It also has AFM but does not have VVT. The L98 was not available domestically so we’ll skip it.

Check our LS2 engine guide for a much more in-depth breakdown.

LS2 Engine Applications

Here are the domestic applications for the Chevy/GM LS2 engine. The L98 variant was not available domestically so we’ll skip it.

LS2 Vehicle Applications

• 2005–2007 Chevrolet Corvette
• 2005–2006 Chevrolet SSR
• 2005–2006 Pontiac GTO
• 2006–2007 Cadillac CTS-V
• 2006–2009 Chevrolet TrailBlazer SS
• 2008–2009 Saab 9-7X Aero

L76 Vehicle Applications

• 2007–2013 Chevrolet Avalanche
• 2007–2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
• 2007–2009 Chevrolet Suburban 1500
• 2007–2009 GMC Sierra 1500
• 2007–2009 GMC Yukon XL
• 2007–2009 Pontiac G8 GT

L77 Vehicle Applications

• 2011–2017 Chevrolet Caprice PPV

LS2 Supercharging Basics

Now that we know a little about the LS2 V8 engine, let’s talk about supercharging. There is a lot to consider about a supercharged LS2 besides just picking out a blower. Even that is not quite as cut and dry as it might seem. In these next few sections, we will cover the pertinent things on any successful LS2 supercharger build list.

Supercharged LS2 Supporting Mods and Tuning

While LS2 superchargers are fun upgrades, they are not the only aspect of a successful build. Not only do you need to consider internal upgrades to make your engine withstand the power, but you also need to think about other bolt-on mods and tuning to get the most out of your supercharger kit.

You can supercharge a completely stock engine with the stock exhaust, but that will limit your gains. For a good build, you will want at least a few other supporting bolt-on mods. These include upgraded intake, headers, throttle body, camshaft, and of course proper tuning. Most of these will add about 10-20 horsepower individually, but they really help superchargers work more efficiently.

At a minimum, if you are considering a supercharger you will also want long-tube headers. Things like intakes and throttle bodies are also pretty much necessary mods. However, they are supercharger dependent, so keep that in mind before purchasing.

Previously, we looked at the Top 5 LS2 Mods, as well as an LS2 Header Upgrade Guide. Make sure you take a look at both of those before planning your build.

While you don’t need any bolt-ons when supercharging, there are a few fueling upgrades that do need to be made. This includes larger fuel injectors and a bigger fuel pump. Most kits will include these, but if not you’ll need something larger than stock to keep the fueling on par with the increased airflow.

Supercharged LS2 Tuning

Tuning is going to the most important supporting mod for a supercharged LS2. Proper ECU tuning will make sure that your engine is safely running whatever boost your kit runs. Without good tuning, your engine is very liable to explode in short order with forced induction. Tuning will also help you get all of the usable power out of your LS2 supercharger upgrade, too.

LS2 Internals and Block Power Limits

It’s widely considered that the LS2 has stronger internals than the LS1, which is already pretty stout itself. The LS2 is capable of taking more than 800+ wheel-horsepower on the stock block without any issues. There have been many stock LS2 blocks that have pushed into the 900+ wheel-horsepower territory without issues, but that’s a little risky if you ask us.

Our recommended LS2 supercharger kits below have a wide range of power outputs, but most of them are going to fall between the 500-750 wheel-horsepower range. For builds in this range, at a minimum you will want aftermarket forged pistons, forged connecting rods, and head studs.

Other good upgrades are a high pressure oil pump (Melling is popular), timing chain dampener, Trunion rocker arm upgrade kit, 6 or 8-rib belt conversion, and stronger pushrods. Fueling wise, you will need larger injectors and a larger fuel pump.

The Different Kinds of LS2 Superchargers

Now let’s talk about the different kinds of superchargers available for the LS2 engine. There are three different options; centrifugal superchargers, roots superchargers, and twin-screw superchargers. Each of them has their advantages and disadvantages, but all are good options.

You can think of centrifugal superchargers as belt operated turbochargers. The mechanism is pretty much the same as a turbo, but a belt runs the compressor instead of exhaust gasses. Centrifugal blowers will offer the highest peak power, but at the expense of low end torque. Usually, these sit in front of the engine rather than on top of it.

Roots superchargers are the most common type of blowers available from the factory on stock cars. They are the simplest and cheapest type of supercharger. Roots blowers offer lots of low end torque, but can’t match centrifugals for peak RPM power. Roots superchargers, importantly, don’t actually compress any air. Rather, they act like a large air pump, pumping air into the engine where it gets compressed during the compression stroke.

Twin-screw superchargers are the type of superchargers used on cars like the SRT Hellcat and Demon. Twin-screw superchargers look similar to roots-style, but they compress the air before sending it into the engine. They are great for low end torque, like roots-style, but provide less peak RPM power than centrifugals.

Both roots and twin-screw blowers are known as positive displacement superchargers, while centrifugal superchargers are known as variable displacement. The difference is, roots and twin-screws will deliver a consistent amount of boost, whereas centrifugals vary the amount of boost they run. This allows centrifugals to reach higher levels of boost than either roots or twin-screws.

Which LS2 Supercharger is Right for You?

Choosing which is right for you depends on your power goals and aesthetic proclivities. Do you want the most power? Go with the centrifugal. Are you after the old school muscle car look? Roots style is your best bet. Are you willing to sacrifice peak power for efficiency and low end torque? Look no further than a twin-screw.

Top LS2 Supercharger Kits

Now that we have talked about what it takes to supercharger your LS2, let’s get into the recommendations. We have broken it up into two sections, C6 Corvette supercharger kits and all other LS equipped vehicle superchargers. We know that most LS2 owners looking to supercharger are ‘Vette buyers, so we made it a separate section. Let’s get started.

Top LS2 Superchargers C6 Corvette

The Top 3 LS2 C6 Corvette Superchargers are:

• A&A Superchargers
• East Coast Supercharging
• Edelbrock E-Force

1) A&A LS2 C6 Corvette Supercharger

Price: $5,999.00+

Blower Style: Centrifugal

Purchase Link: A&A LS2 C6 Corvette Supercharger

Our first recommendation for a C6 Corvette LS2 supercharger is the A&A Corvette supercharger kit. A&A has by far the most well reviewed and highly recommended C6 supercharger kit on the market. A&A provides the best blend of quality, performance, and craftsmanship all rolled into one.

The A&A kit has three different centrifugal blower options, depending on power level. Their SI-superchargers flow 1.050 cfm and are capable of 775 horsepower. The Ti-superchargers flow 1,250 cfm and can produce 900 horsepower. The biggest option is the V7 YSI-supercharger, which can run 30 PSI, flows 1,600 cfm, and makes upwards of 1,200+ horsepower.

The A&A kits come with everything you need, including optional fueling and oiling upgrades – which are good things to invest in. The SI kit is also CARB compliant, which is a huge win for anyone living in a strict emissions state. Overall, the A&A is the top C6 Corvette supercharger option.

2) Edelbrock E Force LS2 Supercharger for C6 Corvette

Price: $9,950.87

Blower Style: Roots

Purchase Link: Edelbrock E-Force LS2 C6 Corvette Supercharger

Next on our list is the Edelbrock E-Force LS2 C6 Corvette supercharger. Edelbrock has long been a standard name in the performance industry, and their newest E-Force superchargers are fantastic. The blower is a “Eaton Gen VI 2300 TVS rotating assembly with a four-lobe design with 160 degrees of twist for maximum flow, minimum temperature rise and quiet operation for excellent drivability.”

The Edelbrock LS2 supercharger kit is capable of up to 600 horsepower and 550 lb-ft of torque. It comes with a highly efficient air-to-water intercooler and heat exchanger system, and is actually meant for completely stock vehicles – without even fueling upgrades. Their LS2 kit has an associated tuner with it, which takes care of the ECU and maximizes horsepower. The Edelbrock kit is also 50 states emissions legal.

3) East Coast Supercharging (ECS) LS2 Supercharger for C6 Corvette

Price: $5,699.00 – $6,199.00

Blower Style: Centrifugal

Purchase Link: East Coast Supercharging (ECS) LS2 C6 Corvette Supercharger

Our final C6 Corvette LS2 supercharger recommendation is from the Corvette specialists at East Coast Supercharging. Many people won’t even consider taking their ‘Vettes anywhere else when looking at mods, that’s how good ECS’ reputation is. They specialize in pretty much all modern Corvettes, including the LS2 powered C6.

Their LS2 kit has three options for centrifugal style blowers, capable of 500-1,300 wheel-horsepower. It also comes with an intercooler and upgraded belt system to handle the increased power. The head units are Novi 1500-SI or Novi 2200R. The Novi 1500-Si is capable of around 500-800 wheel-horsepower, while the Novi 2200R is meant for extremely high 1,000+ horsepower builds.

ECS’ LS2 supercharger kit is a great deal for the price while providing solid quality and performance. We have seen many ECS powered Corvettes and they all have satisfied owners. Feel very confident getting an ECS unit for your LS2.

Top LS2 GTO, Trailblazer SS, and Truck/SUV Superchargers

The top 4 LS2 GTO, Trailblazer SS, and GM/Chevy Truck/SUV Superchargers are:

• Edelbrock
• Magnuson Superchargers
• ProCharger
• Vortech

1) ProCharger For LS2 6.0

Price: Varies

Blower Style: Centrifugal

Purchase Link: LS2 ProCharger Supercharger Kits

ProCharger offers several LS2 supercharger kits for a wide variety of vehicles. They have long been a top manufacturer of centrifugal superchargers and have a history of working on GM/Chevy builds.

For most LS2 setups, ProCharger suggests using a P-1SC blower running 7-9 PSI of boost. This will be good for a 50-55% increase in horsepower. So, if you’re making 350 horsepower from your LS2 stock, you’ll make ~525 horsepower after a P-1SC blower upgrade. They do have larger kits available for more horsepower, but those are their base kit figures.

If you have a GM/Chevy truck or are running an LS-swap into a new vehicle, ProCharger will probably have the most options for you. Their kits can be fabbed to work with most vehicles as long as you are patient.

2) Magnuson Superchargers for LS2 6.0

Price: $6,995.00 – $7,895.00

Blower Style: Roots

Purchase Link: Magnuson LS2 Supercharger Upgrades

Our next LS2 supercharger upgrade recommendation is for Magnuson Superchargers. They offer superchargers for a wide variety of LS2 equipped vehicles, including the GTO, G8, Trailblazer SS, and most truck/SUVs with LS2s.

Magnuson offers either a TVS1900 or TVS2300 blower option for their kits, both of which they claim add 120 horsepower and 120 torque. Their kits come with front mounted intercoolers and electric water pumps, and are probably the smallest supercharger upgrade available.

Still, the Magnuson units are known for their reliability and performance. The superchargers are made by Eaton, and use their 6th generation rotor technology. It’s the same style blower that the 2022 Corvette ZR-1, the Cadillac CTS-V, and the Mustang GT500 use.

3) Vortech Superchargers for LS2 6.0

Price: $3,585.99 – $3.954.99

Blower Style: Centrifugal

Purchase Link: Vortech Supercharger for LS2 6.0

Our next recommendation for an LS2 supercharger comes from Vortech Superchargers. Vortech makes a generic LS2 supercharger kit that is designed to be compatible with most LS2 powered GM and Chevrolet vehicles.

Vortech uses their V-3 Si Trim supercharger for their kit. The V-3 Si is a centrifugal supercharger that is capable of 22 PSI, flows 1,150 cfm, and is capable of 775 horsepower. It is very similar to the unit used by A&A Corvette in their LS2 kit.

The Vortech kit is relatively cheap, the cheapest on our list, and it does not come with an intercooler. Depending on your specific vehicle, you may need some fabrication to make this kit to your specific engine bay. However, it will produce solid performance and is a definite consideration for a supercharged LS2 build.

4) Edelbrock E-Force Supercharger for LS2 6.0

Price: $6,372.78

Blower Style: Roots

Purchase Link: Edelbrock E-Force Supercharger for LS2 6.0

Our final suggestion for an LS2 supercharger is the Edelbrock E-Force supercharger. This is nearly the same kit as for the C6 Corvette, but the intake is modified for non-Corvette applications. We won’t go over this supercharger again too much, but there are a few things of note.

This kit comes with dual intercoolers, instead of single large one, it also does not come with any included tune. It’s definitely a solid option, just like their C6 Corvette LS2 supercharger kit, and will give you very solid performance.

LS2 Supercharger Upgrade Summary

The LS2 V8 makes decent power from the factory, but adding a supercharger can really wake it up to its full potential. Bolt-on mods are definitely good places to start when building your LS2, but they don’t hold a candle to forced induction. Smiles per gallon will surely increase with a nice big blower mounted on your GM/Chevy 6.0 L.

We went over quite a bit in this article, including LS2 supercharging basics, to what your engine needs depending on your build, to some solid recommendations to look over. No matter what LS2 powered vehicle you have, if it’s a C6 Corvette, GTO, Trailblazer SS, or Sierra/Yukon, there is a supercharger out there for you.

What’s your experience with supercharging the LS2 V8 engine? Are you considering purchasing one?

Drop a comment and let us know!