Video: Clever Lift Aid Eases Supercharger Handling in Pit

A trick new tool from Tim McAmis Performance Parts will help crew members save their backs and speed up engine repairs in the pits. Simply called the Supercharger Lifting Device, this tool quickly secures the blower using the safety restraint straps and allows the crew members to lift and clear the supercharger from the engine and the chassis.

Even with four crew members leaning over the valve covers, it was always a struggle to lift a heavy supercharger and injector/air scoop off a Pro Mod engine. Hot headers or front tires and struts blocking the access don’t make the job of getting a bulky 14-71 blower and obtrusive hat to safe ground any easier. Accidents can happen, which could result in broken parts or even injury.

“We’ve even seen a crew member jump in back and grab the rear two straps and two guys grab the front straps from the side,” Tim McAmis tells EngineLabs. “It was a recipe for disaster.”

Even though superchargers, along with the injectors and air scoop, can weigh upwards of 120 pounds, moving them around the pit was rather uneventful. The struggle was always getting them on and off an engine installed in the chassis of a doorslammer. Add a measure of urgency when trying to replace an engine or repair a burnt piston between rounds, and it’s easy to grasp the potential for chaos.

“The problem is that it’s so awkward to get on the car,” says McAmis. “Most guys can carry it from one table to another.”

McAmis had seen a wide range of impromptu solutions, using different tubes or poles to improvise a something akin to a sedan chair or Army field stretcher to support the blower. One promising concept did catch his attention, and three prototypes later he had a flexible solution that covered all the scenarios.

Whether removing or installing a supercharger, the tool will help.

“It was a great idea. We just had to refine it,” remembers McAmis, noting that the two goals were easy use by just two crew members and supporting the blower when standing alone.

Constructed from 4130 tubing and finished in black powdercoat, the lift aid can be disassembled using quick-release pins for easy storage. The handles are angled for a comfortable holding position and to help prevent slippage.

About the author

Mike Magda

Mike Magda is a veteran automotive writer with credits in publications such as Racecar Engineering, Hot Rod, Engine Technology International, Motor Trend, Automobile, Automotive Testing Technology and Professional Motorsport World.
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