A DIY Guide for TRD Supercharger Installation – Video

Strapping on a TRD supercharger is a dream for many Toyota Tundra owners, but only the most dedicated gearheads out there will actually be able to combine the skills required and the time needed to install this power-adder themselves.  Add in the fact that Toyota offers better warranty coverage for those who choose to have their superchargers put in by a dealer (5-years / 60,000 miles versus 12-months / 12,000 miles for a self-install), and the idea of a DIY supercharger installation isn’t quite as appealing as letting the pros handle the heavy lifting.

That being said, there are a number of resources available online which are designed to walk you through the steps required to slap a TRD supercharger on top of your Tundra’s engine.  Even if you intend to farm out the mechanical details to the technicians at your local dealership, there is a lot that can be learned about the Tundra by watching and absorbing the wisdom contained in these guides.

FloridaSPL.com has put up a comprehensive, two-part TRD supercharger video installation guide on Youtube.  Let’s take a look at the major points touched on by the tutorial.

• The installer, Buzz Thompson, first details each of the parts that come with the comprehensive TRD supercharger kit, including the charge cooler, the new airbox, the associated plumbing and belts and of course the supercharger itself.  He also mentions that the kit can be installed with basic hand tools.
• Buzz then goes through what needs to be done to the truck to prepare it for an easy install:  draining the coolant, removing the upper and lower engine covers, removing the front bumper and the hood.
• Other parts that need to come out of the truck?  The air cleaner (which is replaced), the fan and shroud, and eventually the gas tank (which must be dropped to install the new fuel pump).
• Buzz mentions that the intake manifold has to be removed, which means a lot of tubing and wiring also needs to be pulled out of the way.  He also notes a few additional steps that must be taken when installing on trucks featuring a tow package.

• Fuel injectors are removed, and some aspects of the cooling system are bypassed – again, with specific exceptions made for towing package trucks.
• Buzz goes through the nuances of fitting the supercharger to the top of the engine, including gaskets and the use of an engine hoist to guide the TRD unit onto the block as easily as possible.  A special swivel socket is needed to properly secure the supercharger to the engine.
• The new TRD fuel injectors are installed onto the fuel delivery pipes, which are then put back onto the engine using the supplied spacers.
• The airbox, spark plugs and rad piping are put into place, and then the low temperature radiator is installed in front of the factory radiator.
• The last step is dropping the fuel tank and installing the new pump – probably one of the most involved aspects of the entire procedure.
• Once everything is bolted in place, the ECU needs to be flashed and then the truck is ready to go.

One of the most impressive aspects of the video is how few custom brackets Toyota requires in order to install the supercharger.  Most of the process involves using stock mounting points or simply modifying existing components in order to accommodate parts of the kit.  If you take just one thing away from this installation tutorial, it should be just how much engineering effort went into making the TRD kit as OEM as possible.

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