Magnuson Finally Launches 4Runner Supercharger

We recently wrote some verbiage on the 4Runner Supercharger. This page included some information about talks on the TRD and the Magnuson SC. We also covered the SC status for the 5th Generation 4Runner. Many things have changed since we wrote the post and now we are strictly talking about the Magnuson SC.

The Magnuson SC is hands-down, the best (to date) mod for 4Runner performance you can get. Boasting about 30% of performance gains, this is literally 10 times better than any gains you will see from a Catback Exhaust, a Cold Air Intake, Headers or a Chip. Headers for your 4Runner might come close coming in at about 20hp but you will never experience the 4Runner’s true potential without Magnuson.

As we all know, our 4Runner is not fast. But, with the help of the Magnuson, you will absolutely feel a difference and thoroughly enjoy slamming the pedal on the freeway. We have covered a few performance mods for the 4Runner in the blog, but nothing like the supercharger.

Recommended Installation Shops for Superchargers: 

1. Northern California: Stellar Built
2. Southern California: SD Truck Shop

Ready to Perform

The unit ships tuned and ready to install out of the box as a complete bolt-on system. The Magnuson SC comes with a plug-in component, like a tuner that tells your 4Runner computer what is being changed.

With the addition of an SC, your 4Runners fuel injection ratio and air compression will change. The computer needs to account for all of this so your engine won’t throw check engine lights or just shut off randomly.

If you are looking for a performance increase, look no further. This is the mod you want if you are looking for a 4Runner with power. We took a trip down to Ventura, Ca to visit with Magnuson SC to get all of the questions answered.

We may be missing a few here and there but hopefully, we covered the SC in-depth enough for most owner out there.

What is a supercharger?

A supercharger compresses more air into the cylinders of your 4Runner. By compressing more air, the engine allows for more air and more fuel into the cylinders resulting in more power during combustion.

History?

Located in Ventura, CA, Magnuson started when Jerry Magnuson built an SC for his Harley. After Jerry built this kit, he started producing this kit for others. Soon after, Jerry branched out and started building kits for cars, trucks, and SUVs. Jerry sold the business to the current CEO who runs the company to this day. Today, Magnuson builds and offers products for a wide variety of automotive applications.

Timeline on Release

Work actually began on the 5th Gen 4Runner SC back in 2009. Magnuson and TRD (Toyota Racing Development) were working on the kit together and it was intended to be released as a TRD branded SC. Eventually, TRD shut the program down in 2012 and Magnuson was left with a beautiful product that would never be released as a TRD SC. Instead, Magnuson continued R&D on the build and it will be released on December 1st, 2017.

Official Numbers

It is important to keep in mind that every dyno test will be different. To answer the question; 330hp at the wheels. Tested and tuned for a bone stock 4Runner, the blower will reach 330hp – 336hp at the wheels. One of the biggest factors in exact horsepower numbers will be the size of your tires.

If you are running 34″ tires, you will see less horsepower as opposed to the stock 31″ tires that come stock on our 4Runner. With running 33″ tires or 34″ tires, you are going to be down anywhere from 10-15hp.

HP Numbers at the Wheels Vs. the Crank

So we mentioned a 30% increase in power. Let’s get into more detail on what this actually breaks down to. It is actually more like 80-100.

The 5th gen 4R is 270hp at the crank, Magnuson tested theirs at 250hp at the wheels (probably generous as drivetrain loss is normally 15-25%). The blower tested 336hp (But, expect to see 330 on yours) at the wheels, 86rwhp (Rear Wheel Horse Power) increase from pre-install values.

336rwhp would be more like 386hp at the crank (vs 270hp listed stock). Basically, at the wheels, you are looking at 250hp stock compared to 336hp supercharged. At the crank (estimated) 270hp stock to 370-390hp supercharged (if you multiply 336 by 1.15 to account for drivetrain loss).

We stayed conservative with the latter given the high RWHP pretest by Magnuson. 

Exhaust, Intake, and Headers?

If you are throwing a Catback Exhaust, Intake or Headers, you will absolutely increase your power. But, it is important to note that if you are throwing on additional performance parts, you will void your warranty.

So, adding an Intake, Headers, and an Exhaust is up to you but if something goes wrong with your SC, Engine, Fuel Injectors, or anything else, you are on your own. But, with this being said, you should be fine to add a catback, intake and headers if you want.

Exact PSI Injection into Cylinders?

The Magnuson SC is running 6psi of boost, however, this will change depending on your altitude. If you are in Colorado where the air is thinner you can expect to see 4-5psi. In any case, this is quite a bit of difference coming from a stock 4Runner set-up.

Long-Term Effects?

As long as you are driving your 4Runner like a normal person, you will have no adverse effects on your 4Runner engine. If however, you are running a catback exhaust, an intake, headers, and a straight pipe/ mid pipe section, then it’s hard telling not knowing. Again, this SC has been tested with all stock 4Runner parts and has not been tested with any aftermarket parts. If you are throwing something on your 4Runner to jump from 330hp to 400hp, enter at your own risk.

The 4Runner engine was not built to hit 400hp, but the blower can probably handle anything you throw at it. In my opinion and after talking with Magnuson, you are probably safe to run a Catback exhaust, an intake, and maybe headers. Anything else is just silly. With that being said, even headers are pushing it.

Installation

About 10-14 hours. To install a blower, you will need to be somewhat mechanically handy. If you have installed an intake, exhaust or other 4Runner mods, you should be fine. You just need the right tools and some experience in taking things apart.

If you have the blower installed by an ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) certified mechanic, you will get a 3 year / 36,000-mile warranty. And, you can opt for an additional warranty for another $500 and that is a 5 year / 60,000.

Bolt-on System?

The blower is a complete bolt-on system. There is no welding needed. Again, if you are somewhat handy, you will be able to drop this supercharger on your 4Runner in a day. If you want to go from 270hp to 330hp overnight, then buy a SC.

Fitting mods like a winch?

The only problem you may run into is your aftermarket front bumper and winch. The SC has an electric intercooler pump for independent cooling of the supercharger. This pump sits in front of the intercooler screen.

This intercooler pump is mounted directly in front of the radiator but you can move this around and mount it wherever you need to as long as you keep it low. The intercooler pump is designed to be mounted just in front of your first radiator but you can move it to the far passenger side or far driver side. Also, you can mount the intercooler pump horizontally and vertically to fit your specific application.

MGPS Increased?

You can expect to see the same mpg on the freeway but about 1-2 reduced in the city. Also, you can guess what happens if you love to dump the pedal because you love the sound. You might be burning through quite a bit of premium fuel with the blower installed. But, if you can afford the price tag, you can afford to burn through some fuel and drive your 4Runner the way it is supposed to be driven with a supercharger, hard and fast.

Premium Fuel Only?

You will need to run premium fuel in your 4Runner if you install the blower. This will add to the overall cost of your 4Runnner in the long term but premium fuel is much better for your engine overall. This is not really a problem for us, though. I personally have been running premium fuel in the 4Runner since I installed the TRD Intake and the MagnaFlow Catback Exhaust. Not that it was needed, but running premium fuel is obviously just better on your 4Runner.

Warranty?

All blowers come with a 3 year / 36,000-mile warranty if you have it installed by a dealer or an ASE certified technician. There is also an optional $500 5 year / 60,000-mile warranty available for purchase. As long as you keep everything stock on your 4Runner, your warranty will cover replacement of your engine and a new supercharger.

How Much?

Update: The current cost is around $7000.00 + Installation. 

If you are making the jump to a blower it will set you back quite a few dollars. Making the decision to add a $7000 mod is a big choice so you better be sure you want the extra power. We recently installed a supercharger with SD Truck Shop in San Diego and it was around $10,000 all in with parts and labor.

Contact

If you are looking to purchase the blower, the best way to do so is by calling Magunson sales directly. At the moment, the Magnuson SC is not readily available on Amazon or any other eCommerce marketplace. You can also call Magnuson Authorized Dealers. You can find approved Authorized Dealers on their website.