Kenne Bell 1.7 (2.2?) Questions - Switching Pulley At Track, Swapping Chips, Big Tube

[Ghost001]

Hello,

My Stang is a 2002 GT auto, completely stock except for an auxiliary tranny cooler and some appearance mods.

I've almost convinced myself to get the Kenne Bell 1.7 with intercooler. I like the low-end torque, and the fun it would be driving it around town. It is my daily driver. I go to the track occasionally, but I'm not that worried about track times, although the faster the better, of course. I may just launch from idle, so that I don't tear up my stock rear end. I'm running 295/35/18 BFG TA/KDs, because I also like taking fast turns.

I live in California, so I'm stuck with 91 octane on the street, so I guess I'll be ordering the California version of the kit, with the chip calibrated for 91 octane and 9 psi (or is it 8?) of boost.

I want to stay 50-state legal, and not spend much money, for now, beyond the $5000 for the KB, and maybe another $1000 for the big tube etc, and not have to get a custom dyno tune (money not the issue with the tune - I just trust the KB tune), which is why I like the fact that the KB has a pretty good, safe tune in the chip they provide.

350-450 rwhp is what I am shooting for with my stock engine. I'm in no hurry to get a forged engine, so I'd like to keep the tune safe. Eventually, though, whenever my stock engine breaks, I'll get a forged 4.6 L shortblock from VT engines, and then maybe try to make more horsepower, if I can do it 50-state legally with 91 octane gas on the street (and higher octane at the track).

If my tranny breaks, I'll get a Lentech. If my rear end breaks, I'll get a 31-spline. So I'm willing to spend more money for these things, but only when stuff breaks. I may go ahead and get full-lengh subframe connectors, and get the axle tubes and torque boxes welded.

I've been doing lots of searches, but I still have some questions:

1. At the track, can I switch to the 14# pulley, and switch to 100 octane gas, without causing detonation? Will the chip handle the change in boost, as long as the octane is increased?

2. Because I'm stuck with 91 octane, I wonder if it's worth it to get the big tube, 90 mm MAF, 75 mm throttle body, and CAI for an extra $1000. All of that stuff supposedly gives you an additional 26 horsepower at 9 psi of boost, but I wonder if you need higher octane gas in order to see the 26 horsepower gain.

3. Suppose I start by not ordering the big tube etc, so that I get a KB-calibrated chip for the stock MAF etc. Then, later, I order the big tube etc, and get a KB-calibrated chip for the big tube etc. How easy is it to swap the two chips, if I later decide that I don't like the big tube etc?

4. Is the big tube etc 50 state legal?

5. With the KB CAI, the filter sits in the fender well. Does this increase the likelihood that the filter will get wet, if I drive in the rain?

6. Is there any chance that KB will make the 2.2 L 50-state legal in the near future? Should I even bother thinking about the 2.2, since I am stuck with 91 octane on the street?

 

[MT1083]

1. I believe you have to get another tune to run the 14# pulley.
2. its up to you but if you compare the big tube kit to the stocker there is a huge difference in size and you'll have smoother airflow. PD blowers need the least amount of inlet restriction possible to make better power.
3. The chip is easy to swap once you have done it once. Just pull the old one out, resand the area, install new chip.
4. Ken has been asked if the whole kit including all intake parts is legal and he said it was.
5. I've never had my filter get wet...or at least I've never noticed it. I would make sure that you clean it regularly or at least keep an eye on it.
6. If you are only on the street and aren't planning on making more than 500hp, then the 2.2 is going to be a waste. It will probably never be legal because its a tuner kit. You have to buy a whole bunch of expensive parts to make the 2.2 work, so it just depends on how deep your pockets are.

 

[Ghost001]

Cool, thanks MT!

I wouldn't mind making over 500 rwhp, but I want to continue to be 50-state legal, on 91 octane on the street, so maybe over 500 rwhp is out of the question with a non-centrifugal blower. I still want the KB, because I really like the low-end torque, and the KB has enough high-end torque for my taste. And, I doubt that even a centri can get much more than 500 rwhp and be 50-state legal and 91 octane gas on the street.

 

[my_03GT]

If you change pulleys you do not need another tune, although if go from 9 to 14 on stocl internals I would guess you may make it down the track once if your lucky....Some guys really push it and run 10 or 11 PSI not 14.

 

[Jakes]

1. If you really want to go to the track get the KB "Switch Chip". 1 program for street and a different one for the strip. Change between the 2 with the flick of a switch. Just make sure you've got the right octane and pully on when you switch from one to the other.

2. It can't hurt. You'll get the chip programed for what ever octane you'll be using.

3. If you get it later you'll need to reprogram. Switching is not a problem.

4. Yes

5. I have the KB CAI and so far have never sucked water.

6. Unless you're going for 500+ HP the 2.2 is overkill on a daily driver.

Get the 1.7 KB and have fun.

 

[MT1083]

ok I just did a bit more research and Ken says that you do not need a new tune to go from 9# to 14# but you will need another tune if you peg your MAF so that your a/f will be correct. If you have the 90mm MAF then you wouldn't have a problem.

 

[Ghost001]

If you change pulleys you do not need another tune, although if go from 9 to 14 on stocl internals I would guess you may make it down the track once if your lucky....Some guys really push it and run 10 or 11 PSI not 14.

Thanks for the info, my_03GT!

Yep, I'll probably stay with 11 PSI at the track, until my stock engine breaks and I get the forged 4.6 L.

 

[Ghost001]

1. If you really want to go to the track get the KB "Switch Chip". 1 program for street and a different one for the strip. Change between the 2 with the flick of a switch. Just make sure you've got the right octane and pully on when you switch from one to the other.

2. It can't hurt. You'll get the chip programed for what ever octane you'll be using.

3. If you get it later you'll need to reprogram. Switching is not a problem.

4. Yes

5. I have the KB CAI and so far have never sucked water.

6. Unless you're going for 500+ HP the 2.2 is overkill on a daily driver.

Get the 1.7 KB and have fun.

Thanks Jakes!

I thought that the "Switch Chip" was only for when you switch from pump gas to 100 octane, without changing the pulley.

Can I actually tell KB what I want to do at the track, and have them program the Switch Chip accordingly? Is it equivalent to having 2 separate KB chips, each with a different tune?

Yeah, I guess the 2.2 is a pipe dream, since I want to be 50-state legal and use pump gas on the street. Still, it seems like it would be nice to have that potential, say if I wanted to switch from a 9# pulley on the street to a 20# pulley at the track. (Could a chip or Switch Chip even be programmed to handle such a change?)

 

[Ghost001]

ok I just did a bit more research and Ken says that you do not need a new tune to go from 9# to 14# but you will need another tune if you peg your MAF so that your a/f will be correct. If you have the 90mm MAF then you wouldn't have a problem.

Very good info, thanks MT!

After reading that, I'll be getting the big tube etc for sure.

So Ken works at KB? He's not the "Ken" in "Kenne", is he, by any chance? If it's a secret, then don't tell me.

 

[Ghost001]

Now that I think about it, I'm still confused about some of the finer points regarding the Switch Chip, although I may be on the brink of knowledge.

To the best of my knowledge, the Switch Chip increases the timing and A/F for all boost levels and RPM. Therefore, you always need to increase the octane when you switch from Power mode to Shootout mode. Is that correct?

So, to be more precise, what are the answers to the following questions? (Assume that I have the big tube etc, and my Power mode is tuned for 9# of boost at 91 octane.)

1. If I stay with Power mode at the track, and I switch the pulley from 9# to 14# at the track, do I need to increase the octane from 91 to 100? (My guess is "no".)
EDIT: My new guess is "yes"!

2. If I switch from Power mode to Shootout mode at the track, and I switch the pulley from 9# to 14# at the track, do I need to increase the octane from 91 to 100? (My guess is "yes".)
EDIT: My new guess is "no, I need to switch to 110 octane"!

3. If I switch from Power mode to Shootout mode at the track, but keep the 9# pulley at the track, do I need to increase the octane from 91 to 100? (My guess is "yes".)

Are my (edited) guesses correct?

 

[Ghost001]

Wait, my last post makes no sense.

There is no way anyone can run 14# of boost on 91 octane, so the answer to my first question in my last post must be "yes, you need 100 octane to run 14# boost".

So my new questions are: (again, assume I have the big tube etc and Power mode is tuned for 91 octane and 9# of boost)

1. If I switch from the 9# pulley to the 14# pulley, but stay in Power mode, what octane do I need to run? (My guess is "100".)

2. If I switch from the 9# pulley to the 14# pulley, and switch from Power mode to Shootout mode, what octane do I need to run? (My guess is "110".)

3. If I keep the 9# pulley, and switch from Power mode to Shootout mode, what octane do I need to run? (My guess is "100".)

Is all of that correct?

 

[MT1083]

You might want to go to www.modularfords.com and go to the vendor section over there and you'll see a tech section just for KB. There are a bunch of us KB guys that are members there and people with a whole lot more knowledge than me. Ken is Ken Christley who is a head tech guy over there. I think he's there tuner but I'm not real sure about that. He's a great guy though and always answers my q's. You need to email him directly though to contact him since they are so busy over there. He'll know the answers to all your questions.

 

[Ghost001]

You might want to go to www.modularfords.com and go to the vendor section over there and you'll see a tech section just for KB. There are a bunch of us KB guys that are members there and people with a whole lot more knowledge than me. Ken is Ken Christley who is a head tech guy over there. I think he's there tuner but I'm not real sure about that. He's a great guy though and always answers my q's. You need to email him directly though to contact him since they are so busy over there. He'll know the answers to all your questions.

Thanks MT. I'd been to ModularFords before, but after I posted this thread I went back there, and I've been reading their Kenne Bell forum a lot. You're right, it is very helpful, and has helped answer some of my questions. It looks like Ken is very good about answering questions in that forum.

I think all of my questions have been answered, except for a lingering little doubt about whether I want to somehow wait and see if the 2.2 becomes 50-state legal, or maybe wait until I move out of California (but I may never move out, or I may move to another low-emissions state).

However, I think I've narrowed it down to the 1.7 KB, the 2.2 KB, or nothing. I'm not really considering the centrifugals (not enough low-end torque for my taste, can't use the chip tune), nor the turbos (too expensive for my taste).