Kenne Bell on 5.0?

Double"A"Ron · Jun 30, 2009

I am looking for someone who has had luck with a Kenne Bell supercharger on a '94-'95 5.0
I have spoken to a few people who have not been impressed with the power of this set up.
I have an opportunity to purchase a used kit, but am concerned the swap will be not worth my labor/time.
I drove a Kenne Bell supercharged '95 Cobra about 10 years ago and was not impressed with the power. I drove the car the blower is coming off of and it is slower than my stock '94 5.0 w/bolt ons and gears.

StangNet, your input please!

-AA

Hef5.0weisen · Jun 30, 2009

man o man, you're opening a can of worms....

I have no track times, dyno numbers blah blah blah. I do have a KB though.

I do like it. I have taken it off, and driven around without it, and hated it, couldn't get it back on soon enough. I've had no problem with excessive heat, it does not use oil, I haven't had a problem getting an erection since owning a KB..(just dispelling some myths ) The KB's are old technology for the 5.0, that said there are better more efficeint toys out there. Does it make the highest numbers, I don't know (like said, no dyno stuff). However i don't care either. I drove some basic bolt-on/ centri blower cars, and similiar KB cars when I was looking into getting a blower...I liked the KB better. The KB/eddy heads/?cam/ plus basics was my role model.

I don't look for races around town. Don't have a track near me either...I drive to work in it, and toy around on back roads. I have no intention of making some super car, nor was that ever my intention when purchasing mine.

All in all I like it, got some stuff in the garage waiting to go on to enhance it. My money and I spent it how I wanted to, as I'm sure you will also.

My opinion KB=

good luck

tealstang67 · Jun 30, 2009

Mine is unbelievable. You do need a good tune though. I am in the process of making mine a2a intercooled,it is proving to be a pain though. Mine also with stock gears and t-5 and a conservative tune feels great to me.

Gearbanger 101 · Jun 30, 2009

The Kenne Bell puts out a lot of torque down low and tapers off at the top end. It does pull all the way to red line contrary to what some haters might have you believe, but the meat of its power band is in the lower and mid ranges....where in my opinion is where you want it for a street car.

No, you're not going to be running down any hard spinning centrifugal combos once they've gotten access to an intercooler, but you should be more than capable of eating them up on the street in basic form. Expect solid low-13 to high-12-second time slips out of a basic KB set up with little to no other mods. Start playing with things like heads, cam and adding some exhaust work into the mix and mid-11's aren't out of the question.

It’s a good, solid reliable system and if you don’t’ expect astronomical goals out of it in stock trim, you should be very happy with it.

ej95cobra · Jun 30, 2009

I have had good luck with my KB(s) and wouldn't want to drive the car without it. I had a 1.5 KB on the car for over 40k miles, I upgraded to the 2.2 2 years ago and have about 10k on that. On the 302, with minimal bolt-ons (gears, exhaust, CAI) I dynoed 307 RWHP; 348 RWTQ. I hit 12.9 @ 112 mph at the track spinning most of the way. The engine has since been bored, stroked, balanced, AFR heads, snow performance, etc. I haven't had the car dynoed or at the track since all the upgrades. I do autocross and went to a HPDE at VIR this spring. The car was originally a daily driver and a blast to drive with the KB and 3.73 gears. I have had some heat issues I had to address (snow kit, Fluidyne radiator, fan controller). As mentioned above, the key is a good tune. I wouldn't want to drive it without the KB.

Double"A"Ron · Jun 30, 2009

WOW!

Thanks for all of the positive input!
Maybe the problem with the car was the tune...or lack thereof.
Are the tunes you speak of custom dyno tunes, or did you find a canned tune that worked well?
Are you all running stock pulleys?
How many miles are on your blower?
Have any of you guys running aftermarket radiators have any fitment issues, or were the radiators basically drop in?

-AA

Hef5.0weisen · Jun 30, 2009

I have the 6lb pulley, it made ~10 at sea level, I now live at 4400 above, it makes 8...stock crank pulley...maybe its a freak....

fluidyne dropped in no problem

~10k on it so far

Double"A"Ron · Jun 30, 2009

Oh, and I forgot to ask.....
Is everyone running the newer 2.1L version?
Is anyone running the old 1.5L?

-AA

revhead347 · Jun 30, 2009

If the price is good. I would go for it.

Kurt

Black95GTS · Jul 1, 2009

If I could do everything over again I wouldn't have dicked around with crappy bolt ons (Except the shifter and exhaust) and gone straight to a Kenne Bell kit.

Anyone that quotes peak numbers and uses that to determine the worthiness of a modification is an ass that has never been to the track. Average horse power moves a car, not peak. That is the Kenne Bell's MO.

There is some thinking that with the 5.0 having TRQ down low, that the centrifugal blower is a better match for it with the HP up high. I disagree, because unless you have a full HCI package that mother is not revving past 5500 without valve float anyway.

My $.02.

Adam

revhead347 · Jul 1, 2009

Centrifugal is going to give you plenty of low end torque where you need it. You don't need to rev an engine to 6000 rpms to get good average hp with the centrifugal. The Kenne Bell works ok too though, and for the right price, it's a good substitute.

Kurt

84Ttop · Jul 2, 2009

Gearbanger 101 said:
The Kenne Bell puts out a lot of torque down low and tapers off at the top end. It does pull all the way to red line contrary to what some haters might have you believe, but the meat of its power band is in the lower and mid ranges....where in my opinion is where you want it for a street car.

No, you're not going to be running down any hard spinning centrifugal combos once they've gotten access to an intercooler, but you should be more than capable of eating them up on the street in basic form. Expect solid low-13 to high-12-second time slips out of a basic KB set up with little to no other mods. Start playing with things like heads, cam and adding some exhaust work into the mix and mid-11's aren't out of the question.

It’s a good, solid reliable system and if you don’t’ expect astronomical goals out of it in stock trim, you should be very happy with it.

What does an intercooler have to do with kenne bell vs centrif? Correct me if i'm wrong but Bart Tobner went 8.16 in the quarter non intercooled w/ a ysi!! A fox body needs a centrif blower, a great place to start would be the new vortech V-3 Si trim. It will run circles around that antiquated KenneBell.

84Ttop · Jul 2, 2009

Black95GTS said:
Anyone that quotes peak numbers and uses that to determine the worthiness of a modification is an ass that has never been to the track. Average horse power moves a car, not peak. That is the Kenne Bell's MO.

Last I checked we don't race dyno's! Who cares about peak, average or what ever other kind of horse power you're talking about. The proof is at the track, period. I've see cars dyno 250 rwhp and go 12 oh's and i've seen cars dyno 400rwph and go 13 oh's. On race day, you won't be happy when a kennebell can't keep up with a centrif.

my 2 cents

Gearbanger 101 · Jul 3, 2009

84t-top said:
What does an intercooler have to do with kenne bell vs centrif? Correct me if i'm wrong but Bart Tobner went 8.16 in the quarter non intercooled w/ a ysi!! A fox body needs a centrif blower, a great place to start would be the new vortech V-3 Si trim. It will run circles around that antiquated KenneBell.

Wait....so you're comparing the horsepower capablity and streetability of a little 2.1L PD blower on a stock 15-year-old 5.0L, to a completely unstreetable, race fuel sucking, weight reduced, race prepped, custom built 5.4L 32V EFI record breaking Renagade car....complete with custom built, track spec C4 trans/converter and race class YSi blower?

Why don't we compare the handling capabilities of Michael Schumacher's Formula 1 Ferrari to a stock '94 GT with 17" optional wheels and sub frame connectors and call it square while we're at it?

Double"A"Ron · Jul 3, 2009

Gearbanger 101 said:
Wait....so you're comparing the horsepower capablity and streetability of a little 2.1L PD blower on a stock 15-year-old 5.0L, to a completely unstreetable, race fuel sucking, weight reduced, race prepped, custom built 5.4L 32V EFI record breaking Renagade car....complete with custom built, track spec C4 trans/converter and race class YS1 blower?

Why don't we compare the handling capabilities of Michael Schumacher's Formula 1 Ferrari to a stock '94 GT with 17" optional wheels and sub frame connectors and call it square while we're at it?

Only if the GT has a Mach stereo. Then it might have a chance!

Thanks again for all of the opinions, fellas. Keep 'em coming!

-AA

SVT3183 · Jul 3, 2009

i have a 1.7 and they do run hot as *****. power drop off is noticible once they heat up and don't expect gaudy power numbers if that's what you're after. i make 350 hp and 380#'s with my setup, with cats and stock cam, at 8#'s.

BlackVert · Jul 3, 2009

mine was a 1.7 too. i had nothing but problems with it and ended up breaking my motor. it kept pinging and detonating. turns out there was a leak in one of the seals that was letting in unmetered air. i never got any dyno numbers because i could never get the tune right

that was when i decided to stay na

84Ttop · Jul 4, 2009

Gearbanger 101 said:
Wait....so you're comparing the horsepower capablity and streetability of a little 2.1L PD blower on a stock 15-year-old 5.0L, to a completely unstreetable, race fuel sucking, weight reduced, race prepped, custom built 5.4L 32V EFI record breaking Renagade car....complete with custom built, track spec C4 trans/converter and race class YSi blower?

Why don't we compare the handling capabilities of Michael Schumacher's Formula 1 Ferrari to a stock '94 GT with 17" optional wheels and sub frame connectors and call it square while we're at it?

I believe you're missing the point. You dont need an intercooler to go fast. A centrif blower builds less heat and is way more efficient. That's all i'm saying.

tealstang67 · Jul 4, 2009

I have had a turbo, centrifugal and now the KB. The KB making full boost at 1500 rpm and is unbelievable. Yes the heat is horrible but with all the other setups i have had they all had problems with heat (when you drive 60 miles to work) the KB is the only one that has made street driving a blast again. Just my opinion though.

Gearbanger 101 · Jul 4, 2009

84t-top said:
I believe you're missing the point. You dont need an intercooler to go fast. A centrif blower builds less heat and is way more efficient. That's all i'm saying.

No, actually I believe it is you who are missing the point! I don't recall questioning their discharge temps and I certainly didn't say that you needed an intercooler to go fast. They're certainly more efficient at the top end of the tach, but down low they don't hold a candle to the amount of airflow capable by any of the PD blowers on the market. Even with higher discharge temps, the sheer volume of air being produced at the low end is staggering by comparison. I also don't question someone’s choice of a centrifugal for street either. Just as long as they're prepared for the softer bottom end for that increased rush in the top end and/or are willing to partially compensate by increasing (numerically) rear end ratios and/or converter stall speed.

In any case, as I originally stated....your average non-intercooled entry level centrifugal classed comparably to the 2.1L Kenne Bell unit isn't going dominate any friendly jaunts, or grudge matches on the street, or at the track. Not without some engine work and/or some form of aftercooling. And their drivability and street manners will be nowhere near as comparable either.

...that's all I'm saying.

Kenne Bell on 5.0?

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