06/07 Supercharger Options???

Hi, I wanted to see what everyone's recommendation was for the best supercharger for an 06 or 07 Mustang. Originally I got on the list for a 07 Shelby GT500 (number 19) but just recently learned from my dealer and several other local dealers that Ford has decided to limit production and they will only be receiving between 2 to 4 for 2007. Because of this I have decided to explore the option of getting a 06 or possibly 07 GT/CS convertible and having the dealer install a supercharger.

One dealer I spoke to said they mostly install Saleen superchargers (which does have a nice clean design) and are good for 400 - 435HP depending on other modifications. Another dealer I spoke to said they recommend Kenne Bell superchargers and they are far superior to the Saleens and provide more power for the dollar (over 400 rwhp as opposed to Saleens 400 hp at the crank). I am always looking to get the best bang for my buck but I also want a supercharger that is the most reliable and would work fine for daily driving. Does anyone know of any issues with either of these superchargers or have any better recommendations? I did briefly look at the Vortechs and Paxtons but from what I have read regarding Superchargers and Turbos I think I would prefer the feel of a Roots style to that of a centrifuge (More of the feel of a big block motor and no RPM dependant lag).

Thanks,

-DCH

Reply to
DC Hunt
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superchargers

A friend of mine put twin turbos on his 05 saleen it is 500rwhp and one nasty street car!

Reply to
J. Sprauer

Get a Kenne Bell kit. They put allot of effort and thought into their designs and supply everything that is needed. They also provide excellent support. I would also recommend them over Saleen. As for centrifugals, they make good power but it is in a narrow rpm range of around 5k-6k rpm. Kenne Bell uses a twin screw that will let you know it is there all the way from just off idle to the red line. It will turn your 4.6L into more of a torque monster than a strong running N/A

460 c.i. eng> Hi, I wanted to see what everyone's recommendation was for the best
Reply to
Michael Johnson, PE

Thanks for the info! It does sound like the Kenne Bell would be the way to go. Are there any other mods you might reccomend for duribility (I do tend to put my foot into it a lot)? Also is it worth it to install headers? I read that an 8psi Kenne Bell kit made 500HP on a stock mustang with stock exhaust and mainifolds.

Reply to
DC Hunt

Whipple is probably the best around. It's very efficient, and so generally makes a bit more power than others. They can be tough to get, though. Ford is buying most of the production for their vehicles - pick ups, GT's, and now the Cobra.

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Reply to
.boB

You don't NEED headers, but they do help. If you're going to force almost twice as much air in there, you need a way to get it all out.

Reply to
.boB

You might wanna check out Whipple industries.. they make a helluva product.

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Reply to
Jafo

Reply to
Michael Johnson, PE

For a N/A 4.6 yeah, I think my P1-SC two valve car gained 25rwhp with headers/back system.

Reply to
GILL

Reply to
Chuck

The reason they can warranty more than KB or Whipple is their kit ONLY runs 4.5 psi. That 425 is very likely at the crank, assuming it is a real number. On a basically stock 4.6L 4.5 psi can't make an additional

125 hp. It just isn't possible by the laws of physics. A general rule of thumb for blown engines is around 8-12 rwhp/psi of boost and the actual number depends heavily on breathing mods. The Saleen kits have never really impressed me from a hp perspective.

Kenne Bell does extensive testing of their kit plumbing, intercooler and computer programing. They don't just slap a kit together. Also, they supply everything that is needed to support the boost level of the kit purchased. That includes fuel injectors, fuel pumps, programing etc. I don't know of another blower kit that delivers more hp/psi of boost than their kits provide.

I'm not say> I am going to disagree with everybody recommending the K.B. Yes the Saleen

Reply to
Michael Johnson, PE

You're going to break it unless you beef up the rods and pistons. If you do decide to go kenne bell you have to make sure to get it tuned right. If they run lean at higher rpm's you WILL destroy the GT motor in no time. I'd go the Kenne Bell way.

Reply to
RT

"A lot". Two words. You're welcome!

With the 4.6 3 valve SOHC engine having a 9.8:1 compression ratio, isn't detonation going to be a problem? Does the KB kit have an intercooler, and how much boost can you run? I would guess you need to run premium fuel, too, right?

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Reply to
Hank

Reply to
Chuck

I've got the KB 2.2 Blowzilla on my '03 Cobra and I've got nothing but good things to say about it. Solid engineering, fabulous performance, and a very reliable supercharger. I think the intercooled 2.4 for the

3V would be a great blower to get.

Dan

2003 Cobra convertible With some stuff and things
Reply to
Dan

Remember there are two main factors that come in to play here. Of course, the boost matters in total power production. But also, the efficiency of the blower system plays a huge role. It take hp to run the blower. KB and Whipple are a lot more efficient than other types. So you end up with more power for the same amount of boost. And, of course, tuning matters a lot, too. One company may be able to produce a better computer program for whole system.

Reply to
.boB

Follow me around and you'll find allot of spelling mistakes. ;)

The compression is on the high side but the newer engines have knock sensors that, in conjunction with very precise control of timing, can manage detonation quite well. I expect that with 91/92 octane fuel the boost limit is around 9-10 psi before you would start to dance with the detonation devil. Detonation on a blown engine can wreak havic in the blink of an eye. KB goes to great lengths in the programing of their computer chips to keep things as safe as possible.

KB sells two versions of their kits. The first is a 5 psi kit that can be bought with, or without, an intercooler. I would strongly recommend the intercooler option even for the 6 psi kit. The 8 psi kit is only sold with an intercooler. On the new 3V 4.6L engines the 8 psi kit delivers 445 rwhp and an average of 385 ft-lbs of rwtq across the entire rpm range (450 ft-lb peak @ 4,500 rpm) all on premium pump gas. Pretty impressive numbers, IMHO.

Reply to
Michael Johnson, PE

I think the 5 psi kit is 401 rwhp. That seems high to me but I know KB rarely exaggerates their hp numbers. Maybe the 3V engine breathes better than I thought. I would have pegged the 5 psi KB kit at 350-375 rwhp. That might make the Saleen numbers you listed realistic. The other thing that might affect the numbers is the VVT on the new engines. The nice thing about lower boost levels is that the tune can be much more aggressive. Plus the Saleen kit is a new design. I know the old kit couldn't run with the KB at the same boost levels. The intercooler they used was too restrictive. Maybe they have improved them a good bit. I am just a little leery of Saleens claims from what they have stated in the past.

I have followed KB's development of their 4.6L kits very closely. Us

5.0L KB users have had to make home grown fixes to the shortcomings of these blowers. For years we begged KB to give us an intercooler and high flow manifolds. Finally a third party made a high flowing set of manifolds (Flowzilla) for us 5.0L guys and it gave 40-50 rwhp boosts over the KB pieces. That company went out of business and KB bought them and started selling the manifolds themselves! Since they wouldn't (really the design made it almost impossible) give us an intercooler I was the first Mustang guy to adopt a trick from the Turbo Buick guys and run water/alcohol injection with an SMC kit. Water injection does an incredible job of cooling the air discharge from the blower. I ran 16 psi of boost without detonation but at that boost level the heads would lift and the gaskets would blow fairly easily.

The point I want to make is that KB has watched us 5.0L guys and listened to our feedback and applied it to their 4.6L kits. They went out of their way to make every component as efficient as possible regarding air flow. For twinscrew blowers airflow is everything when it comes to making hp, especially in the high rpm range. I have read articles about their testing procedures and they are very rigorous. They won't release a kit unless it is 100% ready. That is why it took forever for them to release a kit for the 99-01 Cobras. Another thing about them is they provide excellent customer support.

I have never been a fan of the "hair dryer" blowers. They just don't provide the torque curve that I require. Also, you have to be above

5,000 rpm to really squeeze the hp from them. That means you have to be traveling well north of 80-90 mph in third gear to see near maximum boost from them. That is fine on the track but in the real world it severely limits the fun factor. I don't agree that Vortechs are junk but they definitely aren't my cup of tea.
Reply to
Michael Johnson, PE

Wait until they make a kit for the upcoming GT500. Can you say 700 rwhp/rwtq? :)

Reply to
Michael Johnson, PE

Yeah, yummy. Although GT500 might not make it out the doors in quantity. Rumors abound surrounding the demise of SVT and the SVT product line :P.

Dan

2003 Cobra convertible With some stuff and things
Reply to
Dan

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