This information is taken from here
I just got Jim's responses back to Dustin Whipple's remarks, so get yourself some popcorn and a beer (or two), and read on.......
To quote Jim Bell.....
The last time I was bad-mouthed by Dustin Whipple, I clearly stated that he should refrain from doing so. We subsequently responded and that’s why there is an Autorotor vs. Lysholm comparison in the first place.
Now he’s at it again. I really tend to take it personally when someone openly states that they are “sick of the false Bell propaganda”. I am getting a little sick and tired of his allegations. At Kenne Bell, we do our very best to supply our customers with factual and accurate dyno tests, tech tips, etc. Our employees will all testify that we have “zero tolerance” for lying or making false statements.
Allow me to answer Dustin’s allegations point-by-point.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DW: I would like to let everybody know what Kenne Bell advertises on their site has very little merit and has no engineering or testing to back up the false claims (compressor comparison).
JB: I respectfully disagree. The compressor comparison test at http://www.kennebell.net/techinfo/f...ORvsLYSHOLM.pdf between Autorotor and Lysholm were conducted by Opcon / Autorotor engineers.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DW: The Lysholm designed compressor was designed by the lead designer of the Autorotor, he left Autorotor and help start Lysholm and develop a new compressor that had new design features. The Lysholm rotor, bearing, shaft and gear design was not only backed by Eaton (the most successful supercharger mfg. ever), but also passed all of Eaton and Fords durability and endurance test. Something the Autorotor has never successfully done.
JB: I guess you are attempting to bolster your product’s image by implying that the lead designer of Autorotor left to do a better supercharger. Here again Dustin has his facts all dead wrong and is misinformed, confused, or ....? “Lead designer”, no, Dustin. No “lead designer” from Lysholm ever designed an Autorotor. That is simply not true. Benny Lindbrandt is the “designer” you are referring to that left Autorotor to help start Lysholm. However it was not Lysholm’s Benny Lindbrandt as you claim who designed the Autorotor. He wasn’t even there when the Autorotor superchargers were designed. The “lead designer”of the Autorotor supercharger was actually Johnny Osscarrson, father of another Autorotor engineer and designer; Jan-Erik Osscarrson, whom I worked closely with for over 12 years. You’ve got your lead designer’s mixed up. You may wish to call Opcon and get the “real facts”. They find your claims of Benny designing the Autorotor as very humorous.
Next you claim the new Lysholm had “new design features”? Surely, you are joking. Again Dustin, you must be living in a cave. The “new” Lysholm 1600 and 2000 were DIRECT COPIES of the EATON, except for the twin screws instead of roots style rotors. Lysholm was looking to “replace” Eatons with the OEMs. Lysholm basically copied all the lower cost Eaton features, bearings, shafts, seals, cast case, etc.. They told us exactly that. You may want to ask your father and Benny who actually tested these “new design” superchargers for them, and had to show them they were clearly not equal to the superior design of the Autorotor as they first claimed. I still have the test data. The biggest problem being that inadequate Lysholm inlet case opening. I won’t go into great detail on this, but once Kenne Bell made Lysholm aware of their shortcomings, they changed it. In fact, the machined notches on the inlet are there to match Kenne Bell manifolds as per our recommendations to use the Autorotor style case inlet design.
Kenne Bell was more than happy to help out with the Lysholm design - we all had a common goal at the time - help promote the Twin Screw concept. Kenne Bell was in fact offered the Lysholm exclusively for the Ford aftermarket. Here again, Dustin probably was not aware of this. We turned it down because we felt the Autorotor was proven and more reliable because of the larger bearings, shafts 4 x 6 rotor arrangement, billet case vs cast, etc...
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DW: Ford chose the Lysholm supercharger for the new GT. Mercury Racing (marine) also picked the same SC for their 1075 HP engine. Ford Racing has also chosen Whipple to be it's sole aftermarket SC provider.
JB: You keep harping about “Ford testing” and “OEM quality”. Do you really believe the Autorotor would not pass Ford’s tests? Anytime, Dustin, anytime. We are making 700 horsepower on countless Cobras with our 2.2 at 20 psi, and the Lysholm is making only 500 horsepower on the GT. I’d say we passed this test. Just because Ford never selected the Autorotor surely does not mean it is inferior to the Lysholm. There were price considerations and politics involved, not “passing tests”. We know better. We’ve been doing Ford supercharger kits for more than 13 years. Testing? I know for a fact Ford does not test like Kenne Bell and our customers. Let’s leave it at that and let time decide who’s product is superior and whether you brought a knife to a gunfight.
Next, you talk about Mercury Racing and Ford Racing choosing the Lysholm / Whipple. As I’m sure you know, Kenne Bell isn’t at all interested in selling to Ford Racing, WD’s, Dot-coms, or any other companies / dealers or any other “middlemen” who only serve to increase the price of our products to our customers. We sell only to Installing Dealers and to our customers direct. In other words the cost of the Kenne Bell kits is too high to allow profits for middlemen. Unlike the Whipple Mustang kits, we chose to provide kits with everything our customers need including the required tuning and fuel system requirements. We spent the added time and expense to develop our kits completely. Dustin, I don’t think you know the whole story or want to know it, and there’s much more in the works.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DW: Whipple had the rights to the Autorotor supercharger, Whipple brought the compressor to America and supplied Kenne Bell superchargers. There was a gentlemen’’s agreement that Whipple would target GM vehicles while he targeted the Ford market. Whipple released the rights to go with what Whipple felt was a better future solution and Whipple ended our business relationship with Jim Bell. Whipple knows the entire history of Autorotor, we were the largest distributor for years.
JB: Believe me, Dustin, Kenne Bell is well aware of all the Autorotor / Whipple / Lysholm history. Whipple has experimented with and sold superchargers manufactured by three different companies over the years: Sprintex, Autorotor and Lysholm. Since 1991, Kenne Bell has only sold Autorotor. Again, Kenne Bell was offered the exclusive for the Ford aftermarket by Lysholm if we would dump Autorotor. We had already pioneered the twin screw technology with Ford, Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, etc.. It worked great, so why switch to a lower price supercharger and risk redeveloping them all over again? “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. The end result was even better for Kenne Bell. We ended up with more powerful, reliable superchargers from Autorotor. Let’s set this record straight Dustin, Whipple never “released any rights” to any supercharger. I was present in all the meetings and negotiations. Whipple was “terminated” for a breach of contract with Autorotor, and the billet race proven Autorotor was given to Kenne Bell exclusively. Whipple wanted both, but got only one, the lower cost OEM grade Lysholm. I thought you knew all this. You make it sound like Whipple “left” voluntarily for a better, proven product.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DW: When comparing superchargers, you also need to compare kits. Our Cobra inlet is far better designed, it offers almost 11" sq. inches throughout the casting. The Bell necks down to nearly 4.75". The Bell discharge plate has no radius and very little plenum area for the air charge to make a 180 deg. turn back to the intercooler core. Ours is taller that gives more plenum area; it also has a nice radius for a smooth transition. Our system comes with guarded aluminum SC pulleys and an optional belt idler setup that works.
JB: “Bigger” and “Plenums” aren’t always better. We’ve already made over 700 rwhp with our inlet and discharge plate Dustin. You want comparisons? You’ll get them. Coming soon. Let’s just say Kenne Bell has a reason for everything we do and anything we design - including the fact we include a chip and Boost-A-Pump with every Cobra kit. There is no “ideal shape”or radius for all HP and airflow ranges.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DW: Whipple have never gone after a "blower war" but I'm so sick of the false Bell propaganda. Jim Bell is a very intelligent person and has made some incredible products, he's a very likable character, but we need to keep the facts straight.
JB: One can’t leave allegations such as these unanswered, and we will continue to respond if need be to keep the facts straight. So, I’ll finish clearing up areas where his comments lead me to believe he is confused, misinformed and / or technically challenged.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DW: To make note, Bell mentioned that Opcon Autorotor purchased Lysholm but in fact, the owners of Lysholm took controlling shares of Opcon for the purchase. This was very clear in the press release.
JB: Here he goes again. I called Opcon’s Chairman of the Board and he too disagrees with Dustin’s “facts”. Opcon is the parent company and yes, Opcon did purchase Lysholm. What part of this don’t you understand? Opcon gave Lysholm shares in the buyout, but in no way did Lysholm “take controlling shares”, as you falsely state. You must be troubled, confused and belittled by the fact that your supercharger supplier (Lysholm) was bought out by ours (Opcon / Autorotor). Get over it and accept the fact our company bought yours; a lower cost OEM style supercharger. Dustin, you must know that the aftermarket is well known and respected for replacing OEM style engine components. Ever heard of heads, manifolds, cams, throttle bodies, blocks, cranks, rods, pistons, pins, etc, ect...? And wasn’t it Kenne Bell who first stepped up and replaced - and I quote you “...the most successful supercharger mfg. ever.” - the one that “[backed] the Lysholm rotor, bearing, shaft and gear design” and “...also passed all of Eaton and Fords durability and endurance test.”
Testing? Reliability? You better check around. You wouldn’t believe how durable, reliable and successful our Cobra kits have proven to be at boost levels 2 to 3 times as high as the stock Eatons you are so proud of.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DW: The Autorotor is a very good supercharger, but calling it the "Rolex" of superchargers and trying to persuade consumers into thinking its far superior to the Lysholm compressor is not an accurate picture. I want consumers to have the ability to make accurate decisions that are based on facts. The Bell has proven to be a great, high HP making kit, our system is fairly new, but we have a great product that’s up for the challenge.
JB: Our tests and engineering analysis along with the Autorotor engineers indicate the Autorotor is, in fact, a superior product. So, if it is the very best product of its kind, then perhaps the “Rolex” designation is applicable. This does not imply the Lysholm is not a good supercharger. We would never say that. On the contrary, it is an acceptable OEM grade supercharger, as is the Eaton. Call Opcon U.S. and see if they agree. The Lysholm and Eaton are virtually identical except for the rotor types. They even look alike.
In the final analysis, the customers will decide if the Kenne Bell supercharger’s 4 x 6 rotors, billet case and components, larger bearings and shafts, steel pulleys, gears, serviceability, product testing and tech support is for them. That is what is so great about this business. We all engineer superchargers and related components the way we see it, but ultimately, it’s the customer’s decision to pay a little more if they are convinced a particular product is superior and / or has a better image.
The sole purpose of this post is to, with the best of our ability, give our customers the real facts, while pointing out some untruths.
Sincerely,
Jim Bell
I just got Jim's responses back to Dustin Whipple's remarks, so get yourself some popcorn and a beer (or two), and read on.......
To quote Jim Bell.....
The last time I was bad-mouthed by Dustin Whipple, I clearly stated that he should refrain from doing so. We subsequently responded and that’s why there is an Autorotor vs. Lysholm comparison in the first place.
Now he’s at it again. I really tend to take it personally when someone openly states that they are “sick of the false Bell propaganda”. I am getting a little sick and tired of his allegations. At Kenne Bell, we do our very best to supply our customers with factual and accurate dyno tests, tech tips, etc. Our employees will all testify that we have “zero tolerance” for lying or making false statements.
Allow me to answer Dustin’s allegations point-by-point.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DW: I would like to let everybody know what Kenne Bell advertises on their site has very little merit and has no engineering or testing to back up the false claims (compressor comparison).
JB: I respectfully disagree. The compressor comparison test at http://www.kennebell.net/techinfo/f...ORvsLYSHOLM.pdf between Autorotor and Lysholm were conducted by Opcon / Autorotor engineers.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DW: The Lysholm designed compressor was designed by the lead designer of the Autorotor, he left Autorotor and help start Lysholm and develop a new compressor that had new design features. The Lysholm rotor, bearing, shaft and gear design was not only backed by Eaton (the most successful supercharger mfg. ever), but also passed all of Eaton and Fords durability and endurance test. Something the Autorotor has never successfully done.
JB: I guess you are attempting to bolster your product’s image by implying that the lead designer of Autorotor left to do a better supercharger. Here again Dustin has his facts all dead wrong and is misinformed, confused, or ....? “Lead designer”, no, Dustin. No “lead designer” from Lysholm ever designed an Autorotor. That is simply not true. Benny Lindbrandt is the “designer” you are referring to that left Autorotor to help start Lysholm. However it was not Lysholm’s Benny Lindbrandt as you claim who designed the Autorotor. He wasn’t even there when the Autorotor superchargers were designed. The “lead designer”of the Autorotor supercharger was actually Johnny Osscarrson, father of another Autorotor engineer and designer; Jan-Erik Osscarrson, whom I worked closely with for over 12 years. You’ve got your lead designer’s mixed up. You may wish to call Opcon and get the “real facts”. They find your claims of Benny designing the Autorotor as very humorous.
Next you claim the new Lysholm had “new design features”? Surely, you are joking. Again Dustin, you must be living in a cave. The “new” Lysholm 1600 and 2000 were DIRECT COPIES of the EATON, except for the twin screws instead of roots style rotors. Lysholm was looking to “replace” Eatons with the OEMs. Lysholm basically copied all the lower cost Eaton features, bearings, shafts, seals, cast case, etc.. They told us exactly that. You may want to ask your father and Benny who actually tested these “new design” superchargers for them, and had to show them they were clearly not equal to the superior design of the Autorotor as they first claimed. I still have the test data. The biggest problem being that inadequate Lysholm inlet case opening. I won’t go into great detail on this, but once Kenne Bell made Lysholm aware of their shortcomings, they changed it. In fact, the machined notches on the inlet are there to match Kenne Bell manifolds as per our recommendations to use the Autorotor style case inlet design.
Kenne Bell was more than happy to help out with the Lysholm design - we all had a common goal at the time - help promote the Twin Screw concept. Kenne Bell was in fact offered the Lysholm exclusively for the Ford aftermarket. Here again, Dustin probably was not aware of this. We turned it down because we felt the Autorotor was proven and more reliable because of the larger bearings, shafts 4 x 6 rotor arrangement, billet case vs cast, etc...
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DW: Ford chose the Lysholm supercharger for the new GT. Mercury Racing (marine) also picked the same SC for their 1075 HP engine. Ford Racing has also chosen Whipple to be it's sole aftermarket SC provider.
JB: You keep harping about “Ford testing” and “OEM quality”. Do you really believe the Autorotor would not pass Ford’s tests? Anytime, Dustin, anytime. We are making 700 horsepower on countless Cobras with our 2.2 at 20 psi, and the Lysholm is making only 500 horsepower on the GT. I’d say we passed this test. Just because Ford never selected the Autorotor surely does not mean it is inferior to the Lysholm. There were price considerations and politics involved, not “passing tests”. We know better. We’ve been doing Ford supercharger kits for more than 13 years. Testing? I know for a fact Ford does not test like Kenne Bell and our customers. Let’s leave it at that and let time decide who’s product is superior and whether you brought a knife to a gunfight.
Next, you talk about Mercury Racing and Ford Racing choosing the Lysholm / Whipple. As I’m sure you know, Kenne Bell isn’t at all interested in selling to Ford Racing, WD’s, Dot-coms, or any other companies / dealers or any other “middlemen” who only serve to increase the price of our products to our customers. We sell only to Installing Dealers and to our customers direct. In other words the cost of the Kenne Bell kits is too high to allow profits for middlemen. Unlike the Whipple Mustang kits, we chose to provide kits with everything our customers need including the required tuning and fuel system requirements. We spent the added time and expense to develop our kits completely. Dustin, I don’t think you know the whole story or want to know it, and there’s much more in the works.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DW: Whipple had the rights to the Autorotor supercharger, Whipple brought the compressor to America and supplied Kenne Bell superchargers. There was a gentlemen’’s agreement that Whipple would target GM vehicles while he targeted the Ford market. Whipple released the rights to go with what Whipple felt was a better future solution and Whipple ended our business relationship with Jim Bell. Whipple knows the entire history of Autorotor, we were the largest distributor for years.
JB: Believe me, Dustin, Kenne Bell is well aware of all the Autorotor / Whipple / Lysholm history. Whipple has experimented with and sold superchargers manufactured by three different companies over the years: Sprintex, Autorotor and Lysholm. Since 1991, Kenne Bell has only sold Autorotor. Again, Kenne Bell was offered the exclusive for the Ford aftermarket by Lysholm if we would dump Autorotor. We had already pioneered the twin screw technology with Ford, Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, etc.. It worked great, so why switch to a lower price supercharger and risk redeveloping them all over again? “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. The end result was even better for Kenne Bell. We ended up with more powerful, reliable superchargers from Autorotor. Let’s set this record straight Dustin, Whipple never “released any rights” to any supercharger. I was present in all the meetings and negotiations. Whipple was “terminated” for a breach of contract with Autorotor, and the billet race proven Autorotor was given to Kenne Bell exclusively. Whipple wanted both, but got only one, the lower cost OEM grade Lysholm. I thought you knew all this. You make it sound like Whipple “left” voluntarily for a better, proven product.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DW: When comparing superchargers, you also need to compare kits. Our Cobra inlet is far better designed, it offers almost 11" sq. inches throughout the casting. The Bell necks down to nearly 4.75". The Bell discharge plate has no radius and very little plenum area for the air charge to make a 180 deg. turn back to the intercooler core. Ours is taller that gives more plenum area; it also has a nice radius for a smooth transition. Our system comes with guarded aluminum SC pulleys and an optional belt idler setup that works.
JB: “Bigger” and “Plenums” aren’t always better. We’ve already made over 700 rwhp with our inlet and discharge plate Dustin. You want comparisons? You’ll get them. Coming soon. Let’s just say Kenne Bell has a reason for everything we do and anything we design - including the fact we include a chip and Boost-A-Pump with every Cobra kit. There is no “ideal shape”or radius for all HP and airflow ranges.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DW: Whipple have never gone after a "blower war" but I'm so sick of the false Bell propaganda. Jim Bell is a very intelligent person and has made some incredible products, he's a very likable character, but we need to keep the facts straight.
JB: One can’t leave allegations such as these unanswered, and we will continue to respond if need be to keep the facts straight. So, I’ll finish clearing up areas where his comments lead me to believe he is confused, misinformed and / or technically challenged.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DW: To make note, Bell mentioned that Opcon Autorotor purchased Lysholm but in fact, the owners of Lysholm took controlling shares of Opcon for the purchase. This was very clear in the press release.
JB: Here he goes again. I called Opcon’s Chairman of the Board and he too disagrees with Dustin’s “facts”. Opcon is the parent company and yes, Opcon did purchase Lysholm. What part of this don’t you understand? Opcon gave Lysholm shares in the buyout, but in no way did Lysholm “take controlling shares”, as you falsely state. You must be troubled, confused and belittled by the fact that your supercharger supplier (Lysholm) was bought out by ours (Opcon / Autorotor). Get over it and accept the fact our company bought yours; a lower cost OEM style supercharger. Dustin, you must know that the aftermarket is well known and respected for replacing OEM style engine components. Ever heard of heads, manifolds, cams, throttle bodies, blocks, cranks, rods, pistons, pins, etc, ect...? And wasn’t it Kenne Bell who first stepped up and replaced - and I quote you “...the most successful supercharger mfg. ever.” - the one that “[backed] the Lysholm rotor, bearing, shaft and gear design” and “...also passed all of Eaton and Fords durability and endurance test.”
Testing? Reliability? You better check around. You wouldn’t believe how durable, reliable and successful our Cobra kits have proven to be at boost levels 2 to 3 times as high as the stock Eatons you are so proud of.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DW: The Autorotor is a very good supercharger, but calling it the "Rolex" of superchargers and trying to persuade consumers into thinking its far superior to the Lysholm compressor is not an accurate picture. I want consumers to have the ability to make accurate decisions that are based on facts. The Bell has proven to be a great, high HP making kit, our system is fairly new, but we have a great product that’s up for the challenge.
JB: Our tests and engineering analysis along with the Autorotor engineers indicate the Autorotor is, in fact, a superior product. So, if it is the very best product of its kind, then perhaps the “Rolex” designation is applicable. This does not imply the Lysholm is not a good supercharger. We would never say that. On the contrary, it is an acceptable OEM grade supercharger, as is the Eaton. Call Opcon U.S. and see if they agree. The Lysholm and Eaton are virtually identical except for the rotor types. They even look alike.
In the final analysis, the customers will decide if the Kenne Bell supercharger’s 4 x 6 rotors, billet case and components, larger bearings and shafts, steel pulleys, gears, serviceability, product testing and tech support is for them. That is what is so great about this business. We all engineer superchargers and related components the way we see it, but ultimately, it’s the customer’s decision to pay a little more if they are convinced a particular product is superior and / or has a better image.
The sole purpose of this post is to, with the best of our ability, give our customers the real facts, while pointing out some untruths.
Sincerely,
Jim Bell
