Supercharger Question

[YellowSVTCobra]

I am debating on which system to go with. I have a 98 Cobra with comp 106100 cams, C&L intake,Mac long tubes, 4.30 gears, Mac X pipe, lightning Mass air. Just your basic mods nothing special. The car has 61k on it. I may go to the track 1 time a year if lucky. I am not looking for a dyno king either and know a cent will make more rwhp. I am leaning towards a Kenne Bell system. I know they will not make a million hp or be the fastest down the track, but I have heard they are a fun blower. The car went 12's with the mods I have. My question is really for those who have had or have them. Is it worth getting one for a street car or should I lean towards a Vortech/Procharger. I understand the Kenne Bell is not intercooled and that is why I am skeptical on getting one. The car has all stock internals . This is just a nice weekend driver in need of a little more power. I understand they have issues with IAT and meth is an option for higher boost levels. I plan on running 7-8 lbs. Also has any body ran E85 with a kenne bell and have the seen any positives in doing so?

The turd

 

[im4darush]

with a 4:30 gear I would not go with KB unless all you want to do is burn rubber. You will have so much instant torque that no tire on earth will be able to handle it. That is issue number 1. Issue 2 is that the KB will not make power up high. So in addition to you smoke show off the line, you are now going nowhere as the KB is out of it's sweet spot. Now....if you still had the factory gear, yes the KB is a nice blower. It wont make huge numbers but all the power you have down low is nice on the street. Vortech with factory gears is a bit lazy until it builds boost, but with your gears I bet it will be in the sweet spot faster than you can blink. Vortech or Procharger without question. I have a V2 Si with 4:10 gears and don't think there is a lack of torque down low.

 

[F8L BYT]

I would go with a centri especially with those gears. Plus they sound so much better in my opinion! And if you decide to go that route, let me know. I have a whole kit I am selling that you can pm me about.

 

[KoBra_98]

the KB will make your car feel like it has a big block in it. pulls from idle. good luck in your choice!

 

[YellowSVTCobra]

the KB will make your car feel like it has a big block in it. pulls from idle. good luck in your choice!

Do you have a KB on a sn95 cobra? Any issues that you have had? I just want a fun car not a track only car. I am not afraid to go 3.27 or 3.73. Got both of them sitting in the basement.

 

[LDC2335]

For me, boost usually hits hard about the 3k range, about where the IMRCs open. So putting around town will be tolerable and not obnoxious. I'm pretty happy with my 4:10's and s-trim. Mild when I want it to be, and sideways on command

I would go centri intercooled, otherwise IAT's are similarly high to the KB. Plus intercooler peeping through the front, and the blow off valve gets a lot of turned heads and positive attention.

But seriously drives like a stock car until you get on it.

 

[KoBra_98]

Do you have a KB on a sn95 cobra? Any issues that you have had? I just want a fun car not a track only car. I am not afraid to go 3.27 or 3.73. Got both of them sitting in the basement.

yes, i have had a kb 2.1 on my pretty much stock 98 for a few years. I have 4.10s, but haven't put em in cause now with the kb its got low end. the best description I can give you is, it feels like its got a big block under the hood. It will shred the tires at will. it made it fun to drive. only thing i wish was it was intercooled. when its very hot out, its down on power. if its cold, like it is here now, its a blast.

 

[ImThatGuy]

The non intercooled turns a lot of people off from the KB. But mystickb1996 fabricated an intercooler for b headed cars and seems a very solid setup. He made 490hp with a puny ass 1.5 blower, a meth kit, and over spinning the blower at 15 psi, with IATs lower than eaton powered cobras. With a 2.1 it would be better boost and power numbers! The guy who bought his old car is selling his intercooler kit in the market section. Other than that centri blowers are fun, but lazy as hell with factory gears.

 

[Attaus]

I have had both in my car so I think I can answer your question.

Originally I had a Vortech V2 intercooled with 106100's and 4:10's. Even with the 4:10's the car didn't do much below 3K RPM. The cams didn't help with that, but the car didn't really come alive until around 4K and pulled hard to redline. It did sound good but entering the V8 scene I knew that if ever needed to rebuild the car, I would go away from the centrifugals because in my mind they had the drawbacks of both turbos and superchargers - parasitic loss and late spool without any benefits of the former two. I now have a different opinion of them and see their value, although the drawbacks are still true.

I now have a KB 1.5L non intercooled with MK VII cams and 4:10's. I am currently at 5psi and it runs pretty rich since it's still tuned for the V2 at 9psi. I went with the MKVII because I had to sell my Comps, and although they are not my ideal choice the car feels much better in the low end. I have a JLT CAI (necessary for your KB) and a stock intercooler since my Fluidyne decided to spring a leak. In the AZ heat, with lowish boost and running somewhat rich, I never had overheating issues. I sat in traffic in the 110 degree heat after some aggressive driving and the gauge just barely ticked over half until I started moving again. Currently in the lower ambients the car hovers around 1/4 for quite a while, just like it did with the Fluidyne and V2.

So.. pros and cons.

Pros of the KB are - as mentioned earlier - it simply makes your car feel like a larger displacement V8. Throttle response is instant, fuel economy is actually not too bad, and it's somewhat easy to swap out boost levels (possibly easier than the V2). At my boost level and with these cams there is simply no reason to rev the car out. The power delivery noticeably drops off after 5.5-6k RPMs, as anyone will tell you. If your motor is not built, this may be something to consider. The delivery is also very linear, so while you have the ability to roast the tires, light throttle input is more responsive than with the V2.

Pros of the Vortech - it is a very 'on/off' car, which can be good and bad. Driving around normally it is hard to tell the car has a power adder, other than the occasional pop-off flutter. If you like having a very docile car when cruising and a tire shredder when you put your foot down, this is a good option. By docile I mean that it takes much more throttle input to get a response than the KB. It can be nice or frustrating, depending on what kind of driver you are. Because the delivery is so sudden, it feels somewhat faster than the KB.

Cons of the KB - despite being a simpler setup, it was frustrating to install. Supposedly I only had to notch the engine heat cover to fit the throttle bracket, but in reality I had to notch the hood. I don't have cruise control currently, and had to buy the 5.0 throttle cable. This doesn't necessarily mean you will need to do this - but apparently there is a big enough disparity between Cobras that some cars have more trouble than others. The cold air intake also required that I remove my strut tower brace. I don't notice a huge difference, but I always liked having it.

Cons of the Vortech - more expensive to install and more parts to incorporate. This will require the addition of a larger fuel pump and injectors, while the KB includes the necessary fuel compensation. You will also need to install the new coolant crossover which.. if you've never dealt with, is a huuuuge pain. I had to use a hoist to pull mine out of the heads, to give you an idea. I can't comment on the specifics of the V2 install because mine came with it, but those are issues I am aware of.


TL;DR Cliffs

KB is a great option for your criteria. Linear power delivery, and doesn't require you rev the car out to use it. Doesn't make as much power but will be as fast/faster than the Vortech below 100. The 'on/off' characteristic of the V2 allows you to putt the car around out of boost, since you won't really know it's there. It also means you will be in the >4K range often, and this could (will) get you in trouble. I didn't like having to floor the car and rev it out to use the power adder. Having a passive power adder that supplies ample torque whenever makes for a great daily driver. It's simpler to install, and given my experience I don't think you should worry too much about heat soak.

I just realized you don't have a built motor - I would even more strongly advise the KB. Because it makes less power over a broader curve, you will put less stress on the motor especially since you won't be revving it out. Making higher power up to redline - as with the V2 - means your engine will have an expiration date.

 

[YellowSVTCobra]

I have had both in my car so I think I can answer your question.

Originally I had a Vortech V2 intercooled with 106100's and 4:10's. Even with the 4:10's the car didn't do much below 3K RPM. The cams didn't help with that, but the car didn't really come alive until around 4K and pulled hard to redline. It did sound good but entering the V8 scene I knew that if ever needed to rebuild the car, I would go away from the centrifugals because in my mind they had the drawbacks of both turbos and superchargers - parasitic loss and late spool without any benefits of the former two. I now have a different opinion of them and see their value, although the drawbacks are still true.

I now have a KB 1.5L non intercooled with MK VII cams and 4:10's. I am currently at 5psi and it runs pretty rich since it's still tuned for the V2 at 9psi. I went with the MKVII because I had to sell my Comps, and although they are not my ideal choice the car feels much better in the low end. I have a JLT CAI (necessary for your KB) and a stock intercooler since my Fluidyne decided to spring a leak. In the AZ heat, with lowish boost and running somewhat rich, I never had overheating issues. I sat in traffic in the 110 degree heat after some aggressive driving and the gauge just barely ticked over half until I started moving again. Currently in the lower ambients the car hovers around 1/4 for quite a while, just like it did with the Fluidyne and V2.

So.. pros and cons.

Pros of the KB are - as mentioned earlier - it simply makes your car feel like a larger displacement V8. Throttle response is instant, fuel economy is actually not too bad, and it's somewhat easy to swap out boost levels (possibly easier than the V2). At my boost level and with these cams there is simply no reason to rev the car out. The power delivery noticeably drops off after 5.5-6k RPMs, as anyone will tell you. If your motor is not built, this may be something to consider. The delivery is also very linear, so while you have the ability to roast the tires, light throttle input is more responsive than with the V2.

Pros of the Vortech - it is a very 'on/off' car, which can be good and bad. Driving around normally it is hard to tell the car has a power adder, other than the occasional pop-off flutter. If you like having a very docile car when cruising and a tire shredder when you put your foot down, this is a good option. By docile I mean that it takes much more throttle input to get a response than the KB. It can be nice or frustrating, depending on what kind of driver you are. Because the delivery is so sudden, it feels somewhat faster than the KB.

Cons of the KB - despite being a simpler setup, it was frustrating to install. Supposedly I only had to notch the engine heat cover to fit the throttle bracket, but in reality I had to notch the hood. I don't have cruise control currently, and had to buy the 5.0 throttle cable. This doesn't necessarily mean you will need to do this - but apparently there is a big enough disparity between Cobras that some cars have more trouble than others. The cold air intake also required that I remove my strut tower brace. I don't notice a huge difference, but I always liked having it.

Cons of the Vortech - more expensive to install and more parts to incorporate. This will require the addition of a larger fuel pump and injectors, while the KB includes the necessary fuel compensation. You will also need to install the new coolant crossover which.. if you've never dealt with, is a huuuuge pain. I had to use a hoist to pull mine out of the heads, to give you an idea. I can't comment on the specifics of the V2 install because mine came with it, but those are issues I am aware of.


TL;DR Cliffs

KB is a great option for your criteria. Linear power delivery, and doesn't require you rev the car out to use it. Doesn't make as much power but will be as fast/faster than the Vortech below 100. The 'on/off' characteristic of the V2 allows you to putt the car around out of boost, since you won't really know it's there. It also means you will be in the >4K range often, and this could (will) get you in trouble. I didn't like having to floor the car and rev it out to use the power adder. Having a passive power adder that supplies ample torque whenever makes for a great daily driver. It's simpler to install, and given my experience I don't think you should worry too much about heat soak.

I just realized you don't have a built motor - I would even more strongly advise the KB. Because it makes less power over a broader curve, you will put less stress on the motor especially since you won't be revving it out. Making higher power up to redline - as with the V2 - means your engine will have an expiration date.

Great post! This is what I was looking for. I think you just sold me on the KB. This is a car used mostly just go to car shows with and cruise. The B headed cobra misses that nice seat of the pants feel even with the 4.30 gears (lack of torque). I am just looking for something to make it more enjoyable. I had a procharged Trans Am back in the day and I understand what you are saying about how you do not even know it is there until you get in the RPMs and you are basically already speeding before you get to feel the benefits of the blower.

Once again thank you for information.

 

[Attaus]

Great post! This is what I was looking for. I think you just sold me on the KB. This is a car used mostly just go to car shows with and cruise. The B headed cobra misses that nice seat of the pants feel even with the 4.30 gears (lack of torque). I am just looking for something to make it more enjoyable. I had a procharged Trans Am back in the day and I understand what you are saying about how you do not even know it is there until you get in the RPMs and you are basically already speeding before you get to feel the benefits of the blower.

Once again thank you for information.

Of course, glad to help. I completely agree with the B head Cobra lacking low end, and that's why I was never really happy with the Vortech. As you said, you have to break the law to enjoy your shiny new power adder which in my mind makes it less fun and more stressful. I'd rather just effortlessly accelerate in any gear at virtually any RPM because of that fat torque curve (why else buy a V8??). If you have any questions post em up or message me but otherwise good luck with your build.

 

[KoBra_98]

only thing i can add is this, the kit i put on was complete and new, it wasn't at all hard to put on. matter of fact it was fairly easy. I have cruise, and didn't need to notch anything, fit nicely on my 98. The car isn't driven much, but drives as stock, just has a ton more low end and I think it pulls harder thru the entire rpm range. For what you plan to do with your car, I think you'' love the KB.

 

[YellowSVTCobra]

only thing i can add is this, the kit i put on was complete and new, it wasn't at all hard to put on. matter of fact it was fairly easy. I have cruise, and didn't need to notch anything, fit nicely on my 98. The car isn't driven much, but drives as stock, just has a ton more low end and I think it pulls harder thru the entire rpm range. For what you plan to do with your car, I think you'' love the KB.

Thanks guys. KB will be ordered tomorrow.

 

[F8L BYT]

Haha until he gets beat by a centri car on less boost. KB are cool but not worth it on b headed cars. Now 03/04's absolutely

 

[Attaus]

Haha until he gets beat by a centri car on less boost. KB are cool but not worth it on b headed cars. Now 03/04's absolutely

Did you miss the part where he said he might go to the track once a year? This is more of a cruiser. And while I completely disagree, and think your logic is flawed.. ultimately, who cares.