What is the Warranty on a Kenne Bell Supercharger? 1 year unlimited mileage (see the following link) www.kennebell.net/warranty.htm
Does the supercharger void my new vehicle warranty?
No. It is against Federal Law for a Dealer to refuse a warranty claim
because an aftermarket product has been installed on your vehicle. If
a warranty is denied, contact the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
at (202) 260-2080 or www.epa.gov
or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at (202) 326-3128 or www.ftc.gov.
Additional information is available at the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Manufacturers
Association) website www.sema.org.
Kenne Bell is a member of SEMA.
Are Kenne Bell Supercharger Kits "50 State Legal?" Since 1991,
all our kits have been "50 State Legal" with a California Air
Resource Board Exemption Number. Some kits may be only "49 State
Legal" and in the process of being California certified so, if in
doubt, check with us. You can also check the internet at www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/aftermkt/DEVICES/devices.htm.
Then type in "supercharger system."
Will the supercharger hurt my engine? We bought our red 1990 Mustang convertible new. It has 110,000 miles on it and 3620 dyno runs on the 100% original engine. The heads have never been off and it's driven daily. Boost does not overstress the rods, crank, block, bearings etc. like rpm does. Engine inertia loads increase with the square of rpm. A 10% increase adds 40% more inertia loading. A 25% increase = 100%! A Kenne Bell supercharger doesn't require higher than stock engine rpm to make more HP and torque. We do it with boost. Remember, a Twin Screw doesn't have to depend on engine rpm to generate boost. The most common engine problems emanate from 1. over revving, 2. detonation (inadequate fuel octane, excessive ignition timing, lack of fuel etc.), 3. running more boost than the kit was designed for and 4. "other" engine changes and modifications such as heads and pistons (too high a compression ratio), injectors (wrong size), mass air meter (wrong calibration), headers (leaks), ignitions (non-compatible), regulators and pumps (excess or insufficient fuel pressure), underhood filters that suck in hot air etc. We could go on and on. We've seen it all.
This guy says . . . the internet says . . .
my mechanic says . . . Who's tests do I believe? I'd answer any
question with a question. Does he have a dyno? Has he tested this product
himself? Does he have a test vehicle? Does he have the equipment to verify
the test . . . or is it seat of the pants? Were the tests performed under
controlled conditions? One of the real dangers in testing is you're bound
to get data. I would always ask for a copy of the test data. Kenne Bell
retains a large fleet of vehicles - naturally aspirated, supercharged
and turbocharged. We do extensive testing on our products, the competition
and related products.
I've heard that . . . Quite often those who do the most talking are the
least knowledgeable. One test is better than 1000 opinions.
Do I need an exhaust system? I've heard that you always need "some back pressure." Anyone who says you need "some back pressure" to make power needs "some re-education." Aftermarket exhaust systems help on some vehicles and make "0" HP on others. Check out the Kenne Bell "Tech Tips" and "Dyno Tests" for specific vehicles. We cut off the entire exhaust system in back of the cat and test it with no exhaust to determine if there is any exhaust restriction (back pressure).
Will the Kenne Bell Supercharger Kit work with my aftermarket chip? Absolutely not! Supercharger chips require massive re-calibration by experienced calibrators. There is no resemblance whatsoever to a properly calibrated supercharger chip.
Do I need larger injectors, auxiliary injectors, an oversize fuel pump, an FMU, a BOOST-A-PUMP™? We don't use or advocate larger "in tank" or "in line" fuel pumps" as they heat the fuel through the re-circulation process. Most of our kits include the Kenne Bell BOOST-A-PUMP™. It's adjustable from 1-50% more capacity, quiet in operation, doesn't heat the fuel, is easy to install and is maintenance free. Our kits vary. Some include larger replacement injectors and a BOOST-A-PUMP™ . . . whatever is required to supply adequate fuel and the optimum air fuel ratio for that particular application.
What fuel octane will I have to run? 92, 93 or 94 octane. Our 5-9 psi kits are designed to operate on 91-92 octane on the street. 94 will allow you to run another 1-2 psi as will a can of NOS Octane Booster mixed with 92. Never run leaded fuel with oxygen sensors or catalytic converters. It will destroy both.
Intercoolers? Kenne Bell has been selling our own air to air intercoolers for the Buick GN for 15 years - and the Syclone/Typhoon for 20 years - well before the supercharger industry even began offering intercooling. There are 2 ways to approach supercharging: 1. use a supercharger and/or boost that won't work without intercooling or 2. design kits with a supercharger that is efficient enough that it doesn't require an intercooler. First of all, contrary to popular belief, intercoolers do not "make" more horsepower. They cannot. Supercharger output is FIXED and doesn't increase merely because downstream air charge temperature is lowered. It's the same air by mass. The mass, the weight, the oxygen content of that blast of air discharged by the supercharger cannot be increased. You don't believe it? Try this. Capture the discharged air in a bottle, seal it and weigh it at 300°, 200°, -50°. The weight (mass) won't change, the engine can't ingest more air so it won't make more power. Yes, the cooler denser air, at -50° for example, will "allow" more boost or advanced engine timing but that air, by itself, won't make more power. Now if the air entering the supercharger (ambient) is reduced, it is denser and cooler and then will make more power (1% increase for every 10° temperature drop according to our data). So why intercool? If the supercharger is relatively inefficient with a high discharge temp and the engine knocks at 6 psi, then the air charge temp must be reduced. Retarding ignition timing or lowering the boost to 4 psi reduces power, so that is not an option. Fortunately, the Kenne Bell Twin Screw is the most efficient supercharger concept available being around 60° cooler than the competition at 6 psi, so an intercooler is not needed to remove an extra 60° from the air charge. In some cases, with higher boost and discharge temps, if the water is cooled - and the flow is increased via a BOOST-A-PUMP, the air charge volume between the intercooler discharge and exhaust valve may "shrink" and increase HP by 1-2% (up to 18HP on a 900HP engine). The conditions must be right to achieve this gain.
