THE KITS WITH TRUE COOL AIR INLET SYSTEMS
On numerous occasions, it has come to our attention that our competition claims the Kenne Bell Mustang GT, 2010 Camaro and Dodge 6.1 Hemi Supercharger kits take longer to install because of the “external” (under front valance) cool air kit. Of course, the KB takes a little longer to install.
But we believe its’ well worth the added effort and HP. We’re not idiots who merely make our kits more expensive and difficult to install for no reason. What they fail to mention, understand and acknowledge is this Kenne Bell feature results in a 30-50HP advantage over the competition-unless one is willing to drive around with the hood up to avoid sucking in all the hot, power robbing under the hood air. We moved the filter from under the hot hood and relocated it the cool air stream outside the engine compartment. That’s not rocket science. Just common sense that everyone should understand.
Yes, a huge advantage of the Kenne Bell kit is that it undeniably inhales ONLY cool, dense-under the valance external air so vital to maximum performance. Others inhale hot under hood radiator, engine and header air or at best a mixture. Check out this test data. That should clear things up. Want additional proof that the Kenne Bell approach makes more HP? See what Ford did.
Cool Air Kit is standard on all Kenne Bell Kits. Saves up to $1000 with Re-Tune.
- Real Cool Air Kits (tested w/hood closed)
- No Oven Baked Hot Underhood Air Filter – Boxes*
- No Expensive CAK Upgrades or “Hot Air” Holes & Re-tuning Required
“After all was said and done, the test results showed the importance of getting cooler fresher air into the engine. With the stock inlet system [driver side underhood] the inlet system air temp was measured at 93 degree, well above the 67 degree ambient temp present when the car went down the track [1/4 mile].“
HOODS OPEN
Why does Kenne Bell test “hood up” vs. “hood closed” with both underhood hot air and external cold air filters? Because ANY underhood filter loses HP from the hot air and heat. And shrouds DO NOT eliminate all hot underhood air. Our customers should be aware of this. You can’t drive around with the hood up. Nor should you dyno test with it up. One would have to be living in a village for the last 50 years to not understand that scenario. Ford even “saw the light” or “the HP advantage.” Look at the new 2010 GT & Shelby GT500 (snorkel). Both pull air from outside the engine compartment. That’s the “Kenne Bell Advantage” – only external cool air. Then there is the Dodge Hellcat and Demon with the front air hole or feed or hood scoop.
The following tests recently conducted for 5.0 Mustang Magazine on B.J. Baldwin’s 2010 stock Shelby GT500 with OEM “snorkel tube” to help direct some outside air to filter. All tests were at 9 psi. See magazine:
BASELINE- 472HP-Hood open (Flawed and deceptive test but makes kits look good on chassis dyno)
-24HP 448HP-Hood closed (Real world. Like it is driven / Loses 24HP with hood closed oops!)
-34HP 439HP-Hood closed w/ snorkel taped closed (little 1 1/2” snorkel was 9 HP)
-33HP Lost with under hood filter (472-4339=33HP) Get it now?
*Note the whopping 33HP loss with the hood CLOSED snorkel helped (9 HP).
A 10,000 cfm cooler and 2000 cfm/100 mph fan are supplying plenty of air flow to the front of the test vehicle, negating the theory of “it’ll get cooler air once the car is moving.” You can’t tell the filter to “just suck in the cool air from the cracks” and ignore the hot air. Ford fully realized the shortcoming of under hood filters and subsequently incorporated a small 1 1/2” fresh air “snorkel tube” in the 2010 Shelby.
Unfortunately, the improvement is only 9HP (see above tests) Still 24HP left on the table.
That’s a LOT of HP. As much as headers and exhaust combined on some cars.
The Shelby Super Snake, with its hood scoop, is much better than other Mustang GT kits using the “hot air” under hood filter approach but not as efficient as the Kenne Bell “external filter”. Even the SS still ingests a “mix” of cool external and hot under hood air. Not ideal for max HP. We also tested the Shelby KR with hood “open and closed” for another publication. Lost 24HP with the scooped hood shut.
We hope these tests put to rest those myths about Kenne Bell kits costing more and / or being more difficult to install while failing to yield any important performance advantage other kits. This time proven and tested Kenne Bell inlet system concept is not new. Look at any drag race car, NASCAR, Indy cars etc. It’s been used on GM, Ford, Chrysler and AMC high performance OEM vehicles since the 60’s. These engineers knew what they were doing. Does this bring back any memories? NO under hood “hot air” filter for these factory hot rods. They “sealed” the inlets to the carburetors to eliminate all under hood hot air.
- Olds (bumper scoops, hood scoops)
- Pontiac (hood scoops)
- Chevy (hood scoops, cowl induction)
- Buick (hood scoops, cowl induction)
- Ford (headlight scoops, hood scoop, etc…)
- Chrysler (hood scoops)
In 1970, Jim Bell designed and tested a hood scoop for Buick’s Stage 2 car. It totally isolated the under hood filter and made 27HP while improving 1/4 mile times by 2.5mph and .25 sec. In 1986, he introduced the Buick GN Air Cool Kit and in 1989 the first Mustang Ram Air Kit. Kenne Bell Supercharger “Cool Air Kits” are merely an extension of this old proven technology. It works.
You get the picture: Cool air = more oxygen = more HP = less detonation = longer engine life = cooler operation.
We actively promote this concept and use it on all our kits- except for the GT500. But we’re even working on that, too. Kenne Bell openly defends our concept, particularly when our competition falsely advertises. We quote from their literature: “Exclusive TRUE cold air intake system.” Really? Filter and canister in the hot engine compartment heat soaking and sucking in hot radiator and exhaust / engine heat. That is a “true” cold air intake system? That’s misleading, and even laughable to those who understand the physics of cool air induction. In conclusion, with hood closed the Kenne Bell kits out power the competition. And we can prove it.
CHASSIS DYNO TESTING
These tests were run by one of the noted chassis dyno tuners in the country to illustrate the shortcomings of the restrictive stock filter (loses 1.5 psi boost and 25HP) and dyno testing with the hood closed. Cutting out the side of the box improved air flow from 1004 CFM to 1203 CFM, but now the supercharger sucked hot underhood air and loses 55HP with the hood closed (565 open vs. 510 closed). So, you can either (1). Drive around with the hood up, (2). Leave the car on the dyno or (3) buy a low restriction Kenne Bell 4.5” MAMMOTH Kit that pulls only cool air from outside the engine bay. That is why the MAMMOTH Kit is standard equipment – not an expensive option – on all KB Camaro, Dodge and Ford kits. And MAMMOTH Kits come with a KB tune. Not necessary to haul your car to a dyno and install the competition’s optional CAK (which, to the best of our knowledge, still does not locate the filter OUTSIDE the engine bay) and pay for an expensive “re-tune” of your car.
