Okay,


I need instant boost. I need loads of torque. I need to blow Chevys away off the line. And of course, .....white smoke the tires! With some of the Neal "the hp Freak"/Mike Troyer mods. and a supercharger kit, my goal is to come as close as possible in torque and speed to a late model "stock" Lightning.

What is the best roots style supercharger kit? Magnacharger standard roots ($4,300 new) or Ken Bell twinscrew roots style ($3,800 new) ?

Wittom showed a site where a new Powerdyne centrifugal kit is $1,999. it says it is for 97-98 F-150 4.6L, but I am going to ask if the kit will work with a 99' 4.6L.

Which of the three kits will make my 99' 4.6L, auto. trans. supercab the fastest off the line?

Does the extra cost of the magnacharger or Bell kits equate to much more performance than out of the powerdyne? Is the extra cost really justifiable or is it just a preference issue?

 

Hi Crash,

Could you please email me at robertc128@hotmail.com

I am interested in an ATI or Magna supercharger for my 98 5.4L Expedition so please email me the prices. Also, do you know of any shops in the Los Angeles area that install these and approx. how much would I be looking to pay for the install? I don't think I would be able to do such a big install myself, but what do you think (I am not very mechanically inclined)? Also, what would shipping be on one of these to the LA area? Thanks in advance.

Robert

 

Which kit are you talking about, Crash? I would say that the Magnacharger install is only for experienced wrenches. Getting at the back bolts on the intake is a PITA and there are a lot of components to remove and reinstall. The ATI looks a lot easier.

Ian

 

I have the Kenne Bell supercharger...it is noted for it's instantaneous boost and torque. I have an 2000 excab longbed and with the blowerkit: supercharger ,fmu, boost a pump and a kenne bell chip ..it would blow away most opponents. The picture here is what the blower looked like right after installation. I have since added many mods.
As far as getting a new one or used one cheaper...check ebay..occassionally they have a kenne bell up for bids... one was sold last week.



The Beast From The East ...my gallery

 

BTBFord,

Do you think that your Ken Bell kit is faster off the line and has more low end torque, than a MagnaCharger system?

 

Iron Horse,

MM&FF did an article on the Eaton vs. Autorotor in the April issue. The KB has the ability to produce much greater boost levels, but running at lower boost levels (8 PSI or so) the Eaton produces slightly more at low revs.

The trade off is that is also runs out of efficiency much sooner. Even without an intercooler, the KB is running intake temps just as cool as the Eaton. The Eaton setup started loosing efficiency big time at 8-9 PSI.

If you're sticking to lower boost levels, this isn't a huge concern. There is supposed to be an intercooler in the works for the KB which would give it a bigger advantage.

As for the Powerdyne some claim they are trash. Many still get great times out of them and for the price if they do go south sooner you can pay for a rebuild and still have some change left in your pocket. I think that for the moment the quickest 1/4 mile time posted on the site is from a Powerdyne.

 

Iron Horse, yes!In my opinion, I do believe the KB winds up much quicker than others and more low end torqure to get off the line. I did alot of research last year when I was looking for a blower and my intial thoughts were towards the Holley Thunder....but that system required alterations, including a shorter alternator-so I chose the KB. My boost level in the beginning was 10 lbs. There's an outfit in NY called Kennedy's Dynotune that specializes in KB and they have created their own water cooler system. I am not running one since it's really for continuous runs on the track. I do race...but only about once a month in the spring/summer season here in NY. Mostly, I 'play' during cruise nites or whenever some ashcan exhaust pulls up next to me and revs.
I have since removed the boost a pump, KB chip and FMU and did some other mods...check my signature that I'll add this time. The KB is now at 10.5 lbs boost...I had to get a slightly smaller pulley because I lost about 1.5 lbs due to the long tube headers. After my mods and a reprogammed flipchip...I'll 'play' with just about anything...hehe

Signmaster, so far the the quickest time on post for F150's is my 13.98 but that was on NOS and blower...14.4 without NOS...but...BEFORE my mods. I'm still in the process of tuning. Be prepared to see some much faster posting shortly

 

Crash,

Thank you for the info. , I emailed you late last night.

signmaster, BTBFord,

Is an autorotor the same as a twin screw roots style? Over the past several months, I have seen it mentioned that, the quickest 1/4 mile run was with a powerdyne. I also think someone was getting faster 1/4 times with a powerdyne and a 5 speed?

But, to be honest, I am trying very hard to act like a........... obnoxious juvenile and white smoke'em at the stop lights!!!! ha! I need the fastest first 50 yards off the line. You all know what I mean. Every once in a while, one the light turns green (in a non-residential area of course) you would like to be able to white smoke the tires and pull ahead of that chevy then slow down before the police take notice.

I thought the Magnacharger and its eaton third gen. M90 was the
best low end torque producing supercharger for a F-150, since the Lighnting used a eaton supercharger (4th gen. M112) and it was the fastest production truck. But, I see the twin screw roots (Ken Bell) and it is suppose to be more effecient, runs cooler air , puts less drag on engine and is cheaper than the eaton. But, every ford tech guy has suggested the magnacharger system with the intercooler, overall others.

 

I didn't count your NOS run since it was two power adders. I fully expect to see quicker times with your new mods... Really they are already healthy considering the trucks configuration.

Where do you plan on "drawing the line" on boost limits? In the MM&FF article they went to 18lbs on the 4.6!

 

Iron Horse,

The Autorotor is what is used in the Kenne Bell blowers. I imagine the main reason that most factory techs recommend the Eaton is due to the fact that it ships on stock trucks. The Magnacharger seems to be a fairly complete kit, but people are finding shortcomings with the package as well.

I have a friend who is a 'Stang fanatic. He bought the KB, his friend bought the Eaton. Guess who is making more HP without an intercooler? He has an intercooler in the works so that should make things more interesting.

I think by nature most people assume an intercooled system will outperform a non intercooled system. With the same blower, it always should. The test in MM&FF proved that the KB keeps temps so much lower that it is just as effective in dealing with heat as the Eaton is with the intercooler.

It should also be noted that if you push the boost levels on the Eaton you not only hit the limits of efficiency, but you may also have to drive the blower over recommended rpm limits to do so. The Autorotor leaves plenty of room to grow in both situations.

 

I just made a deal for a new MagnaCharger Kit !!!!!!!!!!!

 

Signmaster, the chip has been reprogrammed and the truck tuned. We were testing yesterday and the weather was 95 degrees! 10.5 lbs of boost were obtained. In the cooler weather, my max boost will be 12 lbs. That's the max now with this engine. As you noted, the KB does produce heat...intake heat was about 260 as opposed to the L's Eaton 160 degrees, according to my tuner's readings. I don't think i can do much more power out of this engine without doing some serious rod damage as the internals are stock. MORE power can be made...but at the risk of blowing the engine. Plans are in the making for a winter project( if the engine gets me through the summer) for a fortified short block...rods, pistons, crank...and possibly a new trick 4 valve head setup) It should last as the truck is primarily show and i race about once a month...though, hitting the blower @ 55mph+ when a potential 'kill' is next to me does produce more engine wear toll than just straight out 1/4 mile.
I plan to hit the track Friday night instead of tonight, because the weather will be a bit cooler...around 82 here in NY/NJ. Whatever happened to winter and spring??????
Thanks for the encouragement...and first testings will be done on blower only.

New pix in my gallery

 

Picking a supercharger is just as confusing as picking an exhaust. So many variables to consider. I just want the most low end torque and the fastest "off the line" launches for stop light to stop light running for my heavy 99 supercab,flareside with auto trans./overdrive and 3.55 rear gears. It would also be a plus to have enough torque to have the confidence to pass vehicles (but I guess they would all do that since the rpms are up at highway speeds?).

So the "autorotor" is the "twinscrew roots style", for a while, I thought Ken Bell had come out with another type that I was not familar with. From an engineered stand point, by design, the twin screw roots is suppose to be more effecient than a standard eaton roots. But, I can not find a brand new kit for 2500 or less.

How are you suppose to decide on the most costly aftermarket mod. you have ever considered buying, when you hear that the Lightning uses a proven and reliable eaton roots, a eaton roots is suppose to provide the most low end torque in a heavy truck, yet, the twin screw (autorotor) is suppose to provide more hp than an eaton roots and in the furture, auto makers will be going from eaton roots to twin screw roots, yet, the centrifugal Procharger can out run any roots style in the 1/4 mile, it may or may not have "lagg", and centrifugal Powerdyne truck on this site is one of the fastest, the magna and procharger are suppose to be the best quality, yet they are the most costly, the Ken Bell does not need an intercooler, yet the Powerdyne is about half the cost of most and is easier to install.

I am going crazy!

 

HI!... Now if I could only fabricate it so a KENNE BELL AUTOROTOR twin screw supercharger would bolt onto a MAGNACHARGER intake manifold and utilize it's intercooler set-up. Now that would be something. HMMM............ Now that's got me thinking........HMMM.......

 

Okay Neal, your post has just caused me to have brain "meltdown". ha! One of the reasons I am going with a Magnacharger is because you said that you were going with the Magnacharger.