Looking to buy a Kenne Bell Drive unit


E

Edson

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Mar 28, 2007
103
Santa Monica
Two part post.

First, what has been the experience with the Kenne Bell High Capacity Drive?

Second, any one looking to sell a Kenne Bell Drive?

I want to polish and port my stock SC without modifying my stock snout (drive unit), I have two and a half years left on my warranty. I'm not looking for the power of a whipple, just a little more umph on the track.

Thanks,

Edson
 
Get a Whipple, no need to polish the stock blower, it is already done. If you are concerned about the warrantee, polishing the stock blower may causes some warrantee issues if the blower fails. Whipple is now CARB approved and you can set the power level you want by sizing the pulley, from stock to over 800 HP with race gas. The labor would be less with the Whipple no need to polish and attach a snout. Also search the forum, more some owners of the KB have had leaking issues with the snout.

Performance wise the KB snout can give you a little more than just a pulley, but that is only for limited use like a drag race or street driving. On a road race track both a pulley, or the KB with pulley, would soon get too hot and the power will drop off due to higher inlet temps. This will can still happen with a Whipple but it would be much better at any equivalent boost level.
 
On a road race track both a pulley, or the KB with pulley, would soon get too hot and the power will drop off due to higher inlet temps. This will can still happen with a Whipple but it would be much better at any equivalent boost level.
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I've often heard this said, I just wish we had some data to prove it.

On one hand, the Whipple is much larger in displacement and allegedly more efficient at equivalent boost levels.... and hands-down capable of higher boost levels. On the other hand, no matter what method you use to compress air to, say 15lbs, for example, you are going to heat that air.

For me the Whipple is a no-brainer for those that want to run 19-21 psi of boost and have the corresponding HP.

For more moderate boost levels of 15-16 lbs, I still need to be convinced that the IAT is measurable less and stays that way in real world driving with the Whipple. Part of me believes that the Whipple may be only very marginally better with IAT's (at 15-16lbs of boost) but that the difference may quickly dissappear with the larger mass and heat soak of the unit compared to the stock blower.

Further, my assumption is that while the Whipple absolutely clobbers the TT set-ups below 4000 rpm (from the dyno plots), in real world I would expect the heat soak of the Whipple to dramatically lessen this low RPM advantage.

Thats my thoughts - I'm open to others!
 
Any Other Thoughts?

nota4re said:
I've often heard this said, I just wish we had some data to prove it.

On one hand, the Whipple is much larger in displacement and allegedly more efficient at equivalent boost levels.... and hands-down capable of higher boost levels. On the other hand, no matter what method you use to compress air to, say 15lbs, for example, you are going to heat that air.

For me the Whipple is a no-brainer for those that want to run 19-21 psi of boost and have the corresponding HP.

For more moderate boost levels of 15-16 lbs, I still need to be convinced that the IAT is measurable less and stays that way in real world driving with the Whipple. Part of me believes that the Whipple may be only very marginally better with IAT's (at 15-16lbs of boost) but that the difference may quickly dissappear with the larger mass and heat soak of the unit compared to the stock blower.

Further, my assumption is that while the Whipple absolutely clobbers the TT set-ups below 4000 rpm (from the dyno plots), in real world I would expect the heat soak of the Whipple to dramatically lessen this low RPM advantage.

Thats my thoughts - I'm open to others!
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I would be interested in some additional input on this comment, also. I'm particularly ignorant about this stuff, and would like to hear from the experienced Whipple/Kenne Bell experts, and also from the Kenne Bell folks who had leaks... about what sort of customer service response they got from Kenne Bell and if the leaks were subsequently fixed on a permanent basis. Thanks in advance for any specific input or links to previous data/discussions that have been held.
 
Kenny Bell not my cup of tea

Edson said:
Two part post.

First, what has been the experience with the Kenne Bell High Capacity Drive?

Second, any one looking to sell a Kenne Bell Drive?

I want to polish and port my stock SC without modifying my stock snout (drive unit), I have two and a half years left on my warranty. I'm not looking for the power of a whipple, just a little more umph on the track.

Thanks,

Edson
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Edson,

I have the Kenny Bell unit on my stock SC. Great power looks very robust. Really bad and I mean real bad service. :thumbsdow After 1 year of faxes and calls and letters due to a factory oil leak I got a replacement..... of which they only sent the case (had to remove parts from original and install on new case)........The new one well it doesn't leak as much...:thumbsdowmany calls and the cycle starts all over. I hope to get it fixed this winter. Kinda cool everyone askes me what the rag is on the intake at shows.:frown

For what it is worth others have had the same problem.

I dont mind a problem or the cost...but being left with no service does make me grumpy.
 
Edson said:
Two part post.

First, what has been the experience with the Kenne Bell High Capacity Drive?

Second, any one looking to sell a Kenne Bell Drive?

I want to polish and port my stock SC without modifying my stock snout (drive unit), I have two and a half years left on my warranty. I'm not looking for the power of a whipple, just a little more umph on the track.

Thanks,

Edson
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Bruce lee here on the forum has one for sale. He went with the big whipple. pm me your # and I'll pass on the info or look him up on th eforum and send him a pm.
 
Thanks TPRACEMAN.

Your words are the final blow. Several people have told me to go whipple instead of the KB snout. Jack at muscle motors (jack has done work on my car) also suggested I go the whipple route. I think the whipple has more power than I am looking for, but I can put a 15lbs or 17lbs pulley on a whipple if I decide. I always regret doing things half-assed, because I usually do it twice and it cost more time and money than doing it right the first time. I am going to go the whipple route, especially after hearing about the problems with oil leaks from the Kenne Bell snout.
 
Good, choice! Go with the 19lb pulley, it works great even with 91 octane. If you don't need the power, don't push the go pedal as much.

:thumbsup
 
Definately go with the Whipple. The 3.4L displacement blower generates less heat than the stock 2.3L blower at comparable boost levels. Less heat = more power & less detonation. I initially went with a Kenne Bell: 620 rwhp w/ 2 3/4" pulley 15" boost, 93 Octane. Then stepped up to a Whipple + Ida Exhaust & Tune: 708 Rwhp @ 19" boost, 93 Octane.

You are welcome to my Used Kenne Bell HCD and Borla Exhaust if you want.
But trust me, you dont want...
 
Whipple with 21lb pulley and their tune is working just fine for me.
 
bony said:
Whipple with 21lb pulley and their tune is working just fine for me.
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21 psi on pump gas? 91 octane?

Did you have the car dyno tuned or was it a mail order tune?
 
DoctorV8 said:
21 psi on pump gas? 91 octane?

Did you have the car dyno tuned or was it a mail order tune?
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Bony got a dyno tune from Whipple, at Whipple.
 
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