Kenne Bell Supercharged Explorer...

I have been on here for a while now always talking smack of how I plan to do a 2003 4.6 SOHC V8 Explorer project with a Kenne Bell 1.7 L supercharger. Well I lied!!! I decided the 1.7 L supercharger just wouldn’t support enough power, so I went with a 2.2 L supercharger. Just to give people an idea this is the same supercharger (different manifold to fit the 4.6 SOHC) that allot of the 03-04 Cobra fellas are running and making 600+ rwhp with.

Here is an outline of the project:

Install Kenne Bell 2.2 L supercharger for Mustang GT onto Explorer 4.6. Send stock bottom end of engine off to VT engines and have them build a billet 4.6 bottom end for me, send the stock 5R55W tranny off to Level 10 and have them rebuild it to withstand the huge levels of torque that this setup will create. Install small NOS dry shot of nitrous (45-65 shot). Wait for rear end to snap like a twig, yay! Contact DSS and pay out the butt for new custom half shafts and 3.27-3.55 LS differential. Brembo or Baer brakes to stop this pig! Weld racing 5 star lightweight aluminum rims with MT or Hoosier slicks out the back. So on so forth.

Here is the abbreviated parts list:

Kenne Bell 2.2 twin-screw supercharger S1
VT built short block S2
Level 10 rebuilt 5R55W tranny S2
NOS dry kit S3
SCT Xcal2 S1
SCT BA2800 MAS S1
42 lb injectors S1
60 lb injectors S2
VT stage 2 heads w/ blower cams S3
Dual SVT Focus pumps (still returnless) S2
Aeromotive fuel rails S2
KB BAS S2
DSS rear end S3
Headers (most likely going custom on this) S3
Aluminum drive shaft S3
Brembo brakes S3
Clicks/rims S3
Custom adapted Cobra CAI S1
DYNOTUNE, DYNOTUNE, DYNOTUNE!!! S1,2,3
Various other smaller mods S1,2,3


The list of mods is all grouped together but there are actually three different stages of mods there.

Stage 1: 400 rwhp street machine (KB 9 lbs/stock bottom end/stock tranny)

Stage 2: 600-rwhp dynoqueen (KB 15lbs/built engine & tranny)

Stage 3: 600+rwhp (maybe more) weekend racer / fun truck (KB 18lbs/built everything+ heads cams, headers, brakes, rear end, rims/slicks, nitrous)

Hope this gives everyone an idea of what I have been planning for 2+ years.

Here are a few pictures to get the juices flowing. Enjoy!!!

 

[rocket 5979]

Almost forgot, what are you going to do about cooling that bad boy? I know some KB kits come with intercoolers, but didn't know if yours did.

The 1.7 liter kits have a non-intercooled option, but all of the 2.2 liter race kits come with a very efficient water-air intercooler.

 

[rocket 5979]

Will be Hella sick. when it gets done
Have a great Turkey Day Robert

You too bro. Gonna get drunk tomorrow! I am meeting all of my fiance's "other" side of the family tomorrow! Oh boy! lol

 

[Yomie]

Sounds awesome Rocket!

Hey about the 'old' rocket......

I still have the Old Rocket's Ford logo on the front of my explorer, it still lives on! Get this thing together soon!

 

[rocket 5979]

Sounds awesome Rocket!

Hey about the 'old' rocket......

I still have the Old Rocket's Ford logo on the front of my explorer, it still lives on! Get this thing together soon!

Gosh man, how you been bro!? I havent seen hide nor hair of you in the forums in forever. Of course I wasnt in here that often either. How is the X treating you? Do anything else since the front SAS? Glad to hear that a part of my old 5.0 Explorer lives on. It really was a pretty nice vehicle. I do like the one I got now much much better though. Take it easy man.

 

[james t]

In for updates.

 

[dreamr]

In for updates.

Me too

 

[Turdle]

yeah, this is a good one

 

[boominXplorer]

hmmm I want to go fast too.....

 

[rocket 5979]

I really doubt there will be any updates on this project for about a month or so. I am in the process of getting a place to rent up in Grayslake/Northern Chicago area. Once I get the place then I will be able to park the X in the garage and start tearing it down. As for now I got to just let the Kenne Bell and all the other parts that are starting to filter in, sitting gathering dust in my fiance's living room. She's pretty understanding about things.

 

[rocket 5979]

I have decided to give up on the project, it was way too expensive and just too hard .............................................................................................................................................hehehehe!!!





GOTCHA!!! Hell yeah I am still trucking, and I am making a few videos and taking some good instructional pictures along the way too! You people really owe me one! Some of this stuff is not fun to be the guinea pig on.

Day one:

I was finally able to find the time to start the Kenne Bell project today. So far I put a decent dent into the project.

I have everything off the top of the engine and am prepping the head unit to go onto the heads soon. So far everything looks like it will fit but time will tell. The engine really looks deep when the intake is off and your staring at just the heads.

A few things I can mention that I encountered so far were the tons and tons of different vacuum lines and tubing running into and out of the upper intake plenum. Allot more than a regular Mustang GT! ECT(engine coolant temp) sensor is in a totally different location than on the GT and is also a different size altogether. That will require me to pull the one out of its stock location and plug the engine block. The stock fuel rails should work fine but I will have to install a 90 degree fitting where the Schrader valve goes so it will not hit the boost bypass unit that will be directly above it or cut it down a little bit with some finesse. Thats all I can think of for now.

I'm going to have to eat my Wheaties tomorrow! I don't have anyone to help me lift this heavy sucker on top of the heads! Man that will be fun... Too bad my brother comes in the day after. It would be nice to have an extra pair of helping hands for that part.

 

[rocket 5979]

Update Day 2:

Hello again, as you see from my post times I was kind of lazy and didn't post my first days results till today. Well day 2 was fun, I wasn't able to find the time to work on it till after my bro came in town.

Today I finished prepping the Kenne Bell head unit and also deleted a few things.

First thing I deleted was the EGR system which includes the EGR tube coming from the passenger-side exhaust mainfold, EGR solenoid front mounted on passenger-side head, the DPFE sensor which was mounted on the back driver-side of the original intake and the EGR sensor itself which I made a plate to block off which went onto the back of the upper plenum of the supercharger.

I also deleted the dual knock sensors that our Explorers have. You can see them in my pictures with the intake off, they are the two black things in the piston valley there. After those and the DPFE and EGR were off; I electrical taped over the ends of the connectors real good for a weatherproof seal.

The bosses that the knock sensors were mounted in will stick way too far into the area where the intercooler will sit. They will need to be ground flush to the flutes in the block. The new coolant tube that goes from the water pump, underneath the intercooler and out the back of the piston valley area will be a PITA and I reccomend that you ensure that it is touching the bottom of the valley for its entire length and centered except the back part which curves up. Special bending and fitting will be required.

My brother helped for a little while but then was too tired to help. I had to heft the heavy thing into and out of the engine bay more than 5 times all by myself. I am getting pretty good at it and it sure makes things easier when I am sitting inside the engine bay! hehe. I do warn people that if they try this that they be careful as it is a very heavy and awkward object to be lifting around.

Another relevant piece of this project is all the vacuum lines that you will see as compared to the normal Mustang GT's. My advice there is to really take a look at where things go and where they come from and soak in where things are located and then tackle it all from there. I also believe it to be pretty much mandatory that when disconnecting all lines that you label them in as much detail as possible as to what sensor they came off of.

Well enough of my blabbing. Here are the pictures from day 2. Enjoy...

 

[section525]

Lookin dope!

 

[BeauJ]

Lookin good buddy.

 

[huskyfan23]

Holy crap that's SWEET! KB Cobras are awesome. A KB X. Good lord!

 

[sickmtbnutcase]

That's awesome!!!!

Sadly, I only have a 1.7l KB.

Maybe I'll have to get a newer X, slap the 1.7 on that and get my pony a 2.2

Good luck, that's gonna be one bad-ass X.

 

[CDW6212R]

Robert, did you throw a pulley/boost formula at me some time ago? I don't know if it was in an email that I saved, etc. The formula suggested boost for a given pulley, CI, and crank pulley. Coming along well...

 

[TheFox88]

Sweet!

 

[96limitedX]

thats awsome!

 

[rocket 5979]

Robert, did you throw a pulley/boost formula at me some time ago? I don't know if it was in an email that I saved, etc. The formula suggested boost for a given pulley, CI, and crank pulley. Coming along well...

Yeah i did. I believe I posted it in a forum somewhere. Here it is again


Pulley ratio = crankshaft pulley diameter / charger pulley diameter

Kenne Bell theoretical boost = (charger size in liters x pulley ratio) / (engine L / 2) x 14.7 - 14.7

Example: (2.2 x 1.73) / (4.6 / 2) x 14.7 - 14.7 = 9.63 lbs boost

That is in a perfect world without any vacuum added from something like too small an intake, MAS, TB or something to that affect. That extra vacuum will have a negative affect on the boost made.

 

[rocket 5979]

That's awesome!!!!

Sadly, I only have a 1.7l KB.

Maybe I'll have to get a newer X, slap the 1.7 on that and get my pony a 2.2

Good luck, that's gonna be one bad-ass X.

Hehehe.... You made me laugh when you made the comment of "only have a 1.7l Kb"....... Hehe, heck that 1.7 on the GTs aren't no punks either!!! I am willing to bet that your probably making around 410-425 to the wheels huh? I really debated about getting the 1.7L for my Explorer instead of the 2.2 but I knew that I would want to make much more power than what the 1.7 could put out. I could have added a shot of nitrous on top to compensate for the less slightly less efficient thermal dynamics of the 1.7 as compared to the 2.2; but I wanted all the power on demand at the touch of the throttle. Either way both chargers will turn an average vehicle into a monster when done correctly. Just curious but are you running the stock bottom end on that Mustang or did you go forged already? BTW, you only live 40 miles exactly north of me(Round Lake), maybe this next season if you have a get together for your club I can stop on by if it is ok?