Kenne Bell Install - 2000 GT

[Manson31]

Hi, I'm new here and this is my first post.
Hello to all and hope I'm not repeating anything that's been done before.
I'm from the UK. It isn't so easy to get performance parts for Mustangs over here but I finally got my hands on a Kenne Bell non-intercooled 6psi blower kit....

I’ll get straight on to the install:
First off, I will say that if you’re attempting a similar task yourself (on your own); allow at least 2 weekends to do it.
I had help all weekend and it took us approximately 35 man-hours in total (not being sexist, we are both men).
Also, I installed the non-intercooled kit. The intercooled version has lots of extra steps as it’s a water / air setup and needs an additional coolant tank, pump, matrix etc. I would guess another 8 hours at least to fit that.
Secondly, I have to say that it is not a difficult job. My mate and I are what I would call skilled amateurs, having never had any formal mechanical training nor ever having earned our living as mechanics.
I have a fairly well equipped garage and a good variety of tools. Of the two of us, Dave is by far the most skilled at electrics although he admitted that the electrical skills needed to install the blower were minimal i.e. cut about 10 wires, solder new pieces in and heat shrink the joints.
To be fair, the Kenne Bell instructions are probably the best I’ve ever used with pictures provided for each step. The only possible improvement would be to provide them as a pdf so you could see them in colour and enlarge them if necessary. My advice is not to rush anything. Read the manual, make sure you understand what you’re doing and only then take action.
We did clean up a lot of the components, wiring and connectors as we went. This slowed the job down but the end result is worth it: Who wants a shiny new blower sitting on top of a grubby engine?
KB deserves its excellent reputation. The kit was 99.99% complete (even down to including lots of zip ties and a small roll of solder): We only had to fabricate one small / simple bracket to carry the ‘Boost-A-Pump’ boost sensor but that could have been just zip-tied somewhere instead. Top marks for KB so far!
Excuse the quality of some of the pics: basic camera phone only and no flash available. All comments apply to the picture above them.
Okay here we go…

Above is the main bag of components and the 104 page instruction manual sat on the bench.

In the above pic you can see the new heater pipes, the KB Boost-A-Pump (more later) and the 4 bank piggy back chip which KB programs according to your particular vehicle. The above are all included in the kit. Not included are the one stage cooler spark plugs, K&N filter and camcorder (lol).

Finally, the supercharger unit, inlet manifold, thermostat, housing and bypass mechanism. This little lot comes pre-assembled with only a few items to add before fitting.

First real step is draining the coolant and disconnecting the battery. There is a 19mm nylon hex bolt at the front of the passenger side front wheel arch. Put a large bowl under it and undo it to drain the coolant. Battery terminals need an 8mm spanner.
We decided to take the bonnet off. Note – some models require strut brace assembly to be removed also, but not mine.

Intake assembly removed. Mine has a separate MAF and IAC sensor whereas on later models these are combined. Also some of the crankcase venting hoses have been removed.

Above, we’re using a 5/8 quick disconnect tool to separate the fuel rails from the fuel line. I love the engineering simplicity / beauty of these things!
(Make sure you have released the fuel pressure in the rails by using the tyre type valve on the L/H rail before you separate the fuel line.)

Fuel line separated – note double o-ring seal.

Above: Fuel line disconnected and ticked out of the way. Note filthy valve cover and rusty old fuel rail.

Various connectors unplugged. Take your time figuring out how each one separates. On this car, just one of the fuel injector plugs was broken but on my ’96 most had been broken at one time or another. There is no need for this. When done correctly, all engine plugs slide out easily!

I’m not normally a fan of adjustable spanners but made an exception when it cam to the EGR pipe. Above I have already disconnected the vacuum connection on top of the valve.
Directly below the EGR valve is the fuel rail pressure transducer. More on it later…

 

[Manson31]

Above: IAC valve on its way off….

…followed by the Throttle Body.…

… the cruise control and throttle cables and return spring.
Like I said at the start, mostly simple so far

Plenum removed to show intake manifold.

Above: Using a 3/8 square drive and long bar (torque wrench in our case) to move the belt tensioner towards the drivers side and remove the serpentine belt.

Taking off the top hose: Damn I hate those standard clips! Despite all the tools we have, none make large spring clip removal easy!

Alternator and fuel rails removed. The fuel rails are held on by 2 small bolts each. Once these bolts have been removed the rails just pop off the injectors.
Note: You WILL lose fuel when you remove the rails from the injectors. Don’t panic, it can’t fall into anything important. It evaporates pretty quickly. (Now’s a good time to stop, have a smoke and admire your handywork – NOT!!)

Seeing as how we were already covered in petrol, it seemed like a good idea to remove the fuel injectors. One electrical connector each and they just pop out of the inlet manifold. You can also see from this pic how crudded up the coils, valve covers and wiring were.

Inlet manifold coming out: This tends to snag on the rigid EGR pipe but the pipe is plenty tough so tweak it if necessary. (My finger seems to be randomly pointing at Dave’s chin….)

 

[Manson31]

Okay I know this is a crap photo but here I am attempting to remove what I call the world’s most evil bolt. It’s purpose is to secure the rigid water pipe from the back of the water pump to the block. It is nigh on impossible to get any kind of tool on and even when you do, it is one flat at a time.
We had a nifty idea for threading it back in or allowing removal should it be needed in the future. Because the hole in the block is not blind, you can see the bottom end of the bolt at the back of the ‘valley’ between the cylinder banks at the top of the driver’s side. We took a new stainless bolt (From memory it’s M10 but could be M8). We put two blades in the hacksaw side by side and cut a wide slot across the bottom of the bolt. This allows the bolt to be ‘pulled in’ from the front by a screwdriver and then just nipped from the back.

With the evil bolt out, we could remove the rigid water pipe and clean down the deck faces. Used carefully, a Stanley knife blade is the best tool for the job. Note kitchen roll in ports. Air gun was handy at a multitude of stages during this install (a must have garage tool in my IMHO).

Removing spark plugs: They are a fair way down!!

Can you tell which ones are the originals?
When I say originals, they may be the ones fitted at the factory in 2000. Clues are: the Motorcraft logo, the seriously burned electrode and the almost 3mm gap!!!!
Before anyone chews me out, I know Ford brag about 100,000 mile plugs these days but come on, this photo tells me they don’t last that long in real world conditions. Mine hasn’t got 50,000 miles on it yet!
Dave reckons I’m lucky a coil hasn’t gone down from working so hard and estimates 10 hp from changing plugs alone…

New plugs going in: KB recommend 0.035†or 0.9mm and one stage cooler plugs for supercharged applications. Weirdly, although I got mine from JEGS, they were all gapped at 0.9mm so that saved a little time.
One little problem we experienced on the previous SN95 was that the rubber in the spark plug socket gripped the ceramic so well that it was impossible to get the socket out after torquing the plug in. The socket would just pull away from the extension bar before it would come off the plug. You don’t want to be using a non-grippy socket and just dropping the plugs in either.
We now use two long reach sparkplug sockets, one with the rubber and one without. Place the plug in the rubber just enough to hold it. Lower into the head and just use the socket to locate in a couple of threads. Then release the ceramic from the rubber and use the socket without rubber to torque the plug down. NB Make sure you apply anti-seize to the plug threads and do not over tighten them!

With the decks clean and the new plugs in, we used 2†masking tape to cover all the ports for the next stage….

KB instructions were clear: If the 11th character of your VIN is an ‘F’ then part of the engine block needs to be ground away to clear the blower manifold. Again, the instructions were great with a picture showing where to grind. They also provide a ball of modelling clay. The idea is to grind off what you think you need to, stick a layer of modelling clay over the ground area then test fit the supercharger. If there is a mark in the modelling clay, grind more, if not you’re good to go. I was fairly vicious with the grinder as there is nothing fitted to the post to be ground away.

This picture shows the blower being test fitted. I used the modelling clay method and it cleared easily. It looked great in place but a few more jobs to do before bolting it in.

Cleaning the valve covers, wiring and connectors.

Much better!

 

[Manson31]

Back to the blower on the bench. Here we are fitting the bigger injectors.
The o rings need to be lubricated with a silicon based lube. Also we checked the inlet manifold casting for any sharp edges which could damage the o rings during install.

Next came the new fuel rails. In 2001 and newer mustangs these are re-used but older ones like mine come with new rails. This was good as the original rails were quite rusty. KB recommended re-using the original fixing bolts but we used some fancy dome head stainless bolts. I ended up re-using the rear driver’s side bolt as it has an earth connector slipped on the top.

Blower installed with bolt holes lined up. We checked clearance again and were happy. Now to start bolting it up. It’s a good feeling at this point because the tear down is behind you. It’s officially all installation from here on in.

You can’t see it well in the picture but we are starting to bolt the unit in. Only needs to be done loosely as the motor plate needs installing to line everything up square before the manifold bolts are tightened down. The main thing shown in this picture is the location of the rigid EGR pipe. I really had to tweak it to get it somewhere near the position it needed to be in to fit the back of the EGR valve (yet to be fitted).

That thick black chunk of aluminium is the motor plate. It carries the idler pulleys and the alternator. It needs to fit flush to the block so the serpentine belt can run true. If the supercharger was torqued down before it was tightened onto the motor plate, the drive pulley may throw the belt off. Dave is fitting the top 2 bolts here, both of which need to be sealed with high temp RTV as they protrude into the lower manifold’s waterways.

Another picture of the motor plate from the other side. If you look closely you will see 2 of the 3 rows of tapped holes which carry the idler pulleys. There are lots of these so that different sized pulleys (for more or less boost) can be used without changing the plate. Note: Kenne Bell only recommends the use of steel pulleys, not aftermarket ally ones.
That silver bit sticking out is the lower alternator mount. Because the blower now sits where the alternator used to, it has to be relocated and will point towards the back of the car with the pulley at the rear.

Here we are torqueing up the motor plate bolts. Note that the blower bolts are now in and tightened.

These are the first original parts to be re-attached: EGR pipe was a b1tch to get threaded in. I found it easier to remove the valve unit, thread it partly in and then re-attach, torqueing all the bolts later.

Kenne Bell provides this shiny new plate to mount to the top of the alternator. As Dave had skived off home at this point, it was tricky to take the tension off the belt in order to get the alternator to line up.

Here you can see the amount of metal which I had to grind off the alternator case to clear the original idler pulley. It seems a bit drastic but isn’t really. The compressor and air gun came in handy again to clear the alternator windings of aluminium dust!

 

[Manson31]

After much fiddling and cursing, I managed to get the alternator into a position in which all the bolts lined up with the block top mount. I found it best to leave every bolt seriously loose until everything lined up and then tighten each progressively to make sure none were under un-necessary pain. Here I have also reconnected the new top hose supplied with the kit. The thermostat housing is slightly larger in diameter than the original so I ditched the stock spring clip in favour of a good old fashioned jubilee clip.

Stock throttle body re-attached along with coils, TPS, throttle and cruise cables and electrical connectors. I could have spent longer and cleaned up the TB but I think it will be replaced by an Accufab or equivalent before too long…
I have also re-connected the fuel line to the rails. Make sure it clicks into position or else it will blow off and spew fuel everywhere when it’s pressurised.

Dave’s first job on Sunday morning: Extend the alternator charge and field cables. Note supplied cable protection.

(Most of) intake system re-attached. I have to say that because the TB is in a slightly different spot, the stock rubber pipe doesn’t fit as well as stock. A cold air kit would improve things I’m sure.
Sharp eyed readers will also note that that the IAT sensor has been relocated. (all part of the kit) This is sensible as the ECU needs to know the temperature of the air AFTER it has been compressed by the blower. If it took a reading from its original location (right behind the MAF), it would run way rich and make less power.

There was no way that the stock IAC damper was going to fit so we ditched it in favour of a 6 inch length of thin wall 1 inch OD tubing. (Just behind the oil filler cap in the above pic.) I will probably paint this black later but was too excited at this point.

The vacuum ‘loom’ has to be reconfigured to fit the blower setup. This looks confusing at first but if you take your time and keep referring to the diagrams in the instructions it is not difficult.

The mechanical stuff is all finished. KB ships its blowers dry. They are self-lubricating and you need to add 4 to 5 fluid oz of specific oil. There is a nifty little dipstick so you can check the level. The good news is that the oil only needs changing every 12000 miles.

Don’t forget to add coolant. I’m putting in water only as I need to flush all the green original stuff out. I’m not sure it will mix properly with the red 5 year protection coolant I will add after the flush.
KB recommends that you run 70% water, 30% antifreeze mix as water is actually a more effective coolant. They also suggest the use of Redline ‘Water Wetter’. Sounds weird but this product is really clever as it inhibits the formation of bubbles in the coolant system. Air bubbles insulate the metal parts of your engine from the coolant. Adding Water Wetter reduces running temp by up to 20 degrees, which means less detonation, more timing and more power. I looked into getting some of this stuff but it’s not available locally. Demon Tweeks sells it at around £13 so I’ll pick some up when I drain the coolant and move to the red stuff.

That’s it (for now) in the engine bay. Time to fit the ‘Boost-a-Pump’…

 

[Manson31]

This unit is pretty clever. What it does is detect boost via a sensor that is tee’d into the bypass valve line and then boost the voltage to the stock pump to give extra fuel when required. KB states that our stock 12V fuel pumps are actually rated at 17.5V so this method is perfectly safe. As I’m starting with a very safe 6psi, I’m happy to trust this. The American forums suggest upgrading to either a Walbro or Focus SVT pump both of which are capable of flowing 255 litres per hour as a backup safety measure so I will consider this if I decide to up the boost. The last thing you need with a supercharger is a lean AFR at full boost!
In the picture above you can see that we ‘tinned’ the boot panel where the earth lead will attach. This should ensure I don’t get a bad earth due to future corrosion and a corresponding unit failure.

Bad picture I know but here is the Boost-a-Pump all wired in. Only 4 connections make and 4 self-tapping screws to hold the unit down.
The biggest hassle with fitting this unit is routing the sensor wire all the way through the car into the engine compartment.

Here we are making a little bracket to attach the boost sensor which will be attached to the EGR bracket. This is the only bit of hardware missing from the KB kit but we could have just zip tied it in place I suppose.

Back into the engine bay. Here is the boost sensor in place. I think it looks pretty neat. That’s the Boost-a-Pump finished. Now onto the most scary part – the computer chip!!!

At this point, I got very nervous and forgot to take a couple of pictures. The last stage of the process is adding the 4 bank eliminator chip to the car’s computer. The computer is located behind the passenger kick panel as shown (badly) above.
When you order your blower kit, KB needs to know the code of the computer installed in your particular vehicle. They then code a piggy-back chip specific to your car (and its mods). If the code is incorrect, the chip won’t work and the car will either run like crap, or most likely not run at all!
There are so many warnings and disclaimers in the KB instructions that I had low expectations of it working. If you follow the instructions to the absolute letter and the chip fails to work, you have to send your computer to KB for them to diagnose the fault: Not bad if you live in sunny Cali but a bit of downer if you have to send it all the way from Derbyshire!

I had to pinch the above picture from the American Muscle website. The process for fitting the chip is pretty simple in theory. (No you CANNOT do what this chap is doing or it will NOT work!)
Okay, first remove the computer (easier said than done) and put it on a clean surface. Then take out all the screes holding it together to expose the ‘motherboard’. In the picture, you can see a connector on the motherboard which this chap has exposed by removing the cover from the computer case. Hat connector is fully coated in lacquer. What you have to do is use emery cloth and patience to rub all the lacquer and tinning from the individual connectors right back to the copper underneath. Then blow any excess dust off the unit and clean down with an electrical cleaning product which leaves no residue. Also clean the chip you are installing. At last the chip can be installed. This will now protrude from the computer so it needs to be covered with anti-static foam and retained by a sticker (both provided by KB).
After re-assembly of the case and installation back on the car comes the most important bit:
Remove your shoes to allow all toes and fingers to be crossed. Say a small prayer to the automotive gods. Re-connect the battery and turn the ignition to the on position. Check for fuel leaks. KB recommends doing this 4 or 5 times (not the prayer, turning on and off!) If you hear the fuel pump start up and then stop each time, everything SHOULD be working.
Dave inspected the engine bay poised to scream if there was a problem whilst I finally keyed the starter….
I needn’t have worried. She fired up immediately and ran like a dream.
Fitting a supercharger: We did it and it really wasn’t that hard. Most of all it was a really rewarding experience and highly recommended.
Go on, you know you want to…..
PS I’ll post updates of my experiences of living life with BOOST. And they say that Red Bull gives you wings Muahahahahaha!

 

[Manson31]

Lastly a quick video with everything up and running. Now with 8 psi pulley fitted.
[video=youtube;GTOGArn6tzk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTOGArn6tzk[/video]

 

[Chump]

Nice right up! What kind of numbers are you putting down now?

 

[mygreengt]

wow! hell of a write up!

 

[Manson31]

Thanks guys.

Numbers not available yet. I need to book some dyno time at a local shop.

Seat of the pants say big increase though.

Mark

 

[JerZeyStangz]

wow that is just awesomeness!

 

[teal95vert]

kb + evil laugh = priceless. felt the same way once I got mine on my 2005 mustang. nice install.

 

[Manson31]

Mods: Have I posted this install in the correct section?
Thanks
Mark

 

[bigkeeko]

hello mark.

This wasn`t showing up on the new posts doofer. ?

Still, top marks.

 

[bonestock3.8DTH]

That is an awesome write up! And I bet your car is a blast to drive! I love that laugh you did at the end of that video that was perfect, and welcome to the forums!

 

[bigkeeko]

^^^ hey Bonestock, I have a funny feeling your car aint bone stock

 

[Ferocious]

WOW. this is a hell of thread.
im very curious to see what numbers it puts down.

and how much did the kit run you? if you dont mind me asking..

 

[Manson31]

Hi

Thanks for the comments.
The kit was $4000. KB charge an extra $1000 if you want (or can afford) an inter-cooled kit.
By the time it was shipped to the UK and I had paid taxes and delivery, it was more like $6000!

Cheers
Mark

 

[Manson31]

hello mark.

This wasn`t showing up on the new posts doofer. ?

Still, top marks.

Thanks (again) mate!
I am truly skint now and there is sooo much more I want to do.
Oil cooler going on today?

 

[Manson31]

That is an awesome write up! And I bet your car is a blast to drive! I love that laugh you did at the end of that video that was perfect, and welcome to the forums!

Thanks dude.
I am keeping an eye out for new entries on your project thread.
Your stepdad has some skills and it looks like he's passing them on to you.
Good stuff!
Mark