Hey, I'm famous, what do you know.

Just to clarify from my perspective:

Yes my first KB was installed at REM and Keith (head mechanic) used washers for clearance due to the fact the original bolts were used. No bolts were supplied by myself. No spacer was used in this application or my second one.

I made it home like Tim mentions about 150 miles no problems the KB worked awesome, but in reality I took it easy as instructed by Paul. So I only let her go half a dozen times on the way home (not at high speeds). Next day, Sunday I drove aprox 60 miles and tested the KB hard three times on the third punch I lost boost at about 12lbs (like a hesitation) so I let off the throttle immediately, pulled over in a parking lot and heard a clanking sound, like a nut at the bottom of a pan bouncing around. Drove home with light foot and let her go one other time 1 mile from home, no problems and full boost. Parked my L and that evening went to pull her out of the garage for a wash and nothing. The engine would not turn over.

Called Paul the next day, pulled the chip - nothing, took the blower belt off and she fired right up, tried to turn the upper and nothing she wouldn't budge.

Called KB, I think Victor, he said we will have a new one out to you right away - great customer service! Now I did have metal shavings on top on the intercooler, from what, to this day I don't know? So to be on the safe side I pulled the intercooler and the manifold to clean for any possible shavings that blew threw. Yeah this is a guy who can handle a tune up on my '66 Stang until this point.

Days later received a call from Victor and he told me to make certain I shortened the bolts in question. That the bolts used in the initial install punched through. Just to play it safe I shortened each one by about a quarter inch and installed the new KB myself. Actually learned a ton about my L and other than the fact I have no patience really enjoyed getting that involved.

No problems since then and I am pushing 16lbs of boost.



D-Day

 

For 3K you think KB would send out some ARP fasteners just for there blower and not have to worry about the customer or shop cutting down some bolts. It would be nice to see some of these blower kits come a little more compleate from the manufacturers. I have a Works 140 in my shop right now and while it is a very nice blower the kit could have been a little more compleate.

 

Well here is my take on the KB, vacuum leaks, and the phenolic spacer.

I have had two KB's on my truck.

The first one failed after a few weeks on my truck, and this was well before the phenolic spacers came out. When I sent my first unit back to KB, I included all the hardware that came with the kit. When I got the replacement back from KB there was no hardware in the box.

So I called KB and asked them what screws I should use to install the upper plenum. They told it would be OK to use the stock eaton bolts on the new blower. When I went to put the upper on the stock bolts bottomed out, so I had to take and cut all the screws down. Well the damage was allready done, the adaptor was now warped.

I had to drive around for two weeks with a vacuum leak, untill KB sent me a new adaptor. When I got the new adaptor, I had to apply some high temp RTV between the blower and the adaptor plate. I was told to do this by the techs at KB since they were having a lot of problems with it not sealing right.

Here is what I found out when I took my first blower off. The rotor packs were in perfect condition. The problem the KB's are hacing has nothing to do with the rotor pacs. The problem many of them are having is the gears in the nose cone area. Thats where mine had the problem, and quite a few others I have seen have had the same front gear problem

Also untill KB comes out with a propper upper intake for the blower, or they make the adaptor thicker. There are going to be many people with vacuum leaks between the blower and the upper intake. The adaptor plate they supply with the blower is just to thin.

As far as the phenolic spacer causing problems with the blower, I am sorry Jim Bell, but that is total BS. There is no way one of these spacers can damage the blower. If your going to be like that I will just remove the blower off my truck, and never buy one of your products again. Come on don't blame the spacer on the problems the blower is having. Admitt to the problems, and fix the design of the front gears, and eith come out with a new upper plenum, or make a thicker adaptor, that doesn't warp.

I now have a phenolic spacer on mine, and it is working perfectlly for me.

Johnny I am sorry about my long rant. I have no problems with you, as a matter of fact I respect Johnny and all he has done for the lightning comunity. My gripe is with the Keney Bell company and Jim Bells stance on the phenolic spacer.

 

ICULOKN
Senior Member

Registered: Oct 2001
Location: Richmond,VA
Posts: 4369
Re: KenneBell SC with Phenolic Spacers!




I guess they are not worried about this clearance though huh? Looks bad do down someone elses product then post some pictures that makes yours look just as bad...

richard: You and everyone else knows that our JLP Truck is 1 Big *TEST* truck for future products! We do this to help ALL Lightning/HD owners..As far as warranty issues trust me i don't have to be worried about that.Jim bell has assured me of this..... Jim expects me to push this blower WELL over the limit. to *TEST* its limitations. I know that upper plenum we did is not professionally made (right now). But remember its this kind of *testing* that eventually always helps the consumer. we hope we have great success with this plenum so it can be approved by KB and then made available to those who would be interested........

Noone's products are perfect is just the same old BS going around, one vendor bashing another to make themselves look better.
Rich your wrong we @ JLP do not make spacers! and why is letting you and others know the *TRUTH* Become such a wrong thing to do?
This is some very important info. that was relayed to us to let the Community know..Whats wrong with that?. Maybe you don't care if you invested $3000,00 in a SC and voided your warranty concerning this but i'm sure others see it differently..JL

 

Nicely said Don. I personally think Jim Bell has some personal issues with Jim@JDM and thats the only reason he stated what he did about the spacer. For Jim Bell to say what he did is totally unprofessional. The phenolic spacers have been proven to work and I have witnessed it work on the dyno.

A question for JL..... If one of your customers has a JDM phenolic spacer on a Kenne Bell they bought from you and have a problem, are you going to tell them that they'll just have to eat the expense of buying another blower? It seems that Jim Bell may have just put a thorn in your side with his email. BTW My KB came from your shop so I'm not flaming you whatsoever. I'm happy with it and I do have a JDM spacer installed on top of it.

 

A question for JL..... If one of your customers has a JDM phenolic spacer on a Kenne Bell they bought from you and have a problem, are you going to tell them that they'll just have to eat the expense of buying another blower?

All Final Warranty issue decisions are made from KB..

Don, make sure you get that 10 sec. pass before you take it off. you know how hard it will be without it... JL

 

Honestly Don, there are so many flaws in what you just posted that they arent worth going into.

Maybe you should stop blaming the 4 aftermarket blowers ( 2 Works and 2 KB's) for your lack of performance and start focusing on the real reason why your still searching for a 10 while V is knocking on the same door that you have been knocking on for 6 months.

When you stop listening to what your being told, then you can move on and be the playa that you want to be. JMHO

MUCH RESPECT

 

Grey03,

I have wanted to say the same thing regarding your posts numerous times. Maybe we should all sit around a VA campfire again sometime and discuss all of our flaws.

 

 

OT



I dont know, bunch a guys in the woods......sounds kinda gay......


------LOL as per Bart Simpson

 

 

Can I come>??? I have a lot of things I would LOVE to talk about. -Mat-

 

After reading my post this morning, I must apologize to Don for the tone in what I said.

Don seems to be one hell of a guy and everyone that I talk to has great things to say about him, I guess thats why the tone in my post is one of frustration, the same frustration that I'm sure Don has felt from time to time from all the problems that he has had in the past. From wheels being stolen to the little things that keep him from getting to his goal.

I for one would like to see him acheive his gaol soon, and I wish him nothing but good luck and safety in this upcoming year and if anyone deserves the performance and recognition that he deserves, its Don.

Again, my apologies for my tone in what I said.

TVS SUCOF RELLIK

 

Thats a weak attempt at an apology for acting tough behind a computer. If you knew Don that well, you would know getting a 10 second slip is not his TOP priority. In fact I know he has just done things wich may slow him down a bit, in order to have better daily driving manners.

stuN hguoT

 

Hey no problem, apology accepted.

I would like to say one thing, the KB that is on my truck is running awesome, and I do think it has the potential to be a awesome supercharger. It just needs two things to be perfect.

1) figure out, and fix the nose cone(front gear) problems.
2) a intake designed for the blower.(that would be the *****)

And as whip said, a 10 second run isn't my top priority. Of course I would love to get into the 10's. The main thing I want is a fun and fast truck. With the tune I have on it right now I am very happy with the truck, and I am sure the 10 second pass will come when I am not even really trying.