I have a problem! Back in March I installed a Kenne Bell supercharger on my V10. Up until about a month ago the truck has been running great. Recently I started noticing a rattle coming from somewhere in the exhaust. After many hours trying to pinpoint the noise, I finally identified the cat conv as the culprit. When the noise started getting louder the truck started running like crap. It was acting like someone plugged my exhaust and I noticed a drastic loss in power and irradic shifting. After making some phone calls and explaining how the truck was acting, I was told that my cat was possibly plugged and that most likely that was what was making the truck run the way it was. I also called Kenne Bell and told them what was going on and they weren't very helpful. I told them I had installed Banks headers and they said that might be part of my problem. Meaning, if the headers were leaking, that could cause a lean/rich condition which possibly contributed to my cat failure. Additionally, KB told me they never saw a set of headers that didn't negatively affect horsepower and torque. I was actually disappointed with the numbers it put out when I had it dyno tested, not what KB claims. Again, they blame the headers as the reason I'm not getting the numbers I should. So, last weekend I took off the headers and put the stock exhaust manifolds back on, took off the cat and installed a piece of pipe to connect the ypipe to the muffler. Now, I am running no cat and a straight through muffler so I have basically zero back pressure which KB said less is best. After going through all the hassle of taking off the headers and cat, the truck still runs like crap, better, but not great. I'm not getting a check engine light either. I actually wish I was, at least that way I could run a scan and go from there. Anyone ever experience a problem like this or does anyone have any suggestions, because I am at a loss?

 

Loss of power, erratic shifting? Changed the exhaust system and no dramatic effect?

Part of the Kenny bell mod include a chip?

Got any mods on the tranny, sonnex, ottomind, deliberate torque converter lock up switch?

cLean air state with "blended fuel" or chance that fuel is bad, or filter old and clogging?

Lot of things will cause lack of power, air leak, fuel pump going south, clogged injector, PCM retarding timing due to detonation.

I just have a gut feeling because of the erratic shifting note that maybe the PCM is sending bad poop to the tranny or you have trashed tihe trans.

 

I would put the headers back on, go to a shop that can check air/fuel ratio on the dyno and get a custom chip or a custom tuner from Superchips custom.Now this is only if everything is in good mechanical condition.I'm stumped on why the truck was running good and now it is not now.There have been many debates here about KenneBell's opinion on headers,which i disagree with.I wonder what they think about all of the 03-04 Cobra's with his huffer on them that also have headers and produce some insane numbers.I guess Kenne Bell is alright with that.If you did nothing to fuel delivery [bigger inj's + fuel pump] you might have hurt something internally from a lean condition.

 

FYI, with the dyno charts www.Motorhaven.com can handle the chip or tuner for you, either Diablo or Superchips Custom.

 

Part of the KB blower kit came with their switch chip, bigger injectors and a boost-a-pump. I would have to check with KB about going with a different chip other than the one they supplied. Only reason I say that is because I had to send them my ECU in order for them to program the chip they supply with the kit. If I do decide to change out the chip, which one do you guys recommend? I'm going to give the stock exhaust manifolds a try, then when I finally diagnose the problem and get it fixed and the truck is running the way it should, I'm going to get another dyno run done to see which gave me max power, the headers or the stock manifolds. If I lost power by putting the stock manifolds back on then I will call KB and tell them they are full of sh**! Just as info, the best dyno run I had reflected max hp to the rear wheels was 323 and max torque to the rear wheels was 462 ft lbs, not what I was expecting. Hopefully, once I get the bugs worked out those numbers will go up.

 

I understand the erratic shift and apperent los of power and rattle from exhaust.
is a concern.

I stock dynoed my 01 V10 4x4 3.73s and got 227 HP and 342 Ftlbs torque

Your max hp to the rear wheels was 323 and max torque to the rear wheels was 462 ft lbs is impressive.

I am curious just what more you are expecting with 6lbs boost from a parisitic blower?

I ran twin turbos with 12-16lbs boost and only got an extra 100-125 ponies out of my set up.

No it wasn't a V10 but maybe someday

 

When I say I'm disappointed I mean I'm not getting the numbers that KB says I should be getting (349 rear wheel hp). Once I get the bugs worked out, I'll be curious to see what numbers I lay down now that I have put the stock exhaust manifolds back on. If I lost power then I guess I'll be putting the headers back on. Not looking forward to that though, it was an all day project taking them off and putting the other ones on.

 

FredVon4, I have a 2004 stock v10 4x4 and according to the manufacture, it is supposed to have 310hp. I wonder what it actually has. What did FORD say yours was supposed to have?

 

I have been bouncing around the thought of bolting on the KB supercharger but I dont want all the problems that everybody has. I dont have the money to go through the process of elimenation to find the problems. I am so unsure of what I want to do, that I probaly wont do anything. Oh how I dream of 50 more PONIES!

 

dlj31, do all the mods i did and you will see 50 horses.Or get a Whipple supercharger.They seem to have their stuff together,compared to KB.

 

What all have you heard about whipple?

 

At normal driving they require almost no hp to turn, a bunch of offshore race boats run whipples,http://www.whipplesuperchargers.com/...sp?ProdID=1137

 

dlj31

Mine was a advertised 310HP at the FLYWHEEL. A chassis dyno gives you rear wheel numbers. All drive trains eat up the power. Hard to get good runs with an automatic. Best way is in top gear with torque converter deliberatly locked. mine was done with out the lock and a month later locked.

On the locked run we dumped the exhaust before the cat and saw a slight gain of about 12 HP. This was done to prove to my self if there was any rational reason to spend $$$ for cat back system. If the open exhaust only gained 12 then I doubt any cat back gives more than that, so I stuck with the stock setup.

Same results with a open intake (no filter) and another run with a borrowed FIPK, about 8HP gain open, and 5hp with the K&N. Well within the margine of error of the dyno and again not enough gain to warrant the cost.

The current generation of chips was not yet available when I did these dyno runs. The chips in early 01 were snake oil....lots of $$$ and less thasn 25 extra ponies.

You want to get any more ponies out of a V10 above what is already there you need to be ready to spend some dollars.

I race modified Harleys, Kawasakies, and 3/8th dirt stock cars, if I can't do simple mods and get 50 or more extra horses I have to look at the internals. To do the V10 right we need some aftermarket piston, valve and cam choices.

I did get to watch an idiot scatter his V10 all over an 1/8 mile drag strip this year at Academy raceway.... so a 200 shot of nitros is not a good idea!
I will get my new 05 in a couple of weeks, my experiance tell me that with Ford upping the HP from 310 to 364HP that there will be even less reason to try mods. (They went to three valves, and the PCM changes can be thought of as Factory chiping, the ultimate custom burn)

You can put all the hyped up belt drivin screws you want on this motor and only make marginal gains. This baby needs o ringed heads, more cam over lap, higher lift and longer duration and TWIN intercooled Turbos... are you listining Gale B?!! Oh yea and a bullit proofed trans if they ever come out with a serious git kit

 

Thanks for the info, But have you looked at the BANKS POWER PACK KIT WITH THE COMPUTER PROGRAMMER? I was looking at it and its a complete exhaust system from the heads back. They say that their tests show a 50 -55 HP gain. What do you think?

 

I had the same exact kit you are talking about. I didn't notice the "set-of-the-pants" kick that Banks told me I would feel. I now regret ever getting the system because since I've installed my blower I have removed everything the Banks kit came with. The only noticeable gain I got was when I added the blower. If you want a noticeable HP gain a blower is the way to go. There is probably not much difference between KB and Whipple, I can only speak on behalf of KB because that is what I have. Before I started having problems with my truck (not related to the supercharger) it was running great. Like I stated earlier in this thread my best dyno run put down 323 HP and 462 ft lbs of torque to the rear wheels.