Kenne Bell, Whipple, Edebrock, Paxton, ProCharger, Vortec - Real Test - Pro's/Con's?

[FLYIN4D]

Kenne Bell, Whipple, Edelbrock, Paxton, ProCharger, Vortech - Real Comparison Test - Pro's/Con's - Your personal experiences with your S/C on your S550?

FIRST.....NOT TRYING TO START ANY SHIT. JUST TRY TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS & STAY ON POINT, PLEASE.

Hello. New member here and searched the site, but didn't see a thread that may address my question(s). I did see some individual test for certain systems. I am looking for any test/comparison information with each system used on the same S550 car. Has this ever been done - magazine test? If so, can you point me to it or which mag/issue? Year's ago I remember one of the Stang mags did this with a Fox Body. Interested to know if this was been done with a S550 car.

I am seriously in the market for a S/C for my '17 GT. Although a significant power increase is on the list of priorities, its not my TOP goal/concern. My car will most likely never be drag raced or auto-crossed at the track, no slicks ever, and I want to keep it as close to factory as possible, with exception to the S/C and the required minimum mods to compliment the S/C to problem-free. However, there will definitely be a lot of spirited driving or commuting 1-2 days a week, but not a daily driver.

I KNOW, A LOT TO ASK FOR, BUT I'M CURIOUS.......

I am looking for the full package of the following:

NEEDS TO BE A 50-STATE LEGAL SETUP

1. Solid drivability

2. Solid reliability

3. No overheating issues (poor cooling)

4. Great power/ft lbs tq increase

5. Has to run ragged-edge safe on 91 octane

6. Cost differences between each (or yours) - best "overall" bang for buck.

7. Would like to make an honest 630-675 RWHP (no HAPPY dyno numbers)

MOST IMPORTANTLY - spend more time on the road driving/enjoying versus a constant problem sitting in my garage or shop dyno spending $$$ to make it run properly.

Would also like to know con's of each such as:
a. Belt alignment?
b. Tensioner issues?
c. Cold/Hot start issues?
d. Tuning revisions?
e. S/C rebuild/maintenance requirements (if any)?
f. Will it require expensive cooling upgrades for bumper-to-bumper traffic?


Lastly, again, this car is not a daily driver; weekend or cool/warm/hot sunny day weather vehicle in AZ.

Definitely appreciate any answers or info to any of the above. Thanks!

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[Roh92cp]

Oh no! opcorn:

 

[F1scamp]

Geez I would have expected Heaven to have at least Ms109 fuel and no traffic? What a rip off..

 

[SoCalTim]

That’s a lot of questions! Lol.

As far as SC kits go, I don’t think there is any argument against the fact the new Whipple Gen 3 is the best on the market as far as a complete SC package. It is also the most expensive, but you do get a quality kit for the money.

You mentioned ‘bang for buck’. That phrase is very well suited to the Paxton kit. It is one of the cheapest options, and also one that produces very strong power with minimal mods. To give you my personal rides’ info, I’m running the ‘Beefcake Stage 2 Paxton Special’, which comes with a smaller pulley for a little extra boost right out of the box. All I will say is I have stock-like driveabilty, ZERO belt issues or reliability issues of any kind, and more power than any street tire can handle.

I’ve not seen any magazine comparisons, you will see various dyno graphs from different shops/tuners on various kits, but in all honesty any kit will give you all the power you desire for a dedicated street car. As far as drive ability goes, that all comes down to the tune. Stick with a custom tune from a reputable tuner (I use Rob Shoemaker at Palm Beach Dyno, the guy is a wizard!). The Whipple kits are supplied with a tune, so you should be good to go in that respect.

You will get a lot of opinions, but there isn’t a ‘bad’ kit on the market to stay clear of. The main 3 popular kits you see most talked about on the forum -Whipple, Procharger, Paxton are all tried and proven. There are other kits, if you want to be different, such as the new Eldebrock kit, but not much customer feedback on that new release.

Hope that gives you some useful feedback.

 

[smann]

Paxton supercharger (my own opinion)
1, 2 are both great
Don't know what you mean by 3

Number 4 shouldn't even be on the list. If you're supercharging fuel economy should not be an issue that needs to be addressed.

You will be limited in terms of power because of 91 Octane.

Everyone will tell you the beefcake special is the best bang for buck with the paxton/vortech supercharger.

My car is my DD (besides winter time) and the only real maintenance you need to do is oil changes for the supercharger.

 

[DTeal23]

SOLID fuel economy huh...

 

[Barrel]

opcorn:

 

[cdq85]

No way, another thread about which FI system to choose.

 

[WhiteyDog]

I know, I know, easy fellas.

I love my Roush/Ford Racing SC, but you can pick ANYONE of them and you'll be happy. because they're ALL good. Mine drives like the car is bone stock, until you get on it. The others can do that too. Whipple's make BIG power, but the other one's can get you in trouble as well. A centrifugal will be the most cost effective if you install it yourself with a Beefcake Special (Paxton, Procharger, Vortech). And to confuse you more, Hellion and BoostWorks make fine turbo kits. Clear as mud? Oh, and fuel economy? . . . .forget about it.

 

[FLYIN4D]

LOL! Thanks guys. I was kinda in a hurry when I initially made this thread. Added a few revisions. BTW, I have a thick skin, but I'm really looking for input and real world experience, not smart-ass remarks. I appreciate your time and effort to answer if you know or if any of the aforementioned applies to you. Thanks.

Because I'm new here and missed many of your post, I don't see very many ET/MPH track times in member signatures. I assume the majority of cars here are not "drag specific" cars due to the pics I have seen. However, some of the ET/MPH numbers I've seen here are damn respectable for dedicated street cars.

 

[wildcatgoal]

I don't have an SC but have thought far too much about it. My decision is as follows:

- Road course-oriented car: Paxton/Vortech
- Drag/street-oriented car: Whipple

My opinion, my decisions. I like the Paxton/Vortech centri blowers for road course duty for a few reasons. (1) their added mass is relatively centered in the vehicle (vs. a ProChager... not to say a PC can't be a great road course tool), (2) they're more of a midrange power-adder, (3) I can retain all of my engine compartment bracing (even if a strut tower brace doesn't do much), (4) you can control boost with a valve + tune, (5) I retain the option to further affect power band with an intake manifold, and finally (6) I'm convinced in this application, heat soak would be less of a concern. I also feel these are the best value and I feel their power brand affect plays to this engine best in a "circuit track driving context" in my own personal preference.

I like the Whipple for every other scenario (not that it couldn't work in a road course car) because it's really quite excellent quality, even with their provided tune and does not require you to slice off a piece of your block or cut the upper K-brace to install like the Roush/VMP blowers do (let me know if that's changed). I really respect the Whipple brand, as well, and feel they are like iPhones in terms of aftermarket support/tuning.

Seemingly a great manageable, budget package is what Livernois offers.

 

[cdq85]

LOL fair enough. Most of your needs are going to be covered by any kit available.

1. Solid drivability
-My roush drives like stock when just cruising around. At 650whp, I pulled it out yesterday because it was 45 degrees and wet and was able to cruise around and not be worried about the extra power.

2. Solid reliability
-A lot of that is going to come with the tune. The systems themselves are great and a lot of R&D money is spent to make sure they will last. However, a bad tune mixed with a bad tank of gas means uh oh. Tune should be number one priority.

3. No overheating issues (poor cooling)
-If you aren't tracking, I wouldn't worry too much about this unless you are sitting in really heavy bumper to bumper traffic every day.

4. Great power/ft lbs tq increase
-Every system will do well here but it just depends on how you want your power to come on. Do a little research to figure out which one works for you.

5. Has to run ragged-edge safe on 91 octane
-I'd keep boost lower on 91. Talk to you tuner and see what they like.

6. Cost differences between each (or yours) - best "overall" bang for buck.
-I can't really remember what I spent on my setup. 7500ish? They are going to range from 6-10k. Take your time and spend a few hours on the FI section on this thread. There are mountains of good information.

 

[Barrel]

You're shopping for a power adder for one of the most-modified cars sold today. There are so many options and so much competition that there is very little difference in most of the kits.

YOU need to decide what you want out of the FI kit. What type of power delivery you want. All of the kits meet your "needs" so you're going to have to be more specific, believe it or not.

Different blower options:

Supercharged
TVS (Roush, VMP, Edelbrock)
Twin Screw (Whipple, Kenne Bell)
Centrifugal (ProCharger, Vortech, Paxton)

Turbocharged
Twins (Hellion, Boost Works, Limitless, Blackbird, On3)

Do you want an out-of-the-box tune? Dyno tune? Lund remote tune?

With all of those options, do you want the option of a warranty (would limit your choices). Then you really need to decide on a budget and whether you want to install it yourself.

Then we can talk about driving characteristics or the different types of induction.

Almost all are reliable, especially at the (relatively) low power of 675rwhp - though that is tough on crap 91. That's more of a 93 number.

I've been everywhere from 688 (on 93) to 930 (on E85) with my ProCharger Stage 2. While cruising around, IATs are 3* over ambient - no heat soak. PC also allows for zero modification of the car that can't be easily reversed and allows you to keep all of your stock chassis stiffening. I still have my STB even if it does nothing.

 

[MikeyPee]

The little Paxton checks all the boxes; some would say torque is dubious. I don't

 

[Whipple SC]

Kenne Bell, Whipple, Edelbrock, Paxton, ProCharger, Vortech - Real Comparison Test - Pro's/Con's - Your personal experiences with your S/C on your S550?

FIRST.....NOT TRYING TO START ANY SHIT. JUST TRY TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS & STAY ON POINT, PLEASE.

Hello. New member here and searched the site, but didn't see a thread that may address my question(s). I did see some individual test for certain systems. I am looking for any test/comparison information with each system used on the same S550 car. Has this ever been done - magazine test? If so, can you point me to it or which mag/issue? Year's ago I remember one of the Stang mags did this with a Fox Body. Interested to know if this was been done with a S550 car.

I am seriously in the market for a S/C for my '17 GT. Although a significant power increase is on the list of priorities, its not my TOP goal/concern. My car will most likely never be drag raced or auto-crossed at the track, no slicks ever, and I want to keep it as close to factory as possible, with exception to the S/C and the required minimum mods to compliment the S/C to problem-free. However, there will definitely be a lot of spirited driving or commuting 1-2 days a week, but not a daily driver.

I KNOW, A LOT TO ASK FOR, BUT I'M CURIOUS.......

I am looking for the full package of the following:

1. Solid drivability

2. Solid reliability

3. No overheating issues (poor cooling)

4. Great power/ft lbs tq increase

5. Has to run ragged-edge safe on 91 octane

6. Cost differences between each (or yours) - best "overall" bang for buck.

7. Would like to make an honest 630-675 RWHP (no HAPPY dyno numbers)

MOST IMPORTANTLY - spend more time on the road driving/enjoying versus a constant problem sitting in my garage or shop dyno spending $$$ to make it run properly.

Would also like to know con's of each such as:
a. Belt alignment?
b. Tensioner issues?
c. Cold/Hot start issues?
d. Tuning revisions?
e. S/C rebuild/maintenance requirements (if any)?
f. Will it require expensive cooling upgrades for bumper-to-bumper traffic?


Lastly, again, this car is not a daily driver; weekend or cool/warm/hot sunny day weather vehicle in AZ.

Definitely appreciate any answers or info to any of the above. Thanks!

Since your in AZ, which follows CARB laws, you should be looking at systems that are 50-state legal.

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