KB Twin Screw

[Droolguy]

Anyone know someone running a KenneBell on an LSx?

I was wondering what kind of power they made.

Seems like it would have a better power band for AutoX than a turbo setup.

[camcojb]

they're a VERY popular upgrade for the Lightning guys, and with the weight of those trucks they need instant power. I loved mine. Not on an LSX but the power and manners would be similar.

Jody

[Droolguy]

I have driven a KB Lightning and Cobra and honestly I think its much more fun than a turbo kit... I was just wondering how they worked power wise on LSx engines, like if anyone had dyno numbers. For the track it seems like you wouldn't be able to beat an LSx w/ a twin screw... throttle response would be insane, you could short shift and not worry about dropping out of the power band...

[Lowend]

The KB's are Lysolm Screw Superchargers (like Whipple) and are IMHO the best blower design available.
I have not used one on a LS1 yet, but I can tell you, we swapped one onto a Ford Lightning and with no other mods made 460RWHP!

If I was gonna buy a blower, it would be either KB or Whipple

[ProdigyCustoms]

Patrick wil chime in I am sure. But his car is a LS1 with a Mike Norris spec cam and a Kenne Bell and puts 535HP to the tire on a very safe tune up.

It is also traping 126MPH. He and I just had a converstaion abor how it autocrossed and the power band. I am very impressed with it.

Like I said, he will most likely chime in.

[Patrick]

Yep. Gotta say I love it!!! I've done the turbo route as well as other power adders, but hands down the KB is a blast. It is very well mannered around town (not a daily driver) but I have put 6k miles on it in the past 18mos or so. The power is very predictable and very linear. I made 535rwhp @ 7lbs with only a cam, pushrods, and Mike Norris tune. Everything else is stock. I wanted a motor that I could beat the ***** out of, run on pump gas, and still get me home.

As for reliability, no problems so far...and most of those 6k miles have been abusive.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Patrick

[madmax]

Dream car:

C6Z06 w/ a KB :cool:

[Droolguy]

Thanks Patrick that was exactly the kind of information I was looking for.

You wouldn't happen to have a dyno sheet would you?

[1970 TT Rustang]

i had a lightning and i knew guys with kb on there cobra they make great power and the sound is just sick. There is allways power no matter what gear.

[Patrick]

couple of real minor tweaks since this run:

https://www.pro-touring.com/forum/showthread.php?t=46242&highlight=kenne+bell+dyno

--Belt slip was an issue with S&Ps AC bracket and tensioner

--Headers-- I am using Stainless Works long tube headers with a set of modified Holley engine plates....I had to really pound the #1 header tube almost closed for clearance. I have since cut out that portion and rerouted the tube.

Patrick

[megaladon6]

is this similar to the Eaton supercharger in the ZR1?

[Lowend]

No - the Eaton is a Roots style. Basically 2 paddlewheels. It's actually the least efficient design
Lysolm screw blowers are sort of like two intertwined corkscrews

[67 ls1 vert]

I have a KB on my stroker LS engine. Big cam, AFR heads, long tubes headers. Direct port injection for meth or nitrous. Have not got it on the street yet. Waiting for a few parts to show up from Frank and I will get it tuned. I cant wait. Going big boost.

[Droolguy]

I am thinking about getting a LSx 454, bolting a KB to it and calling it good looking at the numbers an LS1 is getting on only 1/2 a bar of pressure. You can get over 1 1/2 bars on a KB fairly easily.

This is once I scrounge up the money of course. Scraping the bottom of my bank account right now after last months spending spree.

[Droolguy]

So on a loosely related subject... there is no way to fit a T56/TR6060 in the tunnel without cutting huh?

I have been avoiding cutting the original sheet metal for a while now... but a TKO-600 won't be able to hold up the Supercharged 454 on R-comps (and while it would be a spectacular transmission death, I don't have a scatter shield)

I talked to Jericho and they say it is unlikely their 5 spd will fit.

Are there any super-high capacity trannies that will just bolt in?

Supposedly MMR makes a 900ft/lb TKO, but there is some speculation about the case being able to hold the power. Not to mention the infamous "my-TKO-won't-shift-over-6k" problems.

[megaladon6]

sorry, i'm still not 100% clear on this. i've seen roots blowers and know what you mean by paddle wheel. but i found this pic of the ZR1 blower. http://www.insideline.com/chevrolet/corvette/2009/photos/2009_chevrolet_corvette_oth_fe_19.html it's not really a roots, and it's not a corkscrew exactly but...

[Lowend]

It's called twisted vane; its an (successful) attempt to make the Roots style more efficient.

This explains better than I can
http://www.airends.com/LysholmArticle.htm

[4086D9]

Cool set up!

[67 ls1 vert]

droolguy, the magnum 6 spd is rated at 700 lbs. if you dont act like an animal you can get away with that. There is plenty of guys using it with close to 850 to 1000 hp.
It will fit without cutting up the tunnel. I have it in my car.

[Droolguy]

It will fit with cutting up the tunnel.

With? Or without?

I still have all original sheet metal that I would like to avoid cutting if I can.

[Mr.VENGEANCE]

how bout on an LS7?

[thetoystore]

how tall is the kb supercharger?

[67 ls1 vert]

Droolguy
I did not do any cutting to get mine to fit. Im sorry, my keyboard is old and the keys dont work well anymore.

[Droolguy]

The KB twin screw is fairly compact, they fit under classic car hoods without any real effort at all.

If I had to guess I would say they are less than 5 inches tall.

[calforniacuda]

Many of the KB or Whipple s/c's bring the intake air in through the rear of the unit, helping with height. The old roots designs had intake air coming in throught the top.

[1970 TT Rustang]

roots are 3 lobe and screw are 4 lobe and more effecient

[CarlC]

roots are 3 lobe and screw are 4 lobe and more effecient

The latest generation of Eaton superchargers are also four-lobe designs.

[DeltaT]

Twinscrews have internal compression. Roots (including the twisted vane) are air movers only - all compression is done in the manifold as a result of packing in more air than can be consumed by the motor at a given rpm. The twinscrews also do this, but their internal compression gives them an efficiency boost which results in a lower amount of heat per pound of boost as seen by the motor.

Not all twinscrews are four lobe. The KB are four lobe on the male side, six on the female. The Lysholm and Whipple (and now the Vortech version which is from Lysholm) are 3 lobes on the male and 5 on the female. The internal compression on the twinscrew is the result of air getting trapped between the rotors and actually being compressed as the volume of space (due to the unique shape of the screws) gets smaller. In an ideal world, the twinscrew should produce about 1.4 times the boost for the same heat as the Roots.

Eaton makes their efficiency charts for the TVS units a little better than ideal, because they do not take the power needed to drive the blower into account on the charts. The Lysholm charts do. People will hold up the Eaton charts as 'proof' that the new TVS units outperform a twinscrew, but testing with the same size unit has shown that the twinscrew outperforms by a good margin.

Jim