Mudflap

Looking good, I'm excited for you man! I've been thinking I should probably just buy a vice since I don't have one either...

tx_zstang

Riptide, CONGRATULATIONS!!! You just passed one of the hardest parts of the install!!!
Those heater lines can be a real PITA, but you got it! If you can do that, and get where your are now, you should be able to do most of the rest of the work.

The instructions are indeed lengthy, but IMO, should be in color to really make a difference and make it easier. Some steps are easy to understand, others are not.

But any large project such as this will require some problem-solving skills to figure out things that aren't clear or something isn't just quite right.

The heater line should be ok as long as you have the 2 red o-rings in place; did your kit include new o-rings, or did you re-use the stock ones? The o-rings prevent the coolant from leaking, and it not sitting all the way up against the block will not hurt anything.

You're well on your way, and you've made it this far. The end is in sight, just a little ways away yet.

You can call me if you run into something or need to ask questions; I just put the same kit in about a month ago and can probably help with things that aren't clear.

Hang in there. IT WILL BE WORTH IT when you're all done. You'll be able to proudly say you put it in yourself or with a little help, and you're learning stuff along the way.

(pm sent with contact information)

JDWalton

I'll give you a little bit of advice.... See that purge cap in the coolant crossover? DON'T drop that into the valley of the block under the supercharge its a real PITA to get out and will probably require pulling the supercharger. Sadly, I know from experience.

Riptide

Yeah I have the purge cap screwed down on there but not all the way. I need to put some new tape around the threads before I put it all the way in there. It shouldn't be going anywhere but I can appreciate the PITA it would be if it fell down there unnoticed until it's to late to easily get it.

Has anyone had problems getting the stock oil filler neck off? I'm reading a thread where people are telling the guy to take off the valve cover to get the thing out because apparently there is some clip there that makes it difficult if you don't. The KB instructions don't have you removing the valve cover...

dkersten

No, the neck came off pretty easy.. just grab and twist.. the tab doesn't do much to hold it on. If anything, use a screwdriver to push the tab out a little, but it shouldn't be a problem.

The heater hoses look fine. To answer JD's question about why you have to cut them, it is a matter of clearance. Where the Saleen puts the intercooler on top, the whipple and KB have it in the manifold in the valley, so you have to cut the metal heater tube off the assembly, chop one in half, and attach the back half to a basic heater hose so it can lay flat in the valley. When I restored to stock, I bought the part I chopped off during the install, so I was able to fix my factory metal tube and reattach it to the factory lower tube with some zip ties to hold it in place, which meant that Riptide had the complete assembly already made and attached to the crossover. All he had to do was plug it into the heater core without chopping up his factory assembly.

If I recall correctly, that connection to the block in the valley is fine as long as it covers the o-rings.. The "BFH" holds it firmly in place since the connection is not a locking type like the heater core ends. I wouldn't worry about it. Just make sure the heater core connections clicked firmly into place.

You are well on your way. Seems like you have some electrical now, which is the slow part. You work for 3 or 4 hours and it doesn't seem like you accomplished anything. Starts to go super fast after that though.

When I was first installing the supercharger, the KB manual seemed "iffy" at times, but in retrospect, I think it was well done. They recommend reading all the directions completely once before starting, and I see why - the only problem is many people either don't read it through before starting (like me) or just don't retain the info when reading through it, unless they have a point of reference. I was impatient since I started the install the day I got the kit, so I didn't take the time to read through it first, and just flipped the pages and then dug in. About halfway through the install section, I read ahead about 50 steps and some things became really clear. I think the only part that left me scratching my head was the path for the intercooler lines, which ended up having to be modified a little anyway because of the newer bosch pump they supplied. In the end, the reason the intercooler lines messed me up was because the picture was taken upside down (from underneath, not from above).

This may sound demeaning or something (not my intention), but I have found that many people are just not that good at comprehending written word. I write a lot of procedural manuals for my company, and while I can read one and it makes perfect sense, detailing every step along the way and not leaving out the smallest detail, there are a lot of people in our company that just can't follow it unless someone verbalizes it for them. I have literally read my own manual over the phone to someone without adding anything else while reading, and an employee all of a sudden understood, where just reading it themselves they couldn't follow it. I myself have found myself reading something out loud, even when alone, to get a different take on something, and it works! I think it is just in the way our brains work. Some people are better at reading and comprehending without any other aide, but others require something more.

That being said, there is an art to writing a comprehensive set of instructions that caters to those who are not as keen toward visualizing from the words, and whoever wrote the KB manual was not very skilled in this regard. It explains each step in sufficient detail, but doesn't do it in a way that just anyone can understand.

I too was irritated when they wouldn't send me one in PDF form. The folks at KB don't have anyone on staff who is really skilled at modern marketing techniques. They are an old school company that does business the old fashioned way: 1 phone line, and if it is busy, call back later. Everyone has a job, and none of them are full time "customer service reps". It is not the best way to do business, particularly since the business environment has changed so much in the last decade, but it isn't my business to judge them. Heck, I hear that Jim Bell still wears polyester liesure suits, even at the track.

Oh, and as far as me not being able to admit that KB is not the "end all of superchargers", I think I have been clear in mentioning throughout not only this thread but dozens of others on this forum over the past 2 years how each has it's strengths and weaknesses. If I had my choice of superchargers for free, where money didn't play a role, I would be torn between the Whipple and the KB. I have seen first hand someone try to get a Saleen to go consistently over 12 psi (overdrive pulley, smallest supercharger pulley, 10 rib belt, upgraded tensioner, etc) on a built and stroked motor, and couldn't do it, so even though I never went above 9psi, if I had to choose any of them for free, I would leave that one out. I would dismiss any roots style except the TVS (edelbrock and roush TVS), so magna and the roush M90 would be out (too much parasitic loss). The centri would be a consideration, but I liked the lower end torque of the twin screw, so I would stick with positive displacement. On that note, however, if a turbo was in the same offering, that would be my direction instead of a supercharger. My point is, all other things being equal, it comes down to personal preference. I never said that the KB was a better supercharger than a saleen or whipple, only that having a true cold air intake was better than an underhood intake. There may very well be a way to do a true cold air intake on the drivers side, but I guarantee it would jack the price of the kit up and make installation far more involved, two things that even a backwards company like KB is smart enough to avoid.

Even after working closely with Ken Christley (the tuner at KB) for almost 2 years, I think he has too big of an ego to admit his tune doesn't work perfect in every application. I think the KB compressor retains too much heat, despite the use of billet aluminum over cast, which is the reason I believe they are moving to a liquid cooled supercharger compressor now. Even with it's flaws, given the lower price (for equivalent product), I think it was the best supercharger FOR ME. If I had come across the same "insider deal" on a whipple as I got on the KB, I would have been a whipple owner. The same goes for Edelbrock and possibly even Saleen, even after seeing the limitation of the Saleen first hand. But the fact was, any other product would have cost me $3k more for the same thing, so I went KB. Regardless of my decision, if I truly thought any other intake setup was better, I would stand behind it. In this case, I stand behind the KB. I don't understand why it offends people so much to have someone stand up and say "in my experience and research, this product is better in this regard." This is a FORUM, which by definition is a place to stand up and say what is on your mind. If someone here chooses to create some derogatory term for my posts, then whatever.

There IS one other reason I "get on a soap box" to defend the KB in this regard - this thread is for someone who purchased the KB (admittedly from me), and despite his difficulties and gripes about the install, I would rather positively reinforce his decision to go with the KB than sit here and trash on it.. even if you are doing it subtly by poking at the engineering or the install manual. Sometimes it is difficult for people to just be happy that someone got a great deal on a great product and want to not only show it off but detail out their experience with the install. If you don't have something nice to say, take it to another thread. I am sure you can find plenty of saleen or whipple owners to contribute.

Mudflap

This is an innocent question dkersten, you and I have gone back and forth in other threads, we're cool... but how could any other kit cost $3000 more when I can buy a Whipple HO for $6400, a Saleen for $6000, or an Edelbrock for $6200? I have no idea what the KBs run, but when you said that, I immediately thought, what these things are like $3500? If they are that cheap, I need to consider one, lol.

dkersten

The kit I bought (and sold to Riptide) I got for a price I can't even mention here.. and I can't go into detail because I don't want to get the guy who helped me get it in trouble in case someone from KB ever read posts here. But yes, I got the kit for substantially less than normal. The kit retails for $6300 (polished stage 1 w/competition filter) ($5800 unpolished), which puts it lower than the others by a good margin.

Wow I just glanced at the KB website to look up the price.. looks like they are getting 1400 hp out of the 5.0 (built of course).. crazy. Oh, and they went to the drivers side for the 2011.. haha. Probably easier with the electric power steering..

Riptide

Dave to be clear I'm not unhappy with the kit or the deal I got. Not at all. I definitely have had some issues with the manual and some of the steps but so far have been able to get through each road block even if it required assistance from a friend. I don't have a problem with that although I do get easily frustrated by things like the PCM connector. And I do appreciate the fact you have answered all my phone calls and questions - even the silly ones.

The main reason I went with the KB is the price. If someone else had been selling a whipple for the same price I probably would've got that instead - if anything because the install looks easier. However that imaginary deal wasn't out there at the time so I jumped on what I think was a good value.

Just hoping I can get this done and with enough time to have a few 50+ degree sunny days left to test the car.

dkersten

I know you are happy with it. I just get irritated when people trash on products in a thread that should be about installing the product. I get more irritated when a simple explanation gets percieved as a "fanboi diatribe" rather than what it is. If anything, a Mustang enthusiast should be happy to see a fellow enthusiast taking things to the next level, rather than trying to undercut it by pointing out the things they don't like about a product.

If I have time this weekend, I will see if I can help you out.. The timing on this is all terrible unfortunately, and the next 3 weeks in particular are crazy for me. One big push and you could be driving Sunday afternoon.. I just hope the weather holds out.. I think the Mustang club is doing a show and shine on Sunday too..

You have the intercooler stuff still, the wiring and tube for the washer reservoir, the TAC and TPS relocation, the MAF extension and IAT extension, and then it is time for the manifold. Once the intercooler reservoir is on and all hoses in place, the supercharger gets mounted and then the wiring for the BAP. Some of that, the wiring in particular, is time consuming but not hard. Gauges take a little time too, especially to grab an accessory line, which I grabbed behind the radio, and a light wire, which I grabbed behind the light switch. I might be able to shave off 5 or 6 hours of that if I can get the time to get over there and help, but I can't guarantee anything. I will probably be helping my soon to be ex get ready to move out most of the weekend. In a few weeks I will have nothing BUT time on my hands, but hopefully you should be done by then.

Riptide

My hope is that by the time I finally get done with the install this thread will be chalk full of pictures and information detailing all the little things that held me up. The idea being that someone else like myself, who has issues with some of the instructions and/or understanding of certain things, can read through here and find out what it was that I did to get around it. To make it easier on those of us who need a damn good technical writer to get things through to us - an area which the KB instructions kind of fail a little bit IMO.

The sticky thread on the KB install in this subforum sucks. It's old. There are hardly any pictures. This thread once we get done should be by FAR superior. I am hoping we can bring it to the attention of the mods and have this one sticky'd instead of the other one.

I understand your current situation (have been in that situation) and know that you have priorities. This supercharger install isn't that big of a deal in comparison so I don't expect you to break away. If you do end up with some free time then of course - that is appreciated if you want to drop by and help even for a couple hours here or there. I can try to work my schedule around yours if need be.

I am only getting about 2-2.5 quality hours of work in on this on weekdays. I get off work and there are things to do around the house, my wife comes home for an hour on her break, etc.. I'm doing what I can when I can. I do have some help on the weekends and although my friend and I are both apparently slower at this than you were we still make more progress on it when we can devote the whole day. Speaking of which I intend to spend at least one full day and evening on it this weekend. I will be happy if we can just get past the intercooler part of the install this weekend. I know you're scratching your head wondering why that would take so long but I honestly have no idea how anyone else goes so much faster than I do without practically running around the garage back and forth.