Best Supercharger 4.6L

I hear Procharger is the top of the line system for 2000-2003 GT (4.6L) and I also heard good things about Kennebell. I am checking into a 10PSI Procharger with an Intercooler that will run about $4000. They say this would put over 400 rwhp to the street. Before spending part of the WDK fund (wife don't know fund) thought I'd get a few opinions.

Vortech and Kenne Bell make much better kits for the DIY-er and are more complete. No hidden costs and surprises in store like Pro-charger kits. Also ATI's S/C units quality have been in question... I have personally not expirenced it but seen a lot of complaints about blown oil seals and other factory defects on ATI's S/C units.

I've heard very good things about Procharger, Kenne Bell, pretty nice also. I'm not a big fan of self contained superchargers though. My personal favorite is Vortech, simply because they're tried and true. It may not be the flashiest supercharger, but it works. Steeda sells a supercharger kit that includes just about everything with your choice of Vortech or Paxton Novi 2000. Those should get you at or very close to 400 RWHP. However, I still prefer turbos, the downside to turbos is that not a lot of people have knowledge about them, there are a lot of manufacturers and tuners that specialize in superchargers, but not that many mustang tuners who know turbos too well. My friend wants to do a Turbo set-up on his 03 GT. That should be fun.

I hear Procharger is the top of the line system for 2000-2003 GT (4.6L) and I also heard good things about Kennebell. I am checking into a 10PSI Procharger with an Intercooler that will run about $4000. They say this would put over 400 rwhp to the street. Before spending part of the WDK fund (wife don't know fund) thought I'd get a few opinions.

Go Vortech..I Did/had to............I originally tried haviung a ProCharger SC installed and the bracket mount for the block was forged incorectly so the nelt wouldn't stay on......they (procharger) Fooked around for month with no results so I spent a bit more and got the Vortech ($3,800 in 98)..........Man was it worth it!......98gt 225hp stock to 360 hp S-charged by Vortech 135 hp increase..........and they provided everything........fuel lines, fuel pump, hoses, etc......whole kit for a set price.....Now an intercooler/aftercooler will cost you another 1,200$...I would do what I am doing if I were you........have a shop build you a "custom" after/intercooler. My shop (Arlington motorsports--AMS in Texas,FT. Worth) is building me a larger aluminum Tank an a bigger Cooler. This also allows them to place it it a better location due to the fact that they can make the pipes bend and stretch anywhere unlike a specific kit.
Good luck.....TK:smokin:

my brother in-law has had his vortech for over 35,000 miles. in two different gt's. it still makes full boost with no problem. i would suggest vortech definitely, but those build boost with rpm. if you want a helluva a lot more torque down low, go with a kenne bell ive heard very good things about them

What about whipple/saleen?
http://www.whipplesuperchargers.com/
http://www.saleen.com/store2000/set1.asp
Saleen is the dealer for whipple supercharger kits...

What about whipple/saleen?
http://www.whipplesuperchargers.com/
http://www.saleen.com/store2000/set1.asp
Saleen is the dealer for whipple supercharger kits...

The Saleen kits suck compared to the KB's. The lower intake manifold on the saleens is ultra-restrictive, the air has to make tons of tight, weird bends that really hampers power. People going from a saleen kit on a real saleen to a KB kit at the same boost level are picking up a lot of horsepower, as in 75+ RWHP. The KB's are definitely worth the money over the saleen kits.

Don't go with Procharger... I tried to install a Prochager kit on my '94 and came to find that the bracket that they sent me did not have the holes drilled correctly for mouting it to the engine. I later discovered that the head unit exit port didnt have enough clearance to attach the piping for the intercooler... and after about a month of going back and forth with the crappy customer service (that doesn't know what they are talking about... computers, injectors, etc..) I got my money back! Long story short, I bought a Vortech and love it!

boosted331, thanks for the info. I don't know anything about the specific brands or whatever for superchargers for 4.6's, just posted so we'll include all brands. You filled in the blanks for performance vs cost, thanks!

I say vortech or kennebell.

I really like the front-mount intercooler though. I've heard nothing but good things about Prochargers. A friend just put one on his 95 Cobra, and it hauls ass. They used the best quality parts out of all the companies, they just havent been around as long. The only thing I don't like about them is that they're self-contained, that might be good for the average retard, but I like having 6 quarts of the good stuff running through it. Call it a safety margin.

I really like the front-mount intercooler though. I've heard nothing but good things about Prochargers. A friend just put one on his 95 Cobra, and it hauls ass. They used the best quality parts out of all the companies, they just havent been around as long. The only thing I don't like about them is that they're self-contained, that might be good for the average retard, but I like having 6 quarts of the good stuff running through it. Call it a safety margin.

The front mount intercooler is nothing special and Vortech and Kennebell both offer a superior liquid cooling system for their blower kits. Also ATI's maze of piping for their front intercooler has been know to cause less than optimal running conditions which only expensive dyno tuning has completely eliminated.

ATI is not using crap but they are not using any parts that are superior to Vortech or KenneBell in the quality department.

I have no problem with self contained S/C unit. But there have been a lot of problems with the seals in the units not lasting.

Cobra are those FR500 wheels on your car?

The front mount intercooler is nothing special and Vortech and Kennebell both offer a superior liquid cooling system for their blower kits. Also ATI's maze of piping for their front intercooler has been know to cause less than optimal running conditions which only expensive dyno tuning has completely eliminated.

ATI is not using crap but they are not using any parts that are superior to Vortech or KenneBell in the quality department.

I have no problem with self contained S/C unit. But there have been a lot of problems with the seals in the units not lasting.

Cobra are those FR500 wheels on your car?

I don't know if I would call Vortech's laughably small heat exchanger or undersized core "superior" to ATI's, but the KB's do have a well designed cooler.

The wheels on his car, as far as I can tell, are BBS RK's.

They are 18" BBS RK's. 8 inch up front, and 10.5 in the back.

Those other companies do use intercoolers, but they are not front mount, air to air. They are side(Vortech), or under the s-charger(KB/Eaton), and are much smaller air-water intercoolers. There is a reason all modified turbo cars use front-mounts, they cool the charge much better.

Those other companies do use intercoolers, but they are not front mount, air to air. They are side(Vortech), or under the s-charger(KB/Eaton), and are much smaller air-water intercoolers. There is a reason all modified turbo cars use front-mounts, they cool the charge much better.

They are not air-to-air so they are not as dependent on surface area or direct airflow as ATI's cooler. Water-intercoolers can be smaller and not need direct airflow to do the job as well cause they are totally different beasts.

Not all modified turbo and S/C cars use front-mount air-to-air intercoolers. You just see this as the majority cause it is the simplest and cost-effective solution.

Thanks for all the advice. I'll consider Vortech vs. Procharger.

Air-water is far superior for drag racing. No contest. You can easily achieve 100%+ cooling efficiency with an air-water, and in a tighter package than an air-air. Water has a higher ability to absorb heat per volume as compared to air, so it needs far less surface area to contact the air, hence the smaller packaging. I'll break it down into a little list for ya:
Air-Water
Pros:
Small packaging
100%+ cooling efficiency possible for short bursts
Only a small cooler required in front of radiator
Off boost, the intake air has the effect of cooling the water
If you use ice water, cooling is independant of ambient air temps
Cons:
Water is heavy
Under extended boost periods(ie any kind of racing other than drag), the small cooler up front is unable to return the water to a appropriate temperature - therefore, intercooler becomes ineffective.
Much more complex and expensive than an air-air.

Air-Air
Pros:
Simple
Widely available
Fairly inexpensive if you scrounge in the junkyards
Does a good job at cooling
Cooling ability in independant of the ammount of time under boost, good for endurance applications
Cons:
Unable to achieve 100%+ cooling efficiency
Rather large packaging
Cooling ability dependant on temperature of ambient air.

I probably missed some, but that should help clarify a bit.
So basically, if its for a street car, it depends on two things:
1. How do you drive a car?
2. What do you have space for in your car?
If you drive like a maniac under boost all the time, get air to air. If you just cruise except when the occasional hotshot pulls up next to you revving their motor, get air-water and let 'em have it.

Okay one last question. I live in Phoenix which is one of the freaken hottest places in the country. We have summer time temperatures between 100 - 123 degrees. Typical temp ranges in the hottest part of summer are between 110 - 115. What good does an intercooler do at those temperatures? The air is just plain hot which sucks on performance. Side note: back in 1995 it hit 123 degree and my 1.9L Ford Escort had a hard time getting traction because the asphalt was melting (it was like driving on icy roads). True story.

With those temperatures, I'd recommend alcohol injection and/or air-water intercooling. At least with air to water you can put in ice water and get 15 minutes of good power out of it, then use the alcohol injection for anything after that.
http://home.att.net/~alkycontrol/
There is a site about alcohol injection, they offer kits as well.. too pricey for me, I'm buildin my own.