Blower Swap Write up
02-18-2015, 07:17 PM
#1
Blower Swap Write up
IN the process.
Before I begin, this has been done several times before and almost all setups are different. For that reason I will include several links to reference from members with good reputation and experience in this field. [MENTION=76903]fordmotorsport[/MENTION]s [MENTION=64976]Dave4[/MENTION]x4 I will also use information from other sites, as I don't have time to write 100000 words on here, so all rights go to the user and forum who provided the information.
Level of Difficulty: Moderate to Hard depending on the amount of research you do.
Tools:
Various sockets 1/4" and 3/8 drivers.
Open End Wrenches- metric
Torque Wrench
Jack stands for lifted trucks, as it makes it easier to take the tires off and drop the front end down.
Screw Drivers
Drill
Various drill bits
Various pliers and vice grips
Variation in parts: **** Almost all variations in Lightning Parts are 99-2000 models vs 01-2004
Intercoolers: Air to Water
Ford used 2 different SC assemblies on the Lightning: the 1999 & 2000 model years used a 9-row Intercooler (IC) and the 2001-2004 used a 10-row IC. The 9-row IC assembly tends to leak coolant over time and was a recall item by Ford. You can purchase the 9-row Xtreme (aftermarket) IC from Lightning Force Performance (http://www.lightningforceperformance.com). Or get someone to tig up the prone to leak section on the 9row cooler. I would suggest getting the 01-04 10 row cooler just to be safe.
Midplate and Supercharges:
The 99-00 model Midplate, Superchargers, and Turkey pan vary by bolt pattern from the 2001-2004. THerefore a supercharge/midplate off an 01-04 will not bolt onto a 99-2000 turkey pan (the lower manifold).
Lower hub and pulley variations-
Obviously the lightnings had lower pulleys but they had variations in how they were attached. Again the 99-00 models had a simple 3 bolt battern on the crank dampener where a pulley is attached. The 01-04 models have cradeled hubs which screw into the crank assembly so that three bolts on the front cover can help elivate stress and pulling on the crank. The 01-04 model is the best route, but you must purchse a new damper to work with the 01-04 "caged" pulley. The 99-00 hub will bolt to most dampers on the 5.4 NA models. Just check your dampener for 3 holes equidistantly apart.
There are plenty of Lightning SCs available out there…eBay, Lightning Rodder forum (www.lightningrodder.com), and National Lightning Owners Club (www.nloc.net) always have some listed. Both forums have a for-sale section that should have 90% of what you will need to do this swap.
Fuel Rails:
It is fine to reuse your fuel rails and lines assuming you stay around 10#'s of boost or so. However the 97-98 F150's (non lightnings) used fuel rails with an external regulator on the rails, this is why these are preferred. The rails can handle the flow of 450+ HP with no issues. We have return style fuel system so the waste fuel not used by the injectors goes back into the tank deduced by the regulator. OUr stock regulators aren't ment to handle this excessive flow from dual pumps in the tank(or even a Walbro 255 pump). Thus this is a part that is worth changing.
One additional part I would like to mention here that is not required but certainly recommended by most is the oil separator. Depending on the brand you choorocess. An oil separator simply removes any oil from the Pse, this item will be important very early in the assembly pCV hose prior to entering the plenum. When the engine is under boost, the SC will actually suck oil through the PCV and draw it into the SC and then into intercooler (IC) itself. Over time, the oil clogs up the vents on the IC reducing its effectiveness…not to mention making a big mess inside the plenum, SC, and the IC. The two pics below show a clean IC vs. an oil-soaked IC.
Must Change Parts
Injectors:
You will need a set of green 42# injectors or larger depending on your boost. You can find the equation from hp range vs injector size everywhere online so I wont go into that into detail. Please remember your connector ev1, ev6, etc, as you want to match the connector to the style we have on our stock harness. Connector adapters are avaible for certain aftermarket injectors
Fuel Pumps:
Most who do this swap either change our stock fuel pump to a Walbro 255 GSS style pump or dual lightning pumps which are 155LPH. These pumps will support 10# just fine. However, you will need to change the fuel hat in the tank and connectors which I will get to later.
Parts
Lower Intake
Intercooler
Midplate
Supercharger
Plenum
TB
Intake Elbow
Maf (can reuse yours if its 80 or 90mm)
Intake box and filter
Throttle cable bracket
Throttle cable and cc cable
And bolts/studs gaskets
Pulley bridge with tensioner and spacer bolt
Waterpump
Alternator + bracket
Lower pulley and belt
Egr system or egr delete
42# injectors
5/8 heater hose
IC pump+ pigtail wiring and relay
IC reservoir
Heat exchanger and your choice of bracket
Hoses and clamps
Fuel pump and Instal Kit
Full gauge setup: boost and wideband and FP
Lightning pcv setup or oil water seperator
Tuner+ starter tune
Gaskets (from intake manifold up)
If you are not using the stock lightning mechanical fan, then you can reuse your stock water pump. Its noteworthy to say that our stock altenators are too large (width) wise and have the wrong bolt patter for the lightning manifold. So that lightning Alt is a must.
Before I begin, this has been done several times before and almost all setups are different. For that reason I will include several links to reference from members with good reputation and experience in this field. [MENTION=76903]fordmotorsport[/MENTION]s [MENTION=64976]Dave4[/MENTION]x4 I will also use information from other sites, as I don't have time to write 100000 words on here, so all rights go to the user and forum who provided the information.
Level of Difficulty: Moderate to Hard depending on the amount of research you do.
Tools:
Various sockets 1/4" and 3/8 drivers.
Open End Wrenches- metric
Torque Wrench
Jack stands for lifted trucks, as it makes it easier to take the tires off and drop the front end down.
Screw Drivers
Drill
Various drill bits
Various pliers and vice grips
Variation in parts: **** Almost all variations in Lightning Parts are 99-2000 models vs 01-2004
Intercoolers: Air to Water
Ford used 2 different SC assemblies on the Lightning: the 1999 & 2000 model years used a 9-row Intercooler (IC) and the 2001-2004 used a 10-row IC. The 9-row IC assembly tends to leak coolant over time and was a recall item by Ford. You can purchase the 9-row Xtreme (aftermarket) IC from Lightning Force Performance (http://www.lightningforceperformance.com). Or get someone to tig up the prone to leak section on the 9row cooler. I would suggest getting the 01-04 10 row cooler just to be safe.
Midplate and Supercharges:
The 99-00 model Midplate, Superchargers, and Turkey pan vary by bolt pattern from the 2001-2004. THerefore a supercharge/midplate off an 01-04 will not bolt onto a 99-2000 turkey pan (the lower manifold).
Lower hub and pulley variations-
Obviously the lightnings had lower pulleys but they had variations in how they were attached. Again the 99-00 models had a simple 3 bolt battern on the crank dampener where a pulley is attached. The 01-04 models have cradeled hubs which screw into the crank assembly so that three bolts on the front cover can help elivate stress and pulling on the crank. The 01-04 model is the best route, but you must purchse a new damper to work with the 01-04 "caged" pulley. The 99-00 hub will bolt to most dampers on the 5.4 NA models. Just check your dampener for 3 holes equidistantly apart.
There are plenty of Lightning SCs available out there…eBay, Lightning Rodder forum (www.lightningrodder.com), and National Lightning Owners Club (www.nloc.net) always have some listed. Both forums have a for-sale section that should have 90% of what you will need to do this swap.
Fuel Rails:
It is fine to reuse your fuel rails and lines assuming you stay around 10#'s of boost or so. However the 97-98 F150's (non lightnings) used fuel rails with an external regulator on the rails, this is why these are preferred. The rails can handle the flow of 450+ HP with no issues. We have return style fuel system so the waste fuel not used by the injectors goes back into the tank deduced by the regulator. OUr stock regulators aren't ment to handle this excessive flow from dual pumps in the tank(or even a Walbro 255 pump). Thus this is a part that is worth changing.
One additional part I would like to mention here that is not required but certainly recommended by most is the oil separator. Depending on the brand you choorocess. An oil separator simply removes any oil from the Pse, this item will be important very early in the assembly pCV hose prior to entering the plenum. When the engine is under boost, the SC will actually suck oil through the PCV and draw it into the SC and then into intercooler (IC) itself. Over time, the oil clogs up the vents on the IC reducing its effectiveness…not to mention making a big mess inside the plenum, SC, and the IC. The two pics below show a clean IC vs. an oil-soaked IC.
Must Change Parts
Injectors:
You will need a set of green 42# injectors or larger depending on your boost. You can find the equation from hp range vs injector size everywhere online so I wont go into that into detail. Please remember your connector ev1, ev6, etc, as you want to match the connector to the style we have on our stock harness. Connector adapters are avaible for certain aftermarket injectors
Fuel Pumps:
Most who do this swap either change our stock fuel pump to a Walbro 255 GSS style pump or dual lightning pumps which are 155LPH. These pumps will support 10# just fine. However, you will need to change the fuel hat in the tank and connectors which I will get to later.
Parts
Lower Intake
Intercooler
Midplate
Supercharger
Plenum
TB
Intake Elbow
Maf (can reuse yours if its 80 or 90mm)
Intake box and filter
Throttle cable bracket
Throttle cable and cc cable
And bolts/studs gaskets
Pulley bridge with tensioner and spacer bolt
Waterpump
Alternator + bracket
Lower pulley and belt
Egr system or egr delete
42# injectors
5/8 heater hose
IC pump+ pigtail wiring and relay
IC reservoir
Heat exchanger and your choice of bracket
Hoses and clamps
Fuel pump and Instal Kit
Full gauge setup: boost and wideband and FP
Lightning pcv setup or oil water seperator
Tuner+ starter tune
Gaskets (from intake manifold up)
If you are not using the stock lightning mechanical fan, then you can reuse your stock water pump. Its noteworthy to say that our stock altenators are too large (width) wise and have the wrong bolt patter for the lightning manifold. So that lightning Alt is a must.
Last edited by ibd2328; 02-19-2015 at 12:47 PM.
02-18-2015, 07:28 PM
#4
Great write up man! Lots of useful information here. In my preference, I would rather do cams, valve springs, ported heads, headers, intake manifold, and throttle body. Its just the fact of taking everything that's old and making it better and stronger and more reliable than a SC.
02-18-2015, 07:34 PM
#5
Great write up man! Lots of useful information here. In my preference, I would rather do cams, valve springs, ported heads, headers, intake manifold, and throttle body. Its just the fact of taking everything that's old and making it better and stronger and more reliable than a SC.
The following users liked this post:
ALT5 (02-18-2015)
02-18-2015, 07:51 PM
#6
To port the heads and to make the header install easier since most studs are broken or gone on 10th gens, the heads would have to come off. I believe my mechanic said he could get custom cams from Comp Cams I think was the name, and it has a powerband between like 2,600 and 6,000 RPM.
I'm thinking about dropping $3k and doing this setup, and I agree fully with you adding a blower would almost double the power, which would be a lot!
02-18-2015, 08:21 PM
#7
Hell yea! In the long run its about the same cost wise, considering if everything is new. A used SC would be cheaper for sure. To port the heads and to make the header install easier since most studs are broken or gone on 10th gens, the heads would have to come off. I believe my mechanic said he could get custom cams from Comp Cams I think was the name, and it has a powerband between like 2,600 and 6,000 RPM. I'm thinking about dropping $3k and doing this setup, and I agree fully with you adding a blower would almost double the power, which would be a lot!
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02-19-2015, 03:38 PM
#10
Are you going to cover the variations in parts or different parts people choose to use depending on application and boost levels?
Stock MAF vs SCT 2400/2600/3000
Stock intake vs upgraded elbows, filter boxes Upper/lower pulley sizes in relation to boost levels.
What systems to delete
Heat exchanger upgrades
You should also merge the Lightning diagram thread with this
I plan on installing some of the heat exchanger systems and can throw up some install picks if you'd like
Stock MAF vs SCT 2400/2600/3000
Stock intake vs upgraded elbows, filter boxes Upper/lower pulley sizes in relation to boost levels.
What systems to delete
Heat exchanger upgrades
You should also merge the Lightning diagram thread with this
I plan on installing some of the heat exchanger systems and can throw up some install picks if you'd like