I have been trying to get ATI to make a Lightning centrifugal system. The problem is that the costs of product development and getting CARB approval are getting more and more every day. So, unless they can sell enough systems, there is no reason to devote their limited resources to chasing an unprofitable niche market.

Please read my "poo-poo" post, then answer this question. Would you spend $4K on a centrifugal kit for the Lightning (just a supercharger, brackets, and intake -- no intercooler). Assume for the purposes of this question that it would be complete and ready to bolt on without additional equipment required.

Please confine the posts in this thread to answering this question only. Any questions, comments, etc should be asked in a separate thread. I want the good folks at ATI to be able to see concise responses, not a lot of blah blah blah. Thanks.

 

Yes

 

Why swap 1 blower for another? The advantages are not worth it IMO. Ford already did all the engineering to make it work and it works well.

We have a couple 800HP Lightnings out there, what benifits would you be looking to get from it?

I'd vote no way. If I were going to redo something like that I wouldn't do anything but a Turbo.

But thats me

 

Tim, Crash and I are working together to make a kit using the ATI blowers. Progess is going well and we should have something in the near future.

But I can tell you this, it's going to be considerably more than 4k. The Lightning community has been spoiled by all these cheap blowers. And for those of you who don't think $3k for a KB is cheap, it IS. A KB is just a blower unit. That's all. All you are paying for is the main blower, because there is nothing else to the kit, since the blower is a bolt on replacement.

A Procharger kit comes with the blower, bracket, tensioner, intercooler, ducting, bypass, and much more. It's a complete system, not just a head unit. So the cost is quite higher of course. A typical kit for a Mustang with a decent sized head like a D1 is around 4k. And that's for a production Mustang kit. To make a kit for the truck, you are now talking about custom made parts in smaller quantites, a different intake setup, etc, etc. So expect it to cost quite a bit more than 4k.

So for the hardcore power hungry people, this setup will kick butt. Yes it will cost more, but it will outperform as well. Think about this.. A typical Lightning with pulleys and stock Eaton puts out about 160 or so IAT2 temp. A KB truck puts out a little higher, about 180 or so. This is AFTER the air to water I/C. Your typical centrifugal blower averages about 250 degrees before the blower. With the ATI air to air heat exchanger setup, IATs are usually AT or a tiny bit over AMBIENT temp. So you'll make more power at the same boost level than a roots or screw blower, or a centrifugal with no air to air. On top of THAT, you can now use the stock air to water I/C in the manifold as an ice chiller, just like the big boys do with the Vortech coolers.

 

If they got CARB certification I'd be on the list. As a non-legal replacement it wouldn't work for me.

Jody

 

With the hp and torque some of our higher output lightnings are pumping out - I wouldn't spend another 4+ to replace the KB as I further along my engine developments.

D-Day

 

Sal I have to disagree with you on the prices bro.

4 grand for a complete centrigul kit is fair if not over priced considering other applications and cost. ANy company that makes a product should understand that they are going to have to sell allot of there product before they are going to turn around the initial invesment and start making profits off there product. And they honestly expect people to beleive that there no making a mint off these products!

Why is it the mustang boys can buy vortech and procharger and ATI and whatever else blower kits for under 4 grand and the lightning community should have to pay more.

its not like ATI is going to make a completely new blower for our trucks, there going to use a blower from another kit and then just strap on a mounting bracket and intake tube which is not rocket science. I could make the bracket for the blower in my grage if it came down to it so for anyone to say its allot of work to make a centrifugul work on our trucks is blowing smoke up our asses!

The only way I can see this kit costing allot more then others is if they are designing a custom upper intake to work with all our existing parts inplace of the eaton and even thats not that complicated to do. Maybe another 500 bucks cost to the consumer.

 

Sal, you know I respect you and value your opinion, but this is exactly what I didn't want. Please just stick to the question.

1. Your system will not be CARB approved.
2. Your system will of course cost more than one from ATI - you have to one-off components and throw away things. A system produced by ATI itself should not cost more than their 03 Cobra system. The population of Gen2 Lightnings is many times that of 03 Cobras.
3. This thread is about a theoretical ATI system and none others.

Please keep all responses brief and direct. I know this board does not belong to me, so please consider this request a personal favor.

 

if i could have only spent $4000 yes


but i already have a paxton

 

I would if I hadn't done it already. $4K is pretty cheap if you get an intake, chip and all of the other parts along with a good quality supercharger like a vortech or something.

 

Well, ATI is NOT going to make a Lightning kit, that's why we are doing it. It has been discussed and they have no interest. They will direct all sales for the Lightning kit to Crash and myself. If someone doesn't want to pay what the end result of this custom kit costs, that's fine. They won't have an ATI kit then. We don't plan to sell hundreds of them. We just want to be able to offer a kit that has no equal, for those who want to make insane power.

 

if you can get a upper intake made for less than $500 more power to ya.

their is way more involved than just slapping on the bracket and bolting the blower up. stuff needs to be relocated and different lower pulleys unless you shim out the blower bracket but you weaken the bracket and it will flex.


sorry tim i know you wanted simple yes and no on this thread.

 

4K is a reasonable enough price if the performance is there.

However, I don't think it will be.

no offense to those who are trying it. More power too you all! please prove me wrong! I hope it works.

BUT in my experience you have to rev the **** out of a centrifigal blower to make the power. the curve follows the RPM, you don't make power until you've got the RPMs.

Our trucks don't do High RPMs. our transmissions won't handle high RPM shifts, and we weigh nearly 5000lbs! with a driver and a tank of gas. we need the torque that eaton or twin screw blowers provide.

just my .02

maybe I'm wrong.

one thing's for sure, I haven't tried it first hand on a Lightning, so again more power to you all!

and like I said. that price sounds very reasonable IF the performance gain is there.

later,
chris

 

well if thats the case then why in the world are you going with an ATI ????

Strap a new YS trim on her and lets rock and roll. Eddie's been trying to get me to do this for years now and I won't do it just cause I'm tired of being a guinea pig, LOL.

 

No.

At those dollar amounts I'd rather see a twin turbo kit.

Rich