My Lightning is an 04 sonic blue. One of my 1st mods was an Autometer boost guage so I could monitor what my ACUAL boost is. BONE stock it was just under 10psi at about 5200RPM. After Bassanni cat back I decided to put a drop in K&N filter in and drill holes in the airbox. Now I'm getting a shade under 12psi at the same 5200 RPM area!!! Now for a #4 pulley and dyno tune and I'll be done for a while. Oh yea, done the FTVB,2" shackles and boost by pass already as well. But I didnt get any added boost till the filter mod.

 

Where's the animated dude lying down laughing and kicking??? That's the funniest thing I've heard all day!

 

This is a measurement anomaly. I cannot explain it, but the air filter did not really give 2 lbs of boost. The power from two real extra pounds of boost (1) would be easily felt, (2) would be easily measured, and (3) would not have been left on the table by Ford.

In fact, on stock or near-stock engines, most dyno tests show a loss of power with an aftermarket filter, yet eveyone always sees more boost on the gauge.

I show 11, sometimes 12, PSIG on my stock engine and JLP filter box. But no more power than stock. Just cool blower whine.

 

I saw 1 psi & a 0.1 et / 1.5 mph improvement by dropping in a K&N panel. At the track and back to back runs.

I don't know what the dyno would have said? But I know what my timeslip says.

Rich

 

I did the same thing to my 04 L, which is ironically sonic blue also. Those were my first mods, the K&N, holes in the air box, but with Bassani Mid-backs, and I gained no boost until I put on the 6# Lower Pulley. That was a while ago though, and I don't have the Eaton or the K&N anymore, swapped them for better things. Anyway, must be your gauge, but I have the Autometer C2 Boost/Vac Gauge.

 

everyone who thinks Tim should have his Eaton ported and a 2 or 4# pulley installed, please raise your hand.

(raises hand)

 

Not gonna waste $ on a ported Eaton, cuz it will be replaced with a real compressor one day.

I in fact have ordered a 4# kit from LFP. It will go on after the REM/Fluidyne 2.5 ga reservoir, Fluidyne HE, and InterChiller fans. My warranty is up in May 05. With all of the projects that I have backed up, that should be just about right.

 

 

With my set of mods / plans... I don't feel it was a waste of money. Next to the dyno tune I think it was the 2nd best bang for the buck.

Rich

 

Tim,
Serious question...

Youa re all about keeping all the fluids cool and the engine temps down, which makes sense.
However have you ever considered that the stock PCM pulls timing OUT until the engine has reached normal operating temperatures?
So you don't have full power until operating temps are around 180'ish...
Then again, the hotter the engine, the less dense the air...
so I guess it is a tradeoff..

what do you think?

 

Technicaly the best situation would be a fully hot motor with a cold charge (at the intake valve).

If I'm not mistaken what Tim is after is adequate operating temps given his racing circumstances. Almost no OEM production vehicle is designed to sustain high loads (and there-for high heat output) for long periods of time.

Us drag racers don't really care too much because our heat output is generally for a short duration where we readily accept that "it'll need to cool off afterwards".

Rich

 

Apples and oranges, menace. For oil -- engine, gear, and transmission -- there is such a thing as "too cold" (wrong viscosity, inability to burn off contaminants, etc) and too hot. For engine oil, for instance, the objective is to get it to 180-200 or so and hold it there. For engine coolant, same thing -- get it up quickly and hold it steady.

Intercooler fluid, though, is a whole other animal. It should always be kept as cool as possible. No such thing as too much cooling.

p.s. -- I don't stomp then engine until the coolant has fully warmed up. I have a remote starter, so the fluids are all warmed when I climb in.

 

 

hehe

 

Tim would this be true on a truck that has a 2lb pulley. I just found out that my truck had a 2lb pulley. when I dynoed it I thought it was a stock pulley. Just found out last week, See when I frist did it I thought the truck was stock except a Borla cat back, and a drop in K&N air fliter. 1st run is with the paper air filter, and the Borla cat back. I made 365hp/452 tor

Now with the K&N drop in filter, and cat back. It made 369hp/466tor. I did not pick up much hp but I did pick up some torque.
Picked up 4hp/14 tor
I did another run with the paper filter and a k&n valve cover filter and lost h.p/tor went from 365hp/452tor to 362hp/447tor
lost 3hp/5tor

So some Mods works and some don't.