Mike Troyer:

How's development of the higher boost Lightning program coming? We haven't heard anything on this from you lately. We need more power!

Lightning Bob

 

Hello Mike,
It would make a very nice and hopefully early christmas present. It must be hard business to be in, it seems no matter what you do the customers are begging for more HP/FT LBS. I know were all very pleased with the product we purchased and were just hoping that you could squeeze a little more in the boost program. Also the 2nd to 3rd
shift seems like it need some minor changes.

Thanks,
Terry ****ey
99.5 Red Lighting, superchipped, all factory
options, linexed, ordering the conical filter
from the Lighting Tuner (SAL) tomorrow.

 

Wanted to bring this back up front cuz I'm curious, still.

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Red 99.5 Lightning,#0975,Born 5/6/99...Adopted 5/27/99 Chipped w/SuperChip Flipchip chip, Mobil 1


[This message has been edited by 4D THNDR (edited 09-29-1999).]

 

Yes, I think the 1-2 shift is fine, but the 2-3 needs to be firmed up. I would also like the rpm where the 2-3 shift occurs, to be lowered.

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99 Black Lightning
Rhino liner
Superchip

 

Still curious...

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Red 99.5 Lightning,#0975,Born 5/6/99...Adopted 5/27/99 Chipped w/SuperChip Flipchip chip, Mobil 1

 

Mike:

Are you still with us?

Lightning Bob

 

Read the "Boost and Eaton SC" thread. Considering all that was talked about, I'm doubtful that we're really going to see any boost from a chip or anything else other than freeing up airflow in the intake path. Allow to the SC to breath easier, and you MAY see more boost at the same blower RPMs. Just my opinion, but I think it's valid based on the facts available.

 

Typhoon: your probably right, but I wanna hear it from Mike. One of the reasons I bought the "flipchip" was because of that forthcoming option. Had I known it wasn't gonna happen I would have tried to push for the single program chip. Much cheaper.

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Red 99.5 Lightning,#0975,Born 5/6/99...Adopted 5/27/99 Chipped w/SuperChip Flipchip chip, Mobil 1

 

Hello everyone!

There are a number of points to cover, so let's wade right in!

Superchips is adamant about wanting all 99.5 Lightning owners to have access to the factory program just by flipping the switch. This is an expensive vehicle, with an expensive supercharged engine, and Superchips wants the owners/drivers to have access to that program without having to stop the vehicle and pull the Superchip off the back of the computer. We're talking about a very rare and expensive supercharged factory hot-rod $30K vehicle here, and Superchips is not going to take any chances with it. So there is not now, nor will there be, a single-program Superchip for this vehicle, it will always be the Flip Chip.

Also, all Ford Superchips are flash designs for the past 3-4 years now, so it doesn't matter if it's a standard single-program Ford Superchip, or the Flip Chip, any of them can be updated for the same vehicle they were made for, as they all use the same EEPROMs.

Any future upgrades to the Lightning program will of course be provided as a free update.

The issue is whether or not higher boost levels can be supported on pump gas, *without*, and this is the key, without having to de-tune the performance program, as this would negatively affect overall driveability. It was originally thought, back before the truck ever actually shipped, that there was an electronic boost limiter at work on this vehicle, which of course would have been a first for an Eaton-supercharged vehicle. There were many rumors flying around back then, including things like the Lightning shuts down 4 cylinders and other things, most of which turned out to be just speculation once the vehicle started shipping, and the engineers actually got their hands on them. So at that time, when it was thought that the program was going to be limiting available boost, Superchips told us that if they can in fact raise the boost in that manner, without having to compromise part-throttle driveability, they would provide that as a free upgrade once they got that tuning done. The blower itself is well known to be capable of producing 15 psi boost levels, but as we know now, the boost level is still controlled by 2 basic things: 1.) Diameter of the pulley on the front of the blower. 2.) Engine RPM.

We have so far had 5 or 6 Lightnings that have shown a little bit of pinging at higher rpm's, and an adjustment is available for that, this is just something that happens in areas where overall fuel quality is not quite up to snuff, and those people have reported hearing a little bit of pinging from 5000 rpm up in second gear primarily, and that is easily adjusted, though you should wait to make sure it's not part of the re-learn cycle, which can be a bit lengthy on these vehicles, 600-800 miles. Also, the WOT 2-3 upshift point is only changed by 3 mph, and that is not enough to cause any kind of problems. However, anyone who would like either of those adjustments to be made can easily have this done by contacting Superchips directly, at 888-227-2447.

Now that it is known that the boost is in fact *not* limited by the program (other than by engine rpm, as Superchips will *not* raise the rev limiter in these vehicles, it is left at 5600 rpm, the factory fuel cut-off point), Superchips is studying the possibility of doing the same type of kit that they did on Ford's last supercharged vehicle, the Ford Thunderbird Super Coupe. That kit for the Super Coupe consisted of a reduced diameter pulley that increased boost by 50%, and then of course the compensated program in the Superchip. Again, they do not want to have to sacrifice part-throttle driveability in the process, so it's going to be awhile before this is known, I.E., will it be possible to run higher boost levels on pump gas without having to compromise driveability and power on part-throttle. So that is exactly where we are at on this at the moment.

So far, I have only talked to one Lightning owner who was able to find a reduced diameter pulley for the Lightning supercharger, and he told me yesterday that this pulley had too small a hole for the shaft of the supercharger, and it seized on the shaft. So he had to cut it off, and it may have done some damage to the front of his blower, so he now has that problem to deal with, despite him being as careful as possible. He is supposed to give me another call and let me know who supplied the pulley, so I can pass that info along. So anyone thinking about using a smaller pulley, remember that if you increase boost by more than about 2 psi, your program will most likely need to be compensated for it, to protect the head gaskets and other parts.

I do want to remind everyone that some of the factory tachs in these vehicles are considerably off, and then some are very close. If you ever see a tach reading in excess of 5600 rpm, your tach is in error, as the engine simply cannot turn more than 5600 rpm, that is the factory rev limiter, and Superchips will not alter that. We have had a report from one Lightning owner who had taken their Lightning to a chassis dyno, and saw tach readings in excess of 6000 rpm, and that is simply tach error, so don't worry that your engine is turning more rpm that it should, as it cannot turn more than 5600 rpm, either with or without the Superchip. Having the 2-3 WOT upshift point raised by 3 mph does not affect the rev limiter, the engine still cannot turn more than 5600 rpm.

One other point that I would like to make is that I don't get by here much more than once a week or so, and sometimes even longer, so anyone who wants to communicate with me in a timely manner should either call us, or shoot me an email, our contact info is below. I'm happy to answer any questions I can when I'm here, of course, but that is not everyday. So if you need to ask me something and you want a quick answer, please feel free to contact me via phone or email.

And that's the latest info!

Our bests to all,

------------------
Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com

[This message has been edited by Superchips_Distributor (edited 09-30-1999).]

 

Hey guys, Sal here. I just want to comment on the thing about the PCM cutting 4 cylinders that Mike has mentioned. The PCM does in fact do this. The Lightning, as well as many of Ford's other recent vehicles, has in the PCM what's known as an "engine saftey failsafe". In the event of the motor overheating, the PCM will start to drop cylinders , with a maximum or 4 being shut down, to reduce heat in the motor to avoid engine damage due to overheating. If the motor continues to overheat, it will shut the vehicle down. The shift stratagy in the Lightning's PCM uses this part of the program to shut down 4 cylinders in between shifts. It is most noticable at WOT, as a "pause" between shifts. This can be modified with one of my chips to customers preferance. I also beleive the Superchip is capable of this as well.

SAL

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Power Surge Performance--- Your SOURCE for SVT Lightning EFI Tuning and Performance!!
http://members.aol.com/NLOCsvt/svt.html

 

Thank you for answering that Mike, now I'll let it rest.

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Red 99.5 Lightning,#0975,Born 5/6/99...Adopted 5/27/99 Chipped w/SuperChip Flipchip chip, Mobil 1

 

I have just a few points to make on things that were said.

First, there are things that effect the boost level. One is blower RPM, which can be effected by engine RPM or the use of different pullies (Both the SC pulley and the crank pulley that the SC is attached to influence the RPM). The second is the amount of restriction there is in the airflow both in front of and behind the supercharger.

The supercharger may be capable of 15 lbs of boost, but any restriction will lessen the amount of boost actually seen at the motor. One major restriction is the intercooler. It lowers the amount of boost seen at the motor by ~2 lbs. But, the cooling effect of the intercooler more than makes up for any lost boost, in addition to allowing higher boost levels to be produced without detonation. So, even though the imprecise factory boost gauge may only show 8-10 lbs of boost, the Supercharger is actually producing 10-12 lbs.

Another thing that I wanted to say was that I think there was a typo in your post about the Thunderbird SC. 50% boost increase? Last I heard it was like a 2-3 pound increase. The factory boost level is 13psi, so a 50% increase would push them up to almost 20psi. I doubt that's what you meant to say. First because the SC would likely throw itself to pieces almost immediately upon reaching that boost level, second because every pulley I saw for those cars raised the boost to 15-16psi. About 2 years ago, while talking to people who specialized in T-bird SC performance, they said that safely running any more than that would require a closer tolerance supercharger.

 

Has anyone ever connected a more accurate gauge and run a line into the cab so it can be measured or is the 10-12 an estimation? Not flaming, just curious.

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Red 99.5 Lightning,#0975,Born 5/6/99...Adopted 5/27/99 Chipped w/SuperChip Flipchip chip, Mobil 1

 

I have connected a better gauge to my truck; the line runs into the cab by your right knee just under the dash. It has a convenient connection right where it is accessible to connect into. I found my gauge to be accurate maybe 2 tens off at the most. I see around 8.2 - 8.7 max. I'm not sure about the location of the tubing connection on the engine, but I'm sure it’s on the manifold after the intercooler.

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1999 Black Lightning SVT all options, (Factory soft tonneau cover, 6 Disc CD, Class III towing hitch), Loyd one piece floormat (Fits well, looks good), Tail light covers (Killer painted black to match), Black spray in bed liner (looks very good), Windows tinted gray 15% on doors, Dark Limo on back glass, Ordered 1st truck 1/21/99 till salesman told me a $5000 premium would be added, On the same day ordered second truck 2/24/99 (BEFORE getting my check back), Took delivery 6/21/99 After MANY many MANY promised ETA dates, Build date of 5/20/99

 

Dear Typhoon,

The stock boost levels on the Super Coupes was 7-9 psi for most of them, and the Superchips kit for it raised the boost level to 13-16 psi at about 4000 rpm. I've installed this kit on over 200 SC's, and never saw one with a stock boost level as high as 10 psi. I've owned this vehicle as well, so I am aware of these exact numbers. Now there are some differences between the first generation Super Coupe, which were the 89-93 models, and the second generation, which are the last 2 years, 94 & 95. The earlier cars had a little bit more boost stock, and the later cars have the benefit of larger fuel injectors, teflon coated rotors in the updated supercharger, a crankshaft windage tray, and other improvements. The later cars made just a little bit less boost, due to a different pulley size on the supercharger. On my 1994 SC, the stock boost level was about 8 psi, and I was running 16-17 psi with the kit, now this is of course using the stock factory boost gauge. I never blew a head gasket or anything else. The key is, if you are going to run those kinds of boost levels, you have to tune for them in a manner that pump gas can support. I experienced no detonation running 16-17 psi, except on the few times I tried using different brands of gas. Exxon made it always ping, but Texaco, Amoco, Citgo, and others it ran fine on at that boost level. The vehicle was modifed with the Superchips kit at 40K miles, and I kept it until I had about 80K miles, with no problems as a result of the upgrade. I ran this with the stock exhaust for almost 20K miles, and then opened up the exhaust at that point. I wish I had done it sooner, the stock exhaust system on that car is pretty restrictive!

Just so you'll know, there is a pulley for the SC's that is only a 5% reduction, and *that* pulley adds only 2-3 lbs. of boost. that pulley was never used by Superchips in their kits.

------------------
Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com

[This message has been edited by Superchips_Distributor (edited 10-15-1999).]