I work for a ford affiliate and one of my co-workers is telling me that the lightning originally had 500 hp stock, but it would not pass emissions so it was de-tuned to it's current hp level. He knows the engineer that will reprogrma the stock truck and it will push 500 hp. Anyone know anything about this or is it just bullsh**.

 

There were published accounts in car mags about the progress of the L before it was sold. It said that in its the original configuration, it was making a lot more hp (around 450) however they couldn't keep the transmission intact. Not sure how it was detuned.

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2000 Black Lightning, Snuglid
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[This message has been edited by '00BlackLightning (edited 08-28-2000).]

 

I also remember reading in the mags about the preproduction version making ~450hp and it was "detuned." I had completely forgotten about that. Wish I would have remembered that when I was at SVT On Track where they had the SVT engineers on hand. Oh well...

Sam Cooper
2000L White

 

Maybe it originally had 4 valve cylinder heads. Remember what it did to the super stallion?

 

I know the prototype engine was "hotter" than ours, but I don't know by how much. A buddy of mine got to drive the prototype 99L on the track and said that it felt a lot quicker than the production Ls (based on his seat-o-the-pants meter). I figure his "feel" for this is pretty good, considering he gets to make "pre-runs" in Ford vehicles occasionally. (He got to drive the prototype 2000 R, as well). Life must be tough when John Coletti and Jack Roush are personal friends.

DUCK

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November 18, 1999 We will not forget.
The fallen 12 will live in our hearts forever.
Fightin Texas Aggie Bonfire 1999

 

Hi droidlight,

In a word, "BS". It is not possible to pull 500 hp at the flywheel out of that engine "just" by reprogramming the computer, it's going to take *much* more than that.

Far too many Lightnings don't even make their 360 hp rating bone-stock, ending up in the 320-340 hp range, just to give you some perspective on this, so adding another 140-160 hp in the computer program on pump premium simply is not remotely a possibility.

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Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
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(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com
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First National F-150 Online Rally Event Organizer

 

Couple of things... I know that the preproduction lightning had headers rather than the wimpy manifolds on our L's. I'm sure there were other performance differences that could add up.

But, I also have been wondering about the low output of our engines. Car and Driver recently had a story about a tuner suburban marketed by Cigarette (the boat guys). It was the 5.3 GM V8 with a whipple supercharger that they were claiming was good for ! 485 ! HP. The supercharger and a new exhaust were the only drivetrain mods mentioned.

How can they be getting 100HP more than the 2001 L without major mods?

 

Andy... Did some calling the guy is full of crap.... It that was the case we would all have the program and be spanking all the chevys on the road( stock production)

I agree with Mike Toyer....

 

cuz superman pissed in the gas tank.




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1999 C5 FRC

 

Lets not compare bananas to mangos. When people bandy these h.p. figures they are talking crank h.p. w/o alternator, a/c, fan, etc. Stock, my truck only made 317 h.p. at the rear wheels, but this is still well over the factory rated 360 crank h.p. Now, with only a chip, MAF, and headers it makes 365 r.w.h.p., which has got to be well over 400 crank h.p.
From the times and figures I read posted on this board some of the modified L's have got to be making close to 450 crank h.p., and of course with the spray some are making 550 h.p.
So while 500 h.p. sounds awfully high, I wouldn't be surprised if some of the development motors were making 450 h.p., before D.O.T. and the E.P.A. got ahold of them.

 

In general, I think that if Ford threw enough money at the project they could have vastly increased the horsepower of, specifically the Lightning motor.

As it is, it makes about 66 horsepower per litre, which is not anything to brag about given that they have supercharged it and made a few other mods.

While I am sure that emission regs and to a much larger extent, fuel economy restraints dictated where we finally ended up, there was definitely more available without those restrictions. My '98 Continental makes 56 horsepower per litre without supercharging for example. The Cobras should make somewhere around 70 per litre.

Dare we look at the much clubbed rice rockets, a few of them make 100 hp per litre stock and much more than that mildly modified. Check out a SAAB Turbo 4 Cyl for example, the hotter one. Well, it goes on and on.

Suffice to say, it would be certainly theoretically possible to make 475 hp and even 540 hp using the same technology that other makers use.

But then, there is the transmission, isn't there.

Bill


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99.5 Lightning
Build #247
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Several old trucks/cars
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E-mail MOSTOYSINC@AOL.com
Kennesaw, Ga. (Atlanta)

 

I am surprised that the Superchips distributor has confused crank hp and rear wheel hp. I don't know of ANY L that doesn't make well in excess of 360 hp at the crank. Even at 320 hp at the rear wheels, this is still over 360 hp equivalent at the crank. The are numerous L's posting hp #'s in the 370 range. This is approaching 440 - 450 hp at the flywheel. Surely the factory with all its resources can muster another 50 hp on these engines. Just my thoughts.

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2000 Black Lightning, Snuglid
Custom Bed Carpet
Clear Corners, Lightning banner
Tinted Windows, Custom air intake
2" drop, VTech Taillight covers.
NLOC #377

See pics of '00BlackLightning at:
http://www.zing.com/album/?id=4294555843

 

We will probably see this increase in hp in 2003, i sure hope so. They'll also want to keep the lightning on top since that new trucklike roadster chevy SSR is coming out and it supposed to be pretty quick.

 

Again, I would agree with '00BlackLightning.
Last time I dynoed mine, at was around 330 at the rear wheels with just a first gen Superchips chip. I have now added/changed and have the latest PSP chip, plus a soon to be reflashed Superchips one, a PSP filter and A full meal Bassani exhaust. Every graph I have seen here with that sort of combo is getting better than 365 at the wheels which more or less equates to 450 plus at the flywheel depending on your correction factor for driveline loss.

And, that is with fairly simple add on mods.
Were we to have the benefit of 4 valve heads, perhaps variable valve timing, a more aggressive boost and some other non rocket-science well known performance enhancers we should be at around 90 hp per litre or the 475 we started to discuss.

I'm not saying this will happen of course, I know the problems with fitting in the 4 valve heads and all that but I am saying the hardware and knowledge are already there to hit those sort of numbers.

Of course, there is always the trannie, isn't there.

Bill

 

I have to agree with Bill. 66 hp/liter is nothing spectacular especially for a blown engine. The naturally aspirated S2000 are making 120 hp/liter and many sportbikes are in this range as well. Depending on the configuration of the pre-production truck I certainly think that it is safe to say that 450 hp is not out of the question.

As for the cigarette suburban, I read that article as well. I believe that the whipple chargers are lysholm screw types and are known to be one of the most efficient types of superchargers available. In this instance some of the extra power undoubtedly comes from lower parasitic loss, though I doubt that that would account for the total difference. I'll have to read the blurb again.

W

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99 Lightning
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