Hey whats up guys, it seems like the poas couple of weeks this truck is falling apart. Maybe its out fluke winter, no snow on the ground, and .2" total this November, with temps averaging high 20-low30s.

Well it rained 2 weeks ago, and I drove it home from my friend's house. I didn't get 2 blocks when the driver's side wiper quit working. The pass. side was fine. Pissed me off, but I have no other vehicle right now, so I have to keep driving it until I install these drag headers for my 66 Chevy. And get IT running.

Now there is this problem that I haven't seen mentioned on this board. It kind of worries me, becuase it sounds like something howling. It has to be something that spins, it sounds similar to the supercharger when its operating at + boost, but I unbolted my muffler and cannot hear the supercharger whine. I hear this 'whurrr' at stoplights, and when I go it picks up pitch, as if it is spinning faster, but keeps the tone when I am travelling anywhere above 5 mph. That got me thinking it was the alternator. Having looked at it, I am damn glad I have a warranty, looks like the supercharger is coming off when that thing has to be replaced. So I get home, and pop the hood, with the engine running. I still hear it, but it sounds like it is coming from the rear of the engine, not anywhere near the front. And it is not nearly as loud as it was from inside the cab. I turn on the heater fan, and the noise stays the same, I rev the engine, the noise stays the same, but if I put it in drive, it picks up pitch a little bit, and just stays there. so I turn off the truck, and as the revs slow down, the whurr gets louder (exhaust note gets quieter) and it sounds like it is slowing down whatever it is. It doens't sound good.

Anyone?

PS. another thing I noticed, it has happened 3 times, not when the truck is cold, usually when I travel 5 miles or so. I have no chip, and my only mod are straight pipes.

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99 Black Lightning
factory tonneau cover, 100k mile warrantee, bed/under liner,
F150online.com R hp sticker mod in the mail.
1/4
2.145 60' 8.789@82.71 (1/8) 13.603@101.05 1/4 same run
straight pipes, 'Major' rear lights, no chip
Lightning!

 

It might be the boost bypass opened. When you get on it and bring up the boost does it go away? I think you might be hearing it vent down through the driver side manafold dumping into the x-hast. And you hear it because of the straight pipes. Try to unplug the dump gate, and see if that helps. Just some thoughts...

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Thomas 'Lightning Boy' Shelton
SVTPerformance.com
BOARD MODERATOR:
-Dynos, Time slips, and best ETs
-Nitrous/Forced Induction

 

huh? Where's the dump gate?

 

Tundra

Maybe it's an exhaust leak near the manifolds. On a cold day, in the morning, pop the hood and see if any steam is leaking from anywhere from the heads to the y-pipe.

 

Its never cold up here...I'll take a look, and make a phone call.

 

You know what I'm having that same thing with the howling. I live in chicago and when its colder out it happens to me around 2000 rpms. It stops after a while but, I'm think its with the ribs in the hose hoked up to the plenum. We use indutrial vacuums at work and when they have the ribbed hose on them they howl like you wouldn't belive. I have the airraid setup in my truck, so maybe its that setup. do you have that. I'm getting that sound straight from the K&n fitlter. Take apart you air box and listen. I think Its the cold air cause yesterday and today's been warmer and I havn't heard it. Only around 20 degrees. I have nothing done to my exhaust.

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99.5 red lightning
Cervini's ram air hood
billet grilles
clear coreners
clear tail's
A.R.E bed cover
SS street style mirror's
Super chip R9
airaid intake
trans go shift kit
Audio: Kenwood 9015 cd, Kenwood kmd minidisc, Kicker 5x7 impulse, kicker 5.25 resolution, phoenix gold zx450, Phoenix gold zx500, Three JL audio 10w3's, Qform's, custom built box.
Built 5/4/99 A tuesday
# 917 of 4000
Best ET. 13.42 at 100.98
best stock 13.96 at ?

When the green light drops, the bullsh*t stops.

 

Hey Tundra, Before I say this just wanna say don't get mad at me. I am just giving an opinion. I like your web site and I think your videos are cool. That being said, I think the constant street racing are taking a toll on the L. I know there are those who believe you should "drive it like you stole it" from the very beginning and forever and always, but... I am telling you, that will "rag out" a nice truck to being a piece of ***** in a short while.

Our L's are not race cars. Sure they have some heavy duty parts, but deep down inside they are still an F-150 based light pickup. I don't think you will ever damage the frame, suspension, body, rearend, or axles street racing, but the engine, blower, trans, u-joints are all gonna eventually fail. Hard driving just accelerates the failures.

 

Dont worry mracer, I can see where you are coming from. Well, I understand why it may be falling apart, but I do not think it is due to the street racing, whats the wiper have to do with it? It does bring up a good point though. During the week, I hardly get on it. Heck, coming up on 25k miles and still on the same F-1s, they'll last until 30k. It may seem like I rag it, because of the camera, but that is just one night a week. just learned that a fellow I race (SS) went through a clutch, and another guy got his chevelle running just to beat the truck. I can't wait until I get a better computer.

I do not have any aftermarket parts on the Lightning except for a subwoofer (two 8"s) and unbolted the muffler. I can record the sound on my camera, but I cannot upload it as the computer I am on now, was built in '97. Stock airfilter.

 

This may be a long shot but...check to make sure nothing is "grounding" (accelerator/cruse cables etc.) out to the cab. This grounding can transmit sound
and odd vibrations. This sounds familiar to me as I have had an accelerator cable ground out to an IAC allowing me to hear the duty cycle and the resuting air flow of the IAC. A little tweek of the mounting bracket and some foam on the cable and poof, the sound was gone. These vehicles are so quiet in relative terms that the oddest sounds can be heard at times.

Just a thought

 

http://home.houston.rr.com/haloclub/pics/motor.jpg

Click the link to see the picture (didn't want to post due to it's size) I have marked the boost dump line, and the area where the dump gate is. by disconnecting the glug to the dump gate, the PCM can not tell the it to open. Not highly suggested to keep it unpluged though. We do it at the track so when we do the big smokey burnouts it wont dump the boost on us a have a bad run. Anyway about the sound, have you herd a mustang (or any other car) with a Vortec T-Trim? Has has that howling noise when just sitting there. If you have does it sound like this?

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Thomas 'Lightning Boy' Shelton
SVTPerformance.com
BOARD MODERATOR:
-Dynos, Time slips, and best ETs
-Nitrous/Forced Induction

 

I doubt its the problem you're having Tundra, but if you drive the truck around alot and leave the "vent" setting open, they do make alot of wind noise at 80+ ...

Daniel

 

Tundra: and everyone else that seems to have that same whining noise..
when you start up your truck look at the connector rod from the bypass canistor to the butterfly connector. make sure the arm is going up when at idle. if it is in the down position. then your bypass is stuck in the closed position. this will produce a high pitched whine. if it is stuck just take a screwdriver and pry up on the arm while the truck is running and it should pop up into place. if this continues to get stuck then you must adjust the butterfly postion...hope this helps. JL

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93 cobra 10.90@127.00
99 lightning (black)
e.t. 12.41 @ 110.8
best mph 110.8
60 ft. 1.79
superchiped
johnnylightning ram air
Level 10 shift kit
SuperChip Dealer!
(Man i love this truck!)
_________________________
JohnnyLightning Performance
E-mail: jlightningracing@cs.com
WEB:webtechnik.com/johnnylightning

 

****pit?
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.
.
.
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Pea****?

Steve's robot.

 

Tundra, the wiper problem is a known issue and has a TSB, so your dealer should be able to look it up.

It happens sporadically across ALL truck lines for Ford, something with defective modules. They just issued their 5th stop-sale on the Ford Escape in regards to the same failure (inspect and replace).

Daniel

 

I have the howling as well. Sal posted an explanation on one of these boards in the past that made sense. Basically it has something to do with the boost acutator.
I think LightningBoy nailed it.