Putting on different pullies is something I always read that people have done to their Lightnings. I don't know much about what changing the pullies does. I have read through numerous forums and have not found a straight post about how it works. Could someone explain what exactly happens and if you guys could maybe answer the following questions:

1) Out of the 4# & 6# pully, which is the one to go with (im sure the answer is based on application)

2) How much will my boost increase from the stock 10 psi?

3) What kind of HP gains will that lead to?

4) Is it as simple as just buying the pullies and having them switched or would I also have to buy other things to make it work?

5) Is necessary to have to have your Lightning custom tuned after you swap the pullies?

I'm sure that a lot of you lighting owners on here have done this modification. If you could share your opinions on it and how it worked out for you, I would appreciate it.

Thanks

 

I also appologize for being a noob. There is no need to post the picture of the dog barking at another dog with the title "**** noob". haha

 

everybody is a noob at some point. stock boost is 8psi. stock boost gauge is not the most reliable one either lol. most start out with the 4lb lower, set of colder plugs (ngk tr6 are a great one), cold air kit, and custom tunes for these mods.this will give you a nice upgrade over stock and tide you over for a while. these trucks are an addiction and the wallet suffers for it lol.

 

increasing the boost requires a tune to prevent the mixture going lean. I met a guy who was telling me he was going to do the 4 #lower, single blade throttle body and a cold air intake. This was at a tunners business. The next week I saw the truck there with burnt piston (s). He had done all that with out a tune.


There are diffrent hand held tuning devices, I use the diablo sport preditor tuner it can be adjusted as well as tunes can be written for it and then loaded into the truck. The best way to do a tune is find a tuner that will do it at a dyno. With a 4 pound, correct plugs cold air and a higher octain tune should be over 400 and around 500 torque.

These engines have a forged crank but cast rods. The rods are the week point.
They often blow with the mods you are thinking about on cool days when you do the two gear kickdown. Cruising around 60 mph in 4th and you stomp the throttle the truck down shifts two gears withy all the power, and the rods fail.

what year is your truck?

 

My truck is a 2004. So getting a proper tune can prevent the rods from failing? Or is that something you just have to causious about and can't do much about it.

I noticed you are from Vancouver Silversvt, I am from Abbotsford. Where do you go to get your tuning done?

 

I suggest you buy a 2 lb pulley and a 4lber and a tuner. You can try the 2lb pulley and a canned tune and see what you think. The 2 lber will give you a noticeable bump without having to change plugs, etc.

If you like the results, you can then go to a 4 lb pulley ring. You will have to go with colder plugs, however (NGK TR6). You can buy this stuff used online and save some $$$$.

If you go to a 6lber, you will also need a MAF replacement and a custom tune done on a dyno (if you want to keep your engine intact).

With the 2 & 4 lb pulleys, you can also get an "email" tune from one of the vendors here and be fairly confident that you'll get more power than from a canned tune.

Jim

 

sent you a pm

 

I can't pm you back silversvt, it says I haven't been a member long enough. All this blowing your motor talk has intimidated me alittle bit. I don't want to do something stupid and ruin a truck I just got. How much did Wayne at Brown Bros charge you for the custom tune? Brown Bros really know how to rip people good. haha They got me good for the lightning.

Just for my own knowledge and I just want to be clear , all you need to get for the 4 lb pully mod is the pully itself, new plugs, and a custom tune? That is all the things you need to do to make it work?

 

You'll also need a new belt... or break the tab off the tensionser to run the 4lber. Skip the 2lb pulley it's a waste of time and money. Your safe with a 4lb and a tune if you datalog your maf voltage and watch the cold weather kickdowns. Get yourself a ftvb for your tranny, a catback to open it up, a oil mod, and clean your intercooler. A good wideband is also reccomended, as lean is what kills.... get a good tune from a decent vendor. I'm sure the short guy will show up here soon.... his tunes are good, so I hear.

All the answers to your questions are around. Search and you will find them. These trucks are easy to mod and there isn't much that hasnt' alaready been done..

This forum is all but dead... ... the real L crowd left a couple years ago along with the sponsors. search for lightningrodder and nloc for some decent info.

 

Some guy from our area in West Canada tried to hack Lightning Rodder. So Chris D. banned the entire ip address from B.C. So No lightning rodder for us in West Canada.

 

This section may have slowed down over the last few years but we have joined up here in hopes to revive it. We are always available to any of you guys pretty much 24/7 via email or just a phonecall away. If there is anything you guys need or want to talk about please feel free to give me a call.

Thanks everyone,

JJ@WMS

 

JJ will disagree with you on the 2 lb pulley.

 

robbyb, all great questions and ones that you should never feel are a typical "n0ob" question we all have had them at one time or another.. as mentioned in several other responses, the tune is critical with these trucks and any mods that you do should be checked with the tune again and again...I don't know where you live but I personally have lived at sea level and now at altitude, 6800ft and I have been running this combo at both elevations with a safe tune and have had no problems on my stock block...2.75 upper, 6# lower, CAI, C&L plenum and elbow, ngk tr6's, FTVB, custom chiller box nand I'm at 410rwhp/537rwtq...hope this helps and good luck and enjoy the truck.

 

Not me, I love 2lb lower pulley trucks.

My 2001 ran 11.89 with a 2lb lower 1lb upper combination back in 2002. I had every other bolt on known at the time but I still ran high 11's several times and that was before Widebands or all of the datalogging that we have now along with an old Blue superchips chip.

Those were the days,

JJ