Just wondering how much boost the Lightning engine can take. I have read about the people adding 2, 3 and 4 pound pullys to make more boost but what is the limit? Just trying to figure out what the safety margins are for the engine to be reliable. Any and all comments welcomed.

Thanks

 

an excerpt from an old post from JeffS (FMOS)
under "destructive testing"


There's more to the mix than what an engine CAN do. For instance, a friend of mine who works for a major component supplier in Detroit saw a '99 Lightning run 11s with the only mods, according to the engineers overseeing the "destructive testing," being 20 psi from the supercharger. According to this guy, the engine will survive that with the intercooler and proper tune, but the rest of the driveline will not.

 

How about the supercharger? They are designed to take only so many RPMs. What is the max? 14,000 RPM? More boost means more RPM. Right?

 

There is a new larger blower coming out around Christmas from eton that will go on our trucks. I am also wondering about how much boost we can run as I was planning on getting one.

JDM was the first I found to talk about this unit.
Alvin

 

There is no larger Eaton blower coming out. This has been verified and is total BS. The pictures being shown elsewhere are old M112 rear inlet prototypes that are a few years old. Eaton is getting out of the large blower market, and the only new blowers coming out are the M16 and the M32, for the 4 cylinder market, that will be built at the new plant they are constructing in Brazil. Don't believe everything you hear.

As for how much the motor can take, it's better to rate it's capacity in hp, instead of boost. We;ve built some pretty high horsepower trucks, and the common failure seems to be the rods, which are the weak point in these motors. However, the failed rods have been in motors with over 500 rear wheel hp. The average guy is not going to come close to that, unless on nitrous with raised boost.

 

I saw some recent posts about the JDM offer. U say that is B/S??? What about the Kenne Bell unit that is supposed to come out whenever?

 

Kenne Bell is supposed to have a Whipplecharger coming out to replace the stock Eaton. They are claiming 80hp MORE than the stock Eaton makes. I'll believe that when I see it. We've tuned plenty of Gen 1 Lightnings with KB blowers, and going from N/A to blown didn't even add 80hp, so I doubt that this blower will add 80hp MORE than the Eaton. Also, the KB blowers run really HOT. You could cook your breakfast on one. The newer ones with the bypass are better, but they still run hotter than the Eaton does.

 

So 500 rear wheel HP is about the limit of these engines? With the rods replaced with some forged or billit units can the bottom end and factory pistons handle more? The supporting systems for the engine (transmission, rear end, driveshaft, fuel and cooling)would have to be upgraded with any high HP combo. Just curious because I have seen stock shortblock mustangs making more rear wheel power than that. And it just seems to me that the stresses would be greater on a 5.0/4.6 with all cast internals than what our engines could withstand. looking forward to hearing more opinions.

 

LOL..steak and eggs anyone

 

Papabear, the stresses are much greater on the 5.4 because of the abnormally long stroke. The 5.4 stroke is 4.165 and the rod is a whopping 6.65 long, as compared to the 4.6 that has a 3.54 stroke with a rod length of only 5.93. There's more leverage to stress the rods.

We are building a new motor for our 01 with aftermarket rods and pistons, high volume oil pump, ARP studs, performance rod bearings, new block and crank, and fully blueprinted (really blueprinted, not just setting ring end gaps and using Plasigauge ). It should be good for about 850hp, which is good because we are turning the power up with this new set up.

 

YIPES

 

When I was in Michigan at an NMRA event, Jerry Green(I think his last name is Green) had an M115 on his white Lightning they call "Casper". He works for Ford and Pauls High Performance does his work. The blower looks the same, it's only a hair bigger. Air enters through the front just like ours.

 

LOL I think i will pass on this one!

 

There should be a supercharger kit available soon based on the Magnuson M112 unit. It is a rear entry supercharger and both the inlet and the exhaust ports on this supercharger are larger then the current Eaton units. What this unit should do is bring on the boost quicker and because the design is more efficient there should be greater boost too. It's close so just sit tight.

 

Sal
Can i be a passenger in that 850 hp truck? Just renforce the OH ***** BAR hehe.
Vin