how to install a lightning or HD take off supercharger on a NA 5.4 f-150
 

Here is my instructions and advise on how i installed my take off HD supercharger on my NA 5.4, it took me about 2 1/2 days to do the tear down and to put it all together. it might be alittle difrent for you or it might be exactly the same, this is to help anybody that wants to do the same thing, and to make it alittle easer.

first you will need to round up all the parts, first step will be getting a HD or lightning take off supercharger ass. complete with fuel rails manifold, throttle body, engine wiring harness like the one in this photo
https://www.f150online.com/galleries...550-190822.jpg
next you will need to get all the install parts, i got mine from Mike at www.madenterprise.com very good service and fast shipping.

tear down: i removed these components in this order
1. intake ass.
2.throttle body
3.upper intake ass.
4. alternator
5. feul rail and inj.
6. COPs
7. lower intake
colant and dirt will go everywere, i used a shop vac to get all the dirt and debri out from all the nooks and crannies then cleaned it up with a rag, with all this off it would be a goog time to change your plugs, go with one heat range cooler like NGK TR6 i made an attachment to my shop vac and compressed air to clean out the spark plug holes, it will look like this with everything removed
https://www.f150online.com/galleries...550-190835.jpg
here is what was removed
https://www.f150online.com/galleries...550-190836.jpg
the last thing i removed was the engine wiring harness, on the rear of the P/S engine there is a bracket with 2 10 mm bolts that is very hard to get to i recomend a racheting wrench for this, the rear O2 sensors are a pain to disconect along with the AC compressor conectors.
cont. on next post

install: put on the new wiring harness, the bracket that i spoke of is a PITA, connect knock sensors and O2 sensors.
if alternator has 8 rib belt use a impact to use your stock pully.
put manifold and intercooler assembly on carefully as to not damage the gasket.
put COPs on.
put inj. and fuel rail on.
connect all wiring harness conectors that you can with supercharger off.
put spercharger on.
connect all vacume lines(it looks like alot but they seem to find there own place)
coolant line from the heater core must be re routed to the P/S rear of manifold at the 90 dagree fitting
mount the heat exchanger and intercooler resivior(have to make a custom bracket for resivior)
mount heat exchanger pump(mounts to PS cooler bracket)
there is a certain way to hook up the lines so the pump will prime it is as follows:
1. intercooler P/S line to resivior
2. resivior to pump inlet
3. pump outlet to bottom heat exchanger
4. upper heat exchanger to right side intercooler line

you will need to change out your fuel pump.
drop the tank, cut the foot off the bracket holding the old pump mount the new pump, i used the rubber insalator from the old pump to help isolate the new pump as can be seen in the pics, use a multi meter to verify that the pump is isolated, the fuel level sender will need to be bent in a position were it will not stick
https://www.f150online.com/galleries...550-190824.jpg
https://www.f150online.com/galleries...550-190825.jpg
the finished product will look like this
https://www.f150online.com/galleries...550-190833.jpg

i had an extra coolant line that ran around my PCV valve, i just blocked it off, it can be seen in the pic
https://www.f150online.com/galleries...550-190826.jpg

also there was a vacume line with a T fitting that runs to the P/S that i also blocked off that from the factory went to my vacume storage tank, mine was not plummed this way.

on the D/S there will be a black vacume line this is for a boost gauge, use it for the gauge or block it off.

one more thing before you install it would be a good idea to check the bypass valve operation, loosen the allen head bolt till the valve closes(touches the metal) then do a 1/4 turn in so the valve wont stick.

it would be a good idea to change the oil before you start it up just in case some coolant got in the intake chambers.

now load your tune, turn the key to the on position to let the fuel pump build pressure(the 255LPH is alot louder than stock you will hear it running) verify that the intercooler pump is running by fluid movement in the resivior, and start it up and check for leaks vacume or coolant, if all is good take it for a test drive and enjoy your new performance, make sure to check coolant level and intercooler resivior level after it is warmed up. hope this helps somebody:thumbsup:

i had a problem with a brand new coil that came with the take off, you can reuse your old COPs or use the new ones it is up to you i think it was just a one in a hundred problem with me but you never know.

Didn't say where you connected Intercooler pump +12v. My Junction box did not seem to have any remaining taps. Also, rememeber to install new heater hoses before blower goes on, last chance to do that before it gets real hard. orginal back hose is same p/n, but front one is different for Lightning/HD. :thumbsup:

i taped into the fuse box under the hood, if you are looking at it it is the first relay on the right, it is for your brake controller relay, i took of the fuse box and taped into this wire from underneath as i have a relay here, i also used a relay so it would not blow the fuse wile towing, also on most trucks the stock coolant line will reach around the intercooler resivior.

Sweet write up w/ pics :thumbsup:

a few other good ideas would be to change out the spark plugs, regapped to 38-40, and change the fuel filter. now that you have more power you really need to watch your a/f ratios to prevent a lean condition and the eventual explosion of the block.


for more performance mods and general info on the supercharged f-150's check out www.nhtoc.com or www.nloc.net, tell them bradshow sent you!!

thanks:beers:

Nice write up... Looks like we are using the same fuel pump. DId you install a fuel pump controller? thats a 325lph bosch right? Could you show a picture of the bottom, did you put any type of filter on it?
Thanks!

no mine is a 255 LPH Bosch, didnt use any fuel pump controller, as i went with 42 pound feul inj., dont have a pic of the bottom, but it had a very fine screen so i saw no need to put a filter on it. thing is defintly loud i can hear it sitting in the truck at idle. but it works well, and should deliver plenty of fuel for the power level i am looking for. (under 400 RWHP)

The 255 can support a good bit more than that also. I plan on finding the limit in the next few months!

If it's that loud it is resonating off the tank! I had one slide down. Look inside the tank and see if there isn't a ring wore into the bottom of the tank. I've also had 2 go out, and they get loud when they are on the way out also. Make sure you add an additional ground!

Oh, well it looks just like my 325lph... I have to have a controller because I dont want it running full blast at idle. Im sure mine is going to be loud.
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/1140/img0154bd7.jpg

i checked to make sure it hadnt sliped down, it is in there good about a half inch or more from the bottom of the tank, do you know what caused yours to go bad? mine is brand new i hope it lasts.

Big my truck has 110,000 miles on it I am thinking of just installing a HD or lighning engine how many miles does yours have. Thanks

The best Mike and I can come up with is not enough ground. So when installing the third one I made sure to fix that. If it goes again, we're stumped!