Yesterday, I finished installing a Magna/Allen supercharger kit on my 99' F150 4.6.
It starts up fine. It idles fine. However, I have two problems that I need help with. These problems include:

1. With more than light acceleration, the truck hesitates and surges. I even feel a slight vibration from the accelerator pedal! ha! What is wrong? How can I fix it?

2. I have radiator fluid on the firewall on the passenger side. How do I check to see where it is coming from. I did not check the heaterhose that comes out of the back passenger side of the kit manifold. I am worried that the manifold is not seated properly. What should I look for?

Thanks.

 

You have some bugs. I don't think that's all that unusual.

You have removed the Superchip, right? The program you have probably isn't compatible with the supercharger on there.

The antifreeze, well that's a different story. Could be something easy. When I cut the radiator hose I did have a slight leak. I also didn't get it far enough from the fan and it got hit. Not cut, just hit.
It could be the hose that comes off the back of the intake manifold. That would just require tightening of a hose clamp. I guess worst case scenario is that the manifold gaskets didn't seat properly. This might explain the hesitation. It would really suck but you would have to reset the supercharger.
I would get a flashlight and look real good at all the seating surfaces. I would also look in the crevice of the engine, below the supercharger. If it was leaking from the manifold gaskets there should be some antifreeze there too.
Did you use the orange antifreeze for the intercooler? We are advised to do this so we can tell if it's an engine antifreeze leak or from the intercooler

I know you already know all this stuff. This is just my way of trying to figure out what the problems could be.

What ever it is, you will figure it out and remedy it.

 

Wittom,

Thanks for your input.

Is the rubber coolant line coming out of the rear passenger side of the manifold, suppose to have a ring clamp where it screws into the manifold? Mine does not. I am trying to see if it is screwed in all the way (hard to get to!). I forgot to even check that fitting for tightness before I put it in.

I am clueless on the surging/hesitation problem. Like I stated in the other thread, I had a car that did the same thing. I thought it was my transmission slipping, but it was bad plug wires! ha!

 

One problem resolved and one to go......

I noticed that this coolant leak was not continuous. When I looked at the engine when it sat and idled no leak, even after the thermostate opened up no leak. But, after I drove it today and accelerated alittle, I would stop and open the hood, it leaked.

So, I asked another person to rev the engine a little while I looked under the hood and...........found the leak!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The leak was from where the coolant line from the truck and the coolant line from the kit manifold were connected! I "thought" I had tightened down the ring clamp alot. I needed to tighten it a lot more! ha! After that, no more leak!!!!!

Talk about a lot of pressure. The coolant line actually moves and expands when you rev the engine. Is that normal?


I still have the hesitation/surging problem. It really shows up when accelerating up a hill.

 

i dont know if this applys to your magna. but it sounds too me like you are running rich. could you ajust your FMU? or do you even have one? you must right.... i would be that that is it. but i think you would get codes if you were running rich. hope this helps.

-steve

 

2000150HD,

Thanks for your comments. You have provided some good info during my install.

I have been trying to figure out how to adjust my FMU. My Kit supplemental FMU mounts on the stock FMU. It looks like a large billet mushroom. The exterior only has two little hose connections. There was a small hose from the Kit manifold with a T connector that had two other hoses on it. I connected both little hoses to the Kit FMU. I tried changing the hoses around and still no change.

 

Its Thursday.

This morning before driving the truck to work, I rechecked the fuel rail/fuel injector connections. I looked for some kind of adjustment on the fmu-can not find one. I drove the truck to work. It still hesitates when under a "load" or accelerating. If I slowly increase speed it does not do it. But, if I try to increase acceleration or going up a hill it will hesitate-it feels like the trans. is slipping or I am getting too much gas or not enough spark.

Having said that, I got my first "win" with the magna this morning. I was driving to work, infront of me was a late 90's model Grand Prix. He was going about 55 in a 60 zone. I was not on his bumper or anything like that, I began to pass him to go around him,....when he started going very fast, so I began to increase speed-heard the supercharger whine (had radio off) and before I realized it I went from about 60 to 100!!!!!!!!! I looked back to make sure the lane was clear before I moved back to the left hand lane and the Grand Prix that had about 4 car lenghts on me when he jumped ahead, was now about 20 car lenghts back! Yeah!!!!!! Life is good.....but it could be better if I could get some help with this hesitation problem.

 

Still Thursday.

At Lunch, I was driving into town. At about 65 I started accelerating slowly until I had it all the way to the floor, as I was about to break the sound barrier, I heard pinging (predetonation) for the first time-it was also the first time I had it all the way to the floor as well as I had the hesitation. Help!!!!!!!!!

 

Iron Horse,

You may have already tried this. It is a bit old school. But get a can of ether be careful and litely spray around the intake for vacum leaks. The engine will accelerate if there is a leak. The computer might be over richening the mixture do to this. Just be careful when doing it. Like I said I don't know if it will help, but worth a try.


Bill

 

outdare,

Thanks for your input. A can of ether? Is that like starting fluid?
I will give it a try tonight or tomorrow.

On a positive note, at lunch time I went and picked up my accel superstock 8 mm plugwires. I know this is stupid and should not worry about it, but since I saw photos of BTBfords engine compartment, I knew I wanted to eventually make mine look a little sporty, therefore, only after I ordered them yesterday, did I realize that the picture on the box shows yellow wires with orange boots. I wanted blue wires since my truck is dark wedgewood blue...ha! When I picked them up today I found out they were blue!!!!!!!! alright!!!!!!!!!(yes, I am starting to go overboard.....ha!!!!!!)

I hope Crash! does not leave for the weekend til tomorrow. If I can not figure it out, I will need to call him very soon, the pinging is not a good thing for the engine and this is my daily driver.

 

Iron Horse,

Ya, Starter fluid will do fine. It is flameable. So be careful no exposed flame etc.. Spray a little around intake points and listen for quicked accelation. This will point out a leaky gasket. As far as the pinging I can't help you there. I'll ask around to see if I can help.

Also what part number where the plug wires. I have a 99 5.4 and have been looking for some. Local part house does not have it. Don't feel bad I want Red to match my paint.

 

this seams strange to me. I would think that if you were surging or loading up that you were running rich. but if you are pinging that means you are running lean. at this point i dont really know what to tell you. but i would be it is a fuel problem, not a spark problem. i would check your fuel pump and maybe think about getting a new FMU. i wish i could help more, but there are too many diffrences between our kits. good luck. Just remember how far you have gotten on this. Im sure you will get it working without any problems. And about the kills. Welcome to the wild world of Chargers. stay awhile.

-steve

 

It is Thursday evening.

I was able to go to warp speed and I got to the dealership before they closed, therefore, I picked up my motorcraft awsf-22c spark plugs. Crash! recommended gapping @ .35 to .40, so I am going to split the difference and gap them at .37.

outdare,

I ordered and received the next day, Accel Super Stock Spiral Core Custom Fit Performance Wire Set (hi-temp 8mm), part no. 5137B for $109.00 They are a medium blue with black boots. These were ordered for a my 1999 F150 4.6. Remember, I have two coil packs (I do not have coil packs for each plug like some model do). In other words, these wires have a spark plug connection on one end and a coil pack connection on the other end.

2000f150HD,

Thanks for the support.

I am waiting for the engine to cool down. When it finally does cool down, I am going to put the plugs and plug wires on tonight and take if for a test drive. I will post results later tonight.

 

I am by no means an expert on this but if you get a "hesitation/surging" only when accelerating hard and not easing into it could it be that the supercharger belt is slipping?

I have no idea what the truck would feel like if the belt was slipping/catching but that just what went through my head while reading this so I thought I'd mention it....

 

Tiron,

Hey Tiron! Have not seen a post from you lately. Thanks for the comments. I do not know how to check for slipping. It does not hesitate or surge when letting off the gas. It only does it when under a "load" or heavy acceleration. It is very severe when going up a hill and accelerating. If you ease into the speed it is fine, it still idles smoothly and starts easily.

What freaked me out today, was that my truck has never "pinged". But today, after getting up to about 70 I slowly floored it and it started pinging (pre-detenation)!

I had a car do this same thing. It was not supercharged. It was bone stock. I thought it was my transmission slipping. I was about to pull the trans. and go get a rebuilt one. However, I guy said check your plug wires. I thought he was nuts! ha! But, he was right.