Im sure this topic has been Covered before but Im new to the site and new to gas engines. Im a whiz with the powerstrokes but once I got the V6 I was stumped

Anyways I was wondering if someone new of a turbo kit for a 4.2L V6 in an 1997 F-150...? if so a link to where I can get more info? the cost? what else is needed for the engine to handle it... I know with the compression gain from a turbo with out upgrading rings and seals you can blow up your motor. is this needed for the V6 or is the turbos they offer low compression? is it worth the money? I bought my truck and the owner before me had done it up pretty good cosmeticly... but it just doesnt have enough power for its look.... I was thinking quick and effective power would be from a turbo.. so I have start persueing this route... should I head down another? or continue?

Thanks for the help and im sure I will be back with more Questions to my V6

 

I was also thinking of getting some info on a super charger... Anyone on here have on for their V6?

 

No one make a turbo or supercharger kit for the V6, but plenty of people have custom made their own remote mount turbos for their v6 F-150s. Check them out and search turbo on their web site. v 6 f 1 5 0.com Take the spaces out to make the site work!

 

Guys, the ford 4.2 is a very frail motor. Many, Many of us have terrible problems with them. Putting a turbo or a supercharger on your 4.2 is probally the worst idea ever! Just pray it keeps running like it is.

 

That is the most uneducated statement I have ever read. Sorry this is not designed as a personal attack but that statement is why people have a misconception that something cannot be done.

Many owners of the 4.2 are both turboing and supercharging their 4.2's and they are still using them as DAILY drivers. Go to the aforementioned site (I use them for my motor questions and this one for everything else) and look at the power adders. A few of these guys are beyond three hundred HP and up and have not torn into the block at all. A few have blown their motors (the turbo users mostly) but they are willing to show everyone what now works for them and will for you as well.

There is nothing wrong with the 4.2 except that it is UNDERpowered from the factory and needs more as we get less mileage due to the rolling mass of the heavy beast with a dialed down for emissions motor. It is capable of much more the only portion of a 4.2's drivetrain that I question is the trans which is also on the 4.6 so obviously it can't handle a little bit more power than 4.2 is giving it.
Sorry for the rant, but I have owned three 50's and the 4.6 was no better than the 4.2 has been.

The 97' model I ran for two years had a 100 shot of nitrous on it for those two years without a single problem. It will take the power as long as the necessary components are upgraded. Injecters, Fuel pump, Various porting and obviously a tune to unleash the upgrades.

I promise I'm not attacking you, I'm defeding our motor.

 

Well good luck, I hope it works out for you. Im just saying that it is a gamble. It could end up being so exspensive that you might as well just call it totaled. Futhermore, that was an educated statement. Anytime you increase the power output of an engine you increase the load and wear on everything. The load on the heads increases the most. Also a turbo or a supercharger will pressurize the incoming air. You will have to rely on the poor gaskets between the upper intake plenum and the heads to retain the higher pressures. As an educated Purdue Mechanical Engineering student I am going to bet that first your upper intake gaskets will fail. Your oil pressure will drop due to the addition of antifreeze to your oil. If you don't hydrolock it first,your head gaskets will go next. But I guess it's your money, so have fun!

 

While the 97's did have gasket issues which caused some engines to blow, the 4.2 is far from a "frail" motor. Mine is a 98 with 165,000 miles and has towed a 2000# boat for a great deal of those miles with absolutely no work to the motor besides plugs and wires at 125,000. The entire truck has been excellent with only lower ball joints, outer tie rod ends, and an alternator.
My advice would be to change the lower intake and possibly head gaskets even if you decide not to power up, better safe than sorry!!
Scott

 

I was going to quote you line by line but my response is quite long so just review above to yours for any points that need backing.
First, once again it was not a personal attack so there is no need to start naming points of matriculation especially over the internet where validity of statement lies in doubt.
With that said, that argument still has no merit since you essentially proved my point. If the heads are taking most of the wear and tear of new super/turbo app. that is why rockers, rollers and valves must be upgraded in many cases (still not into the block, which is tearing into the motor) and further I realize common sense is losing out in general but who after fabbing up a system for their motor to the tune of 2-3 thousand dollars would suddenly pinch pennies on gaskets...especially on a motor that for two years had a recalled gasket system chewing up rods. The internals on a 4.2 are rated for up to 450 HP, that is quite a bit of leeway as most systems that are "bolt and play" would get you to ballpark 300 and custom turbo with tune will push 400. Well below the maximum threshold. The wear and tear argument is just hiding behind physics (which I study), once again if someone is spending that type of money and producing more power than obviously "Maintenance" of a vehicle goes up. Have you ever heard the expression "If you want to play, you gotta pay".
He was looking into a forced induction system and you made it sound as if he was going to blow something up if he did not have your personal thought on the weaknesses of our motor. It has strengths that most people overlook because they regret buying a 4.6 or 5.4 and give up. By the way, more wear and tear comes out of people running the wrong weight oil for their region's atmosphere and temperature and produce more drag inside the actual heart of the motor than those who properly investigate and implement a forced induction system. The entire argument that you have laid out could be said against a 4.6 because it is not rated for more than 550 HP and those people adding F. induction are just wearing out their motors at the same rate as ours since both sets of internals are not forged and cannot take that much force.
I'm going to drop this now since I was just supporting that your statement is what keeps people from trying, it was a negative response that had someone else not corrected or at least expounded upon it would have crushed someone's idea. You know the very basis for improvement for anything.
I'm done now.........no hard feelings

Oh and to Chad, if you go for it I wish you well in the endeavour.

This message is edited because I realized I had the wrong HP numbers down and some of my statements had a harsh tone. Had to bring it down a notch.

 

last time i checked the rollers cams etc. is tearing into the motor. but thats just me. and personally from the horror stories ive heard..never turbo or supercharge an engine unless you completly modify it for the power...that goes for the trans to..i think ford knows what they are doing by only tuning the 4.2 to 210 horsepower.

 

That would be tearing into the heads and the heads are connected to the motor, I never said a word about the cam. I do agree though that it should not be done unless you seriously investigate and then structurally shore up the few weak components. Especially the transmission.

 

I've seen pics and dynos from a guy on the website listed above who is at around 393 HP/441 tq...I think. It's close to there and yes he has redone A LOT of stuff to his motor and from what I hear, these trannies can take quite a bit. But if you visit the site, read some posts by a guy named Orange_thunder

 

frail motor!!?? well I bought this f150 when i was in germany (ARMY) Of course stock at the time, and even then i punish this truck so much in the autobahn AT HIGH SPEEDS ALL THE TIME and yet still made it with NO PROBLEM!!!
NOW THIS LIL 4.2 TRUCK HAS THESE UPGRADES...


Air Intake, Cold Air Kit, Mafs, Throttle Body Spc, Turbonator, Fuel Injectors And Fuel Pump, Headers, No Catalatyc Conv, Y Pipe, Dual Exh, Powertrac Positrac, 410 Gear Ratio, Aluminum Drive Shaft, New Tranny With PERFORMANCE STICK SHIFT, Centerforce Stage 1 Clutch=and Throwout Bearing, Light Weight Flywheel, Pulleys, Stage III Jet Chip, 75 Shot Of Nitrous, Shaved Heads For Better Compression, 20'' Wheel On Yokohama, 16'' Rims For Tearing Up The Street AND TRACK. And I Know I Missed Something, But That About Wraps It Up. Oh Yeah!!! I Just Bought A Electrik Turbo It Claims To Make 125 Cfm. hahahahaha!! not the real thing but helps on standstills cuz it's blowing air in before it starts sucking.... my point is that it's a 1998!!! and the motor has 104 ths miles. I had no problems with the engine what so ever, and believe me!! I dog the ish out of it. In my opinion, this is a strong v6, and runs 15's in quarter mile with nos shot ONLY AT 3rd gear!!! BASICALLY NO NOS! so... yeah. get some work done to it, and go from there. THIS BABY LOVES TEARING THEM V8 TRUCKS!! AND EVEN BETTER ROLLING 410 GEARS DO THE JOB GREAT!!!

 

sounds like youve got a lot of good mods but id lose the turbonator....

 

YOU KNOW WHAT, I HEAR THAT FROM EVERYONE! I DIDN'T SEE A BIG DIFFERENCE AT ALL WHEN I INSTALLED IT. MAYBE I WILL TAKE IT OFF.... PROBABLY JUST RESTRICTING AIR FLOW.

 

I have a turbocharged 4.2 F150 putting out 393rwhp/441rwtq with only 10psi.The 4.2l is not a junk motor, they had a gasket issues in the early 4.2l F150's that needs to be taking care of.