5.4l to L motor help pls
 

Ive been reading the forums for a week or so seeing you guys list that this has been done many times and to look for what someone who did the swap did, ive been having trouble finding these. I have a 97 f150 5.4 auto 2wd , mostly stock , i know i need the wiring harness , ecu , (im gettin the trans to ) , an motor duh hehe, i just dont know what else i will need , fuel pump? intercooler? boost gauges ? anything needed to make a complete smooth swap or a list would be awesome , sorry for posting something so common on here

btw im new to modding a ford , my last truck was a 96 sierra stepside with a ls1 manual lol im a new ford member idk alot of the abbreviations yet

you dont need the motor. you can use your current 5.4 im useless for help just trying to get you on the right track.

talk to built5.4 and klitch they have both put the lightning blower on their trucks.

a kid i know here in houston just picked up all the parts needed for the swap for $1300

that would be a good option but my motor/tranny have 216k on them at this point , i have to put a new set in just would like to do the lightning swap because what i would do to a stock 5.4 will cost me 4 grand an then some without my trans , i can get a lmotor an trans on ebay an local junkyards for less atm , appreciate the reply though , ive also thought about seeing how long the 216k short block could handle patiot performance stage ll heads hehe

Yea , you would need a PI set up for the 97 anyway - to add the roots blower. Then a kit like this one -

http://www.madenterprise.com/scparts.htm

Get the motor first, we'll get it in there and workin for yuh. You can use your stock harness, but you'll need some tuning. Get as much as you can with the new Motor - Like the harness, PCM and a trans as well , if you can.

What tranmission are you running? E4OD?

Post what your looking at, take pics. The more we know the better.

Good Luck :thumbsup:

I thought i saw on here that if i use the stock harness i wont have boost bypass for decel and will eventually hurt the motor . my trans is a 4r70 but when i buy the unit i want the 4r100 , and i cant figure out how to get pics of the truck on here , i dont have any parts yet but will once i know what i need to tear into it.

if you switch to the 4r100 you'll need the ECM and transmission wiring harness too, plus the new shifter cable and driveshaft

thanks for the info

Mike Dunn is a great source for the swap parts.

things you'll want
Engine harness (unless you can solder and dont mind home made look), Vac harness, Fuel Pump, complete intake from maf to lower intake manifold with injectors and such, blower pulley (crank), blower tensioner/idler bracket, tuning ( i chose troyer performance), transmission to back it up eventually (i chose Darrin Burch (www.BC-Automotive.com), ladder bars to eliminate wheel hop.

being a 97 you will have to relocate the harness for ECT sensor, IAT, and the IAC.


just what i remember off the top, good night.

thanks for the info , do i need a new driveshaft if i keep the 4r70 or just for the 4r100 ? should be fairly easy if i just buy a totaled L truck right ? thanks

the new driveshaft, shifter cable and cooling lines would be just if you change transmissions

I've got just a valve body in my 4r70 and so far so good but I'm low on boost and am waiting for the new trans and motor before I take it any higher

I think im going to try to find a totaled harley with the l motor , see if the frame is straight an just drop my body on it , if the frame isnt straight then pull everything i need off of it.

Thats kinda what I was gonna suggest, find a wrecked L to pull everything off of, I've been considering that route myself...

You'll need....engine, engine harness, ecm, inlet tract with tube, air meter, airbox, etc..., intercooler radiator & lines from front, intercooler reservoir, trans, trans wiring harness, shift cable, etc..., etc.... Most ebay engine/trans combos I've seen go for $3500-4000, then you've got to acquire all that other stuff. With a bit of looking I though I could find a wrecked L for $5000-6000, take everything I wanted off it, part out the rest, and come out considerably better in the end. Since it looks like you have an extended cab you'll probably need to find a driveshaft from a similar truck with 4R100.