New guy, fresh Lightning.

[Fredensborg]

Hey everybody, I'm new to the site here, and I just got a '01 Lightning about a month ago! And I was wondering if anybody here might have some preformance suggestions to beef up my stock Lightning? Dan had mentioned in an E-mail somestuff about a new chip and a pully? Any specifics you can give would be great!
I'm not a total retard when it comes to motors, but I am by no means a mechanic!


Jason Fredensborg :ford:

[DNeinstadt]

Alright guys, let's get him to 500/500 rwhp!

Welcome dude!

Dan

[WhiteSVTL]

If you go to NLOC.net they have a forum with lots of vendors that sell lightning parts. and if you get a chip its best to get one custom burned for your truck because sometimes the ones you order from like a magizine can hurt your truck. Also after you get your mods done its a great idea to put on the dyno to check your A/F ratios, its also cool to see how much power you make. good luck, let the modding begin!

[Kafn8td]

Welcome! What color is it?

[Fredensborg]

Thanks for the tip, I'll check out that site for sure. How much do custom burned chips cost? And whats a good company? Anyway, my truck is "pull me over red". The only things done to it are about a 2-3,000$ sound syestem and a clifford alarm.
The pully that I'v heard everyone talking about, is that just putting a bigger pully on the supercharger so that it blows more air?? Like I said I'm kind of a novice when it comes to all this stuff! Probably a stupid question but, oh well! How many of you Lightning guys are going to be at Porky's next weekend??

Jason
:stupid:

[DNeinstadt]

Actually it's a SMALLER pulley that will overdrive the supercharger and get you more boost, needing more fuel to compensate, causing you to buy a custom chip and spend way more $ than you wanted to.

I'll be there at the meeting with my Mystic provided it's not hailing frogs.

Dan

[Supersonic]

Welcome aboard Jason. It is always good to have another Lightning owner in the club. I think there are more Lightnings in the club than Cobras, Foci, and Contours put together!

As far as pulleys go, Dan N is half correct - a SMALLER UPPER pulley will give you more a little more boost (2lbs), but by far the better option if you want to add more boost is to replace the LOWER pulley with a BIGGER one. We have several Lightning owners running 4lb lower pulleys and one runing a 6lb lower pulley.

As mentioned above, if you add a pulley it is usually a good idea to get a custom tuned chip or a pcm programmer (ex Diablo Predator) and then get your Air/Fuel ratio checked at a Dyno shop.

Even without a pulley, a custom tune can get you an additional 20-30hp.

I hope to be at the meeting on Saturday. I will be drag racing at Rock Falls during the day on Saturday and have a B-day party for my Dad (65th) on Saturday night, but i hope to be able to squeeze the meeting is as well.

Jeff

[John M]

Yeah what Jeff Said, :thup: RJR is getting Superchips Custom Tune Software and Hi Tech has Diablo Revolution Software, Hi Tech wants $350 to dyno tune your truck.

[Fredensborg]

Thanks for the free education! I feel smarter everytime I read a new post! So, if I were to put on a new bigger lower pully,(who is a good company for those?) do I have to put a new, bigger, belt on to I suppose?
And a PCM Programmer, thats the computer thing that plugs in under the dash somwhere and lets me fiddle with everything under the sun?? Then I suppose I'd have to do a bunch of runs on a Dyno till I figure out the optimum air/fuel mix, or dose the dyno shop do that for you?
And is there such a thing as having to much boost? Can the supercharger be damaged by putting on to large of a lower pully??
Wow it sounds like you guy really know your stuff, I feel kinda dumb asking all these questions! hope you guys don't mind having a rookie on board! hey Jeff, what kind of times does your truck run in the quarter?

Jason:confused:

[John M]

Jason, Here is a good Newbie FAQ. Although its old and doesnt have alot of the newer mods, it really teaches you the basics. If you get a new pulley, yes you generally need a different belt. If you go to 1 of the local places like that I listed above, they will tune your truck in and when you leave 95% of the time the tune is dead on. If you order a chip or computer reflash of some sort thru the mail, you will have to go to the dyno to verify that A/F ratio is 100%, if its not 100% you might be looking at 2 or more trips to the dyno. At $50-$75 a pop, sometimes its better to use a local tuner who will do it on the spot. The downside to the local tuner is that many of them arent very familiar with our trucks and you wont see the best results. As long as you arent looking for dragging every single ounce of power out of the truck, most mail tunes will be safe the 1st time around.

Forgot the link

http://www.svtlightnings.com/faq1/faq.htm#1999%20and%202000%20Specs_

[Fredensborg]

Wow, that FAQ answeres alot of my questions thanks alot! I'm gunna be up all night now reading all that stuff. So i guess what you are saying is that I should buy all the add on crap, put it on there and then go to a place like RJR or Hi Tech, and have them get it all dialed in?? Or you mean that RJR and Hi Tech do the same thing as a new chip, except the just modify the computer thats in there already? Maybe I should just shut the hell up and study the FAQ you gave me! Anyways thank all you guys for your patience and help sofar!!

Jason:worship:

[DNeinstadt]

Jason,

Glad you're getting some info on your truck. See, told ya someone would be willing to help you.

John, are you the one with the lower pulley?

Dan

[John M]

Dan, I have a 6lb lower, Doug, Casey, and Jason Bartel have 4lb lowers. The Eaton Supercharger on a Cobra has a bigger upper pulley than the Lightning. The reason for this is because Ford wanted both motors to produce 8lbs stock. The Cobra redlines at 6500(I believe) but the Lightning redlines at 5250. So alot of times a Cobra owners 1st upgrade is to a stock Lightning Pulley. (Im not sure how much boost you guys get after that) The problem with putting smaller pullies on top is, unless you run the Metco Idler setup you will be more prone to the belt slipping. This is caused because a smaller pulley has less belt wrap. Now to make things a little more confusing, the way that extra boost is achieved a Cobra is the correct way. The way its done on the Lightning is the only way. We put larger pullies on the bottom, there for putting more strain on engine. Think of it as your doing the opposite as you do when you add underdrive pullies to a normal car. I know thats more than you asked for but hopefully Ive helped better to explain it.

[DNeinstadt]

Makes more sense to me. I think that the stock pulley from an L gives you like 12lbs but not sure on that. I think that most people recommend a pulley and an idler wheel to grip better with the belts.

Makes more sense to me now thanks! :cool:

[lightningboy00]

He doesn't need to add a pulley, he bought a red truck- everyone knows they are the fastest. :grin: Also, you can go the bolt on route with a cold air intake and upgraded exhaust system if you aren't comfortable yet with changing pullies and chips and such.

[Steelgrave]

Originally posted by DNeinstadt
Makes more sense to me. I think that the stock pulley from an L gives you like 12lbs but not sure on that. I think that most people recommend a pulley and an idler wheel to grip better with the belts.

Makes more sense to me now thanks! :cool:

Stock Lightning's (Gen II anyway) are 8 pounds of boost. Adding a 4# pulley will give you 12#'s.

There are some radical guys out there (with built motors) with 8# lowers and 2# uppers.:scram:

[Fredensborg]

So if I were to put on like a 6lb lower pully, and leave the upper pully stock would that be quite a noticeable difference from stock??

Jason

[John M]

Very different

[Fredensborg]

Sweet! I can feel my right foot getting heavier already!!!!!!!!! Hee Hee:scram:

Jason

[John M]

If it doesnt rain, I will put my stock PCM in and let you take my truck around the block, I have a full exhaust but I dont think its worth much in the power department.

[Fredensborg]

WoW! That is really cool of you to offer!! Hopefully it will be nice out, summer can't get here fast enough!!

:worship:

Jason

[DNeinstadt]

God I love Lightning guys. You all are making me blush. I'm so HAPPY!

Wanna hug?
:dan: :dan2:

[Fredensborg]

Yeah, you can just feel the love in this thread. Enough with the touchy feely crap:rockit: :shootinx2 :shoot: :50cal: :rock:
There we go now I feel tough again


Jason

[Fredensborg]

Originally posted by lightningboy00
He doesn't need to add a pulley, he bought a red truck- everyone knows they are the fastest. :grin:


OK, I know I'm no expert, but I think he's got something here:burnout:


Jason

[lightningboy00]

Not only are the red ones faster, their owners are better looking besides.

[DNeinstadt]

Originally posted by lightningboy00
Not only are the red ones faster, their owners are better looking besides.

And they like beer:
http://www.drewcarey.us/Drew_Carey_pictures/drew_carey_wallpaper_lg_01.jpg

[Retics4me]

:funnyabov :funnyabov :thud:


Good one Dan

[Fredensborg]

Originally posted by lightningboy00
Not only are the red ones faster, their owners are better looking besides.


You are correct sir!
:pimp: :pimp: :pimp:
Jason

[Fredensborg]

Originally posted by John M
motors to produce 8lbs stock. The Cobra redlines at 6500(I believe) but the Lightning redlines at 5250. So alot of times a Cobra


On a serious note though, have any of you disabled the fuel cut off at 5250RPM on your trucks? Is it even possible? Is it even a good idea, or is it a big no no? I was just wondering cuz I was at a friends house a couple of weeks ago and he wanted me to put the hammer down when I left his house, as I proceded to put the hammer down, my fuel cutoff kicked in and I looked like a totall retard as my tires stoped spinning and the motor bogged down, and I havent heard the end of it yet from him (he's a chevy geek)....


Jason

[SSHFTY1]

oops. when i had my 02 it never happened to me but i am almost positive that you can turn off that issue, with very little trouble.

[John M]

Peak HP is usually around 4800, unless you get longtubes or a Ported Blower, then the peak is around 5200. These motors have a very long stroke, longer than even a stroked Big Block. Revving them that high is a receipe for disaster, even the guys with built motors keep the RPMs down, they go to a 29 or 30 inch slick and some go as far as 3.55 gears as well. You can have the rev limitor moved up but it generally isnt a good idea. How did you guys hit the rev limiter anyway, usually the truck will shift ?

[Retics4me]

You need to disconnect your solonoid or make a boost bypass.You probably dumped boost .

[Fredensborg]

What exactly does that mean?? This isn't really my language.


Jason
:stupid:

[Supersonic]

Originally posted by Fredensborg
What exactly does that mean?? This isn't really my language.


Jason
:stupid:

The PCM (computer) will dump boost under certain conditions to "protect" the engine. The most common reason for dumping boost is when the PCM detects brake torqueing or power braking - example: when doing a burnout. I do not know the exact factors that cause this to happen, as it does not happen every time you do a burnout.

There is a boost dump solonoid that can be unplugged so that the PCM does not dump the boost. I have had mine unplugged since it was new without any issues. The plug is located on the driver's side on hte engine compartment near the EGR valve. I will see if I can find a picture that shows it.

[Fredensborg]

Cool, that would be awsome. so it's just a matter of unplugging a simple plug huh? I think my truck might have a different PCM, I was looking under the hood yesterday and theres a black box in front of thepassenger side that has a "Ford authorized modification" sticker on it, anyway it says something about "flash pcm" on it, anyone ever heard of this before?? I'll try to get a pic of it on here in the next couple days, my little bro's got a digital camera.


Jason:grin:

[John M]

Casey can comment more specific on this but the early 01s had a very agressive calibration, so Ford released a new safer calibration. This is also part of the reason you see more 01s blow up than 02 or 03 Models.

[Fredensborg]

OK, just got back from coon rapids, this is like the 3erd time I'v tried to upload this hopefully will work now that I'v shrank it. Anyone know what this means>?


Jason:confused:

[SSHFTY1]

it means the truck will blow up in 20sec. j/k bro :nana:

[John M]

Originally posted by Fredensborg
OK, just got back from coon rapids, this is like the 3erd time I'v tried to upload this hopefully will work now that I'v shrank it. Anyone know what this means>?


Jason:confused:

I explained what it meant up top, email or pm me your Vin and I will tell you exactly the reason the PCM was reflashed.