yep i gots me another question....im sure u guys are getting tired of me....im trying to search online for the right sized bolts for the lower lightning blower pulley bracket so i can bolt it onto the block. anyone know the sizes or better yet a website showing all these things so i wont bother everyone as much?

i am waiting on an email for the alternator bracket so thats all good....except i still need the lightning alternator. if anybody sees one for sale send them my way.

thanks guys!

 

I had that issue too. When I pulled the lower pulley off I pulled the mounting flange from the balancer too and just checked to see if the bolts that hold the balancer flange (the thing with 3 bolts that connects the balancer to the lower boost pulley, the threaded center deal, yeah, that) would fit the threads for the cage in the front cover, and they did. So, they're the same thread pitch as those and they should be an inch and a half or thereabouts long.

 

balancer flange.....ok now i know what its called....now what do you mean by cage in the front cover?

 

any of you guys interested in some of these flanges i have let me know. i now have enough for a dozen sets of headers.

 

never mind. i think i see what your saying. the bolts themselves that hold the front cover....your saying those are it correct?

 

the cage is the big 3 legged aluminum dealie that holds the lower boost pulley. It's bolted to the timing cover and the boost pulley threads into the balancer flange.

 

ok i figured out that problem and now i got another one. i assume the crank pulley is also suppose to drive the lower blower pulley....but when i push the lower blower pulley all the way back it is still not touching the crank pulley and the blower pulley spins freely. im sure it is not suppose to do that....am i missing a part?

 

it still has the crank pulley thats been on it since the swap....is the lightning crank pulley different?

 

the pulley isn't different from a standard 5.4 balancer per sé, however there's a flange (which I've spoken of assuming you had one... hehe) that bolts onto it which has a huge threaded center dealie that chucks onto the back of the lower boost pulley. It's threaded left handed, I assume so it self tightens.

Aftermarket pullies seem to bolt to the balancer more directly eliminating the cage. You can get them in stock boost levels or any increment. The flanges can be hard to find. I'd suggest scouring lightingrodder.com, nloc.net and svtperformance.com. I sold mine with my kit.

 

cardude is it called a crank flange and it is Ford part number XL3Z-6A329-AA Price $110.00. You may be able to find one on svtperformance or nloc.net

 

5.4 short block buildup. Anybody that has done thier own shortblock, what did you have in it?? I can get a 5.4 core here (had cam cap failure) for $400. I want to do a good short block over this upcoming winter. It seems like if I get pistons, rods and bearings, turn the crank and get good bolts and a gasket sep and machine work, that I could do it that way for much less that a pre-built shortblock. Yes/No?? Anybody that has done thiers chime in with thoughts. Thanks

 

that's about the sauce of the matter. I have probe srs +.020, TMD h-beams w/arp 2K bolts, H-series bearings, arp main studs and good rings. Since you can assemble it yourself, hellz yeah it's cheaper. About 1400 in parts and machine work and you're golden.

 

Yeah, I didn't look real deep into it but it seems $3000 is the bottom for a shortblock with decent rods and pistons. What HP/RPM is the stock 8-bolt crank good up to?? The shortblocks I've looked at have aftermarket cranks so that adds $$.

 

ok i googled crank flange and it didnt show me any sites with it. then i googled the part number XL3Z-6A329-AA and still nothing. then tried the frpp site and still nothing. then i just tried google images so i can at least get a pic of it and still nothing.

if possible can someone send me a link for a place selling it and a pic also? when i get a pic im gonna look threw all the crap in the truck in case i missed it.

 

Ever since I can remember going all the way back to the ancient time period when I began, I don't recall ever hearing about a factory Ford crankshaft breaking on your average street machine (300-450 RWHP). This goes for both the cast and forged cranks (although way back then the factory didn't use too many forged cranks).

Usually when the cranks failed it was due only to spun inserts (rod bearings) and occasionally a faulty main bearing (factory defects) or some freak oiling problem (bad oil pump, etc.).

I don't claim to have done it all nor seen it all; but I will be honest in admitting that I, along with the other gearheads I hung out with, blew more engines than we ever built, and the reasons those engines blew was NEVER because of a faulty Ford factory crankshaft. Again ... this is being HONEST.

Sooner or later I'll build one of these 5.4 MOD motors and from what I've been seeing and reading these past couple of years I plan on using a factory crank that is straight, consistent in journal sizes, and polished with the oil holes properly done. I'll use the money I save for a better set of pistons, rods, head mods, and other oiling system mods. IMO the factory Ford crankshaft should hold for whatever HP I'll push a street engine to.

 

Damn, Its been a while you guys are still still jammed in this thread

Still say we all need out own sub forum

 

its been a while since i have been on ! been busy and sick lol dam pollen,hope everybodys build is going the way they want it to ,heres a little pic from my parts stash sce copper high boost headgaskets. 20 plus lbs of boost, we will see about that

 

Cardude, let me check into that. I think that may be the wrong number and price. I'll look it up again. My notes aren't too organized here. LOL

 

Yes, the part number is XL3Z-6A329-AA. The price went up a little, list is now $120.98. I could ship you one for $95.00. You may be able to find a used one out there somewhere. It is just a flange that bolts onto the 3 bolts holes in the crank pulley and then it threads into the stock crank pulley. Of you could do like I did and get an aftermatket pulley that just bolts into the crank pulley with no cage or flange.

 

K guys my ignorant question of the week.

Will it run? As in can i drive it for the 500 mile break in period with no tune?

Ported heads, custom cams, 75mm tb, ported plenum, hps intake, shorty headers, o/r H, 255lph pump, 30lb injectors.

If i can drive it for the break in will it hurt anything? Just babying it around?

Thanks for the help

 

No, the MAF is not calibrated for the injectors nor the cams. This will keep your car from maintaining any kind of idle...You may just may be able to limp it around with stock 19# injectors and stock MAF. This also depends on how aggressive the cams are.

 

Cams are pretty nasty high lift. Forgot to mention that the MAF is a 90mm as well.

Will it be safe to drive to the tuners? Am I going to blow anything up by trying to get some break in miles on it?

Edit: I dont have the stock MAF or injectors anymore btw.

 

It will run WAY rich bec. of the injectors. Get a handheld programmer (SCT) and you can adjust for the 30#ers and the 90mm. Then you can drive it all you want to break it in or otherwise until you are ready to dyno. Don't hammer down on it until you get a custom tune bec. you won't know where your WOT a/f ratio or timing are for sure.

 

the aftermarket pulley idea may be what i do since it would not be much more. now the question is that i am not experienced with knowing which size upper and lower blower pulleys add boost wise.

so what upper and lower or just lower pulley is needed to get 12 pounds of boost. keep in mind that the supercharger is from a harley instead of a lightning so it was 6 pounds of boost instead of 8.

also i would want one that will bolt to the crank pulley like the one horspla talked about.

so yea let me know what size to go with and what brands are good. thanks guys.

 

cardude i went with metco motorsports for all of my pullies the have the best quality, and customer service is top of the line give aaron a call at(864) 332-5929 he will get you everything you need,i went with the 8lb lower and my car peaked out at 19 psi on the dyno,once i put the built motor in im gonna upgrade to a 10lb lower,i am very pleased with the quality of their product ,just tell him your goal and what you want and he will tell you what you need,i got the auxilary idler interchangeable crank pulley setup,tensonier support plate, and various pullies the replace the ugly pullies on the timing chain cover,and you gotta get the goodyear gatorback belt

 

also i talked with my parts guy at the ford dealership and he said the ford lightning alternator bracket is still available part number xL3z-10153-aa he said the michigan warehouse shows 75 of them in stock

 

Any HPS intake swappers in here? I'm looking for a set of used intake adapters for my car. Got my old 4.6 out finally so it's coming time to get to doing some swapping onto the 5.4 before long. Thought id ask around and see if i had any luck.

 

I work at a Ford dealership as a tech and the brackets became obsolete as of 2-10. I checked stock at other dealers and distributors and I found 9 at a depot but they are in limbo and we cannot get them. If you can get one, by all means, do it. Good luck.

 

Yes, it is quite stupid. They quit making Lightnings on 2004............6 years ago. AND some parts are already olsolete. Nice, huh. It actually isn't that unusual to see.

 

Unfortunately I didn't give my input on this earlier but as for a new "performance" intake for the 5.4 2-V, I wish somebody would duplicate the 2001 BULLITT intake for the 5.4 motor. Trick Flow has basically duplicated one for the 4.6 but there is no such critter available for the 5.4 2-V PI engines. IMO, I think this would be a good intake to develop.

I know on the 2001 BULLITT, these factory intakes work great on the 4.6 and not much if anything (radical mods to the intake plenum) is needed to run a centrifugal blower with them with very good results.

Just my idea to pass on, at least ... (???)