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Thread: Blowing up the 5.4L

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    Registered User
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    Blowing up the 5.4L

    This is my second 5.4L S/C motor vehicle. I have the 100th anniversary two tone truck and I want to add power to it. I want to know how I can prevent the catastrophic engine failure that is common with this truck. See I had a 2003 SVT Lightning with a 4lb lower pulley on it that sent a rod or two through the side of the block. Now I have read and I have heard this being a common thing with this motor. I became more aware of it when the guy who replaced the engine on the lighting told be how he knew what had happened to the truck before I told him. The truck I have now has a little over 90k on the odometer. I plan to refurbish the current motor that has been stock up until now. I want to know how I prevent this motor from having a hole in it. My plan is not to add boost or screw with the supercharger at all. I want to stick with bolt ons including a stage 2 cam, headers, high flow mid pipe, throttle body, plenum, and cooling equipment for the blower. 6411_99675363586_604128586_2154329_1411843_n.jpg

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    #8658, 6/3/02
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    Go built or at the very least upgrade the rods.
    Sent from my iPhone 4 using Tapatalk.

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    A well tuned truck is your friend. Even built trucks that aren't tuned properly will have problems. I have a 6lb lower on a stock engine and never had any problems. But, i'm also not crazy to go WOT when the temps aren't ideal. Here in S. Florida we've seen some morning temps in the 40's the past week. So I do normal driving until the temps warm up to the mid 60's and higher. When I first joined this site some of the things that scared me was joining the vented block club and blowing a spark plug. I've been tuned by one of the best in Florida and have been trouble free (knock on wood) I'm sure if you do some research on one of the other Ford Lightning sites you'll find good tuners in your area. They'll make sure you're at safe levels so you can enjoy driving with little worry.

  4. #4
    Oki 916's Dad NHTOC #103
    Name: Slick

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    +1. Good tune and watch the intake temp

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    Quote Originally Posted by SoFlaHarley View Post
    A well tuned truck is your friend. Even built trucks that aren't tuned properly will have problems. I have a 6lb lower on a stock engine and never had any problems. But, i'm also not crazy to go WOT when the temps aren't ideal. Here in S. Florida we've seen some morning temps in the 40's the past week. So I do normal driving until the temps warm up to the mid 60's and higher. When I first joined this site some of the things that scared me was joining the vented block club and blowing a spark plug. I've been tuned by one of the best in Florida and have been trouble free (knock on wood) I'm sure if you do some research on one of the other Ford Lightning sites you'll find good tuners in your area. They'll make sure you're at safe levels so you can enjoy driving with little worry.
    What's up. I just picked up an 03 Harley 100th anni and am in the Miami Beach area. Don't know of any shops down here. Any recommendations?

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    *SOLD - but not forgotten
    Name: Chuck NHTOC #291

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    Welcome to the NHTOC.

    Great ride you picked up there as I am a little partial to the 2-tone '03's myself.

    Go over to the New Member section and do an intro and also to the Florida section and add yourself to that thread and you may get some feedback about tuners local to you. I know there are some good tuners a little further north of you like West Palm and St. Augustine but not sure about Miami.

    New Member Section

    http://www.nhtoc.com/vbforum/fhtoc/4...tact-list.html

    Mods=L&S Oil Sep, Blackwood trim & mirror caps, Navi ant' base, E-brake pedal, CAI, C&L Intake & Plenum, 95mm MAF tube, SBTB, 170 T-Stat, Predator+RWTD custom tune, 8# lower, PG Ti900.7 amp, JLA XR570-CXi & Stealthbox, FTVB, Finned Trans Pan, Line of Fire LED, J-Jent Grille, RotorPro Dimpled & Slotted rotors, LED taillights, chrome door strikes, billet locks & coat hangers, ChickenEars Engine Billet package #1&2+door sills, Metco billet aux idler bracket & pulleys, LFP E-Fan, Xenarc HID heads, clear corners, Roush HID fogs, Bedrug, L' 3rd, Kenwood DDX-7017 DVD+TV+Sirrius+RevCam, Lotek dual pillar pod with AutoMeter boost gauge & DynoJet WBC, fog switch mod, UPR billet window switches and door locks, FAST overlays, LFP 58" bars, Hotchkis TVS, Bilsteins, DblG Panhard, Cervinis Cobra R hood, BFG T/A KDW 2 tires, Hawk Ceramic pads, MGP caliper covers.

  7. #7
    Sport90's #1
    Name: Matthew

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    The rods are the weak link in these trucks & the L's. Don't do the normal stuff that usually ends in a hole in the block:

    1. WOT without OD off so truck shifts into 4th at WOT
    2. 2 Gear kickdowns --- ex. on hwy doing 80 & you floor it causing truck to go from 4th to 2nd...reach up and turn OD off first
    3. 2 Gear kickdown again, but this time from 3rd to 1st...on stock block you need to know what MPH will cause you to go from 3rd to 1st instead of 3rd to 2nd
    4. WOT in cold weather that you are not tuned for...remember cold air is more dense so it causes more boost
    5. Not having a proper Tune
    6. Not listening for detonation (marbles in a jar) or watching A/F gauge to insure your not lean

  8. #8
    Oki 916's Dad NHTOC #103
    Name: Slick

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    what the 1st born said

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    Boom is fun...

    Email is fast..... Jake@3rdrowinnovations.com

  10. #10
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    Wot??

  11. #11
    *SOLD - but not forgotten
    Name: Chuck NHTOC #291

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    Quote Originally Posted by GJ710 View Post
    Wot??
    Wide Open Throttle.

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