With a good, safe tune, the stock bottom ends are good to around 440 RWHP or 500HP at the crank. Given that a stock Lightning makes around 325 RWHP and 380HP at the crank, this would represent a sizeable increase in performance.

There are many owners making over 500 RWHP on the stock block and have been there for quite a while. However, I would venture to say they are definitely at the limits of what the stock block and transmission will take. Some might say they are on borrowed time.

 

amen to that. the stock block can handle it . as to the 4r100 with it has weak gear sets inside adding power dose put them on borrowed time and they blow big time. ive seen many stock ones come to be beefed up. check out johnny lightenings web site we do his tranies.

 

Any time you 'hop' up any engine, you will decrease their lives. Look at Nascar, their engines are designed to last 500-550 miles...and they still blow within 200 miles sometimes. Over reving is also a no no.. Adding chips allow higher reving and it too can blow rods, i have heard that alot with older hopupped chevys (not really but wanted to pick on the GM boys). Ever wonder why the manufatures wont honor a warranty when they see you have done modifacations to your engine? Their made to last to get anywhere from 250,000 to 300,000+ miles out of them. Anytime you mod/enhance an engine, it will become unreiable. Reminds me of a chevy...LOL.

 

This is a Lightning. Not a stock f-150 that i used to haul the garbage to the dump. This truck is made for racing. When you race, you try to go faster. So what do you exspect people to do when they buy them. MODIFICATIONS. Ford knew that people would do this and is they would have spent the extra money to install a better rod, it would have saved Ford a pile of money on warranty work. Would ou agree? I think so.

 

Regardless of what you or I would like for Ford to have done, the connecting rods Ford used are more than capable to handle the stock power, with no modifications. Therefore, they are not junk. That was the only point being discussed.

Now, since you are changing the point and topic of this discussion, yes, I wish Ford had used stronger rods. I wish the Lightning had stronger rods like the Cobra guys have in their supercharged engines. But just because Ford makes a performance vehicle, doesn't mean they should put parts in the vehicle strong enough to withstand modifications "they know" the customer will be making. If Ford did, where would they draw the line? At how much horsepower should Ford engineer the part to withstand? And if they do put in stronger parts, who's to say Ford still wouldn't be criticized for the parts (part) not being strong enough? Maybe not by you, but by someone else who is unhappy with the strength of a part, and thinks it should be stronger.

Where do they draw the line?

How about at the stock power the vehicle was engineered to produce?

As for the warrantee issue, if some of the people who popped their block were more honest, there would be less claims, which would have "saved Ford a pile of money on warrantee work."

What you or I would have liked for Ford to do, is moot. Ford cannot be held up for blame, as your post suggests, just because you, me, or anyone else thinks Ford should have put in stronger parts to hold up to modifications the customer MIGHT install.

If you ask me, I think the spark plug spitting issue is more relevant. That's something Ford can be held responsible for, and blamed. At least, in my opinion!

Stewart

 

What a good crank and ****ty rods?

 

This response to my post makes no sense. It seems you are trying to answer a question posed within my post, but I cannot ascertain which question.

Nevertheless, your comment on the ***ty rods, again causes me to make it clear the rods within the Gen 2 Lightning are adequate for their purpose and will handle the power produced by the stock engine, as they were designed to do.

Just because you want them to handle more power, and they can't, doesn't make them ***ty.

Since they fulfill their intended purpose, by definition, this makes them adequate.

Stewart

 

You can look at this 100 different ways. Odviously you are looking at it the old man way. And I look at it the yyoung guy that likes to race way. So we are wasting words, as well as, bandwidth. So I will call a truce to this disagreement.

 

Who are you calling old????

Just so you know, I race my truck down the 1320, as well as at local autocross events. Plus it's my daily work truck towing a utility trailer and hauling stuff whenever needed.

I push my truck hard and even tho it's very sensitive to detonation and my tune is more than conservative, I've been lucky so far and I haven't popped one of these weak azz rods through my block yet.

Infineon Raceway in the water box.

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NorCal UFO Autocross event in September

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Another autocross event last weekend


Stewart

 

Ok Mr. wannabe young race car driver,

Exactly what power level would make you happy?

The stock rods are MORE than adequate at 400HP.

They have taken as much as 500HP.....

Like the good Captain said, the tranny starts to sign off at 500Hp....are the transmissions feces also??

What about the stock blower.....are they junk because they need to be upgraded at around the same level???

Throttle bodies?

MAF bodies?

Heck, anything that won't take YOUR fantasy power level is junk?


Give us a break...............

 

I thought we were talking about internal reciprocating parts. You people thrive on diverse issues. Go watch a soap opera.

 

C'mon 03, you know what DOHC was doing. He was only extrapolating from your posted point of view, and applying it to other parts found on the Lightning.

Obviously I don't agree with your viewpoint, and yes, I was being precise and strict with my definition, but I do believe you understood what I was trying to communicate. There were no diverse issues in our exchanges.

Besides, you never answered me....who u calling old?

Stewart

 

AWESOME Autocross pictures

Fact #1- Nobody in their right mind buys a Lightning and doesn't like to run.

Fact #2- There is no right way to hop up any vehicle, just your way and the other guy's way.

Fact #3- If you think you have a part on anything that is holding you back, you should upgrade it. Beware though because the upgrades will never be complete. There will always be one more part to upgrade.

Fact #4- At 40 I do see some things the old guy way, but that doesn't mean slow. That means I have raced and blown up as much as most other people, but now I understand where I made my mistakes and I am wiser for it. Many other "older" guys probably see it similar to me, and many don't.

Fact #5- There was a time when there was no such thing as a High Performance factory truck. I look at this as a good thing. Even bone stock the Lightning is a great truck.

 

I see your point of view. I wasn't saying you were old, just old thinking. I have 3 mustangs and a crotch rocket. I am at the point where I can afford my fist lightning. I want a Gen1 lightning. I am looking at one here but the guy is still iffy about selling it. Hope it comes through. Oh yeah, 27 here. Not too young, but not too old either. Watch it, I have seen a couple and heard of quiet a few rods failing on these trucks.

 

AMEN to that!

Pssssst!! I am old! At least, if you ask my daughter, who teases me and calls me "old man", then yeah, I'm old!

But I still don't understand how you came to that opinion based soley on my posts in this thread.

Stewart

PS - Thanks bodabdan for the compliment on the autocross pics.