My 2001 F150 Supercrew 4.6L needs performance upgrades bad. Im looking at a Paxton Supercharger once i get the money. It's around 4K. I'll be getting dumped Flow40's soon and I'm also thinking about some new BBK underdrive pulleys. I've givin up on trying to save money, so everything I make is going into this truck!

 

You have a giant beast of a truck with a tiny engine. The truck is probably worth 5 grand or less, and if you "invest" another 5 grand in mods, it will be worth about $2 more unless you blow up the lower end with the blower, in which case you will have a very expensive pile of scrap metal. If it gets stolen or totalled, the insurance company will give you the value of the basic truck.

If you want to go fast, start out with a light vehicle. Whatever you do to your truck, the kid in the $1000 Mustang will still be able to blow your doors off.

Save your money for your next car, drive what you have, and you will not regret it in hindsight. I've been driving for near 40 years, have owned maybe 40 cars (including 12 second 426 street hemi monsters in the old days) and the universal truth is still the same--don't invest big bucks in trying to make a giant, heavy vehicle fast. "Inertia--it's the law."

 

Don't waist your money on the underdrive pulleys. They only really help if your in the 3000 and above rpm range.
Are you trying to drag race this truck?
What are you really trying to do with the truck?
As stated above, sell the 4.6L and get a 5.4L and then start doing upgrades if you really want power.

 

honestly i just want louder sound, more power and some solid chances against other trucks at the streetlights. i dont want to drag race much. but i would also like to be able to throw out the rear every once in awhile for some fun.

 

Unless you put the supercharger on - any stock 5.4L or any big Dodge Hemi is going too beat you. And if they have done any mods, then they will probably still beat you. That 4.6L just does not have the torque off the line. If you just want sound and some decent additional power, do a full exhaust system w/ Long tube headers, high flow cats, good catback system. Also install electric fans. Then get a programmer that will allow you to upgrade the system when you want to run 93 Octane fuel. And detune when you want to run 87 octane.

Of course you could also add nitrous for when you want to push it to the floor.

That will be a lot cheaper than the supercharger that you will have to run 93 octane fuel in all the time.

 

thanks thomastl i think ill go ahead and work with some exhaust upgrades and headers. how much would all that you just listed run for?

 

You should be able to buy the headers, cats, exhaust for $1500 or less. If you do the work yourself.
The electric fans you can do for about $160.00
Programmer is about $350.
Nitrous system - not sure.

Look around on Summit Racing website.
Autoanything has the best price on the programmers that I could find.
Fans - Local Autozone has everything you would need.

 

awesome thanks bro

 

You could also put some 4.10 gears in it to help with the bottom end torque.

And you can make a big truck fast! It helps to start with a 5.4 and it takes a butt load of $$$$$$$$$.

 

wouldnt i need a new tranny for the 4.10 gears? or at keast to cope with all this power? plus i have a chipped tooth in first gear from towing a few years back. should i just go ahead and get a new tranny while im at it? what would that run for?

 

go back and read YoGeorge post. Were about the same age, and same opinion. Your wasting your money to buy most anything you have discussed. If you want noise, cut the muffler off.

 

"If you want noise, cut the muffler off. "

PRICELESS!!!!


Young guy... look at me.. i've got a $2k exhaust sytem.. ain't I soundin kool!

Us- look at me... I'm are LOUDER and all it took was a Sawzall blade!

 

A problem with the noise is that it will attract cops as well and help you get higher insurance rates and a flawed driving record if you participate in any races or displays of speed. Headers and a big exhaust will give you 5 more horsepower above 5000 rpm. How much time do you spend at 5000 rpm? (And yes, in my youth, I put glasspacks/loud mufflers on LOTS of cars, but a glasspack was $20 and I would hang them on myself.)

You have a 5800 lb truck. You have ~200 horsepower. You have a chipped gear in the trans and you're talking about a blower. Maybe you should fix the broken stuff first--don't you think a blower might cause more strain on your drivetrain? You should be pricing transmission repairs.

I remember dreaming when I was a kid too, but please don't go and blow a ton of money on this truck... If you want to get your yaya's out, go to a track where you can rent a go kart, plunk down money for some hot laps, and have a blast. (You may then also discover that it's more fun to have a fast vehicle that can go around a corner, unlike a crew cab pickup.) Save your money for a 3000 lb car with 300 horsepower; it will be cheaper than getting 580 horsepower out of your 5800 lb truck and the car will probably turn corners too.

Please don't take any offense here...although it was a long time ago, I sure remember what it was like to be a car nut as a kid, and dreaming about "science projects" was great fun. One good thing to do with some car money might also be going to a high performance driving school. You won't get to use the skills much with the truck, but what you learn could save your life.

I have a 5400 lb E150 with a 4.6 in it. It will cruise at 70-85 mph all day and get me where I'm going with perfect reliability and reasonable economy. It is fast enough for what it needs to be. And I dream about converting it to 4WD and putting giant mudder tires on it, etc. And that's fun to think about, but wouldn't give a good payback... I also dream about Jessica Biel, and that's a fun dream too but it sure ain't gonna happen.

George

 

If you want power sell the SC buy the latest model Lighting you can and start there its a bit closer to what you want. But really a Focus RS or Mustang is a better choice of tuner car.

 

Sounds like you need a transmission rebuild before you do anything! What makes you think you have a (chipped tooth)? Your clutches are probably burnt out.
A stock rebuild will cost you about $2000. And if you want it built to handle the power of a Paxton, more like 3K!
4.10 gears will not add power but it will feel like you have more power.
How mane miles are on the motor ? It might not be worth supercharging.