Since my expy came off warranty a few months ago, the pandora's box of modifications has been opened up, and i'm planning to not only make my SUV fast as a lightning, but easily faster. I'm sharing my plan here with you guys, as i value your input and ideas as to a better/worse products and other alternatives i may use.

• Sean Hyland Motorsports 5.4L longblock assembly, ported 99 heads, valve job, forged pistons, billet rods, and a high volume oil pump
• Holley Thunder intercooled supercharger
• Gibson Dual Sport Stainless steel Exhaust
• Gibson stainless steel headers
• Grabatelli Motorsports Mass air flow sensor
• Holley Power Shot Air filter
• BBK throttle body
• Jacobs electronics pro street ultra team ignition
• Dual electric fans to replace engine driven fan
• HRE 20" model 647 wheels (lightest and strongest 20's)
• Pirelli Scorpion Zero tires
• energy suspension full bushings
• belltech 3" drop kit(front coils, rear airbag relocation brackets)
• belltech nitro-active shocks
• hotckis performance larger/stiffer front and rear swaybars
• brembo front brake system
• Stillen rear cross drilled rotors

those are the basic performance mods, obviously once its all done, i'll have the car on a dyno and have the computer retuned for a new fuel and ignition curves aloong with a higher output fuel pump and right size injectors. A higher power alternator and optima battery (or two) for the system that i plan to put in. My rough estimates give me 550HP or so. Any suggestions for different or better alternatives to what i list above are welcome and neccesary Thanks in advance for any input To see more on whats listed above, im listing the sites

http://www.seanhylandmotorsport.com

http:// www.holley.com

http://www.gibsonperformance.com

http://www.bbkperformance.com

http://www.jacobselectronics.com

http://www.hrewheels.com

http://www.tirerack.com

http://www.hotchkis.net

http://www.belltechcorp.com

http://www.energysuspension.com

http://www.brembo.com

http://www.stillen.com

 

Pretty much unchartered territory. I've never heard of anyone getting that radical with an Expy/Nav.

Only thing I would advise you to do on top of the mandatory computer tweaking/fuel mods (which you already know are coming) is to have the trans rebuilt. There is no way it will hold up to that kind of power in this heavy of a vehicle.

The Lightning trans is built with stronger internals than the Expy trans (even though they are both 4R100 transmissions) and many L guys have issues once they do minor mods.

Good luck!! Sounds sweet.

 

Thanks, I almost forgot about the trans. What a nasty surprise to blow it up on my first run. What would be a better choice, a full lightning tranny, or simply beefing up my stock one, along with a nice rebuild? Also, do you have any info on shift kits and shift improvers, not from computer chips, but in those that actully go in the tranny? Thanks again

 

BTW, sweet car collection you have there

 

MISTERgadget

It'll take a whole lot more than a shift kit if you actually do build a 5.4 that makes 550 HP with torque anywhere matching it.

Assuming you DO have the 4R100, plan on $3000-$4000 to build the tranny right including a new TC and drive shaft, and of course you'll want to actully get that power out to the ground, so don't forget about the rear end.

Although, I'm not sure where 550hp is going to come from with just what you described. You have a big ol' check book right?

 

If it were mine, I would just have your 4R100 rebuilt with good internals. The Lightning one is better than what you've got now, but the Expedition weighs a lot more, so even if you were at stock Lightning power, you'd have more stress on the driveline.

You can do better than a stock Lightning trans anyway. If you have a 5.4 in your Expy now, then you have the 4R100 transmission.

As far as a shift kit goes, I would recommend Trans-Go or Level 10. I have installed a TG kit in my Lightning and the Expedition. It is a good kit, and simple to install. But, as FamilyRide mentioned, it will take a lot more than this to keep the trans alive.

I'm assuming you're going with the DOHC 5.4. If you're sticking with the SOHC 5.4, then 550hp (flywheel) will be difficult to reach with the engine mods you mention. In fact, you will more than likely need a lot of boost to do it in either case (~14+psi). Talk to Sean Hyland. I like him, and he's done a lot of R&D on the modular engines.

 

I thought of using the DOHC 5.4, but it seems to not provide much of an advantage in low rpm, and only really comes alive up higher. The SHM 5.4 i think could easily hit 500, if not more, since on the SHM website it advertises getting 450hp+ with a supercharger, and the holley kit is supercharged AND intercooled. My possibly over-eager estimates come from the info on the SHM website about the holley. they bost that a box stock 5.4 with the holley kit goes from 212 rwhp to 322 rwhp, using the stock exhaust and manifolds, and they estimate a bit over 400hp at the engine. Using SHM's 5.4, would bring me a much stronger engine to start with, and give me ported heads and valves. This engine would most likely benefit tremendously from the Holley kit, and adding headers and a cat-back exhaust. the SHM 5.4 has great flow most likely, so opening it up with a throttle body and mass air meter would benefit, but only to a degree. THe biggest gains may come from revised fuel/air mapping and ignition curve. This allows the combustion to be the most efficient it can be at making that power, and as a benefit will make the engine run well for all thats been done to it, and eke out a few more hp. The electric fan is just another load off the 5.4's back. The SOHC 5.4 seems up to it, But using a DOHC 5.4 would make it childs play to get to 450-500 hp. I need to investigate into whether or not the DOHC will fit the holley supercharger, and more about its power curve. The SOHC 5.4 produces power down low, and thats a characteristic I really would like to keep.

One last thing before you all fall asleep at your computers, reading on and on as I babble My expy is a 98 5.4 SOHC with the 4r100 and a 3.73 limited slip rear end, rear LLS, and the towing package with all its coolers and beefed up parts. I figure that couldnt hurt in building a hi-po engine.

 

I think you're right that Holley doesn't have a kit yet for the Intech 32v.

 

Yeah, so far there's no official word that this actually works on an expy, but the difference in the engine compartment is nil, so its almost a no brainer to make that work. I read up on the holley to double check this, and here's what i found it includes from the SHM site

"The kit comes complete with a new intake manifold assembly, Holley 144 Powercharger, Liquid-to-air intercooler, Intercooler radiator, reservior and pump. It also includes a new Super Charger inlet manifold, Ford billet throttle body, air cleaner assembly, and Holleys new High Flow K&N style air cleaner element. Further, it includes a High Output intank pump and 30pph injectors and a mail-in card for new computer chip to make it all work together"

The inclusion of an intake manifold i think ruins my chances for a DOHC setup, I will call Sean Hyland soon though and see what i can do. Maybe the setup of the heads and architecture will infact allow a DOHC. I'm looking right now through all of the SHM stuff to see what should work best. My favorite path would be buying the 5.4 full race longlbock, either SOHC or DOHC, and taking it from there.

 

ok, SHM has reponded to my e mail (took them a few days, it wouldnt surprise me if they actually tried bolting a holley kit to the 5.4 DOHC) The official word from them is no. IT will however be no problem on the SOHC race engine. I still like the idea of the DOHC though, so i'm going to see what blower options i have with that.

 

Maybe its just me or cuz I'm tired and in a bad mood but bro....I just recently traded my expedition in on a Lightning and im sorry but i dont give a crud what u do the expedition....you arent going to beat a Lightning...off the line?? forget about it! and top end...im sorry but i dont wanna be blasting down the road at 140+ in a freakin expedition...i used to feel uneasy in mine when it would hit 90-100..felt like i had no control over it. But hey man if u got da loot and time to do this project go for but dont come back crying when you've dropped some major duckets into the expedition and still get smoked by a Lightning

 

blackexpo: sorry to hear you got rid of the X for a pickup,i'm sure you had your reasons. anyway, about what you said...i'd be more upset if i had a lightning and got beat by an Expedition, and i hope mistergadget takes you out first!!!

 

I've got an Expy and would like to do the same but I have to admit, with this much weight, you could take $10000 and spend it well and still not get 5500+ lbs to launch and cross a 1/4 mile mark in <13 seconds. About $1500 in bolt-ons and an L is in the mid 12's.

 

Well
I've got a 00L and a 99EB expy 4x4. It's gonna take alot to get the expy to hang with the L in the dry, in the rain the expy is a rocket. Good luck on your project.

Mike

 

TWO things will make my expy beat you off the line AND on the roadcourse

Better weight distribution for more traction on launch and a better overall feel in weight distribution and the car's "footing"

Monster engine under that hood, and the right suspension setup and dyno tuning.

lots of moolah cant hurt either

be warned: the expy is coming!

(either that or a focus project, i can't decide)