I really have to ask because I have read some posts and can't believe what some people are saying.

First of all lets talk about Detonation. This will KILL your motor. KILL IT!!! I am reading posts that say "Yeah I just installed a 6lb pulley and it detonates a little but its ok"

WHAT?!?!?!

If you can HEAR the detonation this is BAD, this hammers on the bottom end hard.

It seems when you start really pushing some boost through these you need to start running higher octance fuel than 93-94.

Does someone make an Autotap setup for the Lightning or someway to watch for knock?

I race a Turbo T/A (Grand National Drivetrain) and you need to watch for detonation on these or else Boooom. I have a scantool that reads the knock sensor from the ECM. You cannot even hear the detonation until the computer is already pulling 16+ degrees of timing.

Same thing for my LS1, its pulling 10 degrees before I even slightly start to hear it.

With the blower noise and such on the Lightning I have to assume if you can HEAR it making noise, its Detonating BIG TIME.

Its no wonder you hear about all these motors blowing up!! You get to a certain level were Pumpgas just doesn't cut it on a forced induction application.

So I really wonder how weak the bottom ends are or if people are just detonating them to pieces...

 

Good questions and comments...

I too have been watching the boards and for the most part I am stock... I'd love to put a lower pulley on and I read where someone has been running a pulley without a chip.

Doesn't make sense and I know it all depends on the amount of boost and all... I'd like to go with a 4# or 5# and if I chip it... go with a conserevative tune...

It appears to me that the truck losing the bottom ends are those that have an agressive tune regardless of 4#, 5#, 6# or more pulleys...

I am not afraid to pay and play but if there is a way to do it without throwing money away... I am up for that.

 

if you check and read your plugs properly, you won't have a problem. these engines are not giving it up on the first 1/4 mile pass, of a recently modified bad tune. a lot of people want to blame ford, for a weakness in the armor, that can be prevented

 

To me it's simple. And it sounds like you allready know the answer.

These rods were not designed, engineered, or validated to see high teens psi (and higher). So if were gonna push them that hard? It's up to luck, tuning skills, and simple laws of combustion.

If people wanna push them that hard? Why don't they just step up and get a bottom end that was built for it.

Ignorance abounds with many people I guess.

As for me and my stock longblock. We'll stay in the 12-14 psi range thank you.

WOT

 

wydopnthrtl

You're running the combination I'd like to be running... I am not looking for 11's or low 12's... just an occassional dip into the high 12's is enough for me.

You have a flip chip... I have the standard Diablo. The 4# appears to be the missing component... I need to find someone in the Dallas area that can help tune it and read my A/F ratios...

Does this sound reasonable? What programs are on the flip chip and how often do you run them (off, pgm1 and pgm2)?

 

99.9% of the time blown motors are user error. I get a good laugh everytime someone comes on here saying the rods are junk, yet many people are running 400/500 on stock long blocks. If you wanted something with a race motor you should've bought a racecar, not an F150.

By the way, I'm very jealous of your poncho TTA89.

 

I don't know what the rods are engineering for. All I know is I see alot of ignorance like you stated. As with ANY motor, if you detonate it, It will get hurt. Running pumpgas with lots of boost is stupid.

How many people on here even know what a Chip is really doing? People talk about Aggresive and Conservative tunes but I never see any mention of Timing tables or Fuel curves.

Checking Plugs is the old school way, You don't drive a 1970 Mustang. The computer is keeping track of everything thats going on and there is no reason you can't look at all the functions as well. http://www.autotap.com/autotap_for_windows.html With this software you can actually see whats going on under the hood. You will see if its detonating instead of trying to listen and guess.

Ask any of the other groups with forced induction motor about Knock Retard and Octane. Everyone is going to tell you that Detonation is what kills them.

I would be curious to know what the setups are on motors that people have nuked and what kind of fuel they were running.

 

My vote.

There are lots of blown engines out there were many of the details were completely left out so that blame could be placed elsewhere.

 

Mostly user error. However, our rods are only engineered to handle so much.

 

and 01 Models

 

Everything is engineered to handle so much. Thats not even an explanation.

What makes the rods so weak?

I would like to see some bearings out of some of the "Weak Rod" motors that blew. Bet they were detonated to hell and back.

 

I thought that the truck ignored the Knock sensor at WOT? There was a whole thread on this topic a while back and I believe that was the consensus. I of course as usual, could be very wrong.

 

No way!!! I would have to see that in writing to believe it.

 

Can you please post some factual data instead of "so much"...........sorry but being an engineer I like to work off facts not opinions/assumptions.

Until the Ford spec on the rods are posted this thread will go on forever with only varying opinions.

I am not taking sides here either.......I believe both cases are true.

--Joe

 

I was trying to ask the same question you are if you re-read my post.

The entire thread was started based upon my opinon and assuption. I am asking to be proven wrong.