The resurrection

[Dusten]

As some of you know the lightning has been down and out since right before my deployment. Well seeing as i got home today, I figured no time like the present to get started.
I put her up on jack stands and removed most of the stuff attaching the transmission other than the bell housing bolts and cross member(exhaust, traction bars, driveline, torque converter bolts...)

Here's a few pictures of the new parts going in... I will update this as i get them in, and after i get it cleaned up too

Built 4R100 thanks to Dante

Upgraded transmission cooler

stock upper pulley to make the truck a little safter to drive

11" Billet converter thanks to Circle D

I've also got to fix a small vacuum leak in my boost line, and the rear end is leaking, but thats not a problem as i have the parts.

 

[wickedbird]

Welcome home.

 

[Mustangcwo]

Welcome back and it looks like you're off to a good start...nobody likes a leaky rearend.

 

[wickedstangs]

welcome back and those pics look good what is the finger crossing for? International sign

 

[Dusten]

i have no idea why they are crossed, i just noticed it. An CWO, my smart ass brother says... "after 7 months at sea i expected a leaky rear end, but do you really need 3 quarts of lube?" asshole...

 

[Dusten]

Made some progress today. Slow going mostly because in the middle of working on te truck i decided to put my new Traeger together too.
Got the exhaust out of the way, which was the last thing. Yesterday i took out the driveline, traction bars, starter and a few other things before i got bored.

Out comes the tranny, and she's a big bitch

And no one here will understand this picture, but 01 Lightnings came with J1 transmissions and they are known pieces of shit, im amazed it made it 108,000 miles

And for those that like old rigs, i'd thought i'd snap a shot of my 58 in its sad state
V

and here is how not to work on a transmission, always, always find someone with a lift

and the amount of room i have with the trans out

 

[WARRIOR F150]

nice looking 58 you got there. throw in some oversized mud tires on that and it'll be menacing.

 

[Dusten]

Its actually getting lifted with 35's this year. The mod list on it is retarded

 

[Dusten]

I bought my 01 lightning in the summer of 09. It was my second L.
It has a reasonable mod list and the previous owner had taken it to a 12.89 on DR's.
I put a built 4R100 and a 2800 stall from circle d, installed some slicks and ran 12.40-12.50 with it.

About 2 months after that pass a valve guide wallered out and i decided the motor needed to come out and get some work.
The current mod list is
Posi "Race Port" Eaton with 9" lower and 2.8" upper
C&L plenum
Accufab single blade throttle body
SCT BA2600 MAF with a JLT CAI
MHP stage 2 short block with manly rods and pistons(9.3:1) compression
Trickflow 38cc Trackheat heads with Comp Cams
bassani short tube headers with or mid pipes and a custom catback with a maggie muffler
DMP Stage 2 4R100 with a Circle D 2800 stall(11")
Fusco Fab traction bars
Belltech front springs and rear shackles with a leaf removed.
Nitto 555's in the front and NT-05R's in the rear(not installed)
the interior is stock except for a few gauges(boost, volts, wideband)
I have clear corners, tinted tails and a cobra R hood to round out the exterior mods.
Its tuned by Rick @ ATS with an Xcal3

The truck isnt up and running, but all those parts and purchased and awaiting install.

Here are some pictures.
The day i brought it home

underhood shot of the old motor

Random shots

Long bars and old exhaust

converter, old trans and new

New tails

at the track

And some shots of the tear down
Fuel parts

Parts

Engine out

Tear down

and the damaged head

she dyno'd 424/560 when i bought it. Im hoping for 500/600 when im done with this build. I'll eventually upgrade to a 2.3L whipple, but i've spent enough already

Well decided to make a little progress on the truck today because i've been so depressed lately over my heads.

Got my casing back from POSI so i stripped the rotors and put the blower back together.

Before pics of the blower are posted elsewhere in the thread.

And some of my goodies that showed up.

and since i haven't actually posted a picture of it yet...

Hoping these will help reign in some of that power that i'll be making

Update 1/7

Decided to work on it a bit today. Put the DR's on the rear and installed the walbro 255's and brass y fitting instead of the awesome plastic one that is stock.

DR's next to the old rears

And on the truck

And the fuel pump setup going on the truck

and installed

And the staple of my garage

UPDATE

So my Trickflow heads arrived today. I figured i'd post up a side by side of them next to your standard 2v PI head. These are heads off my lightning, but for all intents and purposes, they are the same heads as your 99-04 mustang.

First off a bit of info.
The Trickflow heads, out of the box feature a 1.85 intake valve and a 1.45 exhaust valve. the PI heads sport a 1.78 intake and 1.33 exhaust. Most ported PI heads feature a +1mm larger valve, the trick flow heads are about 2.5mm larger.

Here is a shot of the flow numbers on Ported TF's, Stock TF's and Ported PI heads
*courtesy of MMFF

Now for some comparison shots of the heads side by side

I am very excited to get these heads on my shortblock and get this running.

Trickflow has redesigned the combustion chamber on these to get rid of the plug boss to help ward off detonation and headgasket issues that PI heads are known for. They've also moved the intake valve to help with the valve shroud issues.


Update for 1/29

Finally posting a few pictures of the motor going together. I dont have any before the heads went on, the camera's battery was dead, oh well.

Just a few I took of the assembly, i have probably 50, but am only posting a few. I will post one later with all the intake shit on it.

New pictures

got the engine in place and bolted up to the trans.

Updated!!!
Made some progress the last few days.
Traction bars and driveline bolted back up. DS loop back in, trans cross member back in. Torque converter and bell housing bolts in.
Exhaust in, starter, ac compressor, ps pump, lower intake manifold, fuel rails, injectors, passenger pcv lines, alternator and accessory belt.

MOAR!!!

Some pics i took today. I am almost done. I need an upper radiator hose as the one i bought doesn't fit, and I need a throttle body gasket because like a ******* idiot, I wasn't careful and tore mine.

and to prove im a good dad

Yet another update. The truck is ready to run.

Well, I am officially a tuner away from being able to drive it.

All the fluids are full, all lines are run, all cables attached. I need to bolt the hood on, but Im waiting for a second set of hands. I also installed the OEM bed cover I picked up.

G, You'll notice 1 sticker missing from the rear window... I bugged bossman, but he hasn't returned my pm.

 

[Dusten]

 

[wickedstangs]

wow, awesome pics and nice write up.. Looking real good..

 

[sdsubzero4]

Damn, that is a sexy truck!

 

[Dusten]

Thanks guys. Im patiently breaking the new motor in so i can get it on the dyno for some numbers

 

[Dusten]

Man the trucks come a long ways since this thread

 

[VP_07SRT8]

fill us in

 

[wickedstangs]

Man the trucks come a long ways since this thread

wow, thanks for resurrecting this thread...

 

[Dusten]

fill us in

New suspension - Hotchkis TVS - panhard bar

Magnum power and intercooler upgrades

New oem bed cover

New stereo, black carpet, floor mats, custom center console, seats

Ditched the Magnum powers and went with a 2.3 Kenne Bell and sheet metal intake

Long tubes and 3" exhaust

2004 OEM Wheels

Solid back window

 

[Mustangcwo]

Thanks for all the pictures. I'll take two Lightenings please.

 

[VP_07SRT8]

looking pretty damn good! I am looking at doing full length headers as well if it fits the budget

 

[Dusten]

Ive owned this 6 years now. So its been bit by bit