TO PULLEY OR NOT TO PULLEY?

[Fast03Cobra]

Ok so we are at 7.5-8 psi stock right?

If I add a 4# increase from a pulley thats 50% MORE pressure from the blower.

1. Is that safe for the Engine? Can the engine support that much more pressure without much more wear?

2. Is that safe for the Blower?

3. What about timinig, air, fuel, AND last but NOT least - HEAT??

I think I'm sold on the chip thing. I've done in on 3 other cars.

But increasing pressure 50%, I dont know.... Maybe going to 10 psi.

Is everybody REALLY that comfortable doing this?

Should I not worry and if not why?

 

[FordSVTFan]

For what it is worth, the M112 blower is quite strong. My Lightning pulls about 14 pounds of boost with no problems to the intercooler or the engine for that matter.

As for the Cobra engine, it should be fine with the forged internals, etc. that are on the 03. As for wear, yah it will wear a small bit more, but use synthetics and watch your gauges and you will be fine.

Good Luck

Hulk

 

[Jim Vaccaro]

PULLEY

I had a Pontiac GTP it came with 3.8 pulley i changed to a 3.5 pulley and 2 more lbs boost..The car has been driven hard and at 60,K miles it still runs awesome.

I was thinking a good compromise would be a 3.20 pulley to replace the 3.65 we have.Prolly give you 2 to 3 lbs andkeep the inlet heat down a bit..

Anyone else think somewhere between the L pulley 2.93 and the Stock Pulley whould be good.

Jim V.

 

[COBRAJIM9999]

A few thoughts

Oh by the way I have two car seats in my 03 cobra vert. The oldest son who is three calls my cobra the vroom vroom car. Anyway Cobra and Lightnings have very different operating speeds. Lightnings normally shift at about 5500rpm whereas cobra's are redlined at 6500rpm. At the higher rpm's impeller speeds are quite different and noone has enought running time on 03 Cobra's to see what this does for durability. However when I attended SVT training this past Spring in Arizona the SVT engineer I was talking with stated that exceeding the maximum recommended impeller speeds within the supercharger affected long term durability of the supercharger. If I had a lot of money I would be curious to see the affect of a screw type supercharger instead of the eaton on the cobra. A lot less heat and far more efficency at higher rpm's. Maybe someone can try it and see how well it works. As for now curious to see whats chips and perhaps high flow cat's will improve efficency before modifying pulley diameter. Make the most power without stressing engine.

 

[iistrading]

If you are satisfied with the stock engine performance then why change a pulley or make any modifications. If you are not going to race (drag) the car or lack the skills (or interest) then leave it stock.

If you are going to race the car you will change the upper and lower Pulley(s), Chip, Exhaust, Shifter, Rear End Ratio, Throttle Body, Cold Air Intake, Plugs, NOS and finally Roll Bar. Ten second 03 Cobras are just around the corner, in fact, they are here with NOS. If the Lightnings can handle 20 lbs of boost then the 03 Cobra can handle 16 with no problems. Sure, people will push the limits too far and a few engines may scatter but I thought that's the penalty for pushing the limits in racing. For a Lightning to be safely (sort of) ran with 16+ lbs or more of boost it needs to have the same internals that the 03 Cobra has fresh from the factory.

While everyone is arguing about the safety of running more than 10 lbs of boost on the 03 Cobra some Lightning tuner is going to crank it up 16-18 with lower and upper Pulley changes or a replacement blower running higher boost presures. An 03 Cobra will report on this forum a high 10 second 1/4 Mile ET within the next month and he (or she) won't get there without the Pulley changes and the resulting higher boost levels.

 

[FordSVTFan]

I agree, I would not run a Lightning above 15# of boost without changing the stock rods. I would use Manley rods.

But the 03 Cobra has better forged internals and can handle the additional four pounds of boost from the Lightning upper pulley.

Good Luck Guys

Hulk

 

[Lomancobra]

Is there anything we can do to compensate for the increase in heat from higher boost?

 

[black03]

Loman cobra, I was told that when you add horsepower such as adding a pulley to our blowers we are increasing the temperature of the engine. TO compensate I was told to use a colder burning plug . I currently have thye 2.80 pulley on and I am using the NGK TR-6 plugs to compensate for the added heat that the extra horsepower creates.

 

[TTAFB_SVT]

Got Pulley?



Sorry,I had to.

 

[03DOHC]

:lol:

 

[Lomancobra]

Originally posted by black03
Loman cobra, I was told that when you add horsepower such as adding a pulley to our blowers we are increasing the temperature of the engine. TO compensate I was told to use a colder burning plug . I currently have thye 2.80 pulley on and I am using the NGK TR-6 plugs to compensate for the added heat that the extra horsepower creates.

Since you added the pulley, have you noticed any differences in the temperature gauge? Do you have any other mods? How does it pull now? Appreciate the input.

 

[Fast03Cobra]

COBRAJIM9999: I tend to agree with you. WOW, so I am not the only one with a baby seat... Thank god! My son is scared sh*tless in this thing and I drive it as easy as I can with him in it (new sounds and new car can be scarey for a 2 yo).

I think you are right. Chip and MAYBE the x-pipe thing. I have gone over the cold air thing to dreath in other forums. I personally believe you get nothing from them AND I think the K&N's are crap!! I did a couple of oil analysis' looking at what Amsoil can do long term and the oil held up great. Almost like new with 12k on it. BUT the K&N produced high levels on Silicon in the oil (dirt).

I have not raced it yet, BUT I plan to!! In other words, I would like to see what it can do in the 1/4 a few times. Not really race just show off and have fun.

THanks for all the input!!! I think for now I will leave the pulley alone. If I do change it, I might just go to 10 psi.

 

[iistrading]

If you are not already running a 160 degree (engine) thermostat you should change that out. The intercooler can handle the inreased temps generated from the increased blower RPMs and boost.

This issue has been searched and researched with the Lightnings and the consenus is that the stock (Lightning or 03 Cobra) intercooler is a functional work of art that can handle these increased levels of boost. Remember that you are not running your 03 Cobra under maximum boost for sustained periods of time (I hope). It only takes 11-12 seconds to get down the 1/4 Mile.

 

[haskett]

It only takes 11-14 seconds to get down the drag strip, but what about those that open track their car or participate in other forms of racing ?

 

[FordSVTFan]

Most other forms of racing you arent running max boost constantly.

For heat better heat dispersion, use colder plugs, use synthethic oils, get a better fan set up.

In my L, I run JDM's electric fan kit. It produces over 22K CFM. The standard fan produces somewhere around 3500-4000CFM. There is also a hyperfan mode for use at the track for great cooling.

All these things should help a lot.

Good Luck

Hulk

 

[iistrading]

Here is a link to a magazine article that addresses the efficiency of the Lightning (and 03 Cobra) intercoolers. The article also discusses Pulley changes and blower RPMs. It should be helpfull.

http://www.svt-enthusiast.com/modules/gallery/album09/page1?full=1

 

[SVTyballz]

Re: PULLEY

Originally posted by Jim Vaccaro
I had a Pontiac GTP it came with 3.8 pulley i changed to a 3.5 pulley and 2 more lbs boost..The car has been driven hard and at 60,K miles it still runs awesome.

I was thinking a good compromise would be a 3.20 pulley to replace the 3.65 we have.Prolly give you 2 to 3 lbs andkeep the inlet heat down a bit..

Anyone else think somewhere between the L pulley 2.93 and the Stock Pulley whould be good.

Jim V.

Jim,

I'm thinking of a 3.4 pulley. Should get me 1 or 2 pounds but more importantly to me, is that the RPM's of the blower will be at the 14000 "limit" at an engine redline of 6500. Right now im trying to restrain myself from the 2.93's and 2.80's until these pulley pioneers work out all their issues and get some miles on their boost monsters. But then again, maybe ill just slap a 2.8 on and go for 550 rwhp!!!!! hahahahaha

gary

 

[Terminator03]

500 rwhp is my goal..... 2.80 pully is going on as we speak with a new computer, belt, shifter, fuel pressure guage, new boost gauge, and pillar pod gauge arm.:thumbsup:

 

[Terminator03]

Ill have the Dyno up tommorow... Oh and by the way guys what you are all talking about is not the real issue with the pully change. The eaton is a beast and will handle it with minimal long term wear. The block can no doubt handle it like a champ. It the heads you gotta worry about because of the Air/Fuel. When you go below the lightning pully size its hard to tune the air/fuel right all the way across the board and still be able to idle when your done. Thats why i recommend getting a fuel pressure guage, and monitoring things and listening for any engine pinging (hehe not ticking). Then go from there. But 2.80 should be in a descent range to tune properly. Actually i let you guys know tommorow. :thumbsup:

 

[Elliotness]

Re: A few thoughts

Originally posted by COBRAJIM9999
Oh by the way I have two car seats in my 03 cobra vert. The oldest son who is three calls my cobra the vroom vroom car.

You are a great dad.:coolman: I have two sons also both are very excited about getting a car that doesn't have a luggage rack on top.