1998 Eddie Bauer / Lightning

[SWAGGA]

A little background: This will be the 2nd 1st gen Expedition I've had; I also had a 1st gen Navi (intech), and got my mother a 1st gen Expedition last summer as well--I just love these things, and have since I saw them when I was a teenager and thought I'd never be able to afford one.

I started searching for an Expedition and found what I consider to be a gem(for what I paid). It's a 1998 Eddie Bauer, with 115k miles. The previous owner owns a parts business, and is a motorcraft parts dealer. He purchased the vehicle @102k miles, and replaced nearly everything as routine maintenance; coil packs, plugs, battery, alternator, a/c compressor, belts, hoses, rear window supports... even the wiper arms. Additionally, the transmission & coolant systems were flushed at the same time (always great news.) He also gave me 4 new rotors and pads for all the way around too! I am truly amazed at the condition of everything: interior, exterior, and especially mechanically.

I purchased it last week, and have already bought most of the parts for a lightning swap. I've got a huge advantage in that one of my best friends owns an EFI tuning business specializing in fords, has a dyno on site, etc and is helping me every step of the way.


Thus far, we've got MOST of the parts needed from a Lightning that had 77k miles on it. My friend above also hooked me up with a set of ported PI heads for an awesome price, and we'll be doing cams & headers as well (undecided on cams/headers, any suggestions?)

 

[tallsville]

looks good. Keep us posted on how the build goes.

 

[SWAGGA]

Decided on the cam/exhaust setup yesterday afternoon and ordered more parts.

-Turns out all 2v cams are the same (f150, lightning, mustang) and I've got a set. Considering the power some lightnings are making and I don't want a huge lope anyway, I'm rolling with those.

-As far as the headers, decided to go with shorty's. If anyone hasn't seen the stock manifolds up close... we pulled a set off of a f250 w/ a 5.4--horrible design.

Yesterday I ordered the headers, full gasket set, head bolts, & a JLT lightning CAI.

Check out this video... the sound of the blower with the jlt cai sold me. (I had the JLT expedition 5.4 ram air intake on a former expedition--excellent quality.)
JLT CAI Ford Lightning test - YouTube

As of now the remaining parts needed are: A lightning or aftermarket MAF, heat exchanger, spark plugs, then misc tubing/small stuff that I can get a local store. I can't wait to have it all on the expedition!

 

[toms89]

Very nice!

Good luck with the build and welcome to the forum!

 

[SWAGGA]

Very nice!

Good luck with the build and welcome to the forum!

Thanks for pointing me to that site and your build thread--big helps.

Cooling update:
I do not plan on going over 8# (stock) of boost so a stock(ish) cooling system should be sufficient. Yesterday we bought a stock cobra HE since we got a good deal on it. It appears to be not as tall vertically as the stock lightning HE but thicker so the overall surface area should be fine. Thanks to toms89 for pointing me to lightningrodder, I found a guy selling oil separators & 2 7" fans for the HE over there as a package deal for $110 with a new pcv valve. Good deal, paid for it this morning. We are also probably going to get a larger reservoir tank to increase overall volume of coolant. If anyone has any good bang-for-buck ideas on the cooling side, post 'em up!

I also went ahead and got a fairly good size transmission cooler: Buy Imperial Maxi-Kool® XL Transmission Oil Cooler 243012 at Advance Auto Parts

Used a coupon code and site-to-store to get it for $45.

Fuel pump has been ordered as well.

 

[Captain Morgan]

Posting more pics of the engine all the way around and as you add cams etc will give folks something to reference for other projects.

I think having 20 or more pics as close up as will fit the engine in the photo frame will give the forum material to point out to others and using arrows etc. I see a good opportunity here if you have the time to facilitate this. If you take a ton of pics and don't want to bother posting then I would be happy to do this for you.

If a picture paints a thousand words then a hundred photos would speak volumes.

.

 

[SWAGGA]

Posting more pics of the engine all the way around and as you add cams etc will give folks something to reference for other projects.

I think having 20 or more pics as close up as will fit the engine in the photo frame will give the forum material to point out to others and using arrows etc. I see a good opportunity here if you have the time to facilitate this. If you take a ton of pics and don't want to bother posting then I would be happy to do this for you.

If a picture paints a thousand words then a hundred photos would speak volumes.

.

Absolutely, when the tear down/construction begins I'll take lots of pics and post anything learned along the way.

 

[Razor]

Very cool... I have the opportunity to do the same thing. Still on the fence!

 

[toms89]

Very cool... I have the opportunity to do the same thing. Still on the fence!

Go for it!!

 

[1997SCEBFEX]

+1 on sharing & documenting the experience.

Tom, did you invite him to the blown expy section? Belay that, I see he's already there

 

[SWAGGA]

Not much of an update, but I've got nearly everything and we expect to begin next month after my crazy traveling schedule slows down.

I still need valve covers, gauges, new stock pulley(current is damaged) & to send the blower, plenum, & throttle body off to be ported.

That sun room I couldn't figure out how to use has become parts storage.

 

[sgtowing]

Is that the radio you just installed?

 

[SWAGGA]

Is that the radio you just installed?

Yup

 

[rburch]

OPCORN:

Cant wait!

Gotta pay my SOB off first! lol!

 

[SWAGGA]

Small update, I've been super busy with other obligations, but we dropped the tank and put in the upgraded fuel pump (walbro 255lph), & a new fuel filter a couple of weekends ago. UPS picked up the supercharger, intake plenum, & throttle body today to be sent to a guy who is porting all 3, stripping the rotors, & installing a new pulley for me. I should have it back within a couple of weeks, then we can dive in!

 

[SWAGGA]

Porting guy sent this to me, it's in progress... should have it back next week.

 

[SWAGGA]

Well look what we have here... supercharger, plenum, tb, all freshly ported.

 

[toms89]

Now to get it installed!!



When/if you decide to increase the boost in the future watch your fuel pressure. You may exceed the single 255lph fuel pump's capacity.

So will I see you at MIR this fall??

 

[SWAGGA]

Now to get it installed!!



When/if you decide to increase the boost in the future watch your fuel pressure. You may exceed the single 255lph fuel pump's capacity.

So will I see you at MIR this fall??

Haha, I'll probably need a bottom end with the fuel upgrades... I can't wait to get it installed now, I have everything down to the gasket sets except for gauges. I may go with a livewire, undecided at this point.

Actually, probably yes on the MIR, I'm only a few hours from there (Near Roanoke), actually went to a race there last summer. You'll have to let me know when you're going and I'll coordinate a trip around it.

 

[toms89]

It just occurred to me that you plan on using a stock 98 bottom end with PI heads. This is not a very boost friendly combination.

PI motors have larger CC dish pistons over non-pi pistons to compensate for the smaller cc combustion chamber in PI heads.

By running PI heads with non-pi pistons your increasing the compression ratio to near 10 to 1. This would be awesome combo for use with race gas but bet you plan on running pump gas on the street?! You may be able to tune it for pump gas but it will be very tempermental and sensitive to heat. I have seen it done but they are generally not daily drivers.

I know it adds a lot of time and $ but you need to consider changing pistons (with larger cc dish) which would mean rebuilding the bottom end. While your there install some forged rods and your set.