Difference between Reg. 5.4L & Lightning 5.4L?

[trueblue4ver]

I have an 03 F-150 STX in true blue and this summer i want to make it into a lightning. I will not put the lightning badges on the side and wont tell people its a real lightning either..i promise. I had a GT b4 this and i hate those posers! Im getting a baseball scholarship so no college tuition. :rockon: Whats the difference between a regular 5.4L and the Lightning one? I mean i know its got the charger and all that crap, not dumb just not sure about heads, cams, intakes..stuff like that. Thanks for you help. Also, how much lower are your trucks from the factory? need to figure that out so im not to high off the ground.

Mainly, if i went with 2 cats and a magnaflow setup with 3.5" tips and X-pipe, would it sound close to a lightning? I just dont want that deep, low, no tone exhaust like every truck thats not a perf. truck has.

 

[BLWN DSG]

I am not exactly sure how much of the internals are different but there is a whole hell of a lot different in the engine itself. I think the suspension on the L is 1.5" lower in front and I think 2" in the back...if i remember correctly.

Honest opinion, by the time you finish paying for all the parts and doing the labor even by yourself you could have bought a Lightning straight out. Your insurance would be the same maybe even lower if you go with a older year.

 

[Derek@Amazon]

8.5 compression for the lightning 9.5 for an F150.... i know nothing about that though

 

[HalfTime]

Thier is alotof difference in the internals, heads pistons valves and what nots. I'm not calling you a poser by any means, I understand having one vehical, and makeing it mre powerfull and look sharpe, but to be honest with you, you would save alot of cash if you sold or traded that in on a SVTL. It will take alot of work, and a shit ton of cash to do a good job on a SVTL clone.

 

[redz_02]

Suspenion and drive train are completely different. Lightning also has a forged crank.

 

[stmoney11]

Thier is alotof difference in the internals, heads pistons valves and what nots. I'm not calling you a poser by any means, I understand having one vehical, and makeing it mre powerfull and look sharpe, but to be honest with you, you would save alot of cash if you sold or traded that in on a SVTL. It will take alot of work, and a shit ton of cash to do a good job on a SVTL clone.

I agree save $ and time and try to find a nice used SVTL.

 

[AZ ERIK]

Yep, Right now there is a 03 or 04 L motor and trans on eBay, it's going to go for about $5k, that Coupled with the rearend, interior, front bumper/ fog lights, and suspension pieces you would have been better off buying a L with a blown motor or trans and having a motor or trans built for it, then you'd have a built motor or trans that could take modding nicer.

Why not Vortech the 5.4 you have now? Save ya some money as well.

 

[trueblue4ver]

Yeh well i would probably just do exterior stuff and your basic tuner, exhaust, stuff like that for now and then get into a lightning a little later. Not having speed is killing me!!!

 

[Scuba-Matt]

Look in here
http://www.nloc.org/forum/showthread.php?t=118787

 

[Silverstrike]

Well the blocks are the same.

But the L has
8.5 over1 compression pistons
Both have the same rods though
Forged crank
4R100 Transmission
Heavy duty Cooling and Trans cooling system
Recalibrated PCM
Eaton M112 S/C plus intercooler
A few other odds and ends I'm sure someone on here knows what they are.

 

[mifordman]

not to steel the thread, but can the ecm out a regular 5.4 be tuned to handle the hp like an L's? is there any difference in them besides tune?

 

[redz_02]

an obd2 is and obd2. It's just like loading the same software on to a different pc.

 

[Scuba-Matt]

not to steel the thread, but can the ecm out a regular 5.4 be tuned to handle the hp like an L's? is there any difference in them besides tune?

Supercharger, Intake, Pistons, Transmission