Last month, we set out on an adventure to further enhance our in-house Lightning project, the Fridge. We had been successfully running a Whipple 2.3L blower on top of our built 5.4L engine. However, we became bored with the 669 rwhp and 732 rwtq on tap. It was time to step things up a bit, so JDM Engineering dropped on the massive 3.4L supercharger from Whipple. That helped our fortified Two-Valve truck engine generate 710 rwhp, which unfortunately taxed the fuel system to the limit. We had plenty of fuel injector (60-pound) and fuel-pump capacity (twin Walbro 255 lph), but our truck lacked larger fuel rails and fuel lines. Our hungry engine needed to gulp more dead dinosaurs in a big way.
To give you a quick recap, the truck is a '99 SVT Lightning that has been a staple in the MM&FF project-vehicle lineup. It began life as a Ford press vehicle, and was then handed over to the magazine to serve as a rolling testbed for the latest Lightning parts on the market. It has evolved from a low 13-second ride to a scorching 10-second street beast.
A JDM Engineering 5.4L engine was installed five years ago and has served as a reliable platform. Over the years, a new Level 10 transmission, a built rearend, and many other parts and pieces have found its way onto the Fridge. The Whipple 3.4L blower is the fourth supercharger (if you count the stock one) to be bolted to the engine. We also dabbled with a nitrous hit on top of the Whipple 2.3L unit.
It was time to take the truck to the next level, and the only way we could do that was with a larger fuel system. Unlike other '99-up modular-powered Ford vehicles, the Lightning utilizes a return-style fuel system. That means the rails are fed fuel, and the injectors use only what they need with the unused gasoline returning to the fuel tank. The fuel rails have constant pressure due to a fuel-pressure regulator, which restricts the fuel flow from returning back to the tank. The fuel rails are pressurized to 39 psi in stock trim, and-more importantly-most fuel injectors are rated at that pressure. One trick to get more gasoline to the injectors is to raise the fuel pressure. A 60-pound injector's pressure increases when the fuel-rail pressure is greater than 39. Usually under boost, the fuel pressure jumps 1 psi per 1 psi of manifold boost.
As with everything in this hobby, there's a point of diminishing returns, and you can crank the fuel pressure only so high before the injectors max out in effi ciency. The problem with the Fridge was that we couldn't feed the injectors more pressure because of an inadequate supply line, fuel rails, and return line. The prescription for relief was in the form of a JDM Engineering fuel system. It consists of a JDM billet fuel hat, twin Walbro 255-lph pumps, larger supply lines, a high-flow Mallory fuel filter, Aeromotive 1/2-inch fuel rails and billet fuel regulator, and larger return lines. We retained the JDM 60-pound injectors, which have been on the truck for quite some time.
The game plan was to have each pump feed a -6 size line, which goes into the fuel filter. The filter acts like a Y-block in that it has two -6 feed lines in and a single -8 line out. The -8 line goes to the engine bay where it supplies the Aeromotive fuel rails. Jim D'Amore of JDM Engineering added stainless steel fittings to every fuel connection inside the engine compartment. His rationale was that since the engine moves under acceleration, the stainless steel fittings are more durable and not prone to cracking like aluminum fittings. We have never seen that kind of damage to aluminum fittings, but since D'Amore has never steered us wrong in the past, we went with the stainless steel stuff.
An Aeromotive fuel-pressure regulator was mounted above the passenger-side fuel rail thanks to a custom-built plate that JDM's Shawn Lacko made on the in-house lathe and drill press. Another unique product used on the truck was a Teflon fuel line, also at the request of D'Amore. He has seen some Lightnings come into the shop with a miss. After a thorough inspection, the conclusion was that the rubber line had deteriorated and rubber chips clogged one or more injectors. D'Amore feels that the fuel quality today (read: high use of ethanol) kills the rubber lines, and the Teflon ones are more durable. He also pointed out that the Teflon lines have larger inside diameters compared to similarly labeled rubber lines.
The fuel system took a few days to complete; the JDM crew custom-made brackets and even wrapped the lines for protection and performance. Subsequent dyno-testing commenced, and D'Amore took a few easy runs to dial-in the computer tune properly. As always, he manipulates the ECU using SCT software. The truck was tested using 93-octane first. Timing was set at a paltry 10 degrees and boost thumping to the tune of 23 psi. The fuel pressure was dialed to 42 psi base and 76 psi at WOT. In this trim, the Fridge spun the DynoJet chassis to an impressive 635 rwhp and 630 rwtq. On street VPC-16 race fuel, a smaller pulley (28 psi), and 17 degrees of timing, the Fridge produced 714 rwhp and 745 rwtq.
One of the most amazing feats with the Fridge is that it's still streetworthy. With 105,000 miles on the odometer and 70,000- plus miles on the built engine, it's running as strong as ever-this time with 714 rwhp at the touch of the throttle.

Here Are the chassis-dyno...

Here Are the chassis-dyno results for the Fridge when we added the Whipple 3.4L supercharger. Last issue, we outlined the installation and the failed attempt to get the most out of Whipple's latest boost maker. The fuel system was taxed thanks to the added airflow, forcing us to run this second part as we search for more power from our in-house project Lightning.

JDM Engineering designed the...

JDM Engineering designed the fuel system and asked us to get a set of Aeromotive fuel rails, a fuel pressure regulator, and fittings. The JDM parts room was ravaged for the rest of the parts needed.

Spector Rosas of JDM Engineering...

Spector Rosas of JDM Engineering removed the fuel tank to gain access to the fuel pump assembly. We employed twin Walbro 255-lph pumps, which are sufficient for this application.

We Replaced the factory fuel...

We Replaced the factory fuel hat with this new billet one from JDM. It has the Walbro pumps in place with larger feed lines.

Rosas Transferred the electronics...

Rosas Transferred the electronics onto this unit.

The Entire assembly drops...

The Entire assembly drops into the tank with little effort.

A High-flow Mallory EFI fuel...

A High-flow Mallory EFI fuel filter replaces the wimpy factory one.

Each Pump will feed a -6 line,...

Each Pump will feed a -6 line, and both lines are fed into the Mallory fuel filter. The lines were covered in wire loom, which was then wrapped with electrical tape. This was done to protect the lines, since this truck is driven daily in the rain, snow, and harsh weather. It's an extra layer of protection from the elements.

A single -8 fitting was screwed...

A single -8 fitting was screwed into the fuel-filter's exit port.

The Fuel filter was mounted...

The Fuel filter was mounted to the framerail, and the -6 lines were run from the fuel tank to the filter. A single -8 line was then run up to the engine compartment to the fuel rail.

The Tedious task of removing...

The Tedious task of removing the supercharger was handled by Rosas and Shawn Lacko. It took nearly all morning to get the blower off the 5.4L engine.

Throw Some rags in the intake...

Throw Some rags in the intake manifold to prevent any unwanted parts from falling into the engine.

The 3.4L is big. That works...

The 3.4L is big. That works out to 210 ci of displacement.

Here's a look at the massive...

Here's a look at the massive twin-screw rotors.

The Aeromotive fuel rails...

The Aeromotive fuel rails bolt on to the factory tabs on the intake manifold.

The Rail sits right above...

The Rail sits right above the coil-pack. It made us sweat as to whether the pack and plugs could be removed once the blower was installed. A quick test proved it was possible to get them out, but it was a tight fit.

The Stock fuel-pressure regulator...

The Stock fuel-pressure regulator served us well for nearly 10 years of service. It's hard to believe, but we accomplished over 700 hp at the tires and didn't even upgrade the fuel-pressure regulator!

The Blower was bolted back...

The Blower was bolted back on, and a crossover line was run over the top of the unit. The line was wrapped in a protective sleeve.

The Aeromotive regulator allows...

The Aeromotive regulator allows us to run a higher base fuel pressure to get more fuel into the 60-pound injectors. It also allows the fuel pressure to spike 1 psi of pressure for every 1 pound of boost when the blower is huffing hard.

The Fridge made 635 rwhp and...

The Fridge made 635 rwhp and 630 rwtq on pump gas. More boost (28 psi) and timing (17 degrees) jumped output to 714 rwhp and 745 rwtq.

A Custom bracket was needed...

A Custom bracket was needed to mount the fuel pressure regulator on the side of the blower. Lacko says the Whipple 2.3L has more room for mounting stuff than the 3.4L. The heater core lines were in the way with the larger 3.4L blower in place.

If we become bored with the...

If we become bored with the newfound power, there's always a single-stage Nitrous Express juice system ready, willing, and able to add 150 or more horsepower at the push of a button.