2007 Ford F-150 Herculiner - Rolling Thunder

The blower is separated from the manifold for installation, to allow for easier plumbing of various lines/harnesses at the rear of the manifold near the firewall. It's also less likely to break the installer's back this way.

Here, the intercooler-to-heat-exchanger lines are clamped in place on the back of the manifold. The greased fitting near these lines is for the Whipple's integral blower bypass valve. You can also see the air-to-water core tucked away beneath the blower discharge port.

Not Roekle's normal work habits (he usually prefers chocolate donuts), but who could refuse a photo op like this? Even with the twin-screw blower atop its manifold, there's still plenty of hood clearance-not like working with a Mustang. There are changes made to the idler pulley configuration, and a new serpentine belt is part of the package.

The electronic throttle control (ETC) wiring harness must be extended in order to reach the new throttle-body location on the blower inlet (and, yes, the necessary wire is included. The kit is nothing if not thorough. For instance, the installation manual is a full 51 pages with photos.

The OEM-appearing plastic intercooler reservoir mounts to the radiator shroud using a supplied bracket.

Up front, the Fluidyne heat exchanger mounts above the A/C condenser, bracketed to both the condenser supports and the radiator support up top. This location is in pleasant, accessible contrast to having to remove fascias to hang heat exchangers on a Mustang.

The intercooler pump, meanwhile, mounts beneath the radiator support using a sturdy supplied bracket assembly. Mounting the pump and routing its lines and harness were the only tasks that took Roekle or Sears underneath the truck during the whole installation.

To maximize the effect of the kit's cold-air induction, the factory inner fender opening is enlarged, and the fusebox is relocated slightly for clearance.

The Numbers Tell The Tale
From the factory, the 24-valve 5.4L is already a pretty torquey beast. But with the twin screws of the FRPP/Whipple forcing precious oxygen down its throat, the beast grows some serious hair.

Way down at 2,300 rpm, torque jumps by a butt-crushing 221 lb-ft, to more than double its factory output. Can you say "throttle response?" Horsepower isn't forgotten either, with an extra 199 or so on tap at 5,200 revs. And, as you can see from the dyno charts, these increases aren't peaky or limited to small rev ranges. The curves are radically up right across the board. This thing should haul, uh, just about anything.

The kit's large conical air filter is housed in a nicely crafted canister. The factory mass-air "wafer" is transferred to the position shown (from its previous location on the factory plastic airbox.)

Final steps include filling the blower with its selfcontained lubricant and refilling the radiator coolant reservoir. Is this a shameless promotional shot for one of OWI's automotive product lines? Why yes, thank you.

Here's the view that will greet the winner of Thundertruck every time he or she opens the hood. Almost looks like the factory put it there, doesn't it? We think that's what FRPP had in mind. This is one of the most easily installed-and most effective-intercooled blowers we've encountered. Our only regret is that it was too snowy outside to sample it for ourselves. Wouldn't want to get that Michigan road salt all over OWI's brand-new giveaway Thundertruck.