Lightning Strike: A 700-HP, 7.3L Diesel-Powered Half Ton

A 700-HP, 7.3L Diesel-Powered Half Ton

Ford jumped into the hot rod truck market in a big way when they introduced the Ford Lightning pickup, a hot-rodded F-150 that was built to handle like a sports car and outrun any other pickup on the market. Years later, the Ford Lightning remains a mas- terpiece, but that didn’t stop Diesel Dynamics shop owner Crede Young from cramming a diesel into one. That’s right Lightning purists; this ’95 version is powered by a 7.3L Power Stroke diesel engine rather than the original 5.8L gas engine. There’s no need to worry though, as the big horsepower diesel does the Lightning’s lineage right by us.

7.3L SWAP

When it came to swapping the diesel engine into the factory chas- sis, there were certain parts that were surprisingly easy, and other aspects that were quite hard. Mounting the engine and transmis- sion was actually quite simple, as a modiﬁed transmission crossmem- ber and OBS motor mounts were all that was needed for the transi- tion. The difficult part was the wiring, as everything had to be swapped over from the original donor truck. “The engine basically thinks it’s still in a ’96 F-250,” says Crede. Before the engine was dropped into the Ford, it received a set of ARP head studs, Competition Cams 910 springs, and Smith Brothers pushrods.

A 700-HP, 7.3L Diesel-Powered Half Ton Ford Lightning

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POWER PARTS

Since the Lightning was des- tined to be a drag truck from the start, most of the cash went into power producing parts. A very quick spooling 66mm Garrett GTP38R turbocharger was mounted in the manifold with a set of Super Duty up-pipes, and currently pushes about 40 psi to the engine. Before entering the en- gine, air ﬂows through an EBay water-to- air intercooler, and through a CFM Plus Y-bridge. Extra oxygen is also available in the form of a serious two-stage nitrous system, using ZEX solenoids. A simple 4- inch downpipe was massaged to clear the ﬁrewall and exits into a 4-inch short stack.

SINCE THE LIGHTNING WAS DESTINED TO BE A DRAG TRUCK FROM THE START, MOST OF THE CASH WENT INTO POWER PRODUCING PARTS.

The rearend of the Lightning has been fully built to handle the rigors of racing launches. The factory 8.8 housing remains, but the axles have been upgraded to Strange 31 spline units; a spool was also installed for traction.

A big part of the diesel swap was the fuel system, which had to be re-engineered for the Power Stroke engine. Diesel Dynamics built their own setup, which uses an Aeromotive A1000 fuel pump that flows 100 gph at a whopping 65 psi.

The fuel system was another area that received plenty of attention, starting with an Aeromotive A1000 at 65 psi drawing through the factory Lightning tank. A set of universal ﬁlters and 5/8-inch Push-Lok hose then takes the fuel to a Diesel Dynamics-designed regulated return sys- tem that was built in-house with a num- ber of custom ﬁttings and ported banjo bolts. The low-pressure fuel system then feeds one whopper of a high-pressure oil pump in the form of a Stage II Stealth pump that ﬂows as much oil (7.3L’s use high pressure oil to ramp up fuel injection pressure) as two factory pumps.

To make the most of the multistage ni- trous system, injectors are monster 350cc units with 200-percent nozzles. Fuel is controlled by an ultra-cool Hydra chip that allows on-the-ﬂy adjustments using Power Hungry Performance tunes.

A PCS controller was used to dial in the E4OD trans- mission. Even with stock transmission shafts, the Diesel Dynamics-built unit has been very reliable.

Inside the Lightning, a plain and simple interior gets the job done. The most noticeable aspect of the in- side is the 25.5-spec roll cage built by James B’s Chassis Services.

TRANNY

The transmission backing the 7.3L Power Stroke is also diesel fare, as Diesel Dynamics built an E4OD speciﬁcally for this application. The transmission has also been upgraded with a TransGo shift kit, Alto Red Eagle clutches, a Mag-Hytec deep pan, and a Performance Torque Converters triple-disc converter. The transmission is controlled via a stand- alone PCS system, which is programmed by Diesel Dynamics. Luckily for the DD crew, Lightnings came with stout 8.8 rearends and plenty of aftermarket backing. The factory 8.8 was re- tained, but it was upgraded with a Strange Engineering spool, 31-spline axles, and 3.55 gears. Hanging the rearend is a set of Koni coil-over shocks and Quarter-Max ladder bars.

Up front is a very lightweight 5-lug wheel and tire combination. The wheels are 3.5-inch wide Champion Speed Series pieces, which mount track-only 26×7.50 Mickey Thompson Sportsman tires.

SUCCESS AT THE TRACK

While the team is still getting the truck dialed in, so far it’s run mid ‘7s in the eighth mile on fuel, and a lightning fast 6.28 with the aid of one stage of nitrous. The truck is also raced in the NHRDA’s 11.90 class and can be ballasted up from its 4,200-lb. weight for Pro Street once the truck gets sorted out. With the potential to run 9s in the quarter mile, Crede’s unique creation proves that everything becomes better when it’s diesel powered. DW