Waldo
GT Owner
HeritageBruce started one in this thread: http://www.fordgtforum.com/forums/showthread.php?19864-Whipple-Power-Compilation&highlight=whipple. It just needs to be updated.
John Mihovetz [ ACCUFAB ] Modifying my crankshaft
- Thread starter Lorenzo
- Start date
HeritageBruce started one in this thread: http://www.fordgtforum.com/forums/showthread.php?19864-Whipple-Power-Compilation&highlight=whipple. It just needs to be updated.
BlackICE
GT Owner
I would be interested in Shadowman's opinion since he is the one working on the car with this upgraded crank. When will he post his viewpoint?
I think the engine was shipped to an expert Ford engine builder with a HUGE reputation for a reason - because HE (John) is the expert where others are not. Something would be really odd if you didn't have both the phone and email of a person who has worked on your GT. If you want their opinion on a topic, it would seem easy enough for you to get it.
I Am fully aware of everything that is going on however i hoped that Shadowman rather than myself would share it with the forum so nothing is missed. In the case of this project John and Shadowman discussed it at length with Shadowman originally to tend to the motor within his facility at Discovery Automotive however because of the custom machine work that was to be completed it made more sense to have John more intimately involved, no suprises here,I have been apprised and kept in the loop every step of the way.
I am not in the business of crying wolf unless I see one. Everyone has been advised of the issue. No, there is no easy fix, but I do have one. Don't wait until the balancer flies off because the repair costs will probably be triple due to the damage done.
As for Ford, theres a reason that they double keyed the '10 Cobra Jets. Pretty sure they would not have spent the money unless it was necessary. No a lighter flywheel or balancer will not work. Actually it will make it worse.
Anyone with questions, feel free to call me and I will try to help you. 909-930-1751
Best regards to all and Happy Holidays
John Mihovetz
As for Ford, theres a reason that they double keyed the '10 Cobra Jets. Pretty sure they would not have spent the money unless it was necessary. No a lighter flywheel or balancer will not work. Actually it will make it worse.
Anyone with questions, feel free to call me and I will try to help you. 909-930-1751
Best regards to all and Happy Holidays
John Mihovetz
Fubar
Totally ****** Up
I'm not in a panic by any means. This modification is one of MANY on my wish list. I just know that I have almost double the OEM output of the motor in this car... certain issues are to be expected. The crank will come right after I nut-up and put a motec on the old girl. I fully believe that an ECU upgrade will do more for the longevity of the motor than anything else. However, as stated before, no more power until I can get a 'built' bottom end.
Thanks for post Lorenzo, more picture when you get time plz.
Thanks for post Lorenzo, more picture when you get time plz.
Waldo
GT Owner
Here is a look at the second keyway and new cam sprocket. The OEM keyway is not visible in this photo.
Followed by the crankshaft sensor ring. Here you can see the OEM keyway.
The result of CNC porting and hand finishing.
last but not least the larger valve pockets and seats.
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Indy GT
Yea, I got one...too
My gosh, look here, we got a Hemi....!
ICE, I am with you and Mullet here as well. This is much to do about nothing. Where is the spade of crank failures, from even the guys with 200% factory power levels, to justify the costly expense of pulling out a perfectly good crank to add another balancer keyway (which introduces additional stress risers to the crank snout) to guard against something which already has a low probability of occurance. Owners get all worked up over some perceived "design flaw" which just DOES NOT exist.
And the Innovations West balancer topic has been discussed adnauseam. Do a search and pull up my treatise on harmonic balancers, what they do, why you need them and why lighter is not necessarily better. And yes the dampers used on the front engined GT500 are different than our midengined GTs for several reasons. Go see my previous post.
And Merry Christmas to all!
2112
Blue/white 06'
Indy GT, Thanks for the reply. As always a welth of technical knowledge. I couldn't agree more that to pull a perfectly good running motor from one of these cars because someone is concerned about the keyway or balancer would be very silly. Mine on the other hand was already out for other reasons and the work i had preformed was done as an addition to my other modifications. i did not intend to stir up a hornets nest when i posted the thread but rather was just sharing what was being done to my motor. Either way at the end of the day what John and Bill are doing for me makes me happy.
Merry X-Mass to all and to all a good night.
Merry X-Mass to all and to all a good night.
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Fast Freddy
GPS'D 225 MPH
thank you so much for that link :thumbsup Bony's post on the last page says it all for me :usa case closed :cheers
Fubar
Totally ****** Up
Has anybody every tried to adapt a pulley for use on the whipple, that would free-spin when your motor drops rpm (ie: shift gears)? It seems like that would relieve 90% of the stress on the crank. I would love to hear some technical input on the idea.
Sinovac
GT Owner
The 2007 GT500 came with an extremely nose heavy damper . The 2008 and later GT500s came with a much lighter damper. The photograph below shows the significant difference between the two.
I understand that the 2007 GT500 damper is similar in design, and was based on, the Ford GT damper. Perhaps someone can post a picture of the Ford GT damper.
Ford recommends that the 2008 and later damper be used on 2007 GT500s that get a supercharger upgrade (i.e higher boost) to "prevent crankshaft failure." See the link below for the references in the Ford Racing catalog (pages 155 and 156).
http://www.fordracingparts.com/2011-catalog/
Ford has recognized an issue with the heavy damper in higher than stock boost applications, at least on the GT500.
I understand that the 2007 GT500 damper is similar in design, and was based on, the Ford GT damper. Perhaps someone can post a picture of the Ford GT damper.
Ford recommends that the 2008 and later damper be used on 2007 GT500s that get a supercharger upgrade (i.e higher boost) to "prevent crankshaft failure." See the link below for the references in the Ford Racing catalog (pages 155 and 156).
http://www.fordracingparts.com/2011-catalog/
Ford has recognized an issue with the heavy damper in higher than stock boost applications, at least on the GT500.
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Sinovac
GT Owner
Notwithstanding the previous thread that beat this issue to death, since Ford now recommends a lighter damper on the 2007 GT500 when installing a larger supercharger, I don't understand why a lighter damper can't be used on the Ford GT to minimize the risk of crankshaft failure. I believe the "crankshaft failure" to be minimized with the lighter, redesigned damper on the 2008 and later GT500 is the same failure discussed above, so it seems logical to me that a lighter damper would work on the Ford GT.
Sinovac
GT Owner
Here is a picture of the 10% overdrive damper I installed on my GT500. It is next to the stock 2008 damper. The 2007 GT500 damper is solid in the middle, whereas the 2008 damper had quite a bit of material removed from the middle, as well as the front. I wasn't concerned with the stock damper since I already had the redesigned, lighter damper. The overdrive damper provides more boost and looks cool. Ford uses this damper on the Cobra Jets.
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Sinovac, I think the contraversy here is that there has only been ONE crank failure and it was on a heavily moded engine and who knows mabie that crank had an underlying issue and would have failed regardless. However, In hind sight i wish i would have never started this thread. After all this contriversy i would still do it all over again the same way. Bid deal so you have to pull the motor or mabie you can do it in the car if your lucky. i never second guessed John and Bill's decision to do what they did and never will. In a nut shell a stock motor wont have a problem. a motor with increased Boost might or might not depending on how it's driven. I might get hit by a bus crossing the ****ing street today or i might not. I bought this thing to play with and thats what im going to do. Next winter im going to tear into it again and do something else, i just haven't thought of what yet.
Sinovac
GT Owner
Lorenzo,
With the way 95% of the Ford GT owners drive their cars, they should not be concerned with any stress related failures IMO. They are imagining problems that will never occur. For the other 5%, be prepared to pay for pushing the envelope and don't complain if something goes boom. I am heavily modifying my GT500 and if it blows I won't complain that Ford didn't expect me to nearly double the horsepower and build the short block accordingly. I'll simply build a stronger rotating assembly. We should all be happy these 5.4 motors are as stout as they are. I am amazed that so few failures have happened with highly modified GTs.
The point of my posts was to relate Ford's recommendations regarding the lighter damper on the GT500 and the possible comparison to the GT. Don't regret starting the thread. I love a good debate when people know what they are talking about.
With the way 95% of the Ford GT owners drive their cars, they should not be concerned with any stress related failures IMO. They are imagining problems that will never occur. For the other 5%, be prepared to pay for pushing the envelope and don't complain if something goes boom. I am heavily modifying my GT500 and if it blows I won't complain that Ford didn't expect me to nearly double the horsepower and build the short block accordingly. I'll simply build a stronger rotating assembly. We should all be happy these 5.4 motors are as stout as they are. I am amazed that so few failures have happened with highly modified GTs.
The point of my posts was to relate Ford's recommendations regarding the lighter damper on the GT500 and the possible comparison to the GT. Don't regret starting the thread. I love a good debate when people know what they are talking about.
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