If you are a loyal FordMuscle.com reader and you reach back into your memory box, you may recall the big dreams we had for a 2002 SVT Lightning, dubbed Project Zeus. Some might say it is an unfortunate reality that the more ambitious your dreams are, the more unlikely they are to become a reality. However, I think that’s exactly what makes something an accomplishment – when hard work, grit, know-how, and creativity all come together. It’s a beautiful marriage, and you can’t have one without the other two.

Unfortunately for Project Zeus, we had only the imagination. So while I’d like to say that there will be more from this series, there will not. What you are reading is the final chapter in a very short story. Nonetheless, we are going to make it count the best we can by providing you with knowledge on how to revive a project like this and get the Mod Motor in an F-150 running tip-top.

The DeatschWerks X3 hanger is robust, featuring dedicated power terminals for the fuel pumps and the ability to be set up in stages, all while retaining the factory fuel level sensor. The OEM pump on a stick didn’t offer these kinds of amenities or the ease of installing multiple pumps.

The Back Story

Our 2002 SVT Lightning came with worn-out drag radials and a smattering of upgrades, which made us believe the truck was probably making around 450-500 horsepower (at the crank). But it had some issues, starting with the fuel system. The existing setup, which featured twin aftermarket fuel pumps haphazardly mounted on the stick, was on its way out. We tested the pumps off-vehicle with an “isolated fuel cell,” and also found that the lines were gummed up with E85 that likely sat for at least two years. Although the injectors were cleanable, being cheap knock-off units, we decided against trying to salvage the piecemeal fuel system.

With the fuel system addressed, we investigated the poor braking situation. During a brief drive, untuned and without a pre-flight checklist completed (Editor’s Note: Don’t do this!), we noticed that the brakes were mushy, to say the least. There were a few tense moments as the truck ignored the red octagon at the end of the street despite our best efforts to push the brake pedal through the firewall, and we nearly had to resort to Plan B – the emergency brake. We decided to address this issue before getting the truck tuned.

What we found behind the dry-rotted and flat-spotted tires were seized calipers, brake rotors that were clinging to the last fiber of their metallurgy, and a wheel bearing that had seen much better days. The previously mentioned drag radials needed to be replaced, as well as the front tires.

After replacing the calipers with remanufactured units and installing EBC Brakes Yellowstuff brake pads and rotors, we swapped the worn rubber for Toyo Tires Proxes ST III tires on all four corners. Although this part of the build was far from exciting, it was a necessary step to make the old girl roadworthy again. With the fueling handled and the brake and tire combination providing safety, we could finally focus on the spark and tune. 

When Lightning Strikes

Ignition coils can be the bane of any mod motor’s existence, particularly 5.4-liter truck engines. This is a problem that is often amplified by user error: replacing failed coils with used ones that are “good” or buying cheap and poorly made replacements. Case in point, when we purchased the truck, we found a random batch of old coils in the truck bed. We decided against making this tempting mistake.

Having a supercharged powerplant under the hood of your hot rod always sounds like a great idea — until you have to remove the coils from under the fuel rail. While it could be worse, it’s reassuring to know that the new coils for Project Zeus are not only fresh but also provide increased voltage output to match the truck’s performance needs.

The solution, particularly in our case where the truck is already modified and more mods are in our future, is to go with a quality set of aftermarket coils from Performance Distributors. There’s a reason these are called “SOS” coils. The siren was heard, and Performance Distributors responded with a 40,000-volt replacement (stock is 25,000 volts). The increased spark energy ensures a more complete burn of the air-fuel mixture, which, in turn, means more power and greater efficiency. The greater the quantity of fuel in the chamber, the more important it is to have more energy to ignite it.

The Sultans Of Spark coils can be particularly effective in forced induction applications where boost can blow out the spark. Said another way, it can be harder for the spark to jump the gap in the spark plug. But the SOS coils allow you to open up the spark plug gaps — exposing more spark to the air-fuel mixture — and have a hotter spark, for a more complete burn, resulting in smoother idle and better throttle response.

Performance Distributors’ Sultans of Spark performance coils provide the spark needed for all internal combustion engines, especially in boosted applications. Adding more charged air into the mix can quickly blow out the spark, and closing the plug gap can lead to performance loss. However, with Performance Distributors’ coils, the higher voltage output allows you to increase the plug gap and avoid spark-related failures.

Brian Caruth at Performance Distributors explained that typical gaps for boosted applications range from .020 to .030-inch. With the Sultans of Spark coils, we could safely increase the gap by .0050 to .010-inch to fully leverage the enhanced voltage output. 

Another important consideration with your ignition system is rpm. We all know how peaky mod motors can be, and the higher RPM your engine runs, the less time the coil has to build voltage. Thus, our SOS coils would pay even larger dividends down the road with cams.

With the spark issue addressed and the fuel system revamped, it was time to use our SCT Performance X4 controller for a custom tune.

Base Tune Not Basic

After researching tuners for the modular platform, we came across a familiar name — Lee Blankenship, known for racing in the now-defunct NMRA series with his bright-orange 1996 Mustang in Open Comp and Modular Muscle. He agreed to tune Project Zeus, and his expertise in using SCT, HP Tuners, and Core tuning software for EFI Fords from 1986 forward meant we were in great hands, no matter what software we chose.

When you’re at a major Ford event and have plates that read I2NEM (a fantastic play on words for “I tune them”), you’re bound to be asked about tuning.

“Anytime you change the intake, exhaust (from the catalyst forward), fuel injectors, fuel system, and, of course, power adders and internal engine mods including camshafts, cylinder heads, or change displacement or compression, it will require a new calibration,” said Lee. “For Ford vehicles, to get started on the tuning process, I need to know the PCM strategy, fuel usage, and a full list of all modifications from stock.”

Once Lee had the list of modifications, we discussed the goals and expectations for the build, and after some thoughtful recommendations, he emailed a base file to download and upload to the SCT device. With the base tune uploaded, the truck fired up and ran great, but the job wasn’t quite done. “After getting the vehicle running with the base calibration, we need to datalog the vehicle’s various inputs and output controls and begin calibration adjustments or diagnostics if we see issues,” Lee explained.

The Wrap Up

While we don’t have a dyno graph or testing to back up the performance increases our 2002 SVT Lighting now enjoys, hopefully, it will inspire you to take someone’s derelict project, breathe new life into it, and make it your own. The foundation we laid here would allow for a supercharger swap and a built engine – both necessities if you want to exceed 450-rwhp on a Gen 2. If you’ve got a Gen 2 Lightning, please fill our inbox with photos and specs on your truck ([email protected]). We need more of this in our lives to fill the void from Project Zeus.