Superchip

[NDPhann]

I want to get more horses out of my 1995 Continental. Is a Superchip the easy way to go? http://www.lincolnsonline.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

[pro-five-oh]

That is a good place to start and is certainly the easiest way! The chip will make the car shift faster, bump up the timing, and kill the speed governer.

The only catch is that you have to use premium fuel...right now you can use 87 octane and not hurt the engine.

[NDPhann]

Pro --

My '95 already requires premium. I don't think they made the modifications to lower the octane requirements until '97 or '98, so the high octane stuff isn't really an issue. I'm already used to getting hammered at the pump! Are there any adverse effects associated with installing a Superchip? And would a freer breathing air filter help too?

Ross

[pro-five-oh]

I do not know of any adverse effects of using a superchip. Some have claimed that since these suckers increase line pressure in your transmission--that's why they shift better with a chip--they can reduce the life of the tranny. But stock computers make the tranny wait to shift smoother...I think that practice causes more damage to transmission internals than any increase in line pressure.

Actually you do NOT have to use premium. All 1986-up Fords are equipped with an engine knock sensor that automatically retards engine timing if lower octane gas is used. You get less power, but it won't hurt anything. My mom has a 1999 Conti and since it is a lease car, we usually put 87 octane in it to save $$$.

A better (K&N) air filter will help but probably not enough to make a noticable difference. Yet, removing the air silencer (inside the front end of the car) would help in conjuction with a K&N filter. When you remove the air cleaner you will see that the housing is bolted to something on the other side of the sheetmetal.

I am not to sure about what the Continental's silencer looks like, but I am sure it is there and it muzzles the engine just like every other Ford silencer. Our '99 Conti's lease is getting over this May, so I'll take a look under there just to see it.

[This message has been edited by pro-five-oh (edited March 16, 2001).]

[NDPhann]

Thanks for the info. I would guess that the silencer quiets the engine down under moderate to hard acceleration so you loose that "Giant Hoover" noise from under the hood. Kind of the same effect that you used to get from your old carb-type car when you flipped the top of the air cleaner over to get an instant, no cost open element set up!

Ross

[Bill Murray]

Morning Ross:

I've learned the hard way not to come off as an expert, but do qualify as an enthusiastic amateur.

Having said that, the majority of the boards I belong to are solidly in favor of the "chip'nfilter" modification. I have that setup on my '99 Lightning and have been totally satisfied. I also have a full Bassani exhaust system, but that was rather a waste of money at least on an 'L.

I will shortly do that setup on my '92 TC and fully expect to get the same satisfaction. I won't do it on Pat's 98 Continental as we lease it but I know those mods would address almost all of my disappointment with that particular car.

As Pro-five-oh has stated, the chip takes out the timing retard, speed limiter and I believe also a bit of fuel flow retard when the vehicle is shifting. Depending on the chip you get, they can do quite a lot of other things as well, but a "normal" performance chip should suffice for normal driving. As to my Continental, I do like the car, but the mushy shifts take all of the "spirit" out of an otherwise good performing car.

My Lightning picked up 28 horsepower at the rear wheels (On a Nascar certified dyno) with zero relearn time which is consistent with other's experiences. I use a specific Lightning intake system that is said to give another 15 or so but I have not retested it since installing the filter or the exhaust.

Shifting under normal throttle is quite firm but not obnoxious. Full throttle shifts are a whole 'nother ball game and the vehicle will slam you into your seat. On a supercharged motor, the open, conical air filter really wakes up the blower and the sound is a bit scary and not a little addicting. It would still sound good on your car just not quite as visceral.

I have a couple of chips and am now running a two position Superchips version. Position 1 is stock and position 2 is performance. You might wish to contact the following gentleman who has been very helpful to me.
MTroyer@Compuserve.com He is a local distributor for Superchips, owns an LSC and is very knowledgable not only about chips but also Lincolns.

Sorry to be so long. Hope this helps.
Bill

[NDPhann]

Bill --

Thanks for the great info!

Ross

[pro-five-oh]

Bill--Terrific insight!

Ross--I took a look into the '99 Conti's air silencer and it is one restrictive mother! The airbox itself is pretty large (so is that cylinderical air filter) but it shrinks down to 1/2 its circumference as it goes into the front end. Bummer! I haven't seen a modified airbox on a 1988-present Continental, but it could be done with some careful "de-engineering." I would do it to mine, but...well...that lease IS coming up real soon http://www.lincolnsonline.com/ubb/wink.gif

I think a modest chip, K&N filter, removal (by unbolting or cutting off) of the air silencer could add 10-20hp on a Continental. That's not to mention the better throttle responce of the chip and all that extra airflow.

[Lscman]

Bill,
I'd like to see that Lightning on a Road Race Track. The late April event at Pocono NASCAR Raceway had a 1st generation Lightning with a Vortec that was eating Corvette's. It was humorous.

[Bill Murray]

Lscman:

It would seem that the skidpad numbers for the Gen II L's would indicate that they could hold their own with a lot of more traditional "sporty" cars.

If you want to surf a little bit, go to www.f150online.com (http://www.f150online.com) and get into the Lightning forum and do a search on slaloms, SCCA or whatever and you will find at least a half dozen Lightning owners from both coasts and the middle that dabble in rallycross and the like.

As for myself, I ran Volvo 142s and SAAB 99 and 900 coupes as a total amateur "lets have a ball" type racer. All of this was off road or ice/lake type stuff. The only time I ran on a prepared track was during a lot of "Press Days" activities. Managed to scare the living **** out of a lot of journalists, read (Car Talk, Friday/Saturday Wheels) sort of folk.

Interestingly, all of these cars were normally aspirated even after the introduction of fuel injection and eventually computer controlled engine systems. The turbos were, at that time, too unstable and when the boost came on it made for some unfortunate excursions into the tundra or whatever. I realize that nowadays that tendency has been tamed, but remember that I gave up this sort of stuff in the mid 1980's, at about the same time I gave up riding Harley's as my peripheral vision was not good enough to keep me from getting "front doored" by little old ladies in CT who "didn't see me coming" and turned in front of me.

I have the utmost admiration for any Lightning owner who autocrosses as I cannot imagine pulling those G's sitting some six feet above the pavement. For me, the lower to the ground the better.

Try the link I posted and you may well find some kindred folk whom you may be able to hook up with.


------------------
Bill Murray
1992 Town Car
No mods yet but soon to be a 300 plus hp sleeper.
HobbyTown USA/Kennesaw Ga.(Altanta area)
E:Mail MOSTOYSINC@AOL.COM

[Lscman]

Bill,

I really prefer owning a truck to haul and a light sports car with a good chassis to go fast and a fat luxury car to travel in. Still, the novelty of seeing a vehicle like a Lightning perform well out of it's element is...well, intriquing and memorable. That's why I enjoy road racing my Mark VII. Some people enjoy having one hand tied behind their back or defeating common sense. As I think back on my childhood, I recall 300 mile road trips on a 65cc motorcycle amongst respectible rides. I liked the humor in it, as did the other's I rode with. Kinda like a mini bike to Denver....hmmm, looks dumb and dumber in retrospect. When the competition gets real tough I use the proper tool, my Vette. It gets passed more often though, as I sit broken down with the hood up.