Jun

1999-04 Ford Lightning JLT Cold Air Intake Kit Install

Ashton has been busy with his SVT Lightning. If you have been following his build, you know he started with the interior of his Lightning with the first blog – Lightning Floor Mats. He went with the Lloyd “SVT F150” Black Mats. With his interior looking good, Ashton turned his attention to performance. The first performance mod he went with is the JLT Lightning Big Cold Air Intake Kit.

The JLT Intake Kit includes a 4” diameter inlet tube, a massive high flow air filter, heat shield for filter and a clean gloss black finish. While you hate to remove the SVT logo air box, a Lightning cold air intake can definitely add some extra horsepower that you can feel when you plant your foot on the throttle. If gaining some extra horsepower isn’t enough of a reason for you to add the intake, then the increase in the supercharger whine should help you make the decision. Let’s face it, it isn’t every day you pull up next to a truck that has the supercharger whine. So, pick up your Lightning JLT intake today – you will gain some extra horsepower, get better throttle response and best of all you will turn some heads with that distinct supercharger whine that we all love to hear!

Tools needed to install:

Flat head screwdriver
Utility knife
10mm ratchet & socket or wrench
12mm ratchet & socket or wrench

Install:

1) First disconnect the battery.

2) Start by unscrewing the 2 clamps holding the stock rubber intake tube connecting the throttle body and the MAF sensor.

3) There are 3 hoses connected to the bottom. Unplug all 3 of them, remove the 2 bigger hoses completely. One goes from the intake to the side of the supercharger, the other from the intake to the driver side of the motor. You will not be reusing them. Remove the “L” shapped connector on the smaller hose. You will reuse this hose later so do not remove it.

4) Remove the stock intake tube from the truck.

5) Unplug the mass air sensor and remove the air temp sensor from the back side of the air box.

6) Now, the box isn’t screwed or bolted down. Just pull straight up on it and it will literally “POP” free.

7) Once you have the box free, remove the 4 10mm bolts holding the mass air sensor to the box.

8) See instructions included in the kit on how to properly assemble the rubber intake elbow and JLT intake tube.

9) With the intake tube assembled, take the mass air sensor and the 4 bolts provided in the kit and bolt it to the heat shield.(Do not over tighten or you could damage the mass air sensor housing.) Install filter to mass air assembly.

10) Take the mass air sensor and filter half of the CAI and slide it in where the box originally was sitting.(The shroud over the filter can be adjusted to cover any part of the filter I just chose to cover the top and back of the filter.)

11) There is a rubber connector that goes on the other side of the MAF sensor. Go ahead and install that next. Using the flat blade screwdriver tighten down the clamp.(NOTE: if you have a 80mm Mass air sensor keep the rubber hose inside of the connector, if you have a 90mm you will remove it.)

12) Next install the JLT Intake tube and rubber connector to the throttle body and the mass air sensor. Make sure its at the angle you want it to sit at and using the flat blade screwdriver tighten down the clamps.

13) There will be 3 lengths of hose in the kit. One goes from the intake to the supercharger, the other goes from the intake to the drivers side of the motor (PCV Valve), the other is a smaller rubber hose that goes from the intake to the black hard plastic hose. Use the knife and cut all 3 to an appropriate length to fit your truck. Make sure all 3 are plugged in or your truck will not run correctly.

14) Plug in your mass air sensor back in and stick the air temp sensor in the rubber grommet in the plastic tube. Twist it half a turn to make sure its seated in there.

15) Now plug the battery back in and start it up! Listen to that whine!