05-18-06: You just bought your Ford GT. You waited for the prices to come down and for the right color combination to come along. Now that you have a few miles under your belt you have been thinking that 550 horsepower isn’t enough. “Time for some mods,” you say.
The engineers at Roush Performance are on it. They have just released a replacement pulley kit that can add an additional 25 rear wheel horsepower to the Ford GT’s 5.4 liter supercharged monster motor.
While you might shudder at the thought of bolt-on modifications for the car you just bought instead of a vacation condo, let not your heart be troubled. Roush Performance is well known for their development of supercharger systems, they are likely more qualified than anyone to design OEM quality aftermarket parts for the the Ford GT.
The Roush GT Pulley Kit replaces the stock supercharger pulley and first sheave FEAD belt (Front End Assembly Drive) with a smaller diameter pulley. This increases the speed of the supercharger, which causes an increase in the amount of airflow and equates to greater engine output. Though results will vary, typical performance gains are around 25 horsepower and 25 lb.-ft. of torque at the rear wheels.
The kit comes complete with the smaller diameter pulley, a replacement first sheave FEAD belt, two quarts of S/C gear case oil, a front cover to bearing plate sealant and complete installation instructions. The kit fits all 2005-2006 model year Ford GT's.
You can do the install yourself but this project is more involved than the 30 minute Mustang Cobra pulley swaps that have been all the rage. Starting off, the GT 5.4 engine has an external belt driven oil pump. Its belt and shroud have to be removed in order to free the supercharger belt. Because its on the bottom of the engine, having the car on a lift is really the only easy way to accomplish this. Since you have a $200,000 super-car, you are likely to have access to such a device.
An extremely tight engine compartment requires the supercharger be removed from the engine for the pulley swap. Removal is pretty straight forward with disconnection of various wiring harnesses, hoses and cables. Eight bolts removed and you have lift off. The front “snout” housing that carries the input shaft and pulley needs to be separated from the supercharger. This assures you can properly remove and replace the pulley. This operation requires draining the gear oil from the case and following specific procedures to keep from damaging the unit.
With a three-jaw puller the stock pulley comes right off. Roush recommends a hydraulic press to install the new pulley. This insures that the pulley sets straight and far enough onto the input shaft. Once this step is complete, you reassemble the supercharger housing and refill it with the S/C gear case oil included in the kit. Roush provides all the necessary sealant to properly reassemble the supercharger as well. From that point you reverse all the disassembly steps to finish the job.
We would call this a 4 hammer job on a scale of 5 only because of the expense risk involved with breaking something. But the reality is that if you have a Ford GT you either have a great shop in mind in which to have this done or you have the expertise to handle the install quite well. Important to remember is that Roush provides very detailed instructions to lead you or your technician through the steps with confidence. Because of the many intricate steps we don't recommend you try this job without them.
With a suggested retail of $300.76, the Roush GT Pulley Kit is a small price to pay for GT owners who want to be sure that theirs is ranked among the fastest on the planet. More information can be found online at www.RoushPerformance.com.
 
Tools Needed:
• METRIC SOCKET SET ¼” AND 3/8” DRIVE
• TORX BIT SET
• ALLEN SOCKET SET
• METRIC WRENCH SET
• ½” DRIVE BREAKER BAR OR RATCHET
• ½” DRIVE 3” EXTENSION
• HOSE CLAMP PLIERS
• 3/16” ALLEN WRENCH
• 3 JAW PULLEY PULLER
• FLAT BLADE SCREW DRIVER
• FORD GT WORK SHOP SERVICE MANUAL
Also Recommended:
• HYDRAULIC PRESS
• VEHICLE LIFT
|
