Up until now, if you wanted to have a fast F-150 you had to buy a Lightning. Not that this was a bad thing, but there were only so many to go around, and the price tag may have been a little more than some folks wanted or could afford to spend. But a lot of those same folks also wanted to go fast, and by that we mean faster than the stock 5.4-liter, three-valve-per-cylinder Triton engine could deliver in its stock configuration. Not that the Triton, putting out a claimed 300 hp, could be called slow, but there’s always room for some performance improvement when it comes to satisfying enthusiast tastes. 

When it comes to improving horsepower, one of the main names is Magna Charger. Long known for its supercharger systems for Chevy pickups and even hot rods, Magna Charger has more recently turned its attention to the Blue Oval. It was in late 2005 that the company introduced a system for the ’04-’06 Ford F-150 pickup truck equipped with the 5.4-liter Triton engine. Aiming to improve horsepower and torque in the 1,200-5,500-rpm range, Magna Charger chose to utilize its fifth-generation MP112 hybrid Roots-style supercharger system in this effort. The Gen 5 is equipped with an internal bypass valve, which the Magna Charger folks say reduces parasitic losses while cruising for increased efficiency and economy. Also, the Magna Charger system is intercooled, and everyone knows that cool air is denser than hot air, and denser air makes more power. 

Okay, but what does that mean to the guy who wants to add more power to his truck? Magna Charger claims that its system is good for an increase of 140-plus hp over the factory numbers, and we don’t doubt those claims. This translates into real power, as it means that the F-150 will now put out around 430-450 hp. That’s some serious power.

There are differences in every kit, just as there are differences in the various truck manufacturers. Though the Ford system doesn’t need to run an additional fuel pump as the Chevys do, it does have one oddity. Unlike the Chevy, which is reprogrammed using a Superchips programmer, the Ford computer must be pulled out of the truck and sent in to be reprogrammed. Magna Charger supplies a prepaid box and says that this mod will take only a few working days. 

It is recommended that a professional mechanic install the system, and that does make sense should a problem occur, but this is an install that is possible for a talented, do-it-at-home type of guy who enjoys not only the work but knowing exactly what everything is, where it goes and what it does. We were on hand as the folks at Magna Charger installed its new kit on this Ford F-150. It took them the better part of a day, and they know what they are doing. So use that timeframe to gauge how long it is going to take you (or your mechanic, who may not have installed one of these kits). Follow along and watch and learn how a Ford is made to go F(ast).