Spider Bracket Kit Available for Triton Engine

In the near future, upfitters are going to receive some help when installing auxiliary front-engine drive equipment on Ford Triton gasoline engines. Visteon Component Sales Group of Livonia, Michigan will be offering a spider-styled crankshaft support pulley for sale to qualified and accepted vendors for Visteon products. Ford released a technical bulletin announcing a new front-engine accessory drive (FEAD) kit and highlighting installation techniques to insure proper cooling efficiencies and reduce the risk of excessive front crankshaft radial loading. Under Ford's Quality Vehicle Modifier Program (QVM) bulletin Q-62 (NTEA bulletin T99-8), 1999 and 2000 model year Econoline and F-series pickups/chassis cabs equipped with the Triton- 5.4L V-8 or 6.8L V-10 will be eligible to use the FEAD kit to make installation of front-engine mount componentry possible. The heart of the kit is the new crankshaft extension support pulley. This is essentially a spider-design pulley that utilizes existing front engine block studs for attachment points. Because of interference with the factory-cooling fan, the new spider crankshaft support will require the addition of the extended-hub water pump assembly. This is included in the kit. The kit-supplied water pump is a cast iron housing that will replace the factory installed aluminum water pump. Ford does not recommend the extension of the factory installed water pump for any applications. The extended water pump will affect fan immersion and blade-tip clearances. Ford is instructing vehicle upfitters to trim the fan shroud on 5.4L engines by 32mm. For the 6.8L engine, the fan shroud should be trimmed as required. In both cases, a critical measurement is the fan to radiator clearance. The minimum allowance for this measurement is 39mm. The 5.4L kit has a new fan clutch assembly enclosed with the kit. Use the existing fan clutch assembly for the V-10, 6.8L engine. Both kits run on an eight-groove serpentine belt. The kits are distributed and marketed by Visteon Component Sales Group, Livonia Michigan. The toll-free number is 877-682-4276, and should be used exclusively for credit-application information. Visteon has not released a number for technical information. A Visteon official reports that the kits will be available for shipment in the near future.