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Tech: Hellion Twin-Turbo Raptor

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By EditorTurner

Tech: Hellion Twin-Turbo Raptor

Double Trouble

Blow-By Racing and Hellion Power Systems multiply the SVT Raptor’s fun by two turbos

By Steve Turner
Photos courtesy of Steve Gelles/Blow-By Racing and Hellion Power Systems

Ford Special Vehicle Team main man Jamal Hameedi called on his background with the company’s Rough Rider off-road racing trucks to create one of the biggest performance vehicle success stories in recent Blue Oval memory. The SVT Raptor is equally at home cruising across desert terrain at triple-digit speeds as it is cruising the streets. Those attributes have contributed to its success.

One of the meanest-looking rides on the road, the SVT Raptor is an impressive performer in stock form. Add a Hellion Power Systems twin-turbo system and your smiles per gallon go way up.
One of the meanest-looking rides on the road, the SVT Raptor is an impressive performer in stock form. Add a Hellion Power Systems twin-turbo system and your smiles per gallon go way up.

As cool as the Raptor is—and it’s cool enough to make those indifferent to trucks want one—the typical customer for a performance pickup, like Ford’s prehistoric performer, isn’t one to just leave well enough alone. Of course if you want more than a standard vehicle, odds are you want even more once the newness wears off.

Such was the case with our friends at Hellion Power Systems in Albuquerque, New Mexico. “Hellion co-owner Dwayne James purchased one of the first 6.2 Raptors when they came out, and we immediately felt it needed more power,” Hellion co-owner and NMRA Outlaw superstar John Urist explained. “That’s when the project started.”

The Hellion system includes two Precision billet 62mm V-band turbos; two Turbosmart 40mm V-band wastegates; two Turbosmart VEE-port bypass valves; a large vertical-flow, dual-inlet intercooler; dual 3-inch downpipes, and the aforementioned tubular, stainless-steel headers.
The Hellion system includes two Precision billet 62mm V-band turbos; two Turbosmart 40mm V-band wastegates; two Turbosmart VEE-port bypass valves; a large vertical-flow, dual-inlet intercooler; dual 3-inch downpipes, and the aforementioned tubular, stainless-steel headers.

If you aren’t familiar with Hellion, the company is born out of John’s racing success with various power adders. This led he and Dwayne to create a company dedicated to building bolt-on turbo systems for various American machines. Obviously in our world, the Hellion turbos have propelled numerous super-powered Mustangs, Boss 302s, and Shelby GT500s.

While the Raptor is obviously a performance vehicle, it is also meant to prowl in much harsher environments than even the racing environments some of these Mustangs compete in. As such, the Hellion crew took the truck’s mission into consideration when creating its turbo system for the SVT truck. “We built the system with off-road in mind,” John said. “Everything—from the turbo brackets to the piping —is designed to ensure sturdiness and durability.”

Built like all of the Hellion systems, the 2011-2014 SVT Raptor Twin-Turbo System features an all-stainless-steel construction using precision CNC equipment to ensure an easy fitment. As it turns out, all the work was with it, as the big Raptor engine really responds well to two turbos. “The 6.2 engine, with its increased size, allows us to make more low-end power, which works out great in a heavier vehicle such as the F-150,” John added.

To see what a twin-turbo Raptor sounds like, check out this Hellion vid:

Now, as luck would have it, our friends at Blow-By Racing recently installed the system on a customer truck and offered to share their results with us.

It also includes 47lb/hr injectors and a handheld programmer with a base tune for $8,995. You can add optional upgrades like boost controllers, larger turbos, and more to take the performance all the way up to 1,200 horsepower if you have the engine and supporting gear to live there.
It also includes 47lb/hr injectors and a handheld programmer with a base tune for $8,995. You can add optional upgrades like boost controllers, larger turbos, and more to take the performance all the way up to 1,200 horsepower if you have the engine and supporting gear to live there.

“The Raptor install is very straight-forward and the instructions were step-by-step. It is a time consuming process, and there are lots of part to remove and install, but it is well worth it when all is completed,” Blow-By Racing’s Chris Jones explained. “We estimate a 20-hour install time.”

By looking at the results, we’d definitely say the Hellion system is worth the effort, and Hellion’s main man agrees. “BBR showed exactly what we saw on our R&D vehicles, over 650 engine horsepower with only 7 psi,” John explained. “That is also done with a Third-gear pull, which will show lower numbers than a Fourth-gear pull. BBR likes to pull the trucks in Third so the speed is kept lower considering the size of the tires.”

More importantly, the BBR customer loves his twin-turbo truck. “He was very excited and still is,” Chris enthused. “And, even now after two weeks, I still get messages about how much he loves the truck.”

A benefit of the Hellion system is that it ditches the factory cast manifolds in favor of high-flow tubular headers bent and welded by the experts at Bassani Xhaust. The crew at Bassani builds all the tubing for the Hellion kits, which ensures a repeatable fit and keeps a steady supply of kits on the shelf at Hellion HQ.
A benefit of the Hellion system is that it ditches the factory cast manifolds in favor of high-flow tubular headers bent and welded by the experts at Bassani Xhaust. The crew at Bassani builds all the tubing for the Hellion kits, which ensures a repeatable fit and keeps a steady supply of kits on the shelf at Hellion HQ.
One beauty of working on a larger vehicle like the F-150-based Raptor is there is plenty of room for the huge, vertical flow, dual-inlet intercooler, which tames inlet temps under the harshest of conditions.
One beauty of working on a larger vehicle like the F-150-based Raptor is there is plenty of room for the huge, vertical flow, dual-inlet intercooler, which tames inlet temps under the harshest of conditions.

“We have worked hand-in-hand with Hellion and Chris from Dyno Edge—a dyno shop local to Hellion—to get this tune perfect. The truck drives and shifts perfect,” Chris added. “Currently we have been using 47 lb/hr injector and testing has started with larger injectors now. Hopefully all tests will be completed in a few weeks. This truck is 100-percent stock—right down to the cats, resonator, and full exhaust. We need to see how far we can go. Right now the dyno graphs show that at 10-11 psi we are out of fuel. At 11 psi we made 630 horsepower and 601 lb-ft of torque (at the wheels).”

The base Hellion kit is design to amplify the performance of a stock truck with a modest 5 pounds of boost. These trucks typically baseline in the 330-horsepower range at the rear wheels. With just over 4.5 psi, the BBR Raptor project laid down 436.58 hp and 456.36 lb-ft of torque at the wheels.
The base Hellion kit is design to amplify the performance of a stock truck with a modest 5 pounds of boost. These trucks typically baseline in the 330-horsepower range at the rear wheels. With just over 4.5 psi, the BBR Raptor project laid down 436.58 hp and 456.36 lb-ft of torque at the wheels.
Inching up over 5.3 pounds of boost, the Raptor responded by laying down 471.11 horsepower and 481.58 lb-ft of torque at the wheels.
Inching up over 5.3 pounds of boost, the Raptor responded by laying down 471.11 horsepower and 481.58 lb-ft of torque at the wheels.
Ramping up to 6.64 psi, the power jumped up over five bills to 516.97 hp and 525.13 lb-ft of torque.
Ramping up to 6.64 psi, the power jumped up over five bills to 516.97 hp and 525.13 lb-ft of torque.
Approaching 10 psi, at 9.72 pounds, the truck laid down 590.08 horsepower and 565.69 lb-ft of torque.
Approaching 10 psi, at 9.72 pounds, the truck laid down 590.08 horsepower and 565.69 lb-ft of torque.
At just under 11 psi, the truck is really starting to rumble as it registered 626.55 horsepower and 596.51 lb-ft of torque.
At just under 11 psi, the truck is really starting to rumble as it registered 626.55 horsepower and 596.51 lb-ft of torque.
Just eclipsing 11 psi the Blow-By Racing crew noted that it was time to stop testing, as the fuel system was reaching its limits with the 47 lb/hr injectors. However, the results were quite impressive, with the twin-turbo 6.2 yielding 630.08 horsepower and 601.63. “Our tune stayed exactly the same on every boost change. This tune is spot on,” Chris added. “We are conservative on timing, and this truck is loving the boost. I will say this kit is more fun at 3 psi than the last few twin screw kits at 7 to 8 psi. On 6.6 psi this truck simply roasts the 38 x12.5-20 tires at 20 mph.”
Just eclipsing 11 psi the Blow-By Racing crew noted that it was time to stop testing, as the fuel system was reaching its limits with the 47 lb/hr injectors. However, the results were quite impressive, with the twin-turbo 6.2 yielding 630.08 horsepower and 601.63. “Our tune stayed exactly the same on every boost change. This tune is spot on,” Chris added. “We are conservative on timing, and this truck is loving the boost. I will say this kit is more fun at 3 psi than the last few twin screw kits at 7 to 8 psi. On 6.6 psi this truck simply roasts the 38 x12.5-20 tires at 20 mph.”

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