2.9L & 3.0L V6 Tech General discussion of 2.9L and 3.0L V6 Ford Ranger engines.

Performance parts help.

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Old 04-22-2010
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Performance parts help.

hey ive been wanting to do something to my truck performance wise but have no idea what where or how would be he best way to approach this situation.

any place i should start specifically about the only thing i know performance wise is a cold air intake.
 
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Old 04-22-2010
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CAI's are a joke
i bet others will explain more on this later but basically bolt on cone filter intakes suck in air from your engine bay....have you ever opened your hood after driving for a few minutes? its not cold
unless you build an intake that sucks air from outside the engine bay (fender well, grill, hood scoop)...you'll be sucking in hot air and hot air is bad for performance.

start with underdrive pulleys or a drop in filter ( k&N)

you'll see minor gains with those just to get your feet wet....
 
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Old 04-22-2010
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the engine bay is still hot with out a cai....adding one doesnt make your intake suck in hot air.... its going to either way. besides the facotry box is restrictive as hell... adding the cai increases the flow of air into the intake, its not much of a gian but it helps. also adds throttle resopnce
 
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Old 04-22-2010
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Well Walter , after looking at your profile , you have a '98 3.0 .
Don't expect to make it a "Super Truck".
3.0's are reliable , when taken care of , but don't expect high performance.
About the only best mods you can do is an underdrive pulley setup like Stig said.
Is this your DD (daily driver) ?
 
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Old 04-22-2010
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yes its a daily driver but i dont go many places but my local town and school no crazy road tripping for me.

i have the truck and just got the whole thing running tight after a few things going wrong (bad alternator spark plug wires some odds and ends, brand new everything for brakes) but now im just lookig to do something in general to take up time. Love the truck to death but i see so many people with so much done to theirs and just want to get down and dirty and do something with it. problem is i mostly know how to fix cars and trucks not enhance them.

so about these underdrive pulleys i did some research and apparently they mess with a/c and some other things but in general what are they supposed to do? im not trying to do something crippling for a few more horsepower.
 
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Old 04-22-2010
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in order of performance gain:
1. programmer (superchips, jetchips, bamachips) will run you between $100.0-$200.0 (used) / $300.00-$400.0 (new)
2. underdrive pulleys
3. E-fan (electric fan)
4. larger air intake

for my intake, I used the stock intake box, but removed all the guts as well as the port from behind the headlamp. blocked it off from the rest of the engine bay so it is only sucking air in that comes from outside. also I built something that will direct the incoming air right at the cone filter. sort of making it a short ram intake, but not quite.
 
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Old 04-23-2010
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Good idea on the intake i might have to mod mine like that.
 
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Old 04-23-2010
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This was a post (may have been on TRS) on a good test
for aftermarket intakes / filters:

I don't know how many of you caught this post in the link I posted, but the test this guy did is pretty conclusive test that the OEM intake and paper filter IS NOT the limiting factor for airflow into the engine, and you won't get any more airflow with the K&N. And on top of that, it's with a GM product!!!:icon_rofl:


"Only way to really know is to read your Mass Airflow Sensor on a scanner with both filters. Take a WOT run and record the highest MAF reading, then swap filters and go for another run. If there's a considerably higher reading with the K&N, then your engine is outflowing the paper filter. If they're similar, then the engine is not making any more power with one vs. another, no matter what your "butt dyno" is telling you.

Sometimes the K&N filters make the airbox louder, but really aren't doing anything else. People tend to equate more noise with more power lots of times too.

On my old '97 Grand Prix, I saw MAF readings of 19.8#/min with a new Wix paper filter, a K&N drop-in filter, an open cone, and an aftermarket CAI. This tells me that the engine was breathing just as well thru a paper filter as it was thru any other filter I tried. The paper filter and factory airbox were of sufficient flow rates for this engine."
 
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Old 04-23-2010
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Originally Posted by fourliter dan
the engine bay is still hot with out a cai....adding one doesnt make your intake suck in hot air.... its going to either way. besides the facotry box is restrictive as hell... adding the cai increases the flow of air into the intake, its not much of a gian but it helps. also adds throttle resopnce
fail
 
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Old 04-23-2010
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how so. my mpg went up....
 
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Old 04-23-2010
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Originally Posted by fourliter dan
how so. my mpg went up....
Mine did too
 
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Old 04-23-2010
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Originally Posted by fourliter dan
how so. my mpg went up....
ditto for me.
 

Last edited by d0sitmatr; 04-24-2010 at 10:45 PM.
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Old 04-23-2010
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If you're even remotely interested in building up your 3.0 V6 I suggest checking this site out.
 
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Old 04-24-2010
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My 3.0 went up from 244 avg a tank to 266 avg a tank from a volant cai.
 
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Old 04-24-2010
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you can also get roller rockers too
 
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Old 04-24-2010
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Originally Posted by 0RangerEdge2
If you're even remotely interested in building up your 3.0 V6 I suggest checking this site out.
Im glad you mentioned that, I was going to if someone hadnt. This man's site (Tom Morana) holds the key to unlocking 3.0 full potential. But its costly. I have a K&n and can say it took me from 15 MPG in the winter to 17 MPG. So I know the CAI's have a bit of influence.
 
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Old 04-25-2010
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I did this a long time ago and my truck still hasn't blown up. It uses the stock air box.
RIDING ARIZONA - MORE
I also have the UD crank pulley and a tuner.
 
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Old 04-26-2010
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My attainable list:
UD Pulleys - DONE
Screamin Deamon Coil Pack - DONE
MAF MOD - DONE
Roller Rockers
Escape throttle body
JBA Headers

Dream list:
3.4L Stroker kit
Whipple
 
  #19  
Old 04-28-2010
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Originally Posted by Robin Hood
My attainable list:
UD Pulleys - DONE
Screamin Deamon Coil Pack - DONE
MAF MOD - DONE
Roller Rockers
Escape throttle body
JBA Headers

Dream list:
3.4L Stroker kit
Whipple
No tuner?
 
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Old 04-28-2010
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I think the noise of the added CAI System caused everyone to take their foot out of the throttle a little and then the mpg’s went up.

Adding CAI without a corresponding header and valve timing changes usually adds only more noise and in turn the sense of going faster or more power.
 
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Old 04-28-2010
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the only change to my driving style comes from if my 4 yr old is with me or not.
 
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Old 01-01-2011
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Originally Posted by Robin Hood
My attainable list:
UD Pulleys - DONE
Screamin Deamon Coil Pack - DONE
MAF MOD - DONE
Roller Rockers
Escape throttle body
JBA Headers

Dream list:
3.4L Stroker kit
Whipple
About how much HP have you gained from doing all of this? Also, what is this MAF mod I keep seeing, but can't find anything on what it is, or how to do it. I've searched, and still have found nothing, can you guys help me out?
 
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Old 02-11-2011
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Originally Posted by fourliter dan
how so. my mpg went up....
Of course its going to go up you're burning less fuel because your engine is retarding the timing.
 
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Old 02-11-2011
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Originally Posted by atrocity
My 3.0 went up from 244 avg a tank to 266 avg a tank from a volant cai.
Because that's a real Cold Air Intake
 
  #25  
Old 03-04-2011
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MAF mod roque performance page dremil tool cutting s---t out of it or buy the larger one 75mm.
 
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