seems from my research on the 4.0 ohv doesn't respond to mods ( don't know about the sohc) did ford not leave anything on the table? short of high lift, forced induction, etc anyways? cold air kits ( contradiction of terms from what i read) don't do anything, exhausts- just change sound level...just leaves e-fans, programmers ( best experience fom a jet handheld programmer so don't wish to go there again) and underdrive pulley... anything i am missing that improves performance on a cost effective basis without breaking the bank? tried an aluminum driveshaft helped in my mustang but noticed very little in my ranger... have a jacobs ignition currently and have a accel coil on the way
jba/ pacesetter headers worthwhile? imo very expensive for v6 headers jba anyways so hopefully does something?
best option to makes most use of power already there?
have a set of james duff traction bars ( need to be installed yet) and a hurst shifter on the way
picked up a lower intake manifold to port when i get the chance but from my research seems minimal gains there too so am i am in no rush to do that

 

if i could even list all the bolt ons i have. mine has made much more power with the bolt on's but im just going to tell ya its still not faster than a v8 car never will be lol.

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech.../4_0_Page.html

 

have tried a mac intake, not impressed but because stock components were lost in the process have went with a streetsmart intake and now a cosmo intake ( which looks wise like better but doubt any gains to it) as well as the throttle body mod ( heard actually better than going with the bbk unit?) seems alot of people mock hondas but my crx responded alot better to mods, maybe because it was a feather in comparison?

 

well i geuss some trucks take mods better than others! try a good free flowing exzaust set up also i have the volant intake and its the best one i have found yet

 

the volant intake gives noticeable gains on the 4.0 ohv? willing to spend to a point if gains are there.. in next week or so getting side exit exhaust put on my ranger so hopefully something there other than increased noise...had a throttle body spacer on at one point but caused my thottle cable to bind in inner sheave, had to raise idle to elimitate that, so hard for me to truthfully say gave me more power or not

 

The thing about the OHV is that it doesn't like to rev high, so air intakes and exhausts usually don't do much (more benefits at high rpm). It's more of a low rpm torquey engine.
I never bothered doing much with the 4.0L OHV in my ranger, just kept it well maintained. I pulled the silencer out of the intake, all it did was made it a little louder. Put a flowmaster 2.5" si/so and it made it louder. lol.
Just keep it well maintained and play with gearing if you really want some change.

 

x2... ive noticed that when i get on it to get onto the freeway it seems to be much more responsive when im not revving it out... it is a lower rpm motor...

 

The simple fact is the heads are crap.

Do a cam and head swap and the engine will wake up.

People claim with good heads, a 422 cam, and tune is worth about 40 whp.

 

thats why i love my sohc. definitely pulls harder up top.

 

But in a truck, up top is not where it is at. Wheel my truck with the OHV, then wheel yours. You will notice a big difference.

 

Yeah I loved the OHV for some things (in ranger and explorer), and loved the sohc in the sport trac for some things.
The sport trac definitely pulled harder driving aggressive at high rpm (4.88's helped that).

 

yeah but how often are you really above 3k rpm when you are wheeling on trails and stuff. I know i dont get that high very often.

The best things you can do for some more power is true motor work, heads,cam, higher compression pistons, ext but then again your truck is apart and it cost alot more

 

makes sense to me...always believed all engines are pretty much the same until the heads are bolted on

 

any difference bewteen rousch and volant intakes? if running an aftermarket ignition would platinum spark plugs help in any way? ( i believe came factory with platinums? though ignition recommended copper core plugs instead)