So, I did read the sticked tuner thread. I'm lost....

Will a tuner and a cai help my 4.0 at all? I know a cai and tune really helped my 4.0 stang and am contemplating getting one for the Ranger. And if one would help, what brand cai is the best? I think I can get another code from brenspeed for my SCT XCal2, just gotta get the dang thing unlocked. Traded the stang with the tune on it! Oops!

 

Intake won't help much alone. I remember you made a thread about getting dual exhaust put on but I'm not sure if you did it or not. The only problem with getting a tune is that you have to pay for another tune if you decided to add more stuff. If you don't plan on adding anything else then get the tune. I don't have experience with one , mostly because I gave up trying to make power with this engine, but I have heard good things about the tuners for our trucks.

 

the bad news is the $200-$250 charge to unlock it. Then $100 or so for tunes. Unless you can do some smooth talking, you'll end up paying as much as a new one.

 

Christian - yes I did get my duals. Don't plan on doing anything else other than different tires and shocks (maybe).

I need to call brenspeed and see what they'd charge me to unlock it before I make that final decision to unlock & new tune or just new tuner.

 

Christian, assuming $400 for 12 HP (which I think is realistic), the tuner is a great value. Its hard to find something else that will net the same results, except maybe pulleys. Tuner is much cheaper if the pulley has to be installed by someone else at an extra cost. At least on a 4.0.

Other items like exhaust and intake offer sound and bling, which have to factored into the buying equation.

$25 for tunes down the road is probable as you mod heavier, but the flip side- no dealer flashes if you change tire sizes. I would suspect more odometer corrections happen with a tuner than retunes. Most bolt on mods don;t need a re tune.

 

In all honesty I wouldn't even bother. I stopped trying to mod the engine because I figured if I want to go fast I will buy something that is capable of actually going fast. I mean extra pep would be nice but with intake, exhaust, headers and a tune the power will be at or just past what other trucks make stock. Well that and I just don't want my truck anymore.

 

The tuner and cai took out the lag on my 05 4.0 stang. I have some "lag" in the Ranger, if you read my Carlisle adventure. I'm thinking it will help remove some of that and improve the pickup some.

 

i would def look into getting some tunes for you ranger brenda, after having one myself i would never own another truck without one. not only did it add a bit more power and MPG's (if you can keep your foot out of the throttle) but the transmission tuning is where the magic is. its like a totally different transmission with a good tune in it. i would put my tuner near or at the top of my list for favorite/ most worth while mod ive done to my truck. you will be happy with the results, its worth the money

 

Patrick - what cai do you have and where'd you get your tuner and program?

 

i have the K&N CAI. I got my tuner from roque performance and it was tuned by him as well (fred, aka boss3.0 from RPS) ive heard great things about doug as well, but im not sure how to contact him.

 

I would advise against the K&N intake. I had one and it didn't really shield the filter from hot air or anything else for that matter.

 

eh, ive had great luck with mine. it didnt add any power that i noticed but i did get a nice boost in MPG's and it sounds cool. just dont over oil the filter, thats most people's mistake.

 

volant CAI all the way bc its fully boxed in. thats what im gonna eventually get for the 150

 

The only problem is that Volant's intake only works on 01-03 engines because the MAF changed in 04.

 

o that sux. ever look at the tornados guys? idno if they work but i hear they do

 

Haha they don't work at all, total scam. I have a Volant with the new oil-less Powercore filter, I just need to install it.

 

lol. thats a good reason. I swapped from stock tires to 32" tires, which slowed the truck down. After doing a couple of mods I regained the power. Testing was 1/4 mile drag strip. I went stock, then again after larger tires and the mods. I managed to equalize the slowdown from the tires.

 

I've cracked that problem on 2004+ 4.0 rangers. I've been running a 2003 kit for a couple of weeks now on my 2004. No retuning issues.

 

With your MAF adaptor?

 

yes. It worked great. The diameter was within range of what the computer could adjust to.

 

anyway you could elaborate on this? i've wanted a cai for a while, the volant one specifically. I'd love to figure out how to get it to work, thanks

 

the only difference between 2003- and 2004 + is the maf sensor housing and the sensor.

On 2003 and older, the housing is a separate piece and is transferred from the old intake, and bolts onto the new after market intake. To use the 2003- intake on a 2004+ means you need a maf housing the same overall dimension as the 2003-. You can;t use the housing from a 2003- because the sensor is completely different. It won;t bolt up.

The solution is a a maf housing that has the same dimensions as a 2003 but will accept the sensor of a 2004.

This does that:

 

I noticed a big difference with my tuner. Not really in speed but shifts and no more throttle lag, it really does drive like a totally different truck.

 

Brenda is your truck an auto? You will especially benefit from a tuner if it is.
I bought an Xcal and tunes from James Henson ( Henson Performance ) for my sport trac (4.0L SOHC auto). He did an awesome job with the tunes, I had a 91 performance, 87 performance, and 91 torque. I think that was it anyway....

Initially when I plugged in the 91 performance tune it felt a little more powerful, but I thought it was sort of in my head. Shifting was much better, faster, firmer, revved a little higher.
A few weeks later I returned it to stock and it felt like a DOG it was so slow. It made quite a difference, definitely worth doing.

 

Maybe sell everything in a kit on your site? Just an idea. I know if I had a 04+ truck I would get this since the Volant intake is one of the best out there for our trucks.