Hello, my father said that he will give me his 2000 Ranger 4.0L 4x4 at 93000km, and as far as i know, only the OHV engine exist in that years right?

Ive read a bunch about the 4.0L ohv engine, and heard they are really slow and a gas alcoholic.

However, ive read that some mods would greatly increase the power AND fuel effiency, i was wondering if i could manage to increase HP to 180-200 for not expensive for these engine, ans still get better MPG?
Ive heard that is a good mod for bone stock engine, and a head work would make a big difference too.

Thanks

 

Yes, 2000 will have the last of the 4.0l OHV(160HP) engines, 2001 was when the 4.0l SOHC(207HP) was first used in Ranger models.

Basic design for Rangers is "gas alcoholic", add 4x4, and traction tires makes it worse.

Yes, you can "build" a 4.0l for more power, more power = less MPG, but thats the point of more power, lol.

Electric fan for rad cooling can free up a few HP and increase MPG in most cases, ain't much but ain't nothing either, lol.

When push comes to shove with the dollars spent and power increase, most chose to go with a V8 conversion, explorer V8(5.0l) and trans with computer and wiring.
4.0l OHV has 160HP
5.0l has 215HP
About a 35% increase in HP

 

I guess the V8 5.0L would drink less fuel too right?

But ive heard that the 4.0L ohv engine design make its own limitation itself, and that modding head, cams, remove airbox and such would increase both MPG and HP.


Otherwise, How much would the 5.0L motor with everything needed cost with installation? Is it bolt on fit?

 

Fuel consumed by an engine comes down to the amount of air you bring in to the engine.
Basic air/fuel mix for gas engine is 14:1 ratio, 14 parts air: 1 part fuel.
A larger displacement engine draws in more air so will burn more fuel, which is why it has more HP, it can burn more fuel per minute than a smaller displacement engine.

If you put in a larger cam, it draws in more air so can burn more fuel, which is why you get extra power with a "bigger" cam.

Turbo or super charger draws in more air so you can burn more fuel.
Turbo charged engines can have smaller displacement which gets better MPG, and as long as you keep the turbo at low rpms MPG will be good, but whats the fun in that, lol, most put the pedal to the metal to feel the turbo power and..........there goes the MPG

Pretty much any upgrade to an engine is to get more air in so more fuel can be burned, MPG is not the goal here, lol.

Now porting and polishing can improve MPG in that on the intake side your are trying to prevent air "eddies" that can leave gas vapor on the sides of the intake/head, so this puts more gas in the cylinder where it needs to be, so computer can run engine leaner.

Best way to improve MPG is driving habits, period.

Or get a degree in engine sciences and figure out a way to convert gasoline to horse power without wasting 75% of it in heat, lol.

Best gas engines are about 25% efficient, most are less, so 75% of each gallon of gas you use is blown out the exhaust pipe in heat or sent out the rad in heat.
If you paid $4 for a gallon of gas, then $3 of it is wasted in heating up the air around the vehicle.

Diesel engines can run at 35% efficiency, some as a high as 50%.

If you modified a 4.0l to suck in the same amount of air as a stock 5.0l then both would get the same MPG.
They both have about the same efficiency, it just comes down to the air they can suck in.


Changing the "air box" on a vehicle made after 1980 won't help, they already use cold air intake(CAI) designs for best MPG, that is a myth perpetuated by sellers of CAIs, this has been proven over and over by dyno testing

 

There are no magic mods, but there are some that increase HP by raising efficiency. If you can resist using that extra power all the time they will also improve MPG. A full exhaust would be one.

 

I guess the main problem is that its a OHV, cause 160hp for a 4L V6 sound so low to me.

So for efficiency, it would be exhaust and cold air intake?

 

Already has a cold air intake, as said this particular "mod" has been dyno tested on multiple vehicles, if done wrong you lose power and MPG if done right you get the same power and MPG as factory intake.

Exhaust mods can change RPM range where you get the best torque.
Most manufacturers tune exhaust for mid-range power, headers can be used to give low-range or high range power.
It doesn't increase the power, it just changes the power band.

Exhaust systems are tuned for best "velocity" at specific RPMs, the velocity actually lowers the pressure at the exhaust valves near this RPM range.
Lower pressure increases air flow so you get better power at that RPM range.

Simply using larger pipes in a header reduces power, because you are not lowering pressure, you are lowering the velocity which made the lower pressure.
This is where the myth of "engines needs some back pressure" came from, think of how silly that sounds, lol.
An engine is a big air pump, if you restrict the IN or the OUT you restrict the engine, so no, back pressure is not needed by any engine.

 

Not needed except 2 stroke

 

Yes, 2 stroke engines need an interesting exhaust design to be efficient.
They need low pressure when exhaust port is first uncovered and then high pressure(back pressure) when intake port is uncovered so air/fuel mix doesn't flow thru the cylinder and out the exhaust port, this pollutes the air, lowers power and also wastes fuel.

They use "velocity" induced low pressure generation like a 4 stroke engine but then use a cone shape to reflect a pressure wave back at the exhaust port.
If designed correctly the pressure wave gets to the exhaust port after all exhaust gas has been removed from the cylinder and air/fuel is being pulled in, this higher pressure wave prevents air/fuel from entering the exhaust pipe.

This type of tuned exhaust has a narrower power band since the reflected wave generation point is fix and RPM is variable.
Pre-crack pipe days, lol, being "on the pipe" meant you were in the higher power RPM range of the tuned exhaust.
And just like 4 stroke exhaust headers the 2 stroke exhaust can be tuned for a low, mid or high RPM range to suit the driver/rider.