Hi everyone!

My dad has a 1997 ranger 2.3L , 5 speed, and 2wd that he allows me to drive and I would like to get a little extra power out of it. I'm still in high school and don't have a full time job, so I don't have much money to do anything, so I have to stick to free modifications and very cheap ones, such as junkyard parts. Is there anything I can do to get a little extra kick? I've done stuff like changing mass air flow meters, throttle bodies, drilling out the air box, and other things to my oval track race cars, a 1992 escort and a 1992 mazda protege, and have noticed improvments, so I trying to find similar modifications for my dad's ranger. Can anyone help me with this?

 

its a 4 cylinder ranger, its gonna be slow unless you boost it.

 

I know, I don't expect it to reach the performance of a 6 cyl. one, I just want a little more pep to make driving it a little more fun.

 

if you're lucky you'll find a turbocoupe at the junkyard and you can raid it of its turbo parts and bolt onto your truck's engine. will probably do about 200ish hp pretty easily. Also, did you retune it for those mods you listed? i know messing with a bigger maf you'll need to.
Oh, and maybe bump up fuel injector sizes.
but really, in the end, everything will be futile unless you boost it.

 

I suggest upgrading the sounds system so you can enjoy great tunes while you slowly get to your destination.

 

(1) Run an exhaust system with a cat delete and high flow muffler.
(2) Put a set of lighter rims on. I have 16's from a mercury villager with some street tires.
(3) Get rid of useless things. No a/c,get an e-fan if you dont already have one, Ram air, better coil pack such as msd, and the list will continue.
(4) Bigger injectors.
(5) Synthetic oil seems to help alot.
(6) Bigger cam.
(7) Port the intake manifold.
(8) Have a shop remap the fuel system. (may lose gas mileage)
(9) make sure all of your vacuum lines are in ti top shape.
(10) Different Header.
(11) Lighter flywheel.
(12) Really the list is endless, cheap mods arent. it'll take some money to get some more power. Removing the cat though is probably the best lace to start then possibly the injectors.

 

I'm afraid I can't delete the cat, as I need to pass smog. I am looking into a highflow muffler. What type would you recomend? I don't care if it's a little loud, but I don't want it to sound like crap.

I can't get rid of A/C as I need it in the summer because of my medication I take. :(

Will I still pass smog if I upgrade the cam? Or add a header?


I know the older rangers had a sound baffle in the intake. Do the '97 rangers have one I can remove?

And like I said, I can't do anything expensive to it, as I don't have much money at all, and it's not exactly my truck. It's my dad's, and he said I can only do cheap mods because he doesn't want me to put all my money into it becuase it's his, not mine.

 

Sounds like you should save your money,

 

A cam and header, should still be eligibile to pass a smog test. A mild cam job would be perfect for the little power you said you were looking for.