2.5L performance

Casto0208 · Apr 1, 2009

Alright my buddy has a 1999 2.5L 2wd ranger. He has alot of cosmetic work done and it looks very nice, just needs a little more get up and go as he says. yes we all know its a four cylinder but without a turbo or a ridiculous amount of money spent. Is there any type of performance programmer or basic bolt on available to up the performance?

Beanmachine7000 · Apr 1, 2009

Regear to a taller ratio... Uh, turbo? That's really about it... You could do headwork and cam swap and stuff, but it won't really get you anymore power where you can actually use it...

redgooch · Apr 2, 2009

bolt on power

I don't know if you have tried this but there are a few things that can give a little more power. Try a header and new exhaust, maybe a new intake. Also if the truck has a standard fan switch to an electric. That doesn't add power just frees some up. Anytime you get ride of parasitic drag you free up power. Underdrive pullies, light weight drive shaft, or electric water pump. It takes horsepower to turn things like that, & the less power it takes to turn those things the more you will get at the wheels. Another cheap trick is better grounding. There are places that sell grounding kits, just a bunch of wires that go from the neg post on the battery to differents spots in the engine bay, but I just make my own. Believe it or not that's good for almost 5 horse power and better fuel milage, I have seen the results on a dyno. If you do all of that type of stuff I mentioned it should be good for 15-30 horsepower. Most of that stuff can be done fairly cheap.

Beanmachine7000 · Apr 2, 2009

redgooch said:
I don't know if you have tried this but there are a few things that can give a little more power. Try a header and new exhaust, maybe a new intake. Also if the truck has a standard fan switch to an electric. That doesn't add power just frees some up. Anytime you get ride of parasitic drag you free up power. Underdrive pullies, light weight drive shaft, or electric water pump. It takes horsepower to turn things like that, & the less power it takes to turn those things the more you will get at the wheels. Another cheap trick is better grounding. There are places that sell grounding kits, just a bunch of wires that go from the neg post on the battery to differents spots in the engine bay, but I just make my own. Believe it or not that's good for almost 5 horse power and better fuel milage, I have seen the results on a dyno. If you do all of that type of stuff I mentioned it should be good for 15-30 horsepower. Most of that stuff can be done fairly cheap.

Haha... I agree, you might pick up 'some' hp... Not 15-30... Intake and exhaust won't do anything useful (your stock intake is already cold air)... Electric fan won't do anything... U-drive pullies might free up 1-2 hp, if you're lucky, a lightweight d-shaft won't free up anything...

redgooch · Apr 2, 2009

I disagree with the electric fan. It takes power to turn a fan, get rid of said fan the power used to turn that fan is now free to go else where. I wouldn't just pull stuff out of nowhere, I have seen the results of these mods on a dyno & I will stand by them. Any time you lessen parasitic drag you free up power. Maybe not making more power just getting it back from somewhere else. I love the back and forth though gives me a chance to learn something I might have not known before. Thanks.

fastpakr · Apr 2, 2009

It takes just as much power to turn an electric fan. The only change is how it's transferred. A mechanical fan drives directly from the pulley, the electric deals with an energy conversion from alternator to electric motor.

locovaca · Apr 2, 2009

It takes more power to turn an electric fan of the same capacity as a mechanical, since the conversion of energy from the Crank -> Belt -> Alternator -> E-Fan is far less efficient than the Crank -> Locked Up Fan Clutch -> Fan

Beanmachine7000 · Apr 2, 2009

locovaca said:
It takes more power to turn an electric fan of the same capacity as a mechanical, since the conversion of energy from the Crank -> Belt -> Alternator -> E-Fan is far less efficient than the Crank -> Locked Up Fan Clutch -> Fan

+1... E-fans use MORE power... When you have a Mechanical fan the energy is used just to turn the fan... When it's an e-fan you have to convert the energy to electricity, then back to mechanical energy... The only way you will free up powe is yo not run a fan at all...

Pistons23 · Apr 2, 2009

i would just swap out the rear for an eplorer 8.8 w/ lsd

OmegaSuperman · Apr 14, 2009

OK seriously.. You guys need to listen to redgooch.

1 I have done this fan thing.. and it does make a difference..

2 the clutch on the mechanical fan never fully disengages.. thus it is robbing power all the way through the power band.

3 an electric fan .. if done right is only on when sitting still or above a certain temp to maintain a lower temp. Thus not robbing power while moving

4 your trucks power / charging system generates more than enough power to turn an electric fan with no noticeable loss of horsepower. In other words.. you might as well use some of the electricity your generating anyway.

Take it for what its worth.. Not that I have shown my face around here in YEARS.. but I was once a moderator here and I am speaking from experience.

locovaca · Apr 14, 2009

OmegaSuperman said:
4 your trucks power / charging system generates more than enough power to turn an electric fan with no noticeable loss of horsepower. In other words.. you might as well use some of the electricity your generating anyway.

I'll give you slack up to here. Read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation_of_energy

A fan from a 99' Taurus requires a 40 Amp Fuse. Assuming that we're going to draw 75% of that max, that's 30 Amps for the fan. That's 1/3 of your alternator. That's a significant amount of power. An alternator's pulley spinning resistance is directly related to the load placed on it. Placing 30 amps on the alternator is going to significantly affect it. Alternators do not spin for free, just as A/C Compressors do not spin for free when in use.

But, hey, believe what you want. I believe in High School physics, but I realize that isn't for everyone.

OmegaSuperman · Apr 14, 2009

Yes Im well aware of physics.. and physics proves the simple point of being able to not run the fan at all while moving is a boost to performance. So essentially the electric fan does not exist at 20 mph and above, as it should be off. While the mechanical fan is still rotating mass and a physical load on the engine.

It seems to me that your looking at it in terms of two constant fans.. when the reality is that one fan is constant and the other is intermittent..

And well if you still don't believe it hop on a dyno and check it yourself.. it may only be a couple of horses.. but it is logical and true

fastpakr · Apr 14, 2009

Both are intermittent, that's the whole point of a thermal fan clutch. The power used to turn the electric fan is pulled directly off the accessory belt drive system on the engine, it is not free.

Beanmachine7000 · Apr 14, 2009

fastpakr said:
Both are intermittent, that's the whole point of a thermal fan clutch. The power used to turn the electric fan is pulled directly off the accessory belt drive system on the engine, it is not free.

Yup... The only way it wouldn't be using more power is if it was powered by it's own battery charged up at your house before you leave, but that just wouldn't make any sense at all now would it?

Kenneth S · Apr 15, 2009

More than likely it has a 3.45 rearend gear (or less) in it, if it does swap it out to a 3.73, I did that to my brothers 91 ranger that has a 2.3 w/5 speed, it went from couldn't get out of it's own way on level ground to being able to gain speed going up a hill. As far as other mods go turbocharging is the only real thing you can do that will give you a "real" noticable difference in power.

2.5L performance

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