Tuning options for a 3.0

[bobbywalter]

There are way better ways to improve fuel economy than deleting emissions hardware/software.

this is true.


cheaper and easier....not so much.

i would prefer a 4cyl ecoboost swap myself. best solution for a worn out 3.0

compared to a windsor swap....an intact 2.0 or 2.3 swap may as well be electric....

 

[99streetranger]

this is true.


cheaper and easier....not so much.

i would prefer a 4cyl ecoboost swap myself. best solution for a worn out 3.0

compared to a windsor swap....an intact 2.0 or 2.3 swap may as well be electric....

The 3.0 in my ranger only has around 140,000 miles on it, so I wouldn’t call it worn out. The only issue with it is a slight rear main seal leak.

I am planning a 302 swap, I have a motor and transmission that will be swapped in the future. However I am not ready to do the swap for at least another year and a half. I am just looking for some cheap ways to increase my mileage for now.

I will tune the motor if I am going to do an EGR delete because I don’t want any detonation, and I don’t want to make the cats get dangerously hot. I will probably remove the two smaller cats at some point as well.

 

[franklin2]

I see you live in the same state I do. Do you have a special place to get your inspection sticker? You will need one.

 

[99streetranger]

I see you live in the same state I do. Do you have a special place to get your inspection sticker? You will need one.

Haha yes I have a place but I can also just hook the EGR back up for the inspection

 

[franklin2]

Haha yes I have a place but I can also just hook the EGR back up for the inspection

Stock single exhaust with a cat

A fuel injection system.

Evap system all hooked up

Air pump and all it's lines

Basically make it look like a v8 explorer, it would maybe pass.

Since my 84 originally came with a carb, I am not sure if they would pass a v8 swap with a carb or not.' Technically they do not have to pass it at all since it never came from the factory like that. But I have run into some crazy shop owners who would let me go if I did some ridiculous thing that didn't really matter. Around here the cat in the exhaust is more important it seems, than anything else, though some do look for the smog pump too.

 

[99streetranger]

Stock single exhaust with a cat

A fuel injection system.

Evap system all hooked up

Air pump and all it's lines

Basically make it look like a v8 explorer, it would maybe pass.

Since my 84 originally came with a carb, I am not sure if they would pass a v8 swap with a carb or not.' Technically they do not have to pass it at all since it never came from the factory like that. But I have run into some crazy shop owners who would let me go if I did some ridiculous thing that didn't really matter. Around here the cat in the exhaust is more important it seems, than anything else, though some do look for the smog pump too.

Yeah there’s a plate that you can get that goes right in between the intake manifold and the smog pump, so the pump is still physically there, just not doing anything

 

[99streetranger]

Wouldn't an egr delete cause worse mileage? I know it did/does on gm 3.8s..

The 3.0.. all the power of a 4 cyl with the efficiency of a 4.0 lol. Just how bad is your mileage anyways?

Gonna be difficult to increase efficiency a meaningful amount. The drag coefficient of a Ranger is literally closer to a peterbuilt than it is a Honda civic.

I am not only looking to increase efficiency, of course I want to have some fun as well. The 3.0s are all iron engines so you can pack some boost in them without trouble. 15lbs of it before the heads start to lift, then you need head studs and decent head gasket for more. The 4.0s don't like much more than 10lbs.

I may grab a junkyard turbo & rebuild it + some 3.8 headers and header adapters. Only big thing that worries me on these engines is the crank. Some guy on the Probe forums built a turbo 3.0 probe, and later another guy bought it and twincharged it. Last I heard of it his stock crank got warped. I believe he was using the original harmonic damper which is a huge no-no.

Maybe I can find a nice aftermarket damper with a similar crank diameter or get a custom one. Should help with reliability at higher cylinder pressures. Pistons and rods later down the line, or maybe I am going too far.

 

[Ranger850]

@99streetranger Not sure if your aware of this info, BUT a Vulcan 3.0 is made for higher revs than most truck V6's. It sounds crazy, but you'll improve your MPG if you shift above 3,000 rpm. This motor is a high revving screamer built for a Taurus.

TL ; DR : All the Torque and HP are higher up in the RPMs than the 4.0s and 2.3s

 

[99streetranger]

@99streetranger Not sure if your aware of this info, BUT a Vulcan 3.0 is made for higher revs than most truck V6's. It sounds crazy, but you'll improve your MPG if you shift above 3,000 rpm. This motor is a high revving screamer built for a Taurus.

TL ; DR : All the Torque and HP are higher up in the RPMs than the 4.0s and 2.3s

Ford still managed to choke it down a bunch, they got peak power to sit at only 4900rpms. Good tip though, I'll try that.

 

[Blmpkn]

15lbs on a bone stock 3.0 sounds like much bigger problems than lifting a head

 

[99streetranger]

15lbs on a bone stock 3.0 sounds like much bigger problems than lifting a head

15lbs is just fine on the 3.0s.

Case of point:

Stock internals

 

[99streetranger]

Charge pipe coupler came off at end of video

 

[Blmpkn]

Charge pipe coupler came off at end of video

Is this your only vehicle or do you have something else available for when the race-truck breaks down? By all means go for it.. I just wouldn't be counting on it to not break. Ive been around the block too many times for such hopes.

 

[Ranger850]

@stmitch has a nice 3.0 build. NOt sure if he's done a build thread on here, but IMO he has one of the nices Rangers on this site. It's worth checking out.

 

[99streetranger]

15lbs on a bone stock 3.0 sounds like much bigger problems than lifting a head

@stmitch has a nice 3.0 build. NOt sure if he's done a build thread on here, but IMO he has one of the nices Rangers on this site. It's worth checking out.

Yep I have seen it, he has the whipple supercharger kit offered by ford performance. It would be nice to know what they did ECU tuning wise.