Engine Modifications

Hey everyone, I currently drive a 2001 Ford Ranger. It is a v6 3.0 5 speed 2wd. I am looking to make it a bit faster I guess you can say it. I currently live in the country and sorry but I like to drive fast. My thing is though when ever I hit 90mph it wont go any faster due to having a governor/speed limiter on it. I was wanting some tips or opinions on what you guys think. I was thinking of switching out my current engine with a Ford Explorer 5.0 or even putting a nitrous tune in it. I have been told that a cold air intake would help get up to speed faster. And the Gov is in the computer so I didnt know if there was a way to somehow reset my computer on my truck or to go in and modify it somehow. I was also already considering putting straight pipes on my truck. I am kind of trying to go for a sleeper style for my truck.

Joshv6 said:

I was wanting some tips or opinions on what you guys think.

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I think you're a dangerous idiot. Grow up.

Computer needs to go to programmer and he/she can change the engine tune and change REV limiter and Speed limiter to whatever you want.
No, I don't know of a programmer.

Unless you are racing in a 3.0l limited category, modifying the 3.0l would be, IMO, a waste of money.
3.0l already has cold air intake and mid range headers.
Underdrive pulley and electric fan conversion would be all I would suggest, but still not earth shaking changes, lol.

5.0l would be a better direction but not inexpensive.
Good read here on 5.0l Ranger swaps: http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/index-conversions.shtml

1) I agree with rearanger.

2) Putting money into a 3.0 trying to make it "faster" is like buying more expensive food hoping to get higher quality feces out of it. At the end of the day shit is shit.

By the time your truck was built the 3.0 was unchanged in almost 15 years, and it was never supposed to a truck engine, it was originally built to go in a Taurus, it never belonged in a Ranger.

Your post makes it pretty clear that you lack the maturity to not be a danger to others on the roads. I'm all about modifying your truck for closed course events, whether it's drag racing, autocross, open track days etc, but anybody with a working moral compass is going to suggest that you gain a lot of maturity before you try and gain any hp. Right now, you sound like a young kid, which means you're inexperienced, and the last person the rest of us need going faster than legal speeds on public roads is an inexperienced driver. If you want to "go fast", take your truck to a local motorsports event at a track and let'er rip tater chip. You'll gain invaluable experience and understanding about how things work behind the wheel, which should make you a better driver on the road with the rest of us. You'll also find out how much fun can be had (legally) while driving at speeds often below the legal limit. When you know how to safely have fun in a vehicle at 45mph, going 90 in a straight line isn't fun, and definitely isn't worth all of the risk of doing it on a public street.

Another thing to consider before you spend any time or money trying to make your truck faster, is that the speed limiter is there for a reason. Not only is 90mph illegal on any public road in the US, it's also unsafe to drive a stock Ranger any faster. Things like tires, bearings and driveshafts are only rated for certain speeds, and when they give up and go "bang" at speeds over 90mph, things go very bad. You may be the best driver in the history of drivers, but when a tire lets go at high speed on public roads, there's nothing you'll be able to do to keep from having a very bad wreck, and possibly taking innocent people with you. Don't be that guy.

LOL, just yesterday, I was going down the highway at about 70. A little Bemer went by me like I was going backward, really ripping it. About 10 miles down the road I passed it. It was upside down in the ditch, with a bunch of folk standing around it.

Park the ranger and buy a "hell cat" or any other car made to bury the inexperienced .... 100% guaranteed to blow your hair back.

Not sure why many are on this guy for wanting to go fast.
Were you never young and invincible?

Yes it is dangerous to drive fast, more so in a "light" pickup truck which lacks any beneficial aerodynamics above 60mph and in fact can become unstable fairly quickly with higher wind loads.

Yes, he could kill or injure himself or other drivers that he shares the road with, but you don't have to be driving over the speed limit for that to happen.
And I understand that you don't want to "throw gas on the fire" by helping him, but..............

It is kind of like sex education in schools, some think if you don't teach it kids won't have sex.............
Some how they are not aware of sex until a teacher brings it up in school.........

Yea right, correct information is better that incorrect information, always.

Young people will always think about sex and driving fast, that's part of being young, giving them correct information never hurts, some listen some don't, that is also part of being young.

Some good correct advise will go alot farther than "don't do it!"
Remember when you were young and "they" said "no you can't do that", now THAT is throw gas on the fire.....big time, lol

RonD said:

More so in a "light" pickup truck which lacks any beneficial aerodynamics above 60mph and in fact can become unstable fairly quickly with higher wind loads.

Yes, he could kill or injure himself or other drivers that he shares the road with, but you don't have to be driving over the speed limit for that to happen.
And I understand that you don't want to "throw gas on the fire" by helping him, but..............

It is kind of like sex education in schools, some think if you don't teach it kids won't have sex.............
Some how they are not aware of sex until a teacher brings it up in school.........

Yea right, correct information is better that incorrect information, always.

Young people will always think about sex and driving fast, that's part of being young, giving them correct information never hurts, some listen some don't, that is also part of being young.

Some good correct advise will go alot farther than "don't do it!"
Remember when you were young and "they" said "no you can't do that", now THAT is throw gas on the fire.....big time, lol

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He's already going fast. There's nothing we can do about that. Just because he's already doing it, doesn't mean we should do anything to make that any easier or allow him to go even faster if he's going to put other innocent people's lives at risk.

We're not saying "don't do it", we're saying "don't be stupid and unsafe when you do it". If he wants to go fast, he can do it on a track somewhere. There's nothing wrong with speed if you're responsible and do it in the appropriate locations with appropriate safety measures. Your sex analogy kind of applies in that regard I suppose. The main difference between teen sex, and teen drivers, is that their sexual escapades don't affect innocent members of the population. Nobody's wife/child/grandparent gets killed when teens fool around, but an inexperienced driver, going WAY above speed limits on public roads, in a vehicle not meant for speed is a recipe for disaster that puts other people's lives at risk unnecessarily.

No.

As you said he is already going fast, along with thousands of other young(and even some old, lol) drivers.

Henry Hale Bliss was the first American killed in an "automobile accident", he was hit by an electric powered taxi after he got off a street car, New York City 1899.
Taxi driver was charged with Manslaughter, but was acquitted as there was no malice or negligence found on his part.
First automobile death was a pedestrian, innocent bystander, maybe?
And the "butcher's bill" for the automobile continued to grow from there.

But it was slowed over time by.................information; stop signs, speed limits, safety belts, air bags, ect.........were all started and used from collection of correct information and it saved lives, guilty or innocent.

Passing on correct information to a young driver is good, saying "you're stupid" or "an idiot" is an opinion, not good information.
Passing along good tips on the problems with a Ranger at high speeds, wheel shimmy's, body lift, tire failure, may keep someone from pushing that limit, and it may not, some are destine to make there own mistakes, as adults we all have that choice, but all choices are based on the information we have at hand, and hopefully it is good information .
Will innocents be killed, of course they will, always have been when a bad choice is made by someone without good information.

Any one here ever tried to change lanes only to get a horn honk from someone already in that lane?
80% say yes they have
Other 20% are liars
Well you made the choice to change lanes based on no or bad information, if you had the information that another car was in that lane then you wouldn't have done it.


Sex?
STD's, unexpected pregnancy, good correct information may prevent some of that.
A baby is about as innocent a bystander as there can be when a bad choice is made in the heat of the moment.

Ron, to run with your analogy, you are telling him how to do it, and giving him no help being safe. You are effectively trying to hand him the naked girl.

Mitch and the rest of us are trying to give him a box of condoms to go along with the girl.

Yes he is already going faster than he should, no we aren't going to be able to stop him. That doesn't mean we should be telling him how to defeat the speed limiter that is there to stop people from exceeding the vehicles design limits like you did.

Yes, information not condemnation, makes someone more willing to listen, and had he responded which I doubt he will now he would be more receptive to other correct information.

I didn't read "here's some condoms" I read don't have sex

Well I've generally been a proponent of abstinence because it works 100% of the time, Mitch told him to take it to the track, and Angie told him to get something meant for those speeds. That all sounds like good safety advice to me.

RonD said:

Not sure why many are on this guy for wanting to go fast. Were you never young and invincible?

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Going 95 on a public road in a vehicle he wants to go faster in is not justified by saying he's just young. He may kill someone's father, mother, child.

Yes I was young and stupid once, could have killed myself and others but for blind luck. I also wasted a lot of money on cars that would have been better spent. I doubt this guy has any money to spare, as is usual with young people who day dream about faster cars.

Wish someone had shaken me and given me grown up advice.

Take it from me buddy, going fast in a Ranger just isn't worth it. Although I'm still young and stupid lol I wish I would have learned what everybody here is trying to tell you the easy way instead of the hard way.







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