got my first ranger!! but i need help

[ddye40]

ok so i finally got one! a 1993 3.0 v6 auto trans 4x4!!! it only has 65k miles on it also! now nothing is actually wrong with it. but i traded my 4.3 v6 blazer for it. and coming from that engine to this one. well you can tell a HUGE difference! so what can i do to give the 3.0 that extra...UMPH! lol but really anything that would improve performance will help!

 

[koda6966]

Swap in a V8.

 

[ddye40]

haha well i was hoping to keep the same engine cause i desperately need the good mpg's. but i just want a little more power

 

[racsan]

the 4.3 g.m. is a better engine power-wise than even the 4.0 ford. you just need to get used to the powerband of the 3.0 it also makes its power higher in the rpm band than the other ranger engines of its time frame. im not certian of the rpm band of the ohc 4.0 the biggest difference for the money that you will defintly notice would be to reger the truck. if youve got 3.55's than go to 3.73's. but with it being a 4x you may already have 4.10's in it. the 3.0 will last nearly forever if you maintain it.

 

[adsm08]

the 4.3 g.m. is a better engine power-wise than even the 4.0 ford. you just need to get used to the powerband of the 3.0 it also makes its power higher in the rpm band than the other ranger engines of its time frame. im not certian of the rpm band of the ohc 4.0 the biggest difference for the money that you will defintly notice would be to reger the truck. if youve got 3.55's than go to 3.73's. but with it being a 4x you may already have 4.10's in it. the 3.0 will last nearly forever if you maintain it.

While gears will help with get up 'n go they won't help you keep those MPGs that you want.

Also, the chance of it having 4.10s already aren't as high as you might think. A lot of V6 4x4s came with 3.45s or 3.73s. 3.73s were more common in the 8.8 axles, but you having a 3.0 could have an 8.8 or a 7.5.

 

[koda6966]

Actually higher gears will help with his MPG's depending on the size of his tires. I have 3.45 gears and if I went higher I'd probably be doing better than 15-18 mpg, which is what I'm getting now.

What size are your tires, ddye40.

 

[97RangerXLT]

well, my 97 ranger has the 4.0 and 3:73 gears stock from the factory with 31" tires. I get about 19-20 mpg on the highway, ~15 in town

 

[r1hatman]

Welcome.

 

[snomaker321]

haha well i was hoping to keep the same engine cause i desperately need the good mpg's. but i just want a little more power

if youre looking for good gas mileage you got the wrong truck. Its known for being dependable, but a mediocre performer and not too great on gas.(can be mixed opinions here)

Really, a regear is gonna be the most helpful. There are other things such as underdrive pulleys, electric fans, etc that are used with mixed results.

On a side note, low mileage on a used car/truck isnt always a good thing. That 65k says too me that it either sat for a long time or grampa drove it to the hardware store. When cars sit, they have problems.

Enjoy your Ranger!

 

[strvger]

x2 on the re-gear to 4.10 and installing a 5 speed manual. you certainly will improve performance and mpg's will most likely improve by not having to get so far into the pedal. that was my experience. just for what it's worth.

 

[88gt]

5 Speed!!!!

 

[ddye40]

ok tire size i will look when its daylight cause im actually not too sure right now. but the whole 5 spd thing. how hard is that to do? cause its my only car and i have to work. so probably a stupid question but is it a quick thing to do?

 

[racsan]

no, it could be done over a weekend, maybe in a day if you have everything. theres alot of parts to get and it could get pricey. as much of a 5-speed fan as i am, id keep the auto unless it was in need of a rebuild/replacement and just re-gear the differentials. have you found out what your current gearing is? on the doorjamb sticker (drivers door) one of the bits of info is the axle code, mine is 86 which translates into a open 3.73 ratio. if the owners manual is still with the truck you can look it up there or go here-->http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/Axles.html

 

[ddye40]

ok im pretty sure my gears are 3.45 but thats without looking. and if i went to a junkyard or someplace would buying a 5spd tranny be a good idea? and as short as you can describe it what has to be done to switch it in for the auto?

 

[racsan]

ive never done the swap myself, but i know you will need the pedal assy for under the dash, all the clutch hydraulics, you may need driveshafts due to lenght differences between the auto and manual trans, you will need a flywheel, clutch disc and pressure plate. better go for new parts for the clutch plate and pressure plate, same for all the clutch hydraulic components. you'll need the floor plate (for the cab) for a std trans (unless you wish to just cut a hole in the floor). i dont know if a different computer is required for the std vs auto. you will have to pull the Y pipe (exhaust) off the motor for clearance to get the old trans out/new one in, so if you have bad flanges or studs you could run into issues there. i had to drill out a coulple of studs myself when i swapped transmissons on my truck, and re-tap the manifolds, while still on the truck! (i lost 2nd one day, with only 80,000 miles on the truck, low oil level played a part in this failure) that being said, pull the top cover off the trans before bring one home from the salvage yard, look for any unusuall wear, particularly on the very first gear inside the transmission case on the input shaft side. shift-rail plug leakage is a common problem on some of the M5OD trans, do a search for it and you get alot of information on it. i know at least one user who had swapped from auto to manual, he no longer has the truck but had started a write up about it. this guy never did get a complte write-up done, you could p.m. him and ask him questions though, his truck was a '97. -->http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/member.php?u=111 one more thing, the manual trans you get must be for a 3.0 motor, it has a unique bolt pattern for the bellhousing, and a trans from anthing but a 3.0 wont work. i did just find alot he posted on another forum about this swap, click here-->> http://www.ranger-forums.com/f82/li...-swap-53913/?highlight=auto+manual+trans+swap