1990 Ranger 302 swap

[85_Ranger4x4]

Rather unpopular opinion, I have E6 heads on mine and I think they really help.

They are a super high swirl head, a 5.0 Crown Vic with E6's was rating something like 280lb-ft at 2500. A new Ecoboost Ranger everybody goes on about is rated 310 at 3000.

My theory with no real science behind it is all the fuel and air bits in there get mixed up better and stay suspended better at lower RPM.

And then because it is so busy swirling and not necessarily flowing they choke out at like 5k rpm.

There was a difference between the E6's and E7's, I swapped to E7's and back to E6's.

The top end isn't there but it mostly lives below 4k anyway.

Not saying you should go to E6's at all, for my offroading trail truck they are great but your truck is not a offroading trail truck. Just saying it might just be the nature of the beast with better flowing heads to give up some down low.

 

[rubydist]

Most people put way too much cam and heads with too large of intake ports for the street. Search on youtube for David Vizard Ford 303 cam video - I think it will be enlightening.

 

[tjm73]

Vizard is living 30 years ago with respect to technology. His methods work, but only on the old parts that were available back then. Technology and knowledge has moved on.

There is virtually no such thing as too large of a head or port or too much flow for a street SBF....so long as you take advantage of modern cam timing knowledge. My other area of interest is Foxbody Mustangs. I've had several. I have two currently. One completely stock 1984 20th anniversary convertible with just under 26K miles and a '93 with a 331, TKO and plenty of other bits.

Anyway, there are at least two true 302's on the corral.net that have "too big" 195cc TF 11R heads, Victor Jr intakes and make serious hp with broad torque curves. How serious? Well one made 372hp to the wheels and 350 ft-lbs with 300+ from 2600 on up. Another made even more. It made 402 hp and 359 tq to the wheels. that one crossed 300 ft-lbs at about 3200. But hey, yeah, sure, 195 heads are "too big" for a 302. People keep believing that.

Just remember this, the smallest LS 4.8 comes with 200cc port heads and made 300hp in stock trim. 400 with a cam. Nobody says they have heads that are "too big". Ford guys are conditioned to think 302's need small heads. It's not true.