3.3 morana kit turbo questions

[rurouni20xx]

hello all, worked w/ forced induction b4 but never installed one. i have a deceased 3.0 vulcan in an auto 4x4 ranger xlt 93 model and am looking to build a 3.3 morana kit. was originally going to keep it n/a but after asking around was not impressed by the horsepower numbers for the money, so i decided i would go ahead and boost it. im looking for around 10-12psi boost or around 300hp as i was informed that the kit is capable of producing 450+, but i dont need that much, not yet anyway... since i am very ignorant as to how to go about installing a turbo kit, much less sizing a turbo, know of any reliable brands, and how to wire it up etc., i would like to ask the turbo crowd for recommendations. any idea what size turbo i should run, should i run one or two turbos, and do i have room for intercooling? how and where would i put the timers etc, i know it has to have them, just dont know how to do any of it, but i am ready/able/and willing to learn if somebody is willing to point me in the right direction. thanks for your time and consideration, all input is very much appreciated.

 

[Gotta_gofast]

Are you looking into a 3.3L shortblock or installing the stroker kit into your existing block? If you choose to use your block, make sure you have that baby balanced and blueprinted for reliability. Your best bet is to have a set goal BEFORE you start buying parts. I would give Morana a call. They will set you up with the right compression ratio for the boost level you're looking for. Since you should have a B&B engine with higher rpm capabilities, go ahead and have your camshaft reground to take advantage of it. Specify forced induction (you don't want a lot of valve overlap) and an rpm range up to 6,000-6,500rpm. Upgrade the rest of the valvetrain, too. Roller rockers and higher pressure valve springs. Use the newer style intake manifold and opt for a larger throttle body and MAF to take advantage of the boost.

You will find that a single turbo is easier and will fit better than a twin turbo set up. A single turbo will be enough for your spooling needs. Not only can you run an intercooler, I highly recommend it. And as far as engine tuning goes, check out SCT. They have a multi-position chip for EEC-IV computers. Get some dyno time with an SCT dealer to make a reliable and powerful truck.

 

[rurouni20xx]

using preexisting block (i have it might as well use it) i see your recommendations and am looking into it, do you have any idea what size or series turbo i should use? and where/what brand timer stuff can/should i use and whats a good blowoff valve arrangement? my 93 intake/throttlebody is one piece can i use a newer 2 piece arrangement? the existing throttlebody setup likes to hang up at 70% throttle which is a problem too btw...they said the kit is capable of 7k rpm, should i try use this much or stick to a safer 65k setting? i planned on camming it w/ 1.7 roller rockers and completely porting the heads, intake manifold and plenum, and using jba headers if theyll work, i read that they can be flipped so ill put the turbo in the front if i have room. question cuz i have to route all this plumping do i have to remove the fan and install an electric fan or can i use the stock fan and just plump around it? thx again for the input.

 

[Gotta_gofast]

Some people might have ideas for turbos. But I suggest do your research. Call up a couple companies and let them know your set up, they can recommend you the perfect turbo for your machine. I read that the kit is good to 7,000rpm, but I think thats a little high for a cast steel crankshaft. I run a forged crank in my 302 and that was rated at 7,500rpm and 700 hp. The 302 has a shorter stroke than a 3.0L, and a 3.3L would mean even more piston speed. 6,500rpm is about max I would run with the 3.0L. But this is just my thoughts, it doesn't mean the engine won't hold at 7,000rpm.

I would stick with one larger throttlebody. I've had exellent results with the BBK 56mm, fits like a glove on my '98 intake manifolds. I see Morana Racing sells throttle bodies, also. They sell a 60mm and special order 65mm. I would match the throttle body diameter to your new MAF's though. JBA headers probably won't work very well when flipped. The 3rd gen ranger headers are kind of long and would be a PITA to work with flipped up. The 4th gen headers pull the collector closer to the engine much like a manifold's location, but I don't know if there would be any interferences with the extra piping from each of the cylinders. Basically, the 3rd gen I'm 99% wont work. The 4th gen I'm about 50/50 seeing as I've never done this before. So, do some research.

When you have your cam reground, you will have to provide plenty of answers. Make sure you tell them you are running higher ratio rocker arms. Tell them you are building this engine for forced induction. Give them a rough idea of how you want the engine to behave.

EDIT: I forgot to mention, you will have to upgrade to the newer style aluminum intake if you want the ability to port and polish the manifolds and be able to bolt on a new throttlebody. Some may argue to use the plastic manifold but you can't open it up very much to take advantage of the larger throttle body.

 

[turbo cat]

don't go too big on the cam. for a turbo appliction you dont want too much duration and you don't want much overlap. Too much overlap causes reversion due to the high exhaust backpressure produced by the scroll.

 

[rurouni20xx]

so would i be better off w/ a standard regrind profile and the stock 1.5 lifters or a lil more on 1.6s rather than the full 1.7 lifters due to valve overlap/duration issues? morana says it will take full 7k rpm my question is will the valvetrain? dont want "floating death"...a forged crank is unavailable for the 3.0 or 3.3 period according to morana, and theyve had similar setups in the past w/ no problems at full 20psi boost. ive asked for them to recommend a turbo setup or see if they can set me up to talking to somebody about their setup at least, any help is a bonus. thx for the input!

 

[Gotta_gofast]

Stock ratio is 1.6:1. Since it is a regrind, go ahead and run the 1.7:1 rockers. Just specify this to the shop. If you do not specify, they might assume you are running 1.6:1 roller rockers and build the cam profile around that, meaning higher lift and more aggressive profiles. Then, if you bolt on the 1.7:1 roller rockers, you might have too much lift causing valvespring bind or piston-to-valve interference. The valvetrain will have to be upgraded. Higher pressure valve springs are a must along with roller rockers and stronger pushrods. A hydraulic roller valvetrain will not support much over 6500rpm.

 

[rurouni20xx]

i see, that helps i posted the specs from the morana website on the other 3.3 kit questions forum, hence the reason im boosting the motor. even tho the n/a will supposedly produce a few more ponys than a 5.0 HO, im going to boost it to def get that gain and hopefully a lil more. thanx again! btw, i think you answered this already but im going to ask again, the manifold/throttlebody on mine is a one piece deal, can i use a 2 piece off a newer yr model 3.0?

 

[Gotta_gofast]

Yep, you will want a 1998-2000 ranger aluminum manifold. (I've done this on my 3.0L so I know it works). I Also bought a BBK 56mm throttle body (used in '94-'98 3.8L mustangs) The pre-98 manifolds have a fixed 50mm throttle body with unequal length runners. It has poor flow characteristics. The newer aluminum intakes have a separate throttle body, allowing you to unbolt it and upgrade to a larger unit. Also, the newer manifold has equal length runners and better flow characeristics.

What I did, was ported and polished the upper and lower manifolds. I gasket matched the lower intake to head ports. Then, I blended and smoothed out those ports as far up as my dremel tool and attachments could reach. Then, gasket matched the upper-to-lower manifold ports. Finally, I opened the throttle body flange out to 56mm and blended it in as far back as I could getting rid of casting flaws and bumps along the way. The throttle body bolted perfect. The TPS required me to drill and tap holes to reposition it, but no big deal. Then I finished it off with a '98 MAC cold air intake. But you are running a turbo so you don't need that.

 

[Gotta_gofast]

Here man, I posted this on another forum. This will explain all...

My truck is a 1993 ranger 3.0L 4x4 and I was in the same boat you are. The stock intake is very restrictive! Altough my truck is a model newer, I don't think there will be much difference in the engine bay.

Here's the parts I used:
-1998-2000 ranger 3.0L V6 upper and lower intake manifold (aluminum)
-BBK 56mm throttle body for '94 to '98 mustang 3.8L
-1998+ ranger 3.0L MAC cold-air-intake
-Stainless steel braided throttle cable
-remote mount engine coolant tank
-dremel tool & dremel sanders/flapwheels

First off, I ported and gasket matched the manifolds. The upper I spent some extra time on because the throttle body flange is only 50mm factory so I massaged it out to 56mm for the bbk throttle body. There is some extra casting toward the rear of the manifold that will have to be removed to clear the distributer. Since this is aluminum, it does not take too long to remove material. About 1/8th inch, or so. This is not required for fitment, but I also smoothed the cast aluminum upper and laid some ford blue engine paint on it.

There is only two small modifications you need for the bbk throttle body. You will have to drill and tap two holes to mount your Throttle Position Sensor. The new holes are a little shy of 90 degrees of the original holes. Basically, make sure the throttle opens the TPS when the butterfly is open, but not when shut. The second mod isn't a sweat at all. You need another spring to help close the throttle. Otherwise, the bbk throttle body bolts right to the 98 manifold with no ugly gaps. It looks like it was meant for this. Same with the IAC.

Once you have this prepped, go ahead and remove the manifold, intake, throttle cable, and washer fluid/engine coolant tank from your truck. The new manifold is straight forward, just bolt it on. Same with the throttle body. (you should have bolted it up once already to mark where to remove material on the upper) So, go ahead and install the IAC, TPS, universal throttle cable, coil...

Since I had the Mass Airflow Sensor off, I did the MAF mod. It involves cutting the middle brace and porting the MAF body. I won't go into details with this since it's not required for fitment, but it does give about 20% more flow capabilities... for FREE! Here's more info about it if you are interested!
HTML Code:
http://rogueperformance.com/ModifiedMAF.htmlBack to the install. The MAC intake is straight forward. Use some ready rod and some nuts, bolts, and fender washers to support the heat shield to the wheel well. You will need to cut the engine coolant tank off of the washer fluid tank because of the obstruction it will cause to the air filter. Install the washer fluid tank back to its original location. Then, install the new remote coolant tank. I installed it on the old air box tray that sits on the wheel well.

Wait for the RTV silicone to set and dry, then start up the truck. Let it idle for a couple minutes to relearn its breathing habits. Two hours of driving should be sufficient for the computer to relearn everything.

I noticed,
BIG increase in throttle response
BIG increase in torque and upper rpm power
Nice growl from the intake
1-1.5mpg increase
And as a bonus, if you have an aftermarket exhaust, you will notice a deeper "muscle" note.

PS: I have an electric fan and Proform shroud which is considerably slimmer than the factory fan shroud. The MAC intake clears this easily, but it might be close for the factory shroud. Good luck!

 

[rurouni20xx]

sounds good i like this mod, however w/ a turbo will i have to go to a bigger throttle body or (60 or 65mm) or just stick to the 56? thanx for the repost, i can handle all that. i was interested in the maf mod anyway didnt know where to look exactly, ill do that one l8r, also since im running a larger throttlebody and such would i need a bigger maf or is that possible/available? i mean if your running a 56, 60 or 65mm throttlebody wouldnt you want the same bore maf? just curious, thanx again for the info.

 

[Gotta_gofast]

Well, I run the 56mm because its just about perfect for the 3.0L. Some run larger on a N/A motor, but I think its worthless. I know the turbo 5.0s run very large throttle bodies and MAFs so not to restrict the airflow. I would bet a 60mm would sufficient without overkill. Some may argue, but this is how I look at the TB and MAF. The intake can only support as much airflow as the smallest (or most resistant) part of the intake. There is no benefit to run a 70mm throttlebody with a stock 50mm MAF, because the MAF is already restricting the airflow so that the larger throttlebody never has a chance to take advantage of the extra 20mm. Likewise, a 70mm MAF will flow very well but will be restricted by the 50mm throttlebody.

So, what I did was cut out the MAF brace first. Since the MAF is about 50mm in diameter, the area is 1963 square millimeters. The piece I cut out has an area of 360 sq. mm. So, the result of removing the center brace is about a 22% increase in total available airflow. The stock TB is 50mm. When increased to 56mm, the area of the circle is now 2488 sq. mm. This results in a 25% increase in maximum airflow. So, together, they are within 3% of each other. Its pretty close. Now, I am not saying that the engine is now using 25% more air (that would be a big power increase) but with the other modifications I have to my 3.0L, the extra breathing in the 4,000-5,500rpm range really made a difference. I am looking forward to installing my JBA headers in a month or so. Also, I will be installing 1.7 roller rockers in the spring.

A lot of people have a lot of advanced theories, but I like to keep everything simple. Physics is physics and math is math. I did the MAF, TB, P&P intakes, and CIA all at once so I do not know which part made the most improvement, but together it really woke up the mid and high range.

 

[turbo cat]

boost is a different story your forcing air in not worrying about the motor breathing. but a small step up in size for the TB will gain a little but probally small going from 56-60mm. As for the setup are you trying to build torque or power? If i was building torque I would go for the 3.3 kit. However for higher rpms and hp I keep it a 3L. The more you stroke a motor you limit its rpm potential. Something to look into anyways. As for the camm if it were me i woudl run the stocker but thats just me. In a boosted application factory cams work well.

 

[rurouni20xx]

well the 3.0 has a decent amount of torque just not as much as i would like and the horsepower is a joke from what i have felt, you leap up to 40 and the its like it runs out of motor, then again it could be the tranny/rear end ratio, either way i want it to leap a lil more and then keep going strong, hence the reason i want to stroke it for the leap, and the fact that the stroker has forged rods and oversize cast crank, so it can handle more stress and higher rpm load w/ the boost, a stock crank/rods cant handle that much boost, much less the hypereutectic pistons. the 3.3 comes w/ the forged pistons, and in oversizes as my motor needs to be bored due to wear. if i can have the cam ground w/ the extra lift and reduce the overlap a hair i think it would do fine. i was just wondering since im blowing in 10-15 psi would flow restriction due to maf and intake sizing be a problem. and if i ran a 60/65mm throttlebody would i be able to port the intake that much more or am i going to have to custom build a "blower box intake" ive seen one b4 somewhere in the past on an eaton supercharger build. basically after the intake plenum holes were ported they took machinists blue and made a patern, then took a small block of aluminum and milled it to the size of the intake holes, then made a round box deal and cut the holes out and welded them together, and on one end of the box drilled a hole and mounting holes for the throttlebody, i didnt see where the iac and other stuff went, ill try and look it up again. looked kind of like an edelbrock victor x intake for a honda civic.

 

[turbo cat]

The oem intke will work fine. I would still keep it a 3.0 and build it to spin higher but thats me. Good luck on the turbo setup. How are you planning to tune it?