4.0 upgrades

[Big Jim M]

??? Who knows??

Bone stock, 1st gear, pedal to the floor, my truck would NOT hit 5k RPM. After installing, a cold air style intake, 2.5" exhaust and Hi-flow cat's I can pull 5200 into 3rd gear, and the truck is noticebly peppier even though any mileage gains have been negated by weight and tire/lift.

Now, in addition to the little things like those I would do a cam swap (comp 422) and the head work as well as bumping the compression up. 95tm heads on your 90's 4.0L would be right around 10:1, and along with everything else would make for a fariy peppy 4.0L.

So no telling what you took off of there. It is a common thing for guys to take off partially stopped up mufflers and after replaceing them the guy THINKS the new parts all by themselves made the difference! OR he did a tune at the same time and the TUNE made the difference!
So you got what? 300rpm at a place were few dare to tread? Wooo Hooo!
Actually the cai did NOTHING for that ride. Actually the larger pipes prolly slowed down the engine and gets worse milage at NORMAL engine speeds.

There is a big difference in parts meant to be on the TRACK and parts that will survive on the street. If you put a 900 HP V-8 NASCAR engine on one of our lil trucks it WOULD NOT back out of the driveway! Much less get you to the grocery store.

I'm thinking most guys on here use their rides for everyday common driving and not the 1/4 mile! When speaking to THAT application, there are few if ANY modifications that WILL make the drive cheaper or more powerful..

In your case you seem to be real prowd of gaining 300 or so rpm at the top end.. MY RIDE hasn't seen five grand EVER! I LIKE it too much to run it up there..
Big JIm

 

[wahlstrom1]

You may be right but those gains are there all the way through the power band, but upper is really the only seat of the pants way to identify a change. The truck had fairly low miles on it when I did the mods, infact I've put more then the original mileage back on it since then and have not noticed any signs worsening performance.

Everyone that states factory parts do as good of job possible, don't seem to remember that the OEM's design them for everyone, meaning they need to keep gramps happy with a quiet engine or seal the airbox entirely from joe blow idiot pressure washing the engine down and soaking the airfilter. CAI's do work, they don't make the manufacturer's claimed gains by any means on 95% of applications, but they do make a difference.

I do a long hwy jaunt in my shop truck, day after day consistently. Just by removing the factory inlet going to the fender and opening the airbox up I picked up 2mpg, and has much better throttle response. Now it makes more noise, and I'll have to watch it when I wash the engine down and check the air filter more often... but I'm ok with that.

 

[Andres629]

I agree with Wahlstrom here. Don't get me wrong, but I run my trucks pretty hard (right foot is heavier than my brain sometimes...) and my engine wouldn't hit 4500 in first. I dealt with the exhaust and it would rev to 5200, but wouldn't have power. All I did (and it really did make a difference, don't tell me otherwise, you've never ridden in my rig before and after) was install an MSD 6A box, Crane P90 coil, MSD 8.5mm wires and Accel cap and rotor and I noticed an incredible difference in power above 3k, even with the mostly stock intake configuration. Bear in mind I'm running 35's with a piddly 2.9, so that extra oomph up high to keep the wheels spinning means the difference between bogging out, or forward progress.

 

[Big Jim M]

I have no doubt!

I agree with Wahlstrom here. Don't get me wrong, but I run my trucks pretty hard (right foot is heavier than my brain sometimes...) and my engine wouldn't hit 4500 in first. I dealt with the exhaust and it would rev to 5200, but wouldn't have power. All I did (and it really did make a difference, don't tell me otherwise, you've never ridden in my rig before and after) was install an MSD 6A box, Crane P90 coil, MSD 8.5mm wires and Accel cap and rotor and I noticed an incredible difference in power above 3k, even with the mostly stock intake configuration. Bear in mind I'm running 35's with a piddly 2.9, so that extra oomph up high to keep the wheels spinning means the difference between bogging out, or forward progress.

Sure all them new parts made a difference. Same difference would have occured if you had just put all new FORD parts in there.. THAT would be the ONLY way to know for sure if them highly advertised parts were worth the money or not.
Spark is a strange thing. Most guys think they can get some kind of hotter or something from installing racing parts under their hood.. HOWEVER taint true. as long as the factory stuff is firing nothing can fire better. The burn in the fuel happens so quickly that any EXTENDED spark is sparking into already BURNT fuel... A small yellow spark is all that is needed and cannot be surpassed!
I've seen it time after time, guys have a poorly running ride and they buy fancy parts in bright red boxes and they think they have found the answer.... when all along it was simply a factory tuneup that was needed.
Big JIm

 

[Larry's shee]

Some engine designs inherently don't lend themselves to easy or economical modifications. You can't even get chrome or alum aftermarket valve covers to replace rusted out stockers . Not knocking the 4.0, but with as many as were made, you would think there would be a TON of parts available. As to doubleing the power of a diesel for $2000, that's GREAT!! I would venture to guess your mileage was cut by 50% as was the life of your motor. JMHO, your results may vary !!

 

[feellnfroggy]

I think what EVERYONE is getting at is using the parts in accordance with other parts properly made a better performing truck if only by a little, which is what the OP asked for. Pick through everyones advice and make your choices. Youll learn more as you go.

 

[02 ranger]

First thing to speak about would be the $2,000. you spoke of.. Nobody has been takling about spending that amount of money!
Then you compare such different engines that shouldn't even be on the same page. I'm betting that if you ONLY put a tuning chip in there you would have been as happy with that ride as you are after doing the other modifications..
Big JIm

The only reason i put the intake was because the filter minder was getting sucked in and my egt's where way to high, dpf/cat need to come off or else my truck would have been screwed with tuning.

 

[02 ranger]

Some engine designs inherently don't lend themselves to easy or economical modifications. You can't even get chrome or alum aftermarket valve covers to replace rusted out stockers . Not knocking the 4.0, but with as many as were made, you would think there would be a TON of parts available. As to doubleing the power of a diesel for $2000, that's GREAT!! I would venture to guess your mileage was cut by 50% as was the life of your motor. JMHO, your results may vary !!

yeah. my fuel milage went from 9 city and 13 highway to 15 city and 20 on highway. So far i got over 50k milage tuned so a total of 97k on the truck. Not even my stock auto transmission has gone out. And this is all while driving the piss out of it with the spartan 310 hp tune and some of river city diesel 585 tune. I am about to pull the trigger on sun coast fully built transmission, elite diesel turbos, modded hpfp, ported fuel rails, 60 hp injectors, head studs, cam, everything fuel delivery upgrade possible by elite diesel. Lots of money but lots of go! I already run mid mid to low 14's, im expecting mid 13's with the addition of more air and fuel.

 

[Fear250r]

I was basically asking because I stripped a lot of the stuff off the old truck and put it on the newer truck, so my wires are gone, the exhaust is gone and whatever else I've taken over the years. I've got stuff to replace anyway, so I was just really asking if it's worth it to spend the extra 20 on a good set of wires or for that matter, a decent exhaust, since I've got nothing right now. I was hoping to do a couple things without getting into the motor, but, since it's nasty out and I'm not sure how or when I'll be able to get the motor in, maybe I'll do a couple things to the internals.

Cam? Port/Polish?

 

[Big Jim M]

Generally speaking

I was basically asking because I stripped a lot of the stuff off the old truck and put it on the newer truck, so my wires are gone, the exhaust is gone and whatever else I've taken over the years. I've got stuff to replace anyway, so I was just really asking if it's worth it to spend the extra 20 on a good set of wires or for that matter, a decent exhaust, since I've got nothing right now. I was hoping to do a couple things without getting into the motor, but, since it's nasty out and I'm not sure how or when I'll be able to get the motor in, maybe I'll do a couple things to the internals.

Cam? Port/Polish?

The camshaft tells the valves what to do at certain positions of the piston.

IN GENERAL, the more overlap a camshaft has the higher rpm it will make and the higher in RPM the HP comes in.

So when choosing a camshaft one NEEDS to take into consideration what RPM he will actually USE the engine at.

Having a long duration lift of the valves with a great amount of overlap will SOUND real good at idle...but a cam like that won't pull a fat girl off a potty!
Unless a gear ratio of 5 to 1 or lower is used the ride will be nearly ineffective. Sitting around at lights trying to get going. Then at around sixty the horses will wake up and she will be ready to run..

So for the NORMAL application the LIFT isn't as important as the overlap is for dirveability.. Look at graphs and charts for all of the available camshafts before making a decesion. Make sure to compare each to the STOCK camshaft. This will tell you in advance what to expect from your purchase.

For uses below 5,000 rpm I'm not a fan of port and polish. I have never seen gains in HP from P&P below that rpm number. I highly doubt the chamber not being filled with fuel using heads and manifolds as built.

Big JIm

 

[4.0L2WD]

I wish my 4.0 got 20mpg on hwy. That would be great. I just installed a spectre cotton drop in filter and it seems like MPG went down....

 

[02 ranger]

I wish my 4.0 got 20mpg on hwy. That would be great. I just installed a spectre cotton drop in filter and it seems like MPG went down....

Its not a ranger. Its an 08 F-250 diesel lariat 4x4 crew cab. Weights 8k, has more than 550hp and 1150 torque. All with just intake, tuner, exhaust

 

[Bird]

I can't help but laugh at a couple of the replies in this thread - there's one axiom to be remembered at all times : more air / fuel in at any valve lift at any rpm will result in more power.........period (within reason). The 4.0 OHV is a great engine in stock form, but severely choked down on the exhaust side of things and this seriously limits available power. Just adding a better exhaust (headers, etc) will free up a little exhaust flow, but not enough to really make much difference (unless your exhaust system is already plugged up). To take advantage of a better exhaust, you will have to change out the camshaft to get more lift / duration from the valve events = more intake and exhaust flow.
The Comp 410 cam is a great cam for this as it has really nice flow characteristics for a stock motor without a bunch of overlap that will kill bottom end power - contrary to some that say overlap is bad, a little bit of overlap at low intake lift is a very good thing in that it can enhance cylinder filling by using the exhaust pulse vacuum to jump start the intake flow. Too much overlap to get the rumpity sound we all like in a cam will definitely hurt the low rpm power though and with a factory tune, won't be able to get up into the RPM range that can take advantage of the cam's characteristics and make more power.

The 422 cam is one that needs a retune to take advantage of the cam profile and it will lose a little power in the lower RPM's - with proper gearing, you'll never notice a thing.

Properly ported heads will greatly enhance the power throughout the rpm range on these engines (notice I said PROPERLY) with most of the porting to be done on the exhaust side. I've built / consulted more than a few 4.0 builds that with a 410 cam, headers, mildly ported heads and a mild tune that made +60 rwhp over stock and would pull like a freight train from off-idle on up with all the intake side and injectors being stock. Add higher compression with different heads or pistons and the tally goes even higher, but 93 octane needed at that point.

The factory got it 'right' for the general public / EPA / warranty programs, but anything can always be better...........

Bird

 

[mosher41]

I have a 99 4.0, We went thru the entire motor with all stock parts, the cylinder heads are the "choke" or should I say JOKE. The intake runners are cast in a way you cannot match port them. We have been doing heads a long time and my tractor heads flow better than those. I put on a set of Headman Headers and matched and polished the exhaust ports and polished the intakes. K&N cold air kit, (YES BIG DIM....we all know the factory one is a cold air intake) but the K&N is a much smoother pathway. Jet chip I took back out because I didnt like the way the truck shifted and I dont trust the tranny is beefy enough to withstand the harder shifts. I did these mods to increase the MPG not to make a race truck...the only way to do that is put a V8 in it. I m getting over 18MPG in the summer and around 16 in winter.
My father had the same truck and never got 17MPG.

I would say the headmans would be the best BANG for your buck, I had mine sandblasted and used the Eastwood Header coating and they still look great ! !

There is really nothing you can do to this motor to gain any more than say 5 to 10 % HP. So if you want a hot rod, yank that euro trash out and horn in some american muscle ! ! Like a nice little 302 crate motor

 

[97RangerXLT]

I have a 99 4.0, We went thru the entire motor with all stock parts, the cylinder heads are the "choke" or should I say JOKE. The intake runners are cast in a way you cannot match port them. We have been doing heads a long time and my tractor heads flow better than those. I put on a set of Headman Headers and matched and polished the exhaust ports and polished the intakes. K&N cold air kit, (YES BIG DIM....we all know the factory one is a cold air intake) but the K&N is a much smoother pathway. Jet chip I took back out because I didnt like the way the truck shifted and I dont trust the tranny is beefy enough to withstand the harder shifts. I did these mods to increase the MPG not to make a race truck...the only way to do that is put a V8 in it. I m getting over 18MPG in the summer and around 16 in winter.
My father had the same truck and never got 17MPG.

I would say the headmans would be the best BANG for your buck, I had mine sandblasted and used the Eastwood Header coating and they still look great ! !

There is really nothing you can do to this motor to gain any more than say 5 to 10 % HP. So if you want a hot rod, yank that euro trash out and horn in some american muscle ! ! Like a nice little 302 crate motor

interesting on the MPG... my truck is bone stock w/ 31" tires and 3:73 gears, and I regularly (at least after tune ups) get 18 mpg. I have gotten 21 mpg a few years ago on the highway. for just around town I get anywhere from 16 - 17 depending on how much I am waiting at stoplights...which in the Indianapolis area can be a good portion of your time driving.


AJ