• Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and Register for our forum. Even if you don't want to post, you can still 'Like' and react to posts.

85 Xr4ti swap into 88 ranger


88turboranger

Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2009
Messages
15
Vehicle Year
1988
Transmission
Manual
Hey everyone, popping my posting cherry :yahoo: but here is my situation: I recently bought an 88 xlt ranger from a guy i work with. He swapped an 85 xr4ti turbo motor into it back in 1992 i believe. The engine runs great, has about 85000mi on it, he installed the merkur computer when doing the swap, upgraded the injectors to 42#, but kept the stock ranger fuel lines because of space issues if i recall, and installed the svo "high performance" ,as he puts, it fuel pump. It also has a high flow cat, flowmaster muffler and these nifty dual tail pipes that have resonators built into them. The exuast was installed in 92-94 i believe. Now the problem: At wot the engine will only go to about 3000rpm and then it seems like it has hit top end. When I first bought the truck it would hesitate really bad when getting into the 3k range, so i replaced the ignition wires and this took away the hesitation. Now it will not wind out much past 3k unless i gradually get into the throttle and work my way past it so to speak. I have also done some research and found that these motors should put out around 15psi of boost in a manual application from the factory. Mine however only puts out 10psi. This was satisfying for about 2 months, then i decided to bypass the bcs and run the hose directly from compression side into the recirculate side which resulted in a fairly adequate gain of 6psi bringing the total boost to 16psi.:headbang: After doing this the engine will hit about 3200 now before it feels like its "all out" but the turbo will not start spooling till around 2700rpm now, whereas with the bcs, it would spool around 2300rpm. Possible causes: I have a suspicion that the cat could be plugged, but would it really cause the motor to react the way it is? Perhaps the exhaust system could be too restrictive with a muffler and the two resonators in the tailpipes? Another possibility is that maybe the 42# injectors are a little too much, or maybe the stock ranger fuel lines cant keep up? Any suggestions would be great, I'm really open to trying anything! :icon_cheers:
 
Last edited:
What is your fuel pressure at?
 
As of right now, I am not sure. Ive got a gauge mounted under the hood, but how would i go about running it up onto the hood so i could see it?
 
The 85 xr4ti stock computer is tuned for 30#injectors and a small vane air meter. With out an intercooler the boost should not go over 15. I would think it is in the ignition, the TFI would be my first check. If it has not ever reved over 3200 I would double check the wiring to the merk specs.
 
So if it is tuned for 30# injectors, then having the 42's will not make a difference without tuning the computer accordingly? Could this discrepancy cause a decrease in potential performace or will the 42's just be underutilized? I will check the TFI also and get back with the results. Also, it will very easily rev over 3200 when it is not under a load, such as in neutral and in first gear, but from second to fourth it will not go over 3200 unless i let off of the throttle at 3200, let the boost down to zero or vaccum and then punch it again.
 
No, it will make a difference. It will run 40% (42/30) too rich. That is a problem. Is there a chip installed on the J3 port on the back of the EEC? If not, it's probably not tuned. It could very easily be loading up with fuel.
 
I don't believe that there is a chip. Is there a place i can purchase one, or does it have to be custom burnt?
 
You could purchase one, but without actually having it tuned, it won't be optimal. How much power are you looking for? If you are just looking to double stock hp, switch back to the 30 lb injectors.
 
As of right now, hp isn't really a factor for me because i do not have the money, but i'll try to get a hold of the stock injectors and get back with the results soon. My goal right now is to make it run properly, and actually it seems like it would have plenty of pep if i had some more rpms to work with. Thanks for the advice! Is there anything else i may want to look into?
 
no, just go to ebay or turboford.net and look for green top 30 lb injectors. they go for cheap.
 
Are the green top the same as the stock ones? cuz the guy i bought it from probably still has them considering he still has the original ranger motor and the Xr4ti tranny. :D
 
on turborangerforums.com, the guy that runs the site is a sct dealer and has toms of custom tunes for the j3 chip specifically for the 2.3 turbo engine reguardless of what car the motor was in or what computer you are running. if you decide to tune the truck to run 42# injectors, that is the man to talk to. that site also if filled with tons of turbo information so you might also find answers to your questions there that you cant get elsewhere.
 
what kind of hp increase am i looking at if i tune it to the 42's? Stock is like 180hp at 10psi or somethin right?
 
Stock is about 160 on those motors. You won't see any increase from stock by going with bigger injectors.

I have 96 lb/hr injectors. All that means is that if I were to move enough air, I could put down about 400 rwhp on the e85 that I run. But right now I'm not moving that much air, and I could get away with injectors half as big.
 
ok. So how much boost are you running anyway? and i guess while im askin about turbo stuff is it ok that ive bypassed the bcs?
 

Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad

TRS Events

Member & Vendor Upgrades

For a small yearly donation, you can support this forum and receive a 'Supporting Member' banner, or become a 'Supporting Vendor' and promote your products here. Click the banner to find out how.

Recently Featured

Want to see your truck here? Share your photos and details in the forum.

Ranger Adventure Video

TRS Merchandise

Follow TRS On Instagram

TRS Sponsors


Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad


Amazon Deals

Sponsored Ad

Back
Top