Christopher has a happy Ranger

[Christopher]

Hey Ranger Rantics wassssuuppp? I relocated my battery and installed a homemade ram air job through the grill on my 87 4x4xlt and wow what a difference!!! I replaced all my sensors with 88 model sensors and that is making a difference too. Especially the TPS Sensor. Im tempted to swap computers now but I dont know if it will make any difference. Ive done this through trial and error and Im impressed. The cats were the first thing to go. Im not so sure if the cats are whats causing these heads to crack on this 2.9. Everyone says its oiling problems but Ive had other engines to crack heads because of the superheated combustion chamber that a clogged honeycomb converter will produce. Ive seen 300 six cylinders do it in the 80s and God knows you cannot kill a 300. I have one on my 84 F250 and I love it. Well to get to the question here now. I think my ranger wants more gas now maybe more spark too. I dont wanna spend no money buying new aftermarket crap. Does anyone know whats interchangeable as far as hot coils and injectors for this 2.9 from other Fords? I dont think I need 19 lb mustang 5.0 stuff that may be too much. Whoever said that you cannot get significant gains from a 2.9 on this website is full of $%@*. Its not a race car but I dont feel like Im driving a Pinto anymore either. I do have a 1974 Pinto by the way also with the chevy head on it. I bought two cherry bombs for 80$, a K&N filter for 30$ and an 88 complete spare cracked head truck 2wd for 50$ The 88 Throttle body hose is different and with the combination from both years you can make the curve without interfering with the alternator or radiator hose for your ram air. If all goes well maybe someday I will invest in a solid hose configuration but Im not ready to drop my wallet just yet. I wanna see if this 2.9 will stay together first. To all you new Ranger newcomers this is the cheapest way to get more power without spending a lot of money. She almost sounds like a v8 now. Make sure all your sensors are good too. Thats a must as I have found out the hard way.

 

[Psychopete]

There's computer differences between the '87 and '88. The '88 model year was not equipped with EGR or a knock sensor. I am not sure if the lock up for the transmission changed that year, but I might have read something about that. Computers rarely go bad, and I've also read that the 86-87 computers might have a more agressive timing curve because of the knock sensor. Either way, computers hardly ever go bad, and when they do, they usually do unusual things.

Heads crack because of part of the head casting is thin. Some crack without the engine ever overheating.

The oiling problem is a different subject.

As far as performance, a new iginiton coil on a bone stock engine will yeild you nothing. But, you could go with a MSD TFI Blaster II coil, I am sure there are other aftermarket TFI coils.

The part about hopping these up is that the engine has been out of production since '92. There is hardly any aftermarket for it. As it sets, it makes quite a bit of horsepower per cubic inch.

Bigger injectors are just going to cause you problems on the stock MAP/SD computer. They're calibrated for the injectors that are already there, and will end up running not so great.

The engine must have the demand for more air before you add more gas. The only way you're going to get a noticeable improvement is with internal modifications. $$$$$$$$ I'd also wonder how it would run on low amounts of boost, that's something I haven't tried (and probably won't).

Pete

 

[ranger]

my 88 2.9 ranger already has a ram air system from the factory if i put a k&n filter on it it would probibly scream even more

 

[MAKG]

Ram air from the factory? No. Never.

You have COLD air from the factory.

Ram air in a car is truly stupid. The effect on air pressure goes as (1+M^2/5)^3.5, where M is the Mach number, around 0.1 at highway speed. Which means you raise the absolute pressure by a whopping 0.7%, tops. That is, 0.1 PSI boost. Ooh.

 

[almostclueless]

Maybe a funnel scoop with a 24X2 opening in the front and a 3" hose connection in the rear....


Either way, you can't say ram air is STUPID....it still is better than a vacuum.

 

[MAKG]

Maybe a funnel scoop with a 24X2 opening in the front and a 3" hose connection in the rear....


Either way, you can't say ram air is STUPID....it still is better than a vacuum.

It doesn't matter how big the funnel is. It's still only 0.1 PSI boost at 70 MPH.

You don't compress the air significantly below transonic speeds. Which means anything larger than the intake tube is completely lost. It just won't go in any faster than it would without it.

Make the funnel really big and it's a source of drag. You LOSE performance.

That's why it's stupid. There is no vacuum ahead of the filter with or without it. There is a near perfect 14.7 PSI (at sea level) in both cases.

 

[Christopher]

maybe so but just try it and get some of that fresh clean cool air from outside and front of the vehicle and see the difference. Do it to a 455 pontiac engine and watch what happens, or a mopar Hemi. I would rather have it than not especially if its free and all I bought was a 30$ filter

 

[MAKG]

maybe so but just try it and get some of that fresh clean cool air from outside and front of the vehicle and see the difference. Do it to a 455 pontiac engine and watch what happens, or a mopar Hemi. I would rather have it than not especially if its free and all I bought was a 30$ filter

EVERY Ranger came FROM THE FACTORY with an air intake near the passenger side headlight. So, how is that not "fresh clean cool air?"

Don't believe every lie you hear from K&N.

Oh, and the density of air as a function of temperature is very easy to calculate. It doesn't have ANYWHERE NEAR the effect you think it does. It's a small effect, virtually indetectable on any modern vehicle (they ALL have outside air intakes, and a quick hookup to the PCM will show you that the intake air temperature is very close to ambient at WOT conditions).

Did you know carbureted cars were phased out in the 80s? Fuel injection doesn't need warmed intakes.

 

[Christopher]

Still Its better

I knocked off at least two feet of plastic sqare intake pipe and cut the hole out larger beside the headlight. The pastic stuff is way smaller than the rubber intake hose. Air is getting to the engine faster now and throttle response has improved significantly. I see nothing but positive effects from this cheap alteration. You can hear this thing sucking air from inside the house. The stock system is too restrictive for air flow. I was always told that colder air is condensed tighter so the combustion will be greater inside the combustion chamber. We always put spacers under our carburetors, built an ice chamber to go around our intake, packed as much ice as humanly possible inside this chamber around the carburetor. If the carburetor didnt stick through the hood then we cut a damn hole and made the air come straight to it or took the hood off. The end result was always the same on Sunday Faster quarter mile results just because air was going in and out faster than before. The object was too still have ice on top after every run. Winter runs were always better but still had to use ice. The plenum on my 2.9 never gets hot now like before even after a long drive. I guess the outside air is closer and less restricted, and the exaust getting out faster isnt heating the engine up as much as before plus the aluminum intake and plenum dissipates heat faster than cast iron. Im thinking about the ice trick seriously now. Im going to fabricate my own spacers for the plenum first from Koa wood since its extremely hard and resistant to heat. I will try to gap my NGK's to 46 or 47 and I have already advanced my timing from the stock setting of 12 to 15 degrees . The timing advance improved third gear and took a tiny bit from first but Im sure the new first gear I get from the 4.10 gear will be more than substantial for this timing advance. I dont have any valve rattle either. I have also diverted the pcv system away from the plenum via a homeade vaccum canister like the ones on old cars from the sixties except mine is plastic instead of tin. I took pillow case stuffing and stuffed it into a plastic peanut can and screwed two air hose fittings in each in with some J.B. weld around them. A little teflon tape around the lid and so far its great and who cares its free and I can make plenty more where that one came from. I dont want any oily residue or hot air entering the plenum. PCV is actually worthless at higher engine speed and all that is entering your combustion chamber freely after a certain rpm depending on the spring in your valve, your engine size and where you got that other hose run too on the other side of the motor. I run my other hose to a water bottle This engine is still tight so there is not much blow by I have noticed and no oil leaks now that I put all new gaskets everywhere. Those new felpro valve cover gaskets with the metal no squeeze rings are a miracle for the 2.9. I used to hate this engine a few years ago but I have been forced to drive this truck for two years now and I have grown fond of this little gutsy girl. If I could get my hands on some qualityaluminum heads. I have already been asked twice if it was a v8 and advancing the timing gives it a familiar sound when its idling from one of its famous brother engines. Just not quite as boistrous but you can tell they are related. I was actually startled when I heard it. I think the plenum design has something to do with their relation.

 

[MAKG]

Just because it makes more noise doesn't mean air is getting in "any faster."

It's your imagination.

A TB spacer is going to do absolutely nothing. At WOT at the redline, your intake charge is ambient. Read your ACT. Ice on the TB? Your intake charge will STILL be ambient. A well designed intake is transonic at WOT at the redline. Just how much time do you think this air spends in the intake for its temperature to change? It's not a terribly difficult calculation.

 

[Big Jim M]

Please Christopher

I knocked off at least two feet of plastic sqare intake pipe and cut the hole out larger beside the headlight. The pastic stuff is way smaller than the rubber intake hose. Air is getting to the engine faster now and throttle response has improved significantly. I see nothing but positive effects from this cheap alteration. You can hear this thing sucking air from inside the house. The stock system is too restrictive for air flow. I was always told that colder air is condensed tighter so the combustion will be greater inside the combustion chamber. We always put spacers under our carburetors, built an ice chamber to go around our intake, packed as much ice as humanly possible inside this chamber around the carburetor. If the carburetor didnt stick through the hood then we cut a damn hole and made the air come straight to it or took the hood off. The end result was always the same on Sunday Faster quarter mile results just because air was going in and out faster than before. The object was too still have ice on top after every run. Winter runs were always better but still had to use ice. The plenum on my 2.9 never gets hot now like before even after a long drive. I guess the outside air is closer and less restricted, and the exaust getting out faster isnt heating the engine up as much as before plus the aluminum intake and plenum dissipates heat faster than cast iron. Im thinking about the ice trick seriously now. Im going to fabricate my own spacers for the plenum first from Koa wood since its extremely hard and resistant to heat. I will try to gap my NGK's to 46 or 47 and I have already advanced my timing from the stock setting of 12 to 15 degrees . The timing advance improved third gear and took a tiny bit from first but Im sure the new first gear I get from the 4.10 gear will be more than substantial for this timing advance. I dont have any valve rattle either. I have also diverted the pcv system away from the plenum via a homeade vaccum canister like the ones on old cars from the sixties except mine is plastic instead of tin. I took pillow case stuffing and stuffed it into a plastic peanut can and screwed two air hose fittings in each in with some J.B. weld around them. A little teflon tape around the lid and so far its great and who cares its free and I can make plenty more where that one came from. I dont want any oily residue or hot air entering the plenum. PCV is actually worthless at higher engine speed and all that is entering your combustion chamber freely after a certain rpm depending on the spring in your valve, your engine size and where you got that other hose run too on the other side of the motor. I run my other hose to a water bottle This engine is still tight so there is not much blow by I have noticed and no oil leaks now that I put all new gaskets everywhere. Those new felpro valve cover gaskets with the metal no squeeze rings are a miracle for the 2.9. I used to hate this engine a few years ago but I have been forced to drive this truck for two years now and I have grown fond of this little gutsy girl. If I could get my hands on some qualityaluminum heads. I have already been asked twice if it was a v8 and advancing the timing gives it a familiar sound when its idling from one of its famous brother engines. Just not quite as boistrous but you can tell they are related. I was actually startled when I heard it. I think the plenum design has something to do with their relation.

You seem to write rather well! If it isn't your wife doing the writing, while you dictate!
You should spend your time writing for a living! And leave the modifications to vehicles to more knowlegable folks!!!
Nothing you have done to that ride has helped in ANY WAY.. You have only spent time both doing...and then writing about what you did!
What you have is a LOUDER ride...nothing else has happened!
Why on earth would one open the spark gap to make the coil work harder when the existing gap is doing it's job? Wake up and read a little instead of writing these BOOKS as posts.
Big JIm