Cold air intake, need some advice.

[94rangerblue]

Hi, i got a 1994 4 cylinder ford ranger, i want to put in a cold air intake but i cant really find one anywhere, i remember looking at other custom trucks and seeing the same year truck as mine and them having cold air intakes, anybody know where i can get one?

by the way I don't know all that much about engine work or anything like that, I'm new to the whole thing.

 

[Resurrection Ranger]

Hi, i got a 1994 4 cylinder ford ranger, i want to put in a cold air intake but i cant really find one anywhere, i remember looking at other custom trucks and seeing the same year truck as mine and them having cold air intakes, anybody know where i can get one?

by the way I don't know all that much about engine work or anything like that, I'm new to the whole thing.

Welcome.

I'll tell you what I did..everyone has their own ideas though. I have a 1993 2.3. From factory you essentially have a cold air intake. But they put restrictions on it to make them run quiet. You also have alot of componets running into and out of your factory air intake that are there for a reason. So this is what I did....

Take off the intake tube between your throttle body and air box. Inside of that tube will be a cone insert. Remove it. Can be done by hand or persuaded with a pliers. Put the tube back on. Change out your OE filter with a K and N (some people don't like to use them but thats up to you.)
I did notice a difference when I did this mod and it only costs you a 50 dollar filter. You will also get the cold air intake sound with that baffle removed from the tube. I also freed up my exhaust quite a bit and noticed a big difference compared to everything that was stock. Anything helps when you only have 98HP to work with.

Good luck!

 

[MikeInIdaho]

Luckily, we don't have the baffle/intake silencer/muffler thing on the duratecs. You're right about the factory intake assembly already being of the "cold-air" variety; there's really no-need to replace it with a "hot-air" k&n assembly.

I stopped using k&n panel filters a while back. I can't tell any difference between them and OEM-style paper filters. Just my .02

 

[Bob Ayers]

Luckily, we don't have the baffle/intake silencer/muffler thing on the duratecs. You're right about the factory intake assembly already being of the "cold-air" variety; there's really no-need to replace it with a "hot-air" k&n assembly.

I stopped using k&n panel filters a while back. I can't tell any difference between them and OEM-style paper filters. Just my .02

With the holes in the K&N filter media, K&Ns will flow more air than the OEM paper filters. However, since the OEM filter for the 2.3L is the same filter used on the 3.0L and 4.0L V-6s, it is way over sized for the 2.3L. Due to
this, you won't get any more air with the K&N, just more dirt and oil.

 

[MikeInIdaho]

...and dirty MAF sensors! That was the main reason I stopped using them. Fouled MAF from the k&n put our Chevy into limp mode...A good cleaning and OEM paper filter cleared it right up.

 

[skyy_4life]

well if u go look in "lowriders" and theres a post called "my 1994 ranger". it has complete engine picks of wut my looked like before i tore it down. it had cold air intake system on it. only think u really need other than cone and pipe is the MAF adapter u can get from any autozone.

 

[Resurrection Ranger]

...and dirty MAF sensors! That was the main reason I stopped using them. Fouled MAF from the k&n put our Chevy into limp mode...A good cleaning and OEM paper filter cleared it right up.

Yeah I've read alot of cons lately on K and N. Of course they didn't show up till after I did the mod.

But on a different note, my MAF is BEFORE the airbox.. so my MAF is getting fresh air not filtered (or in K and N's case, less filtered) air. I think I'm gonna check my throttle body out and see if I notice anything since I cleaned it when I pulled the intake tube off recently. Other than that it's a wait and see issue I guess.

I do greatly appreciate all the opinions on this board !

 

[Bob Ayers]

Yeah I've read alot of cons lately on K and N. Of course they didn't show up till after I did the mod.

But on a different note, my MAF is BEFORE the airbox.. so my MAF is getting fresh air not filtered (or in K and N's case, less filtered) air. I think I'm gonna check my throttle body out and see if I notice anything since I cleaned it when I pulled the intake tube off recently. Other than that it's a wait and see issue I guess.

I do greatly appreciate all the opinions on this board !

The MAF sensor should see ALL FILTERED air, not unfiltered.

 

[MikeInIdaho]

Yeah, the MAF on the Chevy is actually in the throttle body. On the b2300, it's right past the air filter on the intake tube. Either way, it's past the filter on both vehicles.

The issue with the k&n is that it passes small amounts of oil into the intake, eventually laying enough down to foul up the MAF. The MAF no longer sends a correct signal to the PCM, which in turn pulls back fueling, cranks up KR and puts the vehicle into "limp mode."

 

[Resurrection Ranger]

Yeah, the MAF on the Chevy is actually in the throttle body. On the b2300, it's right past the air filter on the intake tube. Either way, it's past the filter on both vehicles.

The issue with the k&n is that it passes small amounts of oil into the intake, eventually laying enough down to foul up the MAF. The MAF no longer sends a correct signal to the PCM, which in turn pulls back fueling, cranks up KR and puts the vehicle into "limp mode."

OK.. I'm all about being wrong. Not realizing that where the MAF is bolted in the upper part of the box means it's technically just above the filter.. meaning filtered air. My bad!!

 

[TomTom3975]

Its not that hard I did mine for about 30 bucks made the biggest difference to that little 2.3 you would love it. I bought a 2ft piece of 3inch exhaust for 8 bucks then I bought a addapter for my MAF and the 3inch cone air filter came with it for 12 bucks. I bought a 3inch 3inch straight addapter for 8 bucks. Thats it I used the stock 45 degrees addapter that goes to the throttle body put the pipe in it cut the extra pipe to make it fit and allow for the MAF and the filter. I put the Filter and addapter on the MAF and put the 3inch by 3inch addapter on the other end of the pipe and hooked into the MAF and you have a Cold Air intake. click the link below to see.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35966006@N07/3326878164/

 

[skyy_4life]

yea i peiced mine together from a hotrod shop and a adpater for maf from autozone.

 

[a-5 freak]

time and time again, people say k&n lets in dirt and unwanted particles into your engine. My question is, Do you all re-charge your k&n? i recharge mine every 4,000 miles or every oil change, whichever comes first. I have had no problems with my k&n and my intake manifold looks clean. i think that with regular cleaning, the k&n is just fine and adds hp and mileage.

 

[Bob Ayers]

time and time again, people say k&n lets in dirt and unwanted particles into your engine. My question is, Do you all re-charge your k&n? i recharge mine every 4,000 miles or every oil change, whichever comes first. I have had no problems with my k&n and my intake manifold looks clean. i think that with regular cleaning, the k&n is just fine and adds hp and mileage.

They actually filter better when they get dirty, and the holes in the filter media get plugged up some. Your K&N makes more noise, but no more HP or MPG.

 

[a-5 freak]

really... because when i had no k&n i ws getting 18-20 mpg. when i got the k&n, i was getting 20-22 mpg. my truck was also MUCH peppier after the k&n.