Horsepower out of a 3.0?

[The_08_Ranger]

Hey i was wondering if there is any sure fire way to get good power out of a 3.0 other than boost thats just not a financial option but what do i need to make power? thanks

 

[cbxer55]

Well, mine has a chip on the computer which bumps the timing, ups the fuel flow, and shifts the transmission at higher rpms. The exhaust has no muffler. There is a bent Y attached to the converter, ending in twin Lightning style tips in front of the passenger wheel. The intake is a polished steel 3.0 inch tube with a Spectre stainless steel mesh cone filter on the end. I also spent some quality time with a dremel tool, cleaning up the inside of the MAF and TB housings.

Don't know what horsepower it is, but I love driving it. It revs to the moon and back, makes a delicious howl from the intake when doing so, louder than the unmuffled exhaust.

I almost like driving it more than my Lightning, because of the lightness and better handling in the curves. I did install a big Hellwig anti-sway bar in the rear some years ago. Really helps.

Also, first thing I do when I get it running is turn off the OD. Don't turn it on again til speeds go over 55 mph. With the big intake tube, it helps keep the rpms up, which helps keep it in the desired rpm range.

I tried putting the cone filter adapter on the stock intake tube. SUCKED!! Lasted all of one drive, then took the stock tube off and deep-sixxed it.

I love my little rev happy truck. If I can just get past the difficult cold starting issue that popped up last week. Right now, I don't trust it.

 

[Froggmann]

A 3.0 will never be 'fast', so don't dump a bunch of money into it hoping you'll have V8 power. That won't happen without forced induction.

Stay away from cheap 'chips', buy a good tuner (SCT?) and make it the last mod you do.

If you have an auto, get a 5spd.

IMO best way to free up power is an underdrive crank pulley and electric fan. Don't waste your money on a 'cold' air intake. The stock setup is cold air, remove the stock air silencer if you want a throaty intake sound.

If you already have a 5spd, keep the revs up (2500-4000rpm) and you'll be surprised at how much peppier this engine feels.

 

[stmitch]

For a couple hundred bucks, Froggman's suggestions of a crank underdrive pulley and e-fan are good ideas. If the budget is closer to a grand, then I'd add roller rockers and a good tune. Porting/polishing can be done very inexpensively if you do it yourself, but would probably need to be accounted for in a tune.

Also going to second the advise to get a manual transmission if you don't already have one. It makes a big difference.

 

[cbxer55]

You can say that "cold air" intakes are a waste if you like. All I can say, once I put the MAC on mine, I tried going back to stock and f--kin hated it. Gutless wonder. That big 3.0 inch tube, same diameter as the MAF and TB, makes it sing when the revs are up. I even tried putting a cone filter on the end of the stock tube, and found it to be worthless. Tossed the entire stock set up in the round open top file long ago.

I beat a friend's Chevy V-8 pickup from a dead stop.

 

[RonD]

Hey i was wondering if there is any sure fire way to get good power out of a 3.0 other than boost thats just not a financial option but what do i need to make power? thanks

Welcome to TRS

Without spending much there is no way to get much

No car maker whats to get less power from an engine.
They do have emissions requirements and do want good MPG numbers, but they still want to get best performance from every engine.

A good tool to have in the box is a vacuum gauge
Run a vacuum hose thru firewall(e-brake cable hole is usually big enough) and mount/stick vacuum gauge on the dash so you can see it while driving.

About 18" vacuum at idle means good compression
Now in a flat SAFE PLACE drive up to about 65MPH then push throttle to wide open and watch vacuum, should drop to 0 and then stabilize at about 1-1.5", if higher then yes you could have restricted air flow in throttle body or air passages, so a larger air intake system could be a benefit.

All fuel injected Rangers came with Cold Air Intake, so that's not the issue, the size of the cold air intake and the throttle body could be

 

[cbxer55]

My opinion, from experience, the stock intake tube on the 3.0 is too small. It's pinched down considerably from the size of the throttle body and MAF. This allows high air flow velocity, but limits the overall airflow.

As I said above, I've tried several times to use the stock tube with a cone filter adapter on the end, hated it. Eventually tossed it. I frikkin love the way it runs with a 3.0 tube all the way, from MAF to TB.

Along with the modded exhaust and chip on the computer, mine screams. Winds up higher, faster than it ever did with the stock tube in place.

 

[AllanD]

Nothing is going to magically make a 3.0 go...

They are fairly happy in vehicles that were designed around them like the first
gen Taurus where the vehicle was lighter, and had approximately 1/2 the rotating inertia in the entire driveline between the engine and the road tires 3/4 the diameter and a 3.92"1 final drive ratio...

 

[94RoadkillRanger]

My '98 3.0 is factory rated at 140 and I'm happy with it, even with the automatic. Because I dropped a 1950 F1 body on it I replaced the intake with a 3 inch. What would I do for more power? Go to Pull-a-part and pay $250 for a v8 from an explorer, grab the computer too wiring harness, maybe transmission for $150, and the motor mounts.

 

[cbxer55]

My '98 3.0 is factory rated at 140 and I'm happy with it, even with the automatic. Because I dropped a 1950 F1 body on it I replaced the intake with a 3 inch. What would I do for more power? Go to Pull-a-part and pay $250 for a v8 from an explorer, grab the computer too wiring harness, maybe transmission for $150, and the motor mounts.

Yeah! Anyone who says the factory intake is better than an aftermarket one, has never driven one. First thing I do when I buy a vehicle (2 or 4 wheel) is trashcan the entire stock intake. Ain't worth the material they're made of.

The stock pinched down intake tube of the stock 3.0 is garbage. Why have a 3.0 inch MAF and TB, then pinch the intake tube down to, what is it, 1.5 inches? Stupid! Velocity, I know. I have smaller diameter rear wheels, and keep the OD off almost all the time, keeping the revs up, and the velocity up.

As for cold air, I did a lot of modifications on the front passenger side of the engine compartment to allow plenty of cool air into the area. During this time of year, cold air everywhere, my air filter is cold to the touch after driving it, even in stop-and-go traffic. I also made a heat shield that sits on top of the radiator shroud, and goes under the steel tube, to try and keep the hot radiator air off of it. Works quite well.

 

[stiluv]

Mine lived on the rev limiter for 200,000 miles and was a blast to drive. Don't be afraid to push the little motor. If you have a 5 speed and live at high rpm's the feel pretty peppy. When I pulled the 3.0 for the 5.0 it still ran good and I kinda miss it.

 

[The_08_Ranger]

A 3.0 will never be 'fast', so don't dump a bunch of money into it hoping you'll have V8 power. That won't happen without forced induction.

Stay away from cheap 'chips', buy a good tuner (SCT?) and make it the last mod you do.

If you have an auto, get a 5spd.

IMO best way to free up power is an underdrive crank pulley and electric fan. Don't waste your money on a 'cold' air intake. The stock setup is cold air, remove the stock air silencer if you want a throaty intake sound.

If you already have a 5spd, keep the revs up (2500-4000rpm) and you'll be surprised at how much peppier this engine feels.

thanks i was thinking about the e fans and ive heard mixed opinions on if they actually work

 

[RonD]

thanks i was thinking about the e fans and ive heard mixed opinions on if they actually work

E-fan is a no brainer, best upgrade you can do to a mechanical fan engine

Better power and better MPG, outside of cutting parts off your vehicle to make it lighter nothing else does both.

Here's the thing, when you you need the cooling fan the engine is warmed up.
And radiator is warmed up, until then it is just a unneeded power drain
Radiator is cooled by air flow when driving above 30MPH, when in stop and go traffic or sitting and idling the fan is needed to keep air flowing thru the radiator, only reason it is there.
Now you won't get good MPG and don't need good power in stop and go traffic or while idling.
And this is when the E-cooling fan is on and drawing power from alternator, which will use MPG and power, e-fan power has to come from somewhere

OK, and when do you want to get good MPG and want good power?
It is when you are driving, and you have air flow thru the rad from vehicle speed, so E-fan is OFF, no power draw from alternator.
PERFECT fit

Will you free up 10, 20, 30HP?
No f'ing way, lol, 3 maybe, not 5 for sure, so is it worth it, actually I think it is, but just my opinion

 

[cbxer55]

I don't bother with E-fans myself. The stock fan is a clutch fan. You should be able to turn it, with some resistance, easily by hand. Above a certain rpm, the fan clutch slips and causes no more drag.

I won't even put an E-fan on my Lightning. I simply don't trust them. I've had them fail on me. Won't ever buy another.

Plus the unsightly wire harness needed to make one work. As you said, for the small amount you might gain, I don't bother. No thanks.

YMMV

 

[stmitch]

You won't find a new vehicle without an e-fan. They're not any less reliable if you get decent quality OEM stuff. Every FWD vehicle out there is running one, and there are plenty of Camrys and Accords out there with 300k on the original fan.

01+ Rangers with the Duratec 4 cylinder even came with an e-fan from the factory (in addition to the clutch fan) if you're looking for something that will fit your radiator perfectly.
I run a thicker radiator than stock and have no room for a clutch fan. The Duratec E-fan fits perfectly and is plenty large enough to keep my blown 3.0 cool during aggressive driving. When my 3.0 was still mostly stock, the underdrive pulley and e-fan made the biggest difference in the way the engine felt. It was able to rev much faster and smoother (which gets the engine into it's powerband sooner), and the fuel economy increased at the same time. There aren't really any other mods that will do both of those things.