supercharging a 4.0

[03ranger4x4]

i was wondering for my 03 ranger what it takes to supercharge it, and where to look for the adapters and such,

I heard you can use a thunderbird supercharger, from the 3.8 v6 which is fin by me seeing how i wont be running to high of boost...probably 5psi to be on the safe side, maybe even 4psi. I dont want to damage the motor since the internals will be staying stock.

Im assuming injector work wouldnt be needed aswell, running that low of boost. probably an aftermarket fuel pressure regulator with bumped up fuel pressure would do just fine.

what about tuning? how would you go about adjusting the ecu to run the engine with the boost? with the MAF be able to adjust enough or would i need a better one?

 

[lifted4.0]

ron caster has a kit out for 1600 bucks on ebay and you just need the supercharger, that is how most people go...great deal expecially if you can find it used.

when i had mine, i sold it for like 1000 with the charger or something, with that kit you dont need to do anything to the injectors or fuel pump..just get it calibrated with a tunner, most people get sct xcal? i got xcal 3 for mine.

doesnt really matter how much boost you want to run, its more just living with what your engine makes, as long as the power is there

 

[03ranger4x4]

yeah i had a feeling it would be in the 1500 range....i dont think im even going to consider it, i need to start saving up and a supercharger isnt exactly, needed.

Its not like the 4.0 is gutless anyway, but thanks for the info

 

[lifted4.0]

i always thought the 4.0 was lacking, and even when i put the m90 on, i thought it was lacking when towing crap...

 

[03ranger4x4]

i think most cars today are lacking. but the way gas is, i can see why.

I wish my truck had a v8, but still was the same ranger it is...i still dont know why they never offered a v8 in the ranger. neither did chevy witht he s-10, it seems dodge was the only one who put a v8 in a mid range suv/pickup (dakota/durango)....there is the late 90's-early 00's explorer that had the 5.0, but after that the explorer got to big for me to consider it mid size.

i think the 4.0 does the job, towing stuff with the ranger was never a problem...we had a full size smoker trailer (yeh, a smoker made of a huge ass above ground propane tank LOL) and the bed loaded 100% with wood and supplies and it didnt even show on the truck...accleration lacked a little but thats to be expected, under driving normally, you really couldnt tell a difference.

 

[multiranger]

My 4.0 is bad a$$.. I smoked a 87 or 88 Mustang GT on top end and a full size Bronco with a 351 W from low end all the way through... What I don't get is why in the hell Ford put a 4.10 rear end on a 2WD truck with a 4.0 and a 3.43 or something with a 2.3... I can see it on a 4x4...Needless to say when I did my first build from a 2.3 to 4.0 I kept the higher gears... Works perfect for towing my bassboat to raceing on the street and anything else in between.. Plus I was running 400 miles on 17 gals of fuel... I thought that was pretty good.. But I would love to have a super charger.. i just don't see spending 5 gs on it.. Mine is a 92

 

[Fx4wannabe01]

$1600 plus charger is alot better on your wallet than the other s/c kit out there for the SOHC 4.0, the Explorer Express kit that runs upwards of $4500.

 

[03ranger4x4]

yeah i think that kit thats 4,500 i saw before....its the centrifugal type supercharger that mounts on the pulley system right?

I dont know why anyone would spend that much on a 4.0 for 50-60 (if that) more horsepower....honestly, you could buy a 50hp engine,and hook it up next to 4.0 with a belt or chain for less money, lol.

i really wish my ranger was a 2.3, this way i could turbo it!

 

[Fx4wannabe01]

You can do anything to it....just takes money and fab work...


No...the Explorer Express kit is a roots blower just like the RP Caster kit. There are no centrifugal charger kits for the Ranger 4.0 SOHC...there is however one for the mustang 4.0L SOHC, but the intake is on the wrong side and some retro fitting would need to be done to make it all fit. I want to say the kit is a Vortech kit...but idk for sure.

 

[BowTech99]

I got plenty of power with a 4cyl, why the need for a v8? All bout how you drive.

With the swap kits out threre, its practically a joke to put a v8 in an s-10/ranger

My 2 cents

 

[AllanD]

yeah i think that kit thats 4,500 i saw before....its the centrifugal type supercharger that mounts on the pulley system right?

I dont know why anyone would spend that much on a 4.0 for 50-60 (if that) more horsepower....honestly, you could buy a 50hp engine,and hook it up next to 4.0 with a belt or chain for less money, lol.

i really wish my ranger was a 2.3, this way i could turbo it!

that's because you are still hooked on the word "horsepower" when
what you really want is TORQUE, you just don't know it.

Someone was arguing with me YEARS ago about a 140hp Turbo 4cyl
and saying "why bother when the N/A version of the engine is 125hp?"

My answer was because while the N/A engine had to work and work hard
to do what it did the turbo engine had the muscle to seem like it wasn't working particularly hard.

The analogy I added was which is worse a slap from a bobcat hitting you for all he's worth or getting swatted by a grizzly bear who isn't even paying attention to what he's doing...

a Torquey engine just feels "effortless"

Hey, perfect example, have you driven one truck with a 2.9 then driven an
essentially identical truck with a 4.0?

a Blower just carries that idea a step further.

But before I spent $4500 on either a stroker or a Blower for a 4.0
I'd built a stroker 5.0, in specific a 347.

AD

 

[JohnnyO]

I got plenty of power with a 4cyl, why the need for a v8? All bout how you drive.

Someone once said that "Too much power is just about right."

 

[turbo cat]

that's because you are still hooked on the word "horsepower" when
what you really want is TORQUE, you just don't know it.

Someone was arguing with me YEARS ago about a 140hp Turbo 4cyl
and saying "why bother when the N/A version of the engine is 125hp?"

My answer was because while the N/A engine had to work and work hard
to do what it did the turbo engine had the muscle to seem like it wasn't working particularly hard.

The analogy I added was which is worse a slap from a bobcat hitting you for all he's worth or getting swatted by a grizzly bear who isn't even paying attention to what he's doing...

a Torquey engine just feels "effortless"

Hey, perfect example, have you driven one truck with a 2.9 then driven an
essentially identical truck with a 4.0?

a Blower just carries that idea a step further.

But before I spent $4500 on either a stroker or a Blower for a 4.0
I'd built a stroker 5.0, in specific a 347.

AD

You dont need to spend 4500 or swap a small block. You can turbo a 4.0 for relatively cheap. I only spent under 200$ and gained roughly 75 ftlbs @ 5lbs with a used "small" T3 non-intercooled. Just imagine if I had 1000 to spend. I would get the torque vey close or more than a stoked small block. Work with what you got.