3.0L Supercharger

[jokerforever]

I just bought a Ranger a few months ago with the 3.0L V6. It’s a great running truck but it is ungodly slow. I’m thinking a V8 swap but that’s at least two projects and a few years away. In the mean time I think a little boost could go a long way for my daily driver/parts runner. I could put something together myself but I don’t want to invest the time and money and was looking for a readymade kit. I saw that Whipple offered one but it has been discontinued. Does anybody know if there’s a supplier out there somewhere with one of these still on the shelf. If not, does anybody know of something other than what I have already found with a Google search (which was pretty much just reviews on the Whipple unit). I’m keeping an eye on Ebay and Craigslist for used systems. Is there anyplace else that I should look?

[TallPaul]

Yeah, the 4.0 Ranger would have been a lot better.

My Aerostar 3.0 is slow, moreso off the line to about 20 mph where it hits 3000 rpm and then the engine starts putting out more. I suspect a higher rear end gear, like 4.55 maybe, would do a world of good. A chip may help. I know my Aerostar was peppier on premium fuel but we retarded the timing so we could run regular without ping.

[3.0 98ranger]

with a rearend swap i would be going from a 3.73 to a 4.55 in my 98 3.0, would that increase or decrease my gas mileage?

[6CylBill]

Originally Posted by 3.0 98ranger

with a rearend swap i would be going from a 3.73 to a 4.55 in my 98 3.0, would that increase or decrease my gas mileage?

Decrease! I went to 4.10 and I'm very glad I don't do a lot of highway driving. If you're worried about mileage, I wouldn't go all the way to 4.55.

Have you thought about chipping it? High flo cat / muffler? Better air intake? A rearend swap is a biggie.

[3.0 98ranger]

Well, ive been trying to find a chip for about 6 months now, and i just havent been able to find anything that will work with the 3.0, but rite now, i have a mixture of a k and n air filter, tornado in the intake, and a redline powerchip on the MAF sensor, but that only got me about 5 more mpgs, so i figured id try the rearend, i haul a trailer alot tho, would a 4.10 be ideal.

Originally Posted by 6CylBill

Decrease! I went to 4.10 and I'm very glad I don't do a lot of highway driving. If you're worried about mileage, I wouldn't go all the way to 4.55.

Have you thought about chipping it? High flo cat / muffler? Better air intake? A rearend swap is a biggie.

[6CylBill]

Originally Posted by 3.0 98ranger

Well, ive been trying to find a chip for about 6 months now, and i just havent been able to find anything that will work with the 3.0, but rite now, i have a mixture of a k and n air filter, tornado in the intake, and a redline powerchip on the MAF sensor, but that only got me about 5 more mpgs, so i figured id try the rearend, i haul a trailer alot tho, would a 4.10 be ideal.

"only" 5 more mpg's? That sounds pretty darn good. I couldn't tell you if you going to 4.10 would be ideal because I've never owned a Ranger, but from what I see on FTE and from what I see on the Ford saleslots a LOT of Ranger's have low gears, many being 4.10. But just to be safe I wouldn't go past 4.10. Somebody else on here should know though

[FTE Ken]

For forced induction your best bet is a universal remote turbo (due to space problems under the hood). Not as good as a standard turbo (far more turbo lag and less low end torque), but less expensive and easier to install.

[3.0 98ranger]

thanks for the reply, i think im guna look into finding a new rear end alltogether at the junk yard. i should be able to find a 4.10 without a problem.

Originally Posted by 6CylBill

"only" 5 more mpg's? That sounds pretty darn good. I couldn't tell you if you going to 4.10 would be ideal because I've never owned a Ranger, but from what I see on FTE and from what I see on the Ford saleslots a LOT of Ranger's have low gears, many being 4.10. But just to be safe I wouldn't go past 4.10. Somebody else on here should know though

[jokerforever]

Hey I found something! This guy in Miami name Thomas Knight is making a kit using an Eaton unit. Looks like what I've been looking for but it's about $1000-$1500 more than I wanted to pay. Oh well, I guess inflation is a B---.

Here, check it out:
http://www.boosthead.com/product.php

So has anybody heard of Thomas Knight before? On his website it said he made turbo systems for Mustangs a while back and I think I do faintly remember his name from a magazine. It doesn’t give a lot of info on what he’s offering and I will do a lot more research before committing to anything. What do y’all think?