I have a 99 3.0 L, reg cab, even with 31's on it, my truck can still burn rubber with easy. 3.0 L and a manual tranny are a great combo. However on the other end its top end isn't the greatest. fastest i've done was 95. , but its still a very reliable engine

 

I honestly don't understand why people think this engine is so slow...I have a 3.0 5 speed in a 2wd (maybe thats why it feels so fast, no 4x4 lol) and it has a lot of get up and go. Extremely reliable, too. Only problem I had was the DPFE and thats a piece of cake to fix.

 

...DPFE??? What's that?

I just got a '00 4x4 with a 3.0. Haven't had time to play with it yet, so no results to compare to makoo.

I have noticed that it revs high before it gets going, but it'll chirp the tires with ease...and that's taking off straight on a good clean road.

 

tough to believe that 3.0 could beat a 350. I don't know if that is feasible. It is the same engine in a Taurus. My 88 Ranger with the 2.9 is slow as molasses and has almost the same HP but more tourque. The 3.0 by all accounts is a very reliable engine that will run forever.

 

I've found a header, exhaust, chip, intake, under drive pulley, electric fan, heads, cams, pistons, etc. You just gotta take the time to search. I'm not sure if all this is available for the 2.5 but it is for the duratec 2.3L. Most of the time if a part isn't listed for the 2.5/2.3 you can call the manufacturer and they can make or modify a part. You can call Comp Cams and they'll custom grind you a cam for not too much $$

 

The DPFE is a sensor for the EGR system, located on the front of the intake manifold. They fail quite often and cause an EGR code, about $70 to replace.

 

I wouldnt call your 3.0L "fast" or brag about how much you can roast the tires.
At 154 hp its respect for a compact truck engine.
However, Toyota has a 2.7L 4-cylinder that goes in the 4x4 Tacoma that makes 160 hp. Keep in mind, thats a 4-cylinder! Granted, it has dual-overhead camshafts which the 3.0L Ford doesnt but still for a 4-banger thats very respectable.
I almost bought a '98 Ranger with a 3.0L. It was a nice truck: extended cab, 4x4, 3.0L V6 with an automatic. I think it helped that it had 4.10 gears and P235 tires with 15" wheels.
I went with a new at the time, '99 Ranger SuperCab 4x4 Off-Road with the OHV 4.0L V6 and that 5-speed automatic. Very nice truck and got pretty good fuel milage too. I didnt really have all that many problems with it either. It was missing some sheetmetal screws in the front of the bed that made it squeak. Also, the rear brake cylinders froze up on me at about 20,000 miles which was repaired under warranty. Overall though, a nice truck. Also, with that 4.0L V6 it still got 18-20 mpg when you consider that most people who have ridden with me say I have a "heavy foot" thats pretty good.
Personally, I think 150 hp is plenty for a Ranger. I think with the newer vehicles having so much power, it makes people think they can tow more than what the vehicle is really capable of handing.
All the time you see people with minivans pulling big boats and most the time the bumper is just about dragging on the road.
At 160 hp, my '99 Ranger was a handfull to drive when the roads were slippery. Here in Wisconsin, we often have patches where the road will be perfectly dry for a stretch and the icy and snow-covered. You really never know where the icy patches are untill you hit them so you really dont use 4-wheel-drive all that much. Much of the time I would be cruising along at 40 mph and look down to see my speedometer needle going up and down and think, "Oh *hit, ice!", and just ease off the gas to prevent spinning out and sliding into the ditch.
The biggest downfall of the 3.0L in my opinion is its rotten fuel economy. You could get a 4.0L and have more power with better milage.

 

I'm not sure where everyone gets the idea that the rev-limiter is set at any particular speed. From what I've read, it's based on the RPMs. With my truck, the limiter kicks in around 5800 RPM. I can, however, easily get my truck up to 100-120MPH on level ground and only hit the limiter going downhill or if I stay in a lower gear for too long. It's a '95 3.0 4x2 5-speed manual SuperCab with no performance mods.

Also, I found little to no difference in extra speed or mileage by covering my bed or leaving the tailgate off. I still get about 20-21MPG with a mix of driving conditions (city, highway from Los Angeles to Anaheim).

Spinning the tires on these trucks isn't that hard to do, either, so it's not a good indicator for performance. Trucks by nature are light in the rear so there's not as much downforce to prevent spinning. Trucks also tend to have more bottom end torque for towing/hauling. If you want to have fun spinning your tires, though, I recommend doing it from first through third. Lots of fun!

I know for a fact that my truck cannot outperform a Chevy 1500 with a 350 V8. I can get the Chevy up to 85+ on a relatively short onramp. My Ranger takes a bit longer to get up to speed.