Aerostar has 3.73 rear end gear. Cruise 70 mph around maybe 2500 rpm. Torque peak is closer to 3600 rpm. What if I could install a 4.50 rear end?

Seems only benefit is off the line, or would there be benefits on road? Think not as can always downshift for more power. As for 70 mph, can increase rpm by not using OD.

I really can't justify the changeout, but just dreaming of what it might be like. Speedier off the line would be fun.

Any thing cheap and easy to give 3.0 more pep? What about adv timing and run high octane?

 

Ask Pinceau. His aero runs with oct. 95 gas.

 

if you have the 3.0L with distributor?, try 92 octane and advance timing 5>8 degrees to just below pinging on hills stage.
really need higher compression ratio above 10.5/1 to take advantage of 92 octane. 89 O only makes the Saudis richer.

take out both rear seats and get a lightweight space saver spare. leave all heavy stuff in the garage.

Aero, even the shorty weighs in at 3600 lbs. too much weight for 3L which was designed for a 2500>3000 low profile car.

3.73 is about optimum for 3L takeoff/fuel mileage

drop in a later '96 or '97 4L and 4R55E 5R55e with EEC-V for go off the line but use more gas.

the days of muscle car engines and hipro is fast disappearing $6 a gal gas/diesel is almost here

 

Today I've moved from 98 octane gas to 95, cheaper (if this word has a sense here at 1,29€/liter), a little noiser but my van has more punch; 98 octane , as say Pablo and others in an other post is true: high octane is gas waste with a so low compression ratio, gas burn incompletly in cylinders and overheat catalyst. 95 is the lower octane gas available here in France. Increasing advance timing of 1 or 2 degrees is the maximum that can be done I think, and the injection timing move with ignition too; the synchronization with valves timing and moving air pulsation in manifold can be disturbed, with the result of bad gas spraying. 95 is I think the higher ratio usable in this car.

 

The timing was set to spec and it needed 90 octane to keep from pinging. Then I had it retarded 4 degrees to run 87 octane. No longer pings, but lost some pep.

Ha, the 3.0 is too small for this van and to think in the first few years it came with a 4 banger!

 

________________________________________
if this word has a sense here at 1,29€/liter
________________________________________
DIE HARD!!!!! Here oct. 95 gas is less then $0.80/liter!!!!

 

I have a '97 3.0 shorty. I have removed the two rear seats, those suckers are heavy! A couple of hundred pounds. I built a light weight plywood platform just above the wheel wells to carry stuff. The van has plenty of power except on long hills, I don't push it
but it makes it fine.
The best thing is, I get 24-25 mpg on the highway, and with 15" Ranger rims, it rides very smooth.
Beaned

 

Yes, they are heavy, but good. Heavy and tought seats - better safety, especially for vans and buses.

 

Tall Paul, I've also felt that Aeros were geared too tall in OD, unless you have no wind or a tail wind. Dropping down from OD to 3rd is a big drop, but that's the nature of a planetary OD.
However I thought max torque was around 2800 RPMs on these rather than 3600.
I wonder how the later Aeros with the 5-speed autos were geared, and if they had the same problem.
Ray Mac.

 

I too, removed both rear seats on my '87 Aerostar, and they are quite heavy!

I can understand if you have a family to haul around with young kids. However, I quickly determined in my case, I was simply hauling around unneeded, dead, useless weight in the Aerostar.

If I need to use the seats, I can simply install them in seconds. However, there is no need if you go for weeks without anyone sitting in the rear seats.

Keep tires properly inflated, closer to Max air pressure specs, and having your front end aligned correctly, is key for top performance and economy in an Aerostar van.
Ed

 

tallpaul,
your Aero may have the flex fuel 3L or someone replaced the heads with flex fuel heads which have small combustion chambers thus higher compression to take advantage of high content ethanol fuels.

also may be MAF . friend just had to replace his O2 and MAF sensor to stop pinging on 87 octane in his 3L. he had done the decarbonization but rig was running too lean.

3L performance mods
http://www.therangerstation.com/tech...rformance.html