I had some free time so I decided to take a look under the hood of my new 2003 Ranger. I came up with a few ?’s:
1. My air filter box is being strangled by the return refrigerant line (air conditioner). Do you guys have any trick to taking the cover off (to access the air filter)?
2. The little plastic thing on top of the throttle body that says 2.3L 16 Valve…does it have a purpose? I thought that it might be there for protective purposes, or maybe to shield it from the hood’s heat (when parked) but then again I thought that if I took it off it would keep itself cooler by not restricting the air flow as much. I know this isn’t a big deal but I’m just curious.
3. Once I took that off and the rubber air hose, I saw the opening to the throttle body, and it was pretty small. Why?

Signed
Curious George

 

I have an '03 2.3 and I have the same problem with the air filter... I read at RPS that you can just move this hose away, but it seems pretty solid to me... I tore the rubber insulation all up trying to open it the other day...

Personally, I'm curious what that lonely metal bracket is on the driver's side of the engine bay...

 

i started to tear the insulation and left it. i suppose you just force it when you have to.

i asked about that bracket also...i have an a/c and the compressor is somewhere else. its right there on top, in front...very unusual. i can only think that its there for a turbo but that doesn't make sense either.

 

Here is a pic of the bracket for everyone else...



Look on the right...

 

yup, just like mine.

 

I have the same engine. That bracket is there to mount one of two sealed plastice reservoirs that connect to the intake hose via those two openings on the right. One on the bracket an the other in front of the hose. I dont know what they are there for (regulate incoming air) but there is nothing in them or connected to them and they are completely sealed.
To get the airbox off with minimal damage to the hoses:
pull the hoses over the box. disconnect the MAF from the box (four bolts). unsnap the box an coax it out of there. This is probably much easier said than done, but i managed to get it of yesterday with a bit of patience an minimal tearing of the insulation.

 

air reservoir? never heard of such a thing.
looking at it again, it would seem more likely that it is for a charger...simply take out the knock-outs on the intake, which are clearly there already on the intake, and throw on the turbo/supercharger and wham, you're no longer a slug!

 

Well, thats just what it looks like. I'm not sure what it is or what it is for (anyone know for sure?). However, it is very unlikely that the bracket is there for a turbo/supercharger. It doesnt make sense that ford would install such an item for a major aftermarket component at the factory level. Why would they put on the very first part of a major project on a light duty truck engine that would potentially require extensive alteration to the truck as well as thousands of dollars in parts and labor. I believe they wouldn't. You cant just "throw on the turbocharger and wham."

 

Here is a better picture:

 

I am new here and just read these history document. My 2001 2.3 has the same structure as 2003. I assume the airbox is the air silencer (resonator).

Afer your guys take it off, do you get more power? Will the air hose have a hole there after you took out that airbox?

 

yes there will be a couple of holes in your intake tube if you remove those. you might be able to plug them somehow, but i just put on a whole new intake.

 

got u. Thanks.