Performance Increases
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Freshman User
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Performance Increases
Has anyone here experimented with increasing your van's performance? As my daily driver is a 94 9C1 Caprice with the LT1 350, my expectations are a little higher than most. I'm not looking for 14 sec. quarter mile times, but a little more umph on the highway. The stock exhaust seems fairly restrictive and as the tailpipe just rusted through, I'm formulating a plan to improve/upgrade. (this should help the mileage a little too) I'm also tossing around the idea of a Buick 231 Turbo at 5-6 lbs of boost with the stock Grand National monolith catalytic converter and 2 3/4" exhaust, although the A4LD doesn't look like the strongest piece in the world. (it does have a shift kit and is freshly rebuilt) Any other experiences out there?
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Performance Increases
The real restriction in the exhaust of both 3.0 and 4.0 L Aerostars is where the LH exhaust manifold down pipe crosses over and joins the RH pipe at a 90 degree intesection just forward of the first converter. This is the smallest diameter in the piping. To replacece any part of the exhaust downstream of that point wouild not likely gain much performance. Even larger dia. converters wouldn't help in my opinion. If performance headers were available then it would be a whole new story and larger dia. converters and performance exhaust would no doubt help power in the upper range but hurt torque down low, the reason I suspect Ford designed the systems this way. The Aerostar has never had headers available for it from all the looking I've done since buying my 88 3.0 new. Even the air intake is not that restrictive that a K&N type filter would help much if any from what I see.
Your only hope to get any meaningful power increase would be to start with a set of custom made headers, getting rid of that restriction.
Your only hope to get any meaningful power increase would be to start with a set of custom made headers, getting rid of that restriction.
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Performance Increases
One other thing. Boyd Coddingtons company modified a 87 Aerostar cargo van by swaping for a 3.8L T-bird supercharged v-6 and transmission.
I have the magazine article somewhere at home if you would like more details. I could scan it and e-mail it to you next week if I can find it and you send me your e-mail address. Mine is: kramraap at mindspring.com
I have the magazine article somewhere at home if you would like more details. I could scan it and e-mail it to you next week if I can find it and you send me your e-mail address. Mine is: kramraap at mindspring.com
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2000
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From: Metro Detroit (Redford)
Performance Increases
If you only need a modest power increase, my mechanic recommended a performance computer chip would add about 15 hp to my wife's 3.0 Aerostar to help with trailer towing. Instead I got an F150 with a 4.9 I6 to haul it.
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Performance Increases
I did seem some headers advertised for the 4.0 Aerostar in the recent past. I just don't remember where. I buy some of the four wheel drive magazines and occasionaly 5.0 Mustang mags. Actually when I saw the ad, I was surprised that anything was available for it at all. The stock manifolds tend to resemble the Cammer Ford cast iron headers a bit and appear to me to be effecient. (I haven't had the crossover off yet to see the outlet size however) If I turbocharge, I will have to retain them as I've found in truck use, exhaust components can get red hot on long pulls with a turbo. More than likely for now I will deal with what's behind the converter (as I have to replace it anyway) with expandability in mind.
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Performance Increases
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 19-Jul-00 AT 10:56 AM (EST)[/font][p]I swapped my,3.0 V6,mechanical radiator cooling fan for a Taurus electrical(fan and shroud) unit. Added an aftermarket thermo switch.
It helped the acceleration, fan noise and gas mileage(+2mpg).
Try one of those aftermarket electric fans.
It helped the acceleration, fan noise and gas mileage(+2mpg).
Try one of those aftermarket electric fans.
