I just wanted to ask what people would want as far as performance parts that are not currently made for these engines. Im currently fabbing up an Aluminum upper intake for my turbo 2.9 and im using a 5.0 TB. If it turns out well and adds signifigant power, I wouldnt think twice about selling them and other parts.

If you had a choice to upgrade a certain item, what would it be?

For example, I would think a Carb setup for the 2.9 or the 4.0 would be a popular one.

I think these little engines have the potential to make some serious power with the right parts.

 

Sounds good. Comp Cams makes camshafts for these engines too. See here, and scroll down.

Fuel metering will be a problem, unless a carb is used. Holley makes a 390 cfm carb that I think would work good on one of these V6's. The alternative is a custom computer chip, which I'm still not 100% sure on. I think it would be hard to get the fuel map right without having the vehicle there to observe as changes are made.

Headers can be had if you know where to look.

If I had one choice of part though, it would be aftermarket heads that have larger valves and flow well.

Ross pistons will make you a custom set of pistons to raise the compression ratio if you have the $$$.

I am going to rebuild the 4.0L in my explorer sometime this year, and have thought about the above upgrades. I'll be porting my stock heads too.

 

Kurt, What year is your Explorer?? I just bought one from a friend who just ORdered an 05...So I got a moooch deal on His Old one, A 95 XLT...I need to upgrade my winter truck....My 89 S10 4x4 has 280,000+ miles on it....the comp is still good...but the Oil pressure at Idle is about 5 to 8 psi.... but it still comes up to about 35 to 40 at 55 to 60...

Russ

 

It's a 1992. 206,500 miles, still running right along good! Still, I plan to rebuild it because with that many miles SOMETHING has to be wearing out. It's got a new (rebuilt) transmission, new tires, and I just put a CD player in. Suddenly everyone wants to buy it?

 

Camcraft makes some neat stuff... http://www.camcraftcams.com/catalogs...nco%20page.htm

I'm mainly into the 2.9L and know nothing of the 4.0L. All the cams listed here for the 2.9L are computer friendly. I unfortunately, wanted a bigger, much non-computer friendly cam. I had mine custom ground in Canada. They did a grand job on it and it only cost $155 (US) inc. shipping to the U.S. I didn't get my ECC reprogrammed, I just swapped to a MAF ECC. The biggest problem I'm having so far with it is the caribration difference between my 19lbs fuel injectors & 5.0L MAF between my ECC that's calibrated for a much smaller MAS and 17lbs injectors. With out an IST air adjuster it doesn't run. I imagine I could have gotten the ECC reprogrammed, but who has the money for that?

You're right though, it would have to be up to the customer to get the ECC straitened out.

A carbbed 2.9 would be neat. It's been done, and it's shift point was 7,200 RPM. I imagine EFI could put out better results, you just gotta get it all calibrated in. I've thought about getting the algorithms for the ECC-IV system and studing them to get the most power out of my engine. That's going to take a long time though.

Finding headers and other pre-fabbed parts is the easy part .

 

For some reason, everyone thinks the Ranger is a very nice truck. Although indeed it is. I get people wanting to buy mine all the time. I didn't take a 3,500 offer on it when it was stock, before I rebuilt the engine and had it painted (was still in good shape with 72,000 miles). I wish I would have, 6 months after that offer the engine went to the birds. A little money and machine work, it's up and running good.

 

Yep Krt...see how everyone is....ya put some good tunes in..and they become the Hot Ticket... Oh did ya get the pic I sent??

I have the spot for the Factory 6 disc... the radio has the controller...but No CD Player!! Ha !!

So I'll be looking to find a nice clean one to install....I'am going to put some Air Shocks on the back to level the ride out out ..and for towing..it does have a UHual class 3 on it....

Russ

 

Well I'll tell ya, I run a Holley Commander 950 system on my 390 FE in my truck. Every little change has to be accounted for. The system does have some adaptability, but this is from the O2 sensor seeing a rich or lean condition and adapting accordingly. Thus, there is no such thing as a "computer friendly" modification. What they are really saying is that the computer will compensate at part throttle and you'll never notice it. At WOT you'll most likely be running rich or lean, depending on the modification, since it goes open loop and the O2 sensor doesn't compensate.

So for every change, the computer SHOULD be reprogrammed to compensate, otherwise something will suffer, be it mileage or power.

What gets me is aftermarket chip companies that can "burn you a chip" for your particular application. It took me months of messing with my EFI to get it right. Start the datalogger, go drive it, find something else to compensate for, etc. I cannot see how these aftermarket companies can reprogram the computer to work when they never even see the vehicle or have a chance to record data from it.

End rant.

Edit: Russ, you posted while I was typing. You should leave it out front with a big "for sale" sign on it, and just bug people when they try to buy it. Basically, they'd never offer enough money. That could be a lot of fun! You know, just to mess with people.

 

I think another good upgrade would be a bolt in Mass Air 2.9 conversion with out have to go through the trouble of finding a california model.

also affordable roller rockers would be another good upgrade.

A 2.9 roller cam would be nice.

A bolt in turbo system.

What else?.......

 

A job at Edelbrock...

A magic wand that turns dreams into reality...

 

hilairious!!

 

The computers are not too hard to find... You don't have to use the exact MAF setup.. How much do you think someone would buy a 2.9 MAF kit for? There are some wiring differences between 86-87. 88 and up require little rewiring for the MAF conversion.. Some models have the VSS, and some don't. It's sort of strange, it would be hard to make a kit that worked with all the differences..

 

I'd really like a blower like the old BBK. Keep lookin on ebay to no avail. Since mine's 4x4 I need low end power.

 

it would be a godsend to see some performance stuff for the tough little 2.9. camcraft does have some good cams

 

i think air/fuel intake products would be the best, since its all homemade or nothing now