I have Flowmasters, a K&N Cool Air, and a Jet Performance Chip in my '00. Are there any serious power upgrades out there for a 3.0? i.e. Super Chargers, Turbo Chargers, Intakes, etc? I know that theres Mass Air Sensors and small things from Jet, but i want serious power out of this truck just for the hell of it.

 

Just drop a crate 302 in there and be done with it.

 

Actually i've thought about that, I have a 94 302 in my garage I just need a tranny. hmmmmmmmm

 

Ok, the stock system was actually not restrictive, though you are headed the right direction with the exception of the K&N. K&N filters tend to mess up the MAF sensors, which in turn has a negative effect on fuel economy and power. You are best going with a non-oiled filter such as AFE's new ProDRY line. You can find on in a similar size to the K&N filter, and the best part is, they are washable, but use no oil, and don't need any cleaning kit, just soap and warm water. They remove more particulates than K&N, which barely qualifies as an air filter in my opinion. I put an AFE ProDry in my Mazda, and I am never going back to K&N, far too many problems.

There are turbo kits out there, but I'm not sure where to get them. The stock MAF is fine, Ford uses them in the 'Stangs, and they flow plenty well enough for them. Don't waste any money with TB spacers or larger TB either, unless you have a turbo or supercharger, the stock one flows more air than the engine can hope to use.

I would lean towards a supercharger for the rapid boost, and to prevent lag. A roots type boosts low end power and has instant response. There is a lot of information about superchargers online. You should read up on the different types and the pros and cons of each.

 

I've been looking for on that fits a 3.0 to no avail do you have any in mind?

 

no one makes a supercharger or turbo kit specifically for the 3.0. one company did but has since dicontinued them. your best bet is hope you can fab and go for a turbo setup. or no2

 

is there a lot of fab in the turbo app? or droppin a 302 in it?

 

Here ya go:

Tom Morana Racing Engines

Installing a turbo requires: forged pistons, a method of oil return from the turbo, computer tuning for additional fuel, bigger injectors. Plumbing would be the easiest part.

Have fun. jd

 

Not to tear down your post, but the need for what you said is dependent upon how much boost. So it is not 100% correct. I have friend who has done a lot of turbo setups, and while I'm not the expert, I was talking to him about it once, and he said on many of the vehicles, you don't need forged pistons, or any reprogrammed values in the computer for low boost applications of 10 PSI or less. Larger injectors alone will handle the difference. The computer learns the new fuel mapping. Forged pistons are used to prevent heat from burning through, but this type of heat normally only occurs when the engine leans out, which is what the larger injectors address.

If you are going to use more boost htan that, which sounds like what you want, then yes, you will need to go all out, get he pistons, computer tune, etc. In my opinion, I would go for the turbo as opposed to the 5.0L, both options require fabrication, and the 5.0L swap requires lot of wiring to do it right. The turbo route would get you a lighter weight vehicle and great fuel economy driving around town, with plenty of power on tap. The 5.0L would guzzle gas all the time. I also recommend the turbo route because its different from what most people choose to do.

 

I like it, now any ideas for getting the money?

 

Sorry, can't help you there. Power costs money.

 

joshc's header was "more power." I have been running and building turbo engines for several years. I have 3 Merkurs, and a Ranger pickup with a 88 t-bird turbo. I don't care what your friend told you, when you do this, you will not keep your foot out of the throttle. And, you will want more power. This
being the case, you will be ahead to build strong from the start. Piecemeal repairs from breakage will cost a fortune.

Merkur engines, and t-bird/Mustang engines run high boost from the factory. They run 35lb injectors @ 42lbs fuel pressure. You have to re-tune for the higher boost levels or use computers that came with the engines, and this is hard to do on non-OBDI wiring. It is easier to re-tune.

If you run 8lbs or less boost, forged pistons probably wouldn't be necessary, but one will not be happy at these levels. jd

 

But he also does not have a 2.3L either. He has a V6, so bringing up what the T-bird/'Stang/ Merkur, is not directly relevent, he wouldn't be using any parts from those. Also he does have an OBD-II system being a 2000.

I was not intending to critisize or break down your your post in any way, just clarifying that low boost applications don't need as much stuff. But yeah, if you run more than 10 lbs, you will absolutely need to do it all right. And yes, judging by the topic title, I would agree, one would not be happy with low boost. If you are going to spend the money to turbo a vehicle, you should go for it, no half way stuff.

I would recommend the forged pistons, a nice turbo, an intercooler, a Bama tuner or equivalent, larger injectors, possibly a fuel pressure booster, a high capacity fuel pump, a blowoff valve with a return to the intake side of the turbo (to prevent MAF confusion), and a good air filter (I recommend AFE ProDry). With a high boost turbo, a larger TB would be a good idea, as would some of the other intake parts listed on the Morana site. It would cost a pretty penny, but I would think when you were done you would end up with a vehicle capable of 24 mpg, but that could outrun a 5.0L conversion with ease.

 

If you want more power, buy a mustang, cause the 3.0 is the dog of the ranger engine line. The three things you can do are 1) ditch the jet for a bama engine programer from bama chips. Jet tunes are generic, while bama designs tunes for your speciffic truck and mods. A lot of has has used bama and swear by them for as much as 15 hp, and 20 foot pounds. 2) at least 4:10 rearend gears. 3) A set of under drive pullies to free up some lost ponies. Those are the three best things you can do that will really help without getting into the motor or forced induction.

 

Oh yeah, I posted for advice on getting more power out of my Ranger, so going out and just buying a Mustang is logical. The jet chip is working fine, I'm putting out 200hp already. So that being said what else can I do to my RANGER.