daily driver build

[xc2stroke]

ive got a 95 ext cab ranger, 5 speed, 4x4, 4.0 thats bone stock with over 200kmiles on it. im looking to rebuild the tranny and motor soon. i have a problem with rebuilding something back to stock specs however. its going to be a daily driver but i want some more power. what would you all suggest? any recomendations? it is mass air if that helps any. i dont want nothing too radical and still want to get decent gas mileage (as close to 20 as i can. my fullsize gets 11 and its killing me lol).

im thinking:
exhaust (headers or what?)
cam
bore 20 over maybe?

i dont know much about these motors or what they respond best too. im a 302 guy

so will someone please school me on how to squeeze some extra power out of these things while not killing the mpg.

 

[Original_Ranger84]

Leaving it stock and switching to a 3.73 gear ratio with 235/75/15 tires, it is very common and is the most compromising between power and fuel mileage.

Also Keep it waxed and washed, tires at 35 psi, run the least weight possible (no extra things that weigh alot if you can help it).

But if your looking to get 20 mpg out of your 4.oL 4x4 (unless you plan on getting that on the highway...) I would go with a 3.0L motor, it has less power but much better mileage strangely and will run forever.

 

[xc2stroke]

Just forget i ever said anything about gas mileage then. My dad had an 01 ranger with the 3.0 and lets just say none of us will ever he having a 3.0 anything. The 4.0 we have now gets low to mid 20's as it is and even got btr gas mileage than the 3.0.

What do guys usually do as far as exhaust with these rangers? A full exhaust or just a catback?
Mild cams?

 

[Original_Ranger84]

Hmmm, well then I don't think you'll get any better mileage out of it then. But I would go with a cat back exhaust (no larger then 2.5"). You can do a full exhaust with headers and high flow cats to a cat back but its not really worth the money for the gains you get i think. But thats just me.

Go here and check out what all you can do about your motor.

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/4_0_Page.html

 

[xc2stroke]

has anybody on here had any luck with the head porting?

does no one modify the 4.0's?

 

[rusty70f100]

I built a 4.0L up a while back, before I was on this site though. Here's how I did mine:

Early '90-94 (larger chamber) heads, home ported
'90 block, bored .030" over
SOHC flat top pistons, block milled so pistons were even with deck
Comp 422 cam, rockers and pushrods off a 2.9L (yes, they work fine...)
Headers
E85 fuel (105 octane)

That thing had guts. Here's some pics:
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee229/acstech/HPIM0375.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee229/acstech/HPIM0351.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee229/acstech/HPIM0353.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee229/acstech/HPIM0354.jpg
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee229/acstech/HPIM0356.jpg

You can put earlier pistons on your motor to give a nice compression boost. SOHC pistons are flat top and would raise the compression even more, but it would be too much for pump gas.

I would use the earlier '90 to '94 pistons and a Comp 422 cam. That'll raise your compression a bit, but with the bigger cam you shouldn't have problems on pump gas. Then put headers on it. Porting your heads helps but don't go overboard. I polished the chambers on mine but I probably didn't need to. My machinist put bronze wall valve guides in mine, and I think that was a good decision. It put the valve stem seals lower to allow for full opening of the valve. I think the spring retainer squishes the stock valve stem seal with the larger cams.

I know I'll probably catch flack for the following, since it's not the conventional wisdom, but here goes...

Contrary to popular belief, the adjustable 2.9L rockers and pushrods will work on a 4.0L. Mine ran fine with it. The only thing is that the pushrods run real close to the intake ports, and you'll have to play with it a little when you're assembling it so everything lines up right. The other thing is that the oiling hole on those rockers has a small boss that oils the pushrod cup. The pushrod cup will run into that on a 4.0L with a Comp 422 cam. A quick and careful trip to the bench grinder fixed mine right up.

The reason for the adjustable rockers is that, IIRC, the base circle of the aftermarket 4.0L cams is smaller than the stock 4.0L cam. With the stock 4.0L non-adjustable valvetrain you may run into problems. With it being adjustable you can properly set lifter preload.

Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[xc2stroke]

ive been lookign around and geez. now i know why no body builds these things. for the price of a rebuild kit for one of these i could have a 347 stroker for my fullsize..

i did forget to mention that i want to stay on pump gas.

after looking at some prices for parts for these i may be cutting way back. im wantign to do a full engine rebuild so maybe bore 20 over? port it ourselves, and maybe just leave the stock came in it with a cat back exhaust.

anyone have any recomendations for a budget dd build?

 

[Big Jim M]

Not much you can do!

ive been lookign around and geez. now i know why no body builds these things. for the price of a rebuild kit for one of these i could have a 347 stroker for my fullsize..

i did forget to mention that i want to stay on pump gas.

after looking at some prices for parts for these i may be cutting way back. im wantign to do a full engine rebuild so maybe bore 20 over? port it ourselves, and maybe just leave the stock came in it with a cat back exhaust.

anyone have any recomendations for a budget dd build?

Unless you are planning on running lots more rpm there is little to do to a stock engine.
As it comes from the factory it gets bottom end power. It also gets it's best milage. What more could one ask for a grocery getter?

Head work won't help until more rpm is used. As it is now cylinders fill completely at the rpm it was built for.

Ditto for exhaust and cam work..

Now if you plan on lower gearing and running the hell out of it then there are many EXPENSIVE modifications that can be done that will enable the engine to run upwards of seven grand.. But if it is going to do zackly what it has BEEN doing then keep it cheap and stock.
Big JIm