Is my 3.0 the sluggish of them all?

[bluedude2288]

I hear how sluggish the 3.0's are, but come on, really? My ranger is so slow it makes it hard to drive, getting on the highway is sometimes impossible, because I have to floor it on the accelartion ramp, and when the ramp ends im never up to speed to merge. I have like no power. My ranger is a 99 flex fuel automatic. I had it apart this summer due to a broken cam position sensor, didnt know the problem was so easy at the time, and ended up replacing the heads as they seemed to not look so hot and thought maybe that was my problem, but it wasn't. Engine has only 20k on it. I was thinking that maybe the computer could be bad, it seems sometimes like it shifts at crazy patterns. I know these engines used to be used in the Aerostars as well, my grandpa used to have and Aerostar and never had a sluggish problem or complained, when he bought this truck all he did was complain about its lack of power, it was in the dealer weekly, and Ford was constantly replacing parts telling him it was "fixed this time" so obviously they saw something wrong with it as well, let me know what you think.

 

[Ranger44]

There could be something wrong.

The biggest problem I see is that it has an auto tranny. My suggestion would be to swap in a 5spd or get ahold of a programmer and change the shift points.

The 3L HAS to rev. I never shift it under 2K, and an auto will. This will also leave it sucking gas. I rev it past 4K when pulling out into traffic and need to get my A$$ moving.

I cruise at about 3-3,400 rpms. This is where the 3L's peak torque is, and where it's leanest a/f mixture is found. My truck sucks gas if I cruise at anything under 3K.

What's the truck geared at?

It's just the nature of this engine.

As for there being problems with the engine, did you put the right flex-fuel heads on? Any codes or CEL's?

 

[bluedude2288]

No CEL's, yea I made sure they were flex fuel heads, performance was identical with the old and new ones. My gas mileage is so poor, I usually get around 12-14 MPG w/ 95% highway driving. There are rare circumstances where I go to take off from a stop and the thing is a beast, takes of quick, spinning tires on dry pavement, but 95% of the time i go to take off and its as if I'm hauling a semi behind me.

I was thinking about getting another ecu from the junkyard just to eliminate this as a possible problem, while it was in the shop all those times, one of the things they did replace was the ECU saying that it was bad.

 

[Original_Ranger84]

I definately think the auto has somehting to do with it... because both mine and my friends truck have 3.0L and 5spds and they don't act anything like what everyone one here discribes them as.

 

[Froggmann]

Must be the auto. Have you tried turning the O/D off? My 5spd truck has no problem getting up to 70+mph on an on-ramp, also averages 20+ on the highway.

 

[Colin]

Could be the flex fuel as well, I know people that have had flex fuel rangers, they all complain about the sluggishness.

 

[triumphrider-1]

Whats your definition of "sluggish"? 0-60mph in 12 second? 25 seconds?

What is the gearing in the axle?

I have a similar setup as you (but I have 4.10 gearing and 31" tires), but I would more describe my acceleration as average for a Ranger.

 

[Frank The Tank]

From what you describe, I can rap out my 2.3 5spd and make it scream in 4th gear coming up a ramp and be up to speed to merge..... better than you can.

I'd suggest an extreme programmer to give that sucker some better shift points. and if that doesn't help.......gears aren't that expensive, or try gears first then get a programmer that will correct your speedo as well.

Frank

 

[masterbrenden]

i have 98 ranger 3.0l 196,000 miles. 265/75/16's(about a 33) 4.10s and an auto and other than the trans going out. i would say my take off is very good considering tire size, if try to power brake, i can break them loose most times, about 7 out of 10 times there spining

 

[Original_Ranger84]

i have 98 ranger 3.0l 196,000 miles. 265/75/16's(about a 33) 4.10s and an auto and other than the trans going out. i would say my take off is very good considering tire size, if try to power brake, i can break them loose most times, about 7 out of 10 times there spining

Well a 265/75/16 is about a 31 maybe a tiny bit over... If your trans is giving you problems then its definately your trans.

 

[masterbrenden]

i thought they were bigger someone said they were to me
it is time for the trans it has been though hell and back
i have broken the tranny cooler going down the road
striped the pump gear and it was still going

 

[SixFoFalcon]

Fix your throttle cable before you do any of the other stuff mentioned in this thread. It takes a zip tie or two or four and about 60 seconds of your time.

 

[Original_Ranger84]

i thought they were bigger someone said they were to me
it is time for the trans it has been though hell and back
i have broken the tranny cooler going down the road
striped the pump gear and it was still going

Well a 265/75/15 is a 30.6 and i think a 16" rim one is like 31.4 or something... So yeah I'm going to say fix your tranny. The zip tie mods nice too. get under your dash lift the pedal out pull the cable out and add zip ties till you can't .

 

[Andres629]

Fix your throttle cable before you do any of the other stuff mentioned in this thread. It takes a zip tie or two or four and about 60 seconds of your time.

This. Did it on my 4.0 Explorer when it was being a dog, took forever for me to figure out!

 

[Froggmann]

Could be the flex fuel as well, I know people that have had flex fuel rangers, they all complain about the sluggishness.

Mine is a FFV. It's not fast, but I wouldn't call it sluggish by any stretch.