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Seasoned...
Joined: Sat Oct 21st, 2017
Location: Near The Pointy End , USA
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Good video. The only area he didn't cover was aging sensors.
Just to add, the higher the performance of a built engine the quicker it will drop power with use. All out performance engines like those used in top fuel dragsters are rebuilt between races.
For those of us who like a little more out of our daily drivers the task is finding the right balance of performance with the equipment we have. A newer engine that has the standard bolt-ons of a cold-air intake, over-sized MAF, headers w/cat-back, electric fans, and computer tune will be able to reliably pull more out of an engine than someone who starts these mods on an engine with 100k on the clock.
I will always take the devil's advocate side on doing performance upgrades on older vehicles. I have 40 years of hot rodding experience and I have thrown lots of money away hot rodding older engine components. Any type of add on forced induction will grenade an older engine in short order (super-charge, turbo, or nitrous). Save your money and build a motor from the ground up to support something like that and don't forget upgrading the transmission and third member as well.
Things that can be done besides the regular maintenance are things like; top end/fuel system cleaning/de-carbonizing, reducing the parasitic drain from accessories, and opening up the air in and air out of the motor. The Ranger has a very good airbox design that will support more airflow than a built 4.0 requires.
I agree about the sensors. What irritates me in my experiences is that mechanically there's nothing wrong and the failing "sensor" is what causes a problem and nothing else.
And absolutely and just to add to that and dealing with the pocket rocket side of things if you will. Few people understand that keeping things close to fresh, maintenance wise as you stated and all of those small things can add up to better things together. And my arguments have always been in honesty, there's few exceptions to the rule on the replacement of displacement. However, there is a lot to be said for power to weight ratios and to me the biggest thing, suspension. I dont care if your at the lights (drag or stop) with 117hp or 500hp.. if you cant get it to the ground properly you're just spinning tires and time.
You got to have the right suspension to do what you want.. the idea of having some point-click-and shoot mentality of whatever makes me roll my eyes into my head until it hurts.. OMG.
I have a fond respect for the muscle cars; my father had a 67 Buick Skylark, 502 block all blueprinted and balanced out of some great but now gone shop in Orange county, CA. and it was mean sitting on 12" Micky's for the street. back in the later 70's/early 80's it was a 10:40's car with what was available then and as a daily for my dad [really must see if I have any pics of that thing].
But I autocrossed and circuit raced in small cars. to me, 2.0L and down are fun cars due to the cars being classed right in all things considering. Probably the most fun I've had. Dont get me wrong, a power trip exists with me but to me thats like playing a video game with cheat codes, it becomes uninteresting to me smash on people constantly. I want some push back and a challenge whether from a rival car or driver skill/error.
The truck thing, saves me money, jail time, and I get to mob all over small trees and God's creatures.. LOL
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Roman courtier during the reign of Nero.
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