Here's the Cleveland Ranger Page...
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go HERE for some other stuff like RC
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New Stuff! Here's a compilation video of some of the events of 2009. Have fun watching.. this is a fun truck. Had some major bog problems after the 6th run, just heat I guess, but by the time the video guy got his gear going, it was run 4, so there's not much to see there. Got to give him some lessons! haha!
93 Ranger 351c highlights Video;
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New Stuff! August 21, 2009
The truck is running good now. Very happy with it, been behaving perfectly all summer, and I got a challenge from my co-worker's Mustang I have to clean up at the strip later this summer... More on that later!
Here's some fresh pics just cleaned:
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New Stuff! June 10, 2009
They say timing is everything. How true. I've been working on the timing curve to get the strong midrange back from the dead... was a 4500 prm hit for a while there.. now with the curve coming in way lower, like 2k start, it's MUCH better. The whole midrange hit is back, and the burnouts rage way into second gear all the time.. that's nice. And smokey..
Loving the truck now. I do think the edelbrock carb is a tad lean though, and on wet/rainy days you can tell it's a bit short of 12:1 on power.. Might get the next up jets for it and try it out.. It's just a bit lean.. BUT if it's dry, high barometer, and 68deg outside, man, it's a mad ripper. Love it..
New Stuff!! Dec. 06, 2008
So, the truck is now really fast. I mean wow. I had no idea. I brought it to the dyno after the heads went on, and it flattened out super flat on all charts after about 3500, which dyno-guru Chris says might be from the cam grind, or carb flow. WELL, turns out a week later I find out that it's the air cleaner setup. Look at the pics, I WAS using this modified funnel thing into a huge abs pipe and down to the cold air cone filter behind the right headlight. NO GOOD. I was told by buddy that the thing stinks black smoke after I pin the gas, and the burnouts were getting lame, like barely into second. Soooo, he says at lunch, "hey, rip off the air cleaner and take it for a burn", so I do, and WOW, all I can say is WOW. The silly thing has been starved all these years on the stupid cleaner, and it's sporting a simple 14 inch chrome stack now, and can it ever pull!!! I am talking Elephant torque right past the legal limit for the heads, I mean it's going, going, gone so bad, that when it hit OD the other day with no cap, no weight in the back at all, the motor just turned the trans right over when it went into gear. I mean total trans slip on full throttle in OD. Just silly power now at 4500, all the way off the tach. Wow. Back to the dyno, people... and it will burnout right to the end of third no trouble.. all that in 1 day.. best mod ever.
New stuff!! June 12, 2008
Heads are on, and talk about a total re-tune!... Had a bugger of a time trying to match the lifter pre-load, but finally got them in a nice order to keep around .015 tolerance.. Nice. Totally different runner. Complete re-tune of trans shifting, carb, timing, advance curve, everything. When going to stainless valves, it seems the whole combustion thing is different now.. the odd run-on is gone (for obvious reasons), and the cold idle is smooth and strong. The silly thing runs like new! Very happy with it so far, and after a couple of tanks, I'll try to figure out the mileage numbers. Thanks so much to Joe for such a great job done and done right!
New stuff!! April 22, 2008
So the heads are off, and went to Joe Kavanagh at Lentech Automotive to get a massage and a spanking. I hope they like it! I know I will love the results. Captive valve seals, springs, et al, this will be a nice clean runner after Joe is done... AND they have a free chassis dyno day June 21, Can't wait!
New stuff!! March 28, 2008
Just found out that the exhaust valve on #6 is dead. Was putting new lifters in there, and found this out. The head will be off in a couple of weeks, and everything will get a new tune.
New stuff!! June 25, 2007
Yeah, the Holley is gone. Done. I picked up a 1406 Edelbrock last week and jammed it on. One word sums it up. SMOOTH. yeah, good tune from the box, and great look. Still having problems getting gas up there soon enough, because the carb drains so fast. Bad news is that means I am burning BIG gallons of fuel per minute.. O well, it's only fuel. (go Green, people)
New stuff!! June 18, 2007
SSSooooo, I Ran a Dakota R/T on the weekend, and wow it is really fast, and very classy..
Now, we have no official time slips, BUT if a 5.9R/T runs mid-high 14's at low 90's, and I had this truck beat by 3 lengths TWICE in a row, then it's safe to say that I met my goals of mid-high 14's. I must say I am very happy with this truck, but also must admit, I would snatch up a R/T any time. That is a very nice machine, and it really goes...
Old New stuff!! June 8, 2007
Finished the breakin yesterday, and jammed the pedal to the radiator. OOOUUUCCCHHHH. This thing is a missile. It gave me a nice controlled burn in 1st which ended just before the shift to 2nd, where it burned again for about 40 feet in a nice controlled slip and hooked (after a big chunk of rubber has left the tires, I am sure). Then strong to third and to the red line. All in a matter of seconds! it goes by so fast, I have to do it over and over again to remember how it felt. Poor me!
Old New stuff!! June 7, 2007
I broke in the new gear yesterday.. WOW. this is the setup this truck has been looking for. The thing feels like it lost 1000 lbs in one day. Very snappy on the launch and shifting. Gives a good bark of the BFG's in second at low throttle, and because of the breakin, I am not jammin the gas just yet. Best news yet is that the gearing is alot more reasonable for in town. It is in the right vaccuum range in every gear in every situation, it seems! The backshift is very nice also. Keep in mind that the trans is not stock, and shifts back and ahead at close intervals. The FMS gearset went in with NO EXTRA SHIMMING at all, the gear grind was within spec in every way, and I checked. I had to shim out the clutches .01 each side (coudl have gone to .012 probably) to bring the spec back because I did the 5 clutch mod to the carrier while in there. It's totally silent in the diff, and nice and tight. Turned out to be the best mod yet!!
Old New stuff!! June 6, 2007
1, I switched out the lousy noisy and broken holley blue fuel pump for a carter OEM unit a while ago, and it's much better, doesn't run hot, and has very low noise. So far, So good...
2, the 3.73:1 rear end is in just yesterday. I will have it broken in tonight, and.... tomorrow, some rubber is gonna fly!!! Big chunks of BFG are coming off, man!! I'll take some pics! And a video if you are lucky!
3, Rewired and repositioned the bass tube in there also.. much better. It has nice low end at low volume now, and seems to fill out the sound better with the new position.
Old New Stuff:
1, Ignition changed to a GM 1978 1/2 ton 4-pin Module with a Duraspark 76 Ford 460 distributor. MUCH more reliable than Duraspark Module, and much hotter spark in low rpm. No plug fouling whatsoever. Very easy hookup. Using 13 deg in Dist mechanical advance, and 12 on Vacuum advance, total 36 (10 base) in by 3200. Big heads don't like too much timing in the Low rpm I found out.
2, New Bfg 245/60 r15 Radial t/a's are doing well indeed, and the 15 inch 94 Explorer wheels I located look much better than the 14 inch Ranger wheels.
Newest Pic:
I have a huge burnout video to post, but I am not sure where. I will look into it....
Here's some recent pics.. and from the last Time Trials... My Quarter Times are at a track that is about 1.2 hours away, and I ran it with the cap full of tools and tires, and jacks, and everything so I would not be stuck there with a breakdown, and the valve seats need grinding. After the gear change and lightened, we should be in the 14's with no problem... My Mustang I took this motor out of was 13's anyday and it had a 3.7 rear, and 4 spd stick. The truck has 1200 lbs on the car, and the cap drag also, so the 14's is achievable.
The Newest info is that I switched out the Torker II intake manifold for a Performer 2v and in the meantime redid the pushrods with new ones... Well, what a big improvement!! This is finally the right intake for this Head setup, and wow, the low end torque and throttle response is huge!! I can's wait to race it Oct 1 and see some rubber on the road... I'll let you know the results....I was driving 170 the other day (I won't say where) and in OD it is turning 3200. Severely overgeared, and soon to be a 3:73, which I just got for $200 new Motorsport.
Enjoy!! and feel free to ask questions!
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