can you make more power for little money?

[micheal153]

Hello i have a 1996 XL 2.3L automatic. i origanally wanted a standard bc u can hold gears and shift when u feel is a good time for what you are doing. with the auto i wanna make more power. with out spending tomuch money do anyone have any tips? (if you could please add a price someone in your post to give me an idea)

THANK YOU ALL FOR HELPPING A YOUNG 16 YEAR OLD BOY WITH HIS FIRST TRUCK!

[StockBlueFord]

Whats too much money? 100? 1000?

Free things you can do (for more performance, not power) :

1. Remove your snug top (thats about 200 lbs of weight you don't need)
2. Tune up. replace your plugs and wires. use fuel injector cleaner once every few months to keep your injectors clean (damn ethanol).
3. clean your thottle body
4. air up your tires
5. remove extra weight (subs, trash, stuff you done need).

If you have the money, replace the mechanical fan with an electric fan. Its probably the most noticeable thing you can do. And you dont have to buy a fancy aftermarket one either. Just take some measurements of your radiator and go troll the junkyards for one off another car that would work. try for one off a lincoln town car (if it fits). Those things move MASSIVE cfm and, at least around where i live, they are plentiful.

Dont bother with cold air intakes or exhaust (unless you like the sound of them). They dont do anything untill you get to about 5000 rpm anyway.

Keep your fluids changed too. motor, trans and diff.

good luck!

[Rhodyguy]

Whet he said. Other than that, you wont get anything more out of the motor

[micheal153]

thanks guys i think i prob will do cold air (bc i like the sound) and the cap is a portable bed room haha:P. i will change all the fluids and stuff and i will look into the fan. so what i can understand you are saying get rid of the rad fun conected to the motor and go with an eletrick one run from the battery?

[StockBlueFord]

Originally Posted by micheal153

thanks guys i think i prob will do cold air (bc i like the sound) and the cap is a portable bed room haha:P. i will change all the fluids and stuff and i will look into the fan. so what i can understand you are saying get rid of the rad fun conected to the motor and go with an eletrick one run from the battery?

yes. take the one off the motor and use an electric fan. there are a few threads on this forum showing how to do it, just use the search function.

x2 on the portable bedroom

also since your doing the cold air, you should buy the cheapest one you can find. they all do the same thing and one is not better than the others. some will disagree on that notion but to each his own.

good luck.

[Rhodyguy]

keep the intake you have, do the airbox mod, then replace the stock filter with a K&N, that way it will only cost you the price of the filter.

[Echele]

Since you have the 2.3l twin plug engine you can do the spark plug wire mod there are a ton off post about this just search it.
Basically number all four wires on your front ignition coil( the coil with the wires going to the drivers side) like this
4 2
1 3
Remove all the wires on your front ignition coil and plug it all back in so that it goes in this order
1 3
4 2
This will allow both plugs to fire on the power stroke. It gives you a little better performance and alot better gas milage

Also MSD ignition coils, MSD 8.5mm super cunductor plug wires, and NGK plugs (jegs.com sells this as a kit for $300) would give you alot more power especially with the plug wire mod.

[micheal153]

Thanks guys. Since I only paid 1000$ for it I think a limit of 500 for performance should be more then enough. I'm pullin out of a friend garage Thursday to start the work on it. Fuck canda and there long ass wait time for your drivers lience!

[micheal153]

I've tried to search this plug switchy thing. I understand how it works and what u have todo but I see soooooooo many mixed opions is it legit a good idea or just a waste bc I don't have the money to fix it if she blows