Why would anyone in their right mind...

...take a working truck and...

...start ripping the engine apart? Who ever said I was in my right mind?

Does the name R.P. Caster ring a bell?         (Tuesday)

Yeah... I did it! It's quite a project though...        (Tuesday)

Manifold, M90 and Fuel Rail Kit are all installed.        (Wednesday)

Ron's Fuel Distribution Block and pressure gauge.        (Wednesday)

Plenum, EGR Valve and drive belt in place...        (Thursday)

... startin' to look like "Fire that Muther Up!" Just need a throttle body and intake...      (Thursday)

The throttle body on my '07 turned out to be 3.5 inch when all the previous Rangers had 3 inch.

This called for some temporary measures (above), but as you can see below, it's done!     (Thursday)

After some creative plumbing, the Cold Air Intake is connected!        (Friday)

Parked outside in the Sun for the first time in 4 days... ready for a test drive!        (Friday)

I then modified the stock air box and created a true "Cold Air Intake"... see text in photo.   (Sunday)

I

Back home and cleaned up... had to give K&N some credit!

Changed all the red covers to blue to go with the new intake sleeves.

Side view shows the M90 profile and some of Ron's plumbing!

   Ron Caster had me change my plugs to one range colder and gap them down to .040 to prevent "blow-out"... that's done. Dennis Gomes of Tasca Racing in Cranston, RI, a local SCT Tuner and Mustang specialist, created a new base "SC" tune for me. Dennis put it on Tasca Racing's Dyno Dynamics dyno and checked his tuning there. Two minor adjustments and new dyno pulls and he has the thing at least knowing it's got a supercharger.

My Ranger on Tasca Ford's Dynojet at their racing headquarters!

Yep, that's one of John Force's funny car bodies... Tasca sponsors him.

Shuttin' down after the final pull... 189.8HP/221ft lbs with 33" mud terrain tires, mind you!

Chart from 3rd pull of the day... Dennis had to remind me that the 33" Muds limit horsepower!

A

   Now, what we get is never enough, right? I ordered and installed a 2.9" pulley for the M90 which increases the boost from 4 lbs to 6 lbs. To be sure I didn't have any heat/piston problems, I also purchased and installed a Snow's Performance Water/Methanol Injection system and wired it to come on at 4 lbs of boost. I could feel a definite improvement so I thought another Dyno Run would be in order. Oh yeah... significant improvement. Check the new numbers on the chart below. I'm happy (for now, anyway)!

Another view of the Snows Performance 150 psi Injection pump and solenoid.

Injection is controlled by a pressure activated switch set to inject at 4 psi of boost.

A

   I also added a Standard Motor Products AX3 Input Air Temp switch to monitor actual intake temperature at the supercharger's output! I cut wires 1 and 2 to the MAF plug and wired in the new switch there. The temperature at the supercharger output location averages about 50 to 60 degrees hotter than at the original MAF sensor location. Ron Caster suggested this to keep the engine internals safe from the heated charge of air created by boost!

A

Here's the new data with the additional "mods" done since the first dyno runs.

B

A sincere "Thanks" to Ron Caster for all his help and assistance! I'd also like to thank my Boss, Dave Reis for letting me use the shop for four days, Adam Gracia and Mark Vasconcellas for their advice and auto racing expertise! Last but not least, my wife Patti for putting up with me and this never ending project of mine!