V6 gears and other Mods

danielr410

Member
Jul 19, 2022
14
1
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Colombia
Hello.

I recently bought a 94 v6 convertible auto. Looking to do some mods but my budget is low and also Im not in the US.

Mi first question is: Should I get 3.73 or 4.10 gears? I know most people recommend 4.10 for autos but I dont want to be at 2500-3000 rpm at 70MPH. I want to improve my acceleration so is there a lot of difference between those two?

Also, is absolutely neccesary to add a LSD? As I said I am not from the US so having one shipped yo my country (Colombia) can be very costly due yo its weight.

Also looking for some opinions about intake and TB spacer, UDP and CAI.
 
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You can use an online calculator to determine your rpm in each gear. Here's a link to one:


A limited-slip differential will help get the power down and is much better for performance driving. Whether or not it's a necessity depends on how you plan to use the car.

There are a number of companies that make upgrades for V6 SN95 Mustangs. It's a little harder to get power out of the 94-98 V6 cars.

I've never been a fan of intake and TB spacers on V6 cars. I would suggest looking into Harland Sharp 1.8 Roller Rockers. I use them on my 2004 V6 autocross car and they make a big difference. They are relatively light to ship and relatively easy to install. The roller rockers, along with a CAI, larger TB and a dual exhaust conversion will give you a little more power and better throttle response.

There are versions of the mods I cover in this video that will work on your car (keep in mind the part numbers might be different for your car).


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbHHYAwMUmg&t
 
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Thank you for your answer.

I think 3.73 gears would be more suitable for me. Would that be a major improvement from the stock 2.73 gears right? I just want the car to be more fun, it kills me that off the line acceleration.

About the rockers, it is the first time I read about that. What exactly do they add that make more power? I found them on ebay and they cost $900!!! that is too much for me right now :(

As for the throttle body, the only one I found that fit my car is this one:

Can I expect some noticeable gains with that one?
 
You will definitely notice an improvement going from 2.73 to 3.73. Keep in mind that the automatic also factors in to how the car feels under acceleration.

The 1.8 roller rockers increase horsepower by reducing friction and increasing airflow. You can get the roller rockers from Harland Sharp for about $430. Here's a link: https://harlandsharp.com/collection...s/products/ford-3-8-v6?variant=40820520976536

When it comes to the other engine bolt-ons for the V6, one is almost never enough to make a huge difference in how the cars feels. The V6 is really restricted, so it benefits from multiple bolt-ons that work together to increase power and throttle response.
 
About how much hp and torque (I actually care more about torque) can I expext to gain with those rockers?

To be honest, I'm planning to spent not more than $600-$700 in the next year. I know it is not much but at least the labor here is pretty cheap, for example a good shop can do my gears for like $100.

What about UDP? this one seems interesting:


Forgot to mention the car has dual exhaust, it is 2" divorced duals with original cats and some rusty mufflers that make it sound horrible lol. Maybe an X o H pipe system can add a little more power?

Im not looking to have and incredible fast car, but at least more fun to drive.
 
Getting the most out of your budget is key. All of my cars are built with a budget in mind. Based on your budget, you will see the most improvement out of rear gears.

I used an underdrive pulley on my autocross V6 in conjunction with the other mods. I don't see that one mod making a huge difference by itself on a 94-98 V6. And there are other concerns about charging that come along with underdrive pulleys that wouldn't make them my first mod.

My advice would be to look at mods that will increase throttle response, they will make the car feel better. A Cold Air Kit and a TB will work together, headers will help some (but an X-pipe and a better cat-back system would do more).
 
Perfect...

So about exhaust, if I plan to add an X Pipe would one of these work fine? Or should I ask a shop to custom make one?


Also, should I get high flow cats? I don't want any O2 sensor annoying lights.
 
A shift kit will do nothing for acceleration. It will, however, change how and/or when your transmission shifts.

Going from a 2.73 to a 3.73 will be a very noticeable change. A LSD will only affect how your car will launch, it will not affect the effects of the gear swap. All a LSD will do is make it so both tires spin instead of one when you launch. BUT.... if you want a LSD, installing it during a gear change is the preferred method since it can all be done at one time. Another point to mention, changing your gear ratio will affect your speedometer as well, so that might be something you want to address when you're having the work done.

If you're limiting your budget to ~$600-700, I'd definitely concentrate on the axle first. I'd pick up a LSD (since I'd only want to have the rear end torn apart one time...), gears, speedometer gears to correct the inaccuracy, and go from there. Factor in oil and incidentals and I'd suspect that that would exhaust your budget. Then, when funds allow, pursue the other good advice that was given here. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at what kind of difference just swapping the rear gears will give you. :)
 
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I can't really answer those questions. I'd suspect that the only difference between the colors might be for transmissions of different years? But that's just a guess. And I can't answer the wear question at all, I have no experience with them in that application.
 
Looking at LMR's website, they indicate the black one is for automatic cars, white is for manuals.
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Do they have wrecking yards there with ford rangers or Areostars or explorers? If they do save your money, ford gears from a wrecked ranger with a 7.5 rear end is a cheap source for 3.73 or 4:10 gears and a ford traction lock, or you can try to find a complete.8.8 with gears from a v8 mustang if you plan to engine swap it later on. Bolt ons for a 94 3.8 vert isn't really practical for the small gains vs the cost.
 
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Do they have wrecking yards there with ford rangers or Areostars or explorers? If they do save your money, ford gears from a wrecked ranger with a 7.5 rear end is a cheap source for 3.73 or 4:10 gears and a ford traction lock, or you can try to find a complete.8.8 with gears from a v8 mustang if you plan to engine swap it later on. Bolt ons for a 94 3.8 vert isn't really practical for the small gains vs the cost.
They where some rangers and Explorer, but I don't think as much to find parts that easy. Plus here they will sell a used rear end for about $400-$500.

Also know I will never do an engine swap since its almost Impossible to find a V8 from a mustang Gt. There are a lot of 302 in junkyards but with a carburetor lol.