2002 Ford Ranger FX4 - Project RangeRunner, Part 2

Here at Four Wheeler, we aren't afraid to admit that we tend to lean a bit toward the power-mongering side of things, sort of like how Hillary leans a bit to the left. So what do you do when you're trying to build up an 2002 Ranger with a venerable 207hp 4.0L SOHC V-6 to be impressive when new trucks like the Tacoma and Frontier are sporting 240 and 265 hp from their 4.0L V-6s? We had the intake, the headers, and the exhaust, but we just couldn't keep up, so we turned our sights to Explorer and Sport Trac performance specialists, Explorer Express in Napa, California for their holy grail of power production: the X-Charger 4.0L SOHC supercharger kit.

Superchargers, like turbochargers, are a way of adding more power to the engine by compressing the intake charge to force more oxygen into the combustion chamber. When mixed with the proper amount of fuel and spark, a supercharged engine can see significant gains in horsepower and torque because it is volumetrically more efficient. The major difference between a supercharger and a turbo is the way the compressor is driven; a supercharger uses a belt, gears, or a chain connected to the engine's crankshaft, while a turbo's turbine is spooled up by the flow of exhaust gases. Because of the direct connection to the engine, a benefit of supercharging it that there is virtually no lag in the power delivery, and depending on the type of blower, it delivers good low-end torque, which makes supercharging ideal for truck applications.

1.) Here is a look at everything included in this comprehensive kit.

2.) Once the battery was disconnected, we removed the bed for easy access to the in-tank fuel pump.

3.) Using the stock fuel-pump assembly, we swapped out the factory fuel pump with a 255 LPH performance pump.

At the heart of the well-engineered Explorer Express kit is a self-contained Magnuson Roots-hybrid MP-62 GEN4 supercharger, which doesn't need its first service until 100,000 miles. Explorer Express also uses all OEM-style connectors and fittings, so you don't have to worry about reliability as you rack on the miles. The X-Charger has the best interests of your daily driver in mind, maxing out at about 6 psi of boost. The blower breathes on your engine enough to noticeably liven it up, but not enough to cause expensive problems down the line. It is also smog-legal in most of the country, with CARB exemption pending for California. Explorer Express hopes to have this blower 50-state legal by early 2006, and all Explorer Express blower kits come with a custom computer tune by BamaChips, which requires the user to run on the premium stuff, 91 octane or higher.

Because of such comprehensive instructions, the install is easy enough for a novice to do at home over the course of a weekend, while an experienced installer can get the job done in about 8 hours. We met with Explorer Express owner Dave Vanek, who expertly installed our X-charger kit. Follow along as we bring you the highlights of the installation, but always refer to the instructions for specific information.

4.) With the new fuel pump in place, Dave went to work removing the stock intake system from the truck.	5.) Next, the coil, throttle cables, throttle body, plug wires, various sensors, and miscellaneous pieces were removed and Dave got to work modifying the idler assembly and mounting the new idler plate.	6.) The computer harness also had to be disconnected, making room for the installation.
7.) Removing the stock intake plenum freed up the workspace and created plenty of space for the blower unit.	8.) Dave then removed the stock fuel rail and its accompanying fuel injectors.	9.) After some quick prep, the stock fuel injectors were tossed in favor of these 30-pound units, which snap right in to the factory fuel rail.
10.) Dave then added O-rings to the beautifully cast discharge manifold, which looks like it came straight from Ford (it didn't - it's a custom piece Explorer Express designed and manufactured).	11.) Before the blower unit could be installed, the discharge manifold needed to be placed and tightened down.	12.) Anticipating our installation, Dave pre-assembled the supercharger sub-assembly and had it ready to drop right in.