2001 Ford Explorer vs 2000 Chevy POS Blazer

OK, so i have this friend, lets call him michael, and he's one of those kooky dies hard chevy ppl. He has a 2000 Blaazer, and he has it slightly modified with a computer reprogram. But wat hes running on it is a v6 4.3 @ ~190-200 horsies with about 240-250 lb torque and hes riding on 31x10.25 BFG AT/KO's.

Now thats quite a bit of torque, and although my 2001 ex has more horsies, he can make it off the starting line faster. And now we don't race these professionally, we don't even do it that offten, its just that every once in a while, stopped at a stop light kinda deal.

But this pisses me off, having the capability and quality that Ford has put in this machine be shat on by some chevy POS.



OK so what im asking is basically what the deal is with more torqure with my ex, weather it be bolt on performance, or some type of mod. I realize i need to get my computer reprogrammed, which will give me some more horsies, and betting timings on the engine, but i am just wondering if there is anything else.


and no i don't have a v8 so headers are out of the question

and as for my ex, except for a new egine about 30,000 miles ago, and some new BFG AT/KO's i am riding stock

 

[Turdle]

Moved to the "need for speed" sub forum.

 

[IZwack]

OK, so i have this friend, lets call him michael, and he's one of those kooky dies hard chevy ppl.

...

having the capability and quality that Ford has put in this machine be shat on by some chevy POS.

Hehe -- aren't you basically on the same boat as his? Thinking that one brand is better than another?

Anyways, the 4.3L is a very torquey engine by nature so naturally it will out-accelerate the Ford 4.0 SOHC/OHV -- so I wouldn't worry about it cauz at that point, it's greed/jealousy that's got your balls, not Michael and his Chevy . You've got other things to worry about, like expensive gas, rabbits, globalism, and .. among other things ... acne .. DON DON DONNN :shifty_ey.

 

[ebox86]

well...natrally im going to be Ford bias on a FORD EXPLORER ENTHUSIAST FORUM.

thats just like MSNBC or CNN being liberal secular-progressive commie bias.

but seriously, if you drive or own a FORD, then you drive or own a CHEVY, you can clearly see the build quality difference in the Ford, and the lack of in the Chevy. Period.

 

[IZwack]

Well if you're still bent on more "umph", then search/browse this Need For Speed forum, its got plenty of info.

 

[ebox86]

and it goes beyond build qauilty becasue i have 172,345 miles on my ex and havn't had ANY major damage to it, you just have to take care of it.

 

[Turdle]

If you are racing a 4.3 with a 5.0 explorer you'd better be paying full attention. One slip and you are spanked. I had one on nitrous show me something once. In fact I would call it a draw. My truck wasn't correctly tuned at the time, and I didn't really expect him to pull right with me so I didn't floor it right away.-but I still barely beat it. I was actually saying " no effing way-no way-no effing way"

So, the moral of the story is get a nitrous bottle before he does-and hide it well-

 

[trevell407]

My 4 door sohc was faster than a 2 door blazer with dual exhaust,
But maybe that had something to do with the d-bag driving it.

 

[ebox86]

OK, well i don;t have a 5.0 and nitrous is out of the question, becasue its not everyday that we race, its just occaional

 

[IZwack]

If you are racing a 4.3 with a 5.0 explorer you'd better be paying full attention. One slip and you are spanked. I had one on nitrous show me something once. In fact I would call it a draw. My truck wasn't correctly tuned at the time, and I didn't really expect him to pull right with me so I didn't floor it right away.-but I still barely beat it. I was actually saying " no effing way-no way-no effing way"

Another testament to the 4.3's power:

My friend does have a 4.3 and of course i have a 4.0 SOHC, we both went to 33's and off the bat, his 4.3 had just as much "gitty up" w/o regearing than I had after regearing.

 

[ebox86]

yea it pisses me off, i find i have to go flat on the floor with the gas to keep up with him on the interstate, he just taps the gas and boom its like a rocket.

 

[IZwack]

Here's one thing you can brag to Michale about -- your rear 8.8 axle is WAAAY stronger than his 10-bolt. My friend goes through axles like its breakfast -- one lasted him a week! (of course he's pushing 33's).

 

[Turdle]

OK, well i don;t have a 5.0 and nitrous is out of the question, becasue its not everyday that we race, its just occaional

Now wait-
You ask what you can do. I say nitrous is perfect for "just occasional" racing

any other "big bang for buck" mod will affect the driveability of the vehicle ALWAYS.

Nitrous is a switched on thing.

 

[Kyle0614]

newbs the 4.3 vortec is a quick little motor if you aren't careful i' had one before lots of off the line power...can go through more rear tires than a X cause of constant wheelspin...in fact my friend drove my 4.3 s-10 didn't relize it's launch power and 360'd it 5 or 6 time sin the middle of the wet road went he hit the gas thinking it was like a car ...please people don't underestimate the 4.3 i'm ford but it's one of the best motors ever built by american hands...

 

[Kyle0614]

why do you think zr2's are so beasty off road ...something to consider

 

[TekMan05]

I too have a friend with a 2 door 2000 Blazer and was also quite surprised when Racing him. Granted I got a late start but was surprised at how quick that Thing was off the line. This was before headers though!

 

[TekMan05]

Granted he's only had the truck close to six months and has already had to have his Transmission rebuilt at only 13x,x.. miles.

 

[WhiteLimited]

Heres what I found on a 2000 4 door blazer 4.3

"The sloppy execution sealed the fate of the seventh-place Blazer, which already had askew eyes fixed on it for its flaccid on-road performance. Throttle response from the 4.3-liter V6, which creates 190 horses at 4,400 rpm, is satisfying, and 250 foot-pounds of grunt is reached at 2,800 revs, accounting for its higher-than-average towing capacity of 5,600 pounds; 0-60 acceleration required an acceptable time of 9.2 seconds. Power wasn't taxed even with the truck fully loaded with five full-sized adults. Accolades were doled out to the crisp tranny that promptly chose the correct gear in both up- and downshifts."

 

[briwayjones]

Start by adding a cold air intake. Probably a new 2.5" cat back system with a performance muffler. New headers, and a computer re-tune would help.

 

[SnookMan]

Dude my old 98 XLT with the SOHC use to smoke my buddies 4.3L s-10 pickup all the time. All my truck had was 2.5" catback system with a dynomax muffler, MAC intake, Taylor 10mm wires, TB spacer, synthetic fluids, and a low temp thermostat....
You'll be suprised how quick the SOHC motor is when opened up with exhaust and intake.