1994 Mazda B2300 2.3l Project

[Plush1992]

I own a 1994 Mazda B2300. It's identical to a Ford ranger. Main difference is it has sequential fuel injection. No A/C. No power steering. It has the 3.08 highway gearing, I can't go any lower.

I want to improve it's power output and MPG while still keeping it as a daily driver and use as a truck with a bed.

Mechanically it's in great condition.
- I've replaced all fluids. Fully synthetic in the rear end and transmission. Sticking with oem standard fluid for the engine (I don't want a potential leak).

- I removed two air baffles in the intake system.

- Installed a new K and N air filter.

- Brand new 215/75/15 Hancock tires all season light weight tires.

- Partial grill block. Front air dam (needs to be fine tuned)

- Roll up tonneau cover.

- Stick shift.

- Led head lights

I want to close the gap for the wheel wells. Do some under body work at the rear end for aero. I'm also working on an electric fan.

Any other ideas as to what to do???

[Plush1992]

Some more pictures. New duel core allumiun radiator. Wrapped headers and Egr tube. I used a rubber seal to close the gaps at the hood and between the bumper and grill. I noticed right away engine noise was cut down.

I installed a partial grill block. I did this once before and went for a 50 percent grill block. It was mid summer, I had an old single steel core radiator and it would heat up too much and loose power. I'm thinking this smaller grill block with the better radiator should do well. I'm installing an electric fan and the cooler the truck runs the less it will have to turn on and the less power it will rob.

[freebeard]

What do you think of the half-tonneau? Front half of the bed open and the back half boxed.

Performance would [apparently] be better than the tonneau and not quite as good as a full aerocap.

What do you think of a full aerocap?

[Plush1992]

Originally Posted by freebeard

What do you think of the half-tonneau? Front half of the bed open and the back half boxed.

Performance would [apparently] be better than the tonneau and not quite as good as a full aerocap.

What do you think of a full aerocap?

I wouldn't mind doing an aero cap. Especially if it looks like the pic below. A half cover would be allot easier to construct

[freebeard]

The one you've shown is sub-optimal. The most it will do is fill the wake.

An effective aerocap will transition [gaplessly] off the cab on the top and sides to prevent the turbulence your example will induce.

How about this?



I talked to the manager at the pizza parlor and he knew it improved the gas mileage, but not by how much. An aerocap that tapers on the top but not the sides would have the same rear face. So it's midway between a cap and a half-tonneau.

The way it works is it sets up a rolling ball of air in the bed that causes air flow to skip over instead of invade the bed.

It would be improved by beveling the top corners. The low road to results might be to get a utility box and slide it from the front of the bed to the rear. Instant half-tonneau.

In fact you could A-B test the front and rear locations, and generate useful data for other pickemup owners.

[Plush1992]

Originally Posted by freebeard

In fact you could A-B test the front and rear locations, and generate useful data for other pickemup owners.

I can definitely test out a half tonneau cover. Looking at the pic I posted you are definitely right, it is not gapeless and would still have turbelance.

So are you saying that having what is in the pic you sent would be ideal because it would still keep that rolling ball of air in the bed but would allow other air to pass over seamlessly. (Of course a full boat tail is deal)

I seen one guy years ago did a kamback on his ranger, off the cab, but he couldn't get it quite right and it only caused drag

[freebeard]

Rather than 'ideal' I'd say in the ball park. Here's the patent GMC took out

https://patents.google.com › patent › US4573730A › en
An aerodynamic drag reducing device for a pickup truck includes a tonneau cover which extends between the side walls of the pickup box and forwardly from the tailgate to a distance short of the passenger cab so that the tonneau cover encloses a rearward portion of the pickup box. Tonneau covers enclosing the rearward portion of the pickup box to a range of approximately 40 to 60% of the total ...

Use the search term 'pickup truck wing' and look at the first three articles.

[Vman455]

Originally Posted by Plush1992

I can definitely test out a half tonneau cover. Looking at the pic I posted you are definitely right, it is not gapeless and would still have turbelance.

So are you saying that having what is in the pic you sent would be ideal because it would still keep that rolling ball of air in the bed but would allow other air to pass over seamlessly. (Of course a full boat tail is deal)

I seen one guy years ago did a kamback on his ranger, off the cab, but he couldn't get it quite right and it only caused drag

"Ideal" can only be defined in the context of what you are comfortable doing to your own truck, how you plan to use it, how much time and money you want to spend, and what results you actually want. You need to nail those down first. In fact, "optimized" is the better word, and what OEMs typically use to describe the process of aerodynamic development.

I started a website a couple weeks ago. You might find these useful:
A Practical Guide to Aerodynamic Modification
Tuft Testing: A How-To Manual
External Mirror Removal
I'll be updating it with more on my truck as I test things this spring.

[Plush1992]

Originally Posted by Vman455

"Ideal" can only be defined in the context of what you are comfortable doing to your own truck, how you plan to use it, how much time and money you want to spend, and what results you actually want. You need to nail those down first. In fact, "optimized" is the better word, and what OEMs typically use to describe the process of aerodynamic development.

I started a website a couple weeks ago. You might find these useful:
A Practical Guide to Aerodynamic Modification
Tuft Testing: A How-To Manual
External Mirror Removal
I'll be updating it with more on my truck as I test things this spring.

Thank you! I will definitely check out each one of those links. The word "optimize" is definitely more accurate to what I'm trying to do

[hayden55]

Damn how many mpg are you getting now? My 3.0/3.73/5mt was getting 25mpg on average doing standard stuff that we do, but you basically have the holy grail of Rangers. It is 5 speed isn't it?