Ford Windstar modifications
Last Updated on July 23, 2024 by Mutiara
This page contains some modifications that were done to a Ford Windstar with a 3.8 Ford Essex engine for amusement. Not much was achieved as engine management was not touched and the transmission shifts too slowly to utilize any benefits.
Essex 3.8 balance shaft elimination:This was probably the only modification worth doing, eliminating the balance shafts that are turned by the camshaft gear. There was no noticeble increase in vibration, and eliminating 10 or so lb of dead rotational mass from the crank provided a slight boost in acceleration. This was done by removing the shafts and welding shut the oil feed lines to prevent a loss in oil pressure.
The water pump extension can be seen on the far left.
Water pump simplification: To eliminate the possibility of having a leak from the rusty metal tube that would go into the water pump, an aluminum tube of similar diameter was tig welded in place to provide the proper length for the water outlet. This turned out to be a poor decision later when a/c system had to be reinstalled because it required purchasing a new water pump. The stock metal extension tube that goes into it is curved and goes around the accessories belt for the A/C system.
Exhaust & power steering: The exhaust was chopped off after the catalytic converters due to a rusted flange, and also to reduce weight and restriction from the exhaust system. This resulted in virtually no performance changes and made the van sound like crap, despite the nice deep rumble of the 3.8 the van didn’t have acceleration to back it up. Power steering eliminated and fittings were welded shut to keep the dirt out of the disabled power steering rack.
Sandblasted & modified tb.
Throttle body: Sand blasted, cleaned, disassembled, and modified to allow more flow. To prevent the screws from falling out and ending up in one of the cylinders they were given a quick tap from a tig welder. This modification actually did improve acceleration very slightly at WOT but the effect was barely noticeable.
Transmission: At one point converting to a manual transmission was contemplated, and is a possibility with a manual gearbox from a Ford Taurus SHO. The original transmission shifts very slowly and kills all of the acceleration the engine can make. There were very complex junctions and lines for the transmission cooling lines which seemed to have no purpose thus eventually being replaced with two simple brass fittings and pushlock hoses that were connected to the aluminum lines that ran from the radiator.
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Emissions systems: All emission systems were removed, which made the ECU default to a failsafe mode and rough idle quite badly. This also caused a rich condition and gradually lowered the horse power and increased hesitation from the carbon buildup.
