is it worth it......

[JS91X]

My friend has a 83 2wd ranger with a good 4spd tranny and no motor(had a 4cyl) and an excellent body but I have a 91 2wd x with a bad tranny and a new 4.0 v6 and I was in the planning process of converting my x to 4wd with a d44 and 9'' rearend, but he wants to sell the ranger for 500 bucks. Im wondering if my v6 will go in the ranger w/o welding new motor mounts and a new intake and carb but will my v6 bolt up to the tranny? and I think the ranger would make a much funner offroader than the x would. is it worth it to buy the ranger and make it 4wd.

 

[JS91X]

well...

 

[410Fortune]

I dont think your 60 degree 4.0L block has the same clutch/flywheel/bolt pattern as that 4 banger transmission no.

However your 4.0L drivetrain complete can be put in that truck without too much work and would make that Ranger alot of fun to drive

Some work will need to be done up front to convert the 2wd beams to a 4x4 ttb setup, or you can just go solid axle.

You have alot of options, but the decision of it being worth the labor and $$$ or not is up to you.

 

[Rhett]

Well maybe no one knows, but this will bring attention to your request. Maybe no one knows if a 91 OHV will drop in an 83 Ranger with no change to the motor mounts. I would guess that you will have to have new motor mounts, but I don't know specifically. I don't even know what trans those old Rangers had, but I doubt it would bolt to a 91 OHV V6. That Ranger probably had a 2.3 L 4-cyl in it, maybe...
My knowledge of Rangers picks up about 86, 87, 88 and later...back that far I'm hazy.
Possibly www.rangerstation.com can help you, or the Ranger forum on this site.

You ask if the Ranger worth it. Well if you want another project, then it would be worth it to you. Sounds like you already have a project going with your 91 Explorer though. Also, I would not be inclined to spend $500 on an 83 Ranger with no motor in it...probably $300 tops or so depending on the body, etc.

 

[410Fortune]

No you can use the 4.0L engine mounts in that 83 Ranger, they will bolt in. You MIGHT have to drill one hole for a locating pin on the pass side.

My 88 frame and engine cradle are the SAME as that 83 Ranger, I went 2.9L to 4.0L to 5.0L
That 83 from the factory, when they built the frame they didnt know if they would put the 2.3L or 2.8L in it, only the mounts are different, not the frame.

 

[Rhett]

Good info to know 410
See JS91X you got yer question answered, it took a month, but it works...

 

[JS91X]

well thanks for the info guys, and if i do end up getting it im gonna go with a explorer 8.8 with 31 spline axle shafts and a solid d44 but im still wondering about my carb or efi options cause the ranger was carbeurated and my explorer 4.0 has efi . is there a intake for a 4.0 to convert to carb ?

 

[90ranajo]

I don't know of any carb intakes for a 4.0. I would just swap in a same year wiring harness and ECM. PITA I know (been there done that), but you'll retain the driveability of EFI.

 

[90ranajo]

Also don't even think about doing a D28/D35 TTB swap on it, go with the SAS. Much simpler. I'm am just finishing up a TIB to D35 TTB swap on my Ranger; its been a Royal PITA.

 

[Rhett]

See what 410 and others say, but I personally have not heard of any carb intake setups for the 4.0, but...keep in mind that the 4.0 derived from the 2.8/2.9's and they were carbed up until about 1986-87...so maybe those carbs would bolt to the top end of the 4.0...but I have never heard of it being done.

But if it were me, and I had the EFI 4.0 ready, I would keep that engine intact...keep the intake, fuel rail, injectors, PCM, etc. and swap it all over and not mess with trying to convert it to carb.

Also, the Ranger would probably need a fuel pump for the EFI setup...

 

[Rhett]

well thanks for the info guys, and if i do end up getting it im gonna go with a explorer 8.8 with 31 spline axle shafts and a solid d44

Sweet, I like the D44 and putting an 8.8/31 under a Ranger rear will make it strong. That's the setup I want to do to my Explorer when I retire it, I want to put a solid axle under it, probably a D44, have about 5-6 inches of lift, warn manuals, keep the BW1354, and ditch the A4LD and run a 302 with 5r55e or AOD. Probably 5r55e since I want OBD-II.

 

[JS91X]

thanks for the info guys...keep it coming and 90ranajo... since your converting a TIB to a 4x4 what all did you need and if i get the ranger im going with front leaves so that will make it more simple to swap

 

[JS91X]

well i talked to josh today and he decided to keep the ranger and fix it himself and make it a hardcore wheeler where gonna start off (im the welder cause i weld better and gotta better welder) by taking the bed off and building a flatbed with little cargo boxes in it and cage the cab and he's thinking of a 302 or a new 4cyl (i think the 302/c4/np205 is best but its him and drop a d44 in it and either a 9'' in the rear or explorer 8.8 with 6lug conversion (like 034x4's d44 swap) and on 36x12.5x15 TSL's with 4.88 gears or 5.13 and this truck is going to be an offroad only truck. were doin this cause on this past tuesday the 12 or 13th we went offroading and i got stuck and he went to my other friends house to get them to pull me out and he drives really fadst and hit a hole about 35+ and hit a rock in the bottom and busted an oil filter and he's only had that ranger about 2 months. so any info on this thread would be good

 

[JS91X]

oh yea were gonna add power steering and better front brakes