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Author Topic: 91 Ranger Powertrain Swap  (Read 3731 times)

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Offline Blue79Pinto

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91 Ranger Powertrain Swap
« on: May 13, 2013, 11:38:07 PM »
My engine is burning oil pretty bad and I wanted to swap over to EFI.  A turbo swap is an unreal thing here where I live as it's impossible to find those turbo cars.  I found a 91 ranger with low mileage I want to swap the motor out of.  It is the 8 plug head and does give a gain of about 17HP.  It's gonna be a just for fun cruiser and I need some help.  If anyone has done this swap or one similar can you give me advice on it.  I know you have to swap the oil pan to the pinto one.  What else can I expect out of this?  Is it worth it?

Offline D.R.Ball

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Re: 91 Ranger Powertrain Swap
« Reply #1 on: May 14, 2013, 11:51:06 PM »
If it has the 5 speed get it as well. It's not the greatest in the world but it's a 5 speed and I think it's a hydraulic clutch as well...So no worries about the cable etc. You will need a electric fuel pump and the wiring harness( with the computer stuff etc.) and get the accelerator cable but that's it.. Not to hard of a swap....The slip yoke might have to be added to your drive shaft but that's it for any mods on the drive line. The horse power gain might be more than you think too. If you have A/C get that off your downer as well because the EEC IV runs some of the A/C stuff and the Pinto was a standalone system for the A/C. ( Yes the A/C has a clutch but when did it turn one etc.)

Offline OhSix9

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Re: 91 Ranger Powertrain Swap
« Reply #2 on: May 15, 2013, 02:47:08 AM »
Do not get the transmission.. ...  For starters why would you want to make your pinto shift like.. well...  a truck? 2.3 mustnags litter the u pull it yards and you can get a wc t5 from any 89 and up 2.3 powered car with the cable bell for prob 75 bucks on avg. hell take the clutch and flywheel with it and go to the youngest cashier for all in one pricing :P   even a totally flogged one can be rebuilt for 150 bucks worth of bearings and syncros. secondly the hydraulic bell requires a whole clusterpluck of adapting to set up the master and pedal where the cable relocation takes 2 inches of flat bar with 2 holes drilled in it to make it all fit. no crossmember trimming required.

for ac yeah you would want the compressor from the new motor but thats cause it will have a serpentine belt and the eec controls wot cutout and stuff like that instead of vac switches. the rest of your ac stuff can stay original.  incidentally if it is an auto and 2 wd it should have a a4ld that would work nicely. they are kinda crappy but you don't want to hit it with big power and it's just as good as the c3. either way if you have the motor yanked out add overdrive this is the best mod you can possibly do to an older car.

 the wiring breaks down to about a half dozen connections for power and gauges.  4 plug 8 plug it doesn't matter since it is all self contained in the engine harness and you get crank fired and coil packs vs distributor.  you will need the whole thing neck to nuts on the induction and electronic sides of things. What can you expect.  turn the key and go. no choking better mpg smoother idle. it is not a lot more power but it is more civilized.  efi is always a good idea if you can pull it off. Incidentally how many miles are on the current one and what is the compression like? A bad pcv can burn a lot of oil.
Modest beginnings start with the single blow of a horn man..    Now when you get through with this thing every dickhead in the world is gonna wanna own it.   Do you know anything at all about the internal combustion engine?

Virgil to Sid

Offline Blue79Pinto

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Re: 91 Ranger Powertrain Swap
« Reply #3 on: May 15, 2013, 02:32:21 PM »
So first off thank you for all the great information.  Secondly the car is an auto, so I'd rather stick with an auto and I have a price for one from a late 80's mustang as well.  I don't care so much about air conditioning really.  Not something I need and I don't know how to install it either.  The motor in the car now I think only has 114000km on it.  That's what I was told but it could have rolled over twice I'm not 100% sure.  Maybe I'll have to look into the pcv. Thanks

Offline Blue79Pinto

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Re: 91 Ranger Powertrain Swap
« Reply #4 on: May 15, 2013, 02:52:47 PM »
Oh and it used to make a ticking noise like it had a stuck lifter until we used some lucasoil additive, but that may have been from the engine sitting, or a sign of a head going bad.  Regardless, I was wondering about an inline fuel pump, what vehicles can that be out of?

Offline OhSix9

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Re: 91 Ranger Powertrain Swap
« Reply #5 on: May 15, 2013, 08:58:36 PM »
If the ticking went away it was probably just stuck from sitting. incidentally if the original does have good compression and can pass a leakdown test  swap the pcv but it could also very easily be valve seals that have dried and cracked. you can borrow a tool to pressurize the cylinders and pull the valve springs on the car to change the seals. (total cost about 5 bucks worth of seals. also if you steal a rubber vc gasket from a late model 2.3 you can eliminate the leaky cork they used originally.

  where the pump is concerned any inline fuel pump will work. you could rob one from an early 90's f series or just google and ebay an inline fuel pump.  jegs has 190 and 255lph options and 190 will be more than sufficient na.  http://www.jegs.com/p/JEGS/JEGS-Inline-Fuel-Pumps/1167179/10002/-1. incidentally you can snag one on ebay for about 40 bucks.

get the shifter assy from the mustang too, you will need the detentes in the stang shifter to make it all work.
Modest beginnings start with the single blow of a horn man..    Now when you get through with this thing every dickhead in the world is gonna wanna own it.   Do you know anything at all about the internal combustion engine?

Virgil to Sid

Offline Blue79Pinto

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Re: 91 Ranger Powertrain Swap
« Reply #6 on: May 15, 2013, 10:23:07 PM »
Because of the shortage of money at the moment perhaps I will try the pcv and valve seals first to see what it does?  Are valve seals hard to replace as I have never done anything like that before?

Offline Blue79Pinto

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Re: 91 Ranger Powertrain Swap
« Reply #7 on: May 17, 2013, 11:02:37 PM »
Also if I do the 91 powertrain, will my stock instrument cluster work still?