New owner of a ranger, motor questions!


jeepxj2007

15+ Year Member

Joined
Apr 6, 2008
Messages
83
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Age
37
City
Mid-Michigan
Vehicle Year
1993
Transmission
Automatic
Well I bought a 98 Ford Ranger Sport, it has an extended cab with a flareside box. It is red, automatic, has a fiberglass tonneau cover, and is 4x4. It has 115,xxx on the odometer. I bought it for 800 and it is really really clean. The motor is a 3.0LV-6 and it is blown...that is why I got it for so cheap. I am look at getting a new motor for it. Where would be a good place to get one, and is it possible to swap in the 4.0 or is it a lot of work? Is there a stroker motor I can put in? I don't want to do a ton of work like a 302 swap or anything though
 
you can swap in a 4.0l pretty easy but even a 5.0 swap is pretty easy just find a explorer with a v8 in it and swap everything over. as far as a motor goes i dunno if you can buy crate 3.0's or 4.0's check www.car-part.com
 
Swapping to any other engine will also require that you swap transmissions too. The 3.0 has a unique bellhousing pattern.
 
Cheapest would probably be to locate a junk yard 3.0L engine (and change the CPS syncronizer :D). How much do you have to spend? They do have a stroker kit and they'd have to have reman engines, but neighter are cheap. An engine swap with/from a donor vehicle would be kind of comparable, all depends what you want honestly. A donor vehicle is just the same quality wise as getting a j/y 3.0L (If you hear it run) either way, IMO.

Pete
 
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Yeah I am planning on spending 2000 or less on the new motor...I don't mind if it is reman or not, I just want it to be from a reputable company. I heard of a 3.0 Stroker kit, but I have never really ripped an engine apart too much...I have changed engines, clutches, rebuilt carbs, axles, etc...but not too much in depth of engines. I can weld decent and not really too afraid to tackle jobs....but I have never swapped an engine for a different engine. I didn't really want to go changing out transmissions and what not because everything on this truck is decent minus the engine. It is going to mainly be my dd, and two tracker, and my current dd jeep which is mildly built up is going to be a trail rig. I was planning so far with the ranger:upgraded trans cooler, larger radiator, elec. fan, headers, cold air intake, and dual exhaust and 30" cooper discovery atrs on black rims that I have on my bronco...will they match up my friend was telling me that the ranger is 5x5.5, I thought he was on crack because the broncos rims bolted up to my jeeps rims and I am pretty sure if I remember right they are 5 on 4.5
 
the ranger is a 5x4.5, and if your looking to put performance parts into this truck a 3.0L is not really going to be worth it to you. If you wanted to put performance parts put a 4.0L in there. but like you said you dont want to be swapping out trannys and such. I would go down to a JY find the lowest milage 3.0 buy it and pop it in and have yourself a nice DD.
 
yeah it figured I wouldn't get a lot out of the 3.0 before I got my jeep I was looking for a ranger and i took one for a test drive..I was told it had the v-6....and I thought something was wrong because I had driven all 4.0 before until the 3.0 in this one, when I first started testing them out I was unaware that there was a 3.0L V-6 and assumed it was the 4.0...it didn't seem very peppy at all
 
Don't mean to threadjack but it has relevance to your possible bigger motor swap, don't you have to swap CPU's, wiring harness and such if you're going from a 3.0L to a 4.0L or 5.0L?
 
I'm not sure on the harness but I was 99.99 percent sure I would have to get a new computer...I could be wrong though
 
3.0L? What's the point ... swap in a 2.3 or mileage or a 4.0L for power.
 
99RangerKrazy said:
Don't mean to threadjack but it has relevance to your possible bigger motor swap, don't you have to swap CPU's, wiring harness and such if you're going from a 3.0L to a 4.0L or 5.0L?
Click to expand...

yes you need to swap the computer and the harness
 
I notice that you are 19 - I'm going to assume your funds are limited. Go buy a Haynes Manual and read about what it takes to R&R an engine. If you figure you can get some help, borrow some tools, etc. etc. to accomplish that - then tackle the project. A 3.0 long block should be easy to get from a wrecking yard that will bolt in to your truck. Find one, do that, drive it. If you want to put in something bigger later - do it after you've been reading this forum for a year or so. This is a relatively easy swap, if you follow the Haynes manual (or Chilton) you should be OK. Be safe. Your truck sounds like a good choice to put some sweat and $ into.

Of course you can look at the For Sale section of this site or post an add in Want to Buy for your area.
 
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Rebuilding a engine isnt rocket science!
you can do it in a weekend.

call jasper reman engines. Helped a buddy R&R his 3.0l (oil pump drive sheared) he put a jasper reman and had no problems. Its still running fine today, 2 years later.

3.0L is like the Sherman tank not the greatest but none the less a tank!
As long as it has oil and coolant in it will run. if you blow one up you should be limited to using any thing more complicated than a light switch.
 
i just rebuilt my 94 3.0l for a little under 1500. i replaced the pistons, rings, cam and bearings, had the crank polished and put in new rod and main bearings, had the heads resurfaced and valves and seats ground, got a new oil pan, oil pump, dipstick and tube (mine were rotted to shit) and then bought some ford blue and put it all back together. chances are if you get that manual and just start taking it apart you will be able to find out why it is "blown". it might be something as simple as a head gasket or intake gasket? if nothing else you wont be losing out by taking it apart because you will be learning more about motors in the process. just remember that plastic bags and magic marker are your best friends because theres alot of bolts that all "look" the same.:icon_thumby:
 
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