It Works!!!!

scotts90ranger · Jan 5, 2009

I had no idea... this engine is great!

ok, so it has it's issues like the no tach (don't know yet why not), 12-1500rpm idle (no tach, so it's hard to tell), rough hot restart, and the whole missing at full grunt issue, but I love this engine!

I'll try to get pics eventually, but it made it in without too much renecking (there was some drier vent and duct tape involved)

I've never been able to accelerate in 5th gear, now it moves faster from 50mph to 70mph than my speedo has ever moved before

the swap to DIS is pretty easy too, works good, also swapped to a 2.9 radiator as my old engine tipped over on the old one (would have been too small anyway)

turns out you have to drill out the rear two holes in the oil pan to 3/8" from 1/4" and get a couple 8mm by 50mm bolts to use the stock aluminum pan on the '86 engine

the air filter situation gets interesting in the second gen with the battery in that corner too... hence the drier vent and duct tape...

capri1979 · Jan 5, 2009

sorry but what engine?

scotts90ranger · Jan 6, 2009

2.3L Turbo out of an '86 T bird into a '90 ranger

I have a couple sensors I didn't identify, one sensor in one of the heater lines that I didn't have a connector for or wires to, and one sensor I only have the connector to, the other end apparently went into the dash where the guy cut it off... that and I haven't hooked up the EGR valve to vacuum yet, and I seriously need to work over the PCV system, there was a bad spray from out of the dip stick tube, I ziptied a rag around the handle for the moment to keep away some of the spray...

dieselboy740 · Jan 6, 2009

oh its fun. we had a prob with the bronco and we gapped the plugs down to .32 and its crazy. bII @ 19psi and 456 gears is scary

Bill G · Jan 6, 2009

I was just wondering if you had been working on your swap and you have it running already. I would love to see some pictures of it.

I'm hoping to have mine finished by the end of this month. But I've been saying that for months.

scotts90ranger · Jan 7, 2009

what's holding you up bill? anything I could avise in?

I pulled a couple tricks on my swap, the heater box moding kinda sucked, but it didn't turn out looking too bad, I moved the O2 sensor down by the frame, which I put in the wrong spot and is like 1/16" from the frame... you learn, I'll be redoing the exhaust at some point to get rid of the 2" in favor of some 2 1/4" anyway. considering the drier vent for the air filter adapter and the small exhaust (my tail pipe fell off so there's less resistance than there could be) it pulls damn good.

my computer blew, so pictures might be a bit, plus I don't have any webspace anymore... I'll work on it though

it took me a month with only a few long days working on it (the one when I was out there from 11pm to 7am being one of them, and it was around 20*), if I was to do it again I could probably do it on a weekend if I had a spare hand and a clean garage...

I'm seriously thinking of grabbing a sploder radiator, the 2.9 rad is bigger, but probably not sufficient for my plans (wheeling and towing)

oh, I didn't mention, I think I'm around 16mpg from 19mpg, not too bad all things considered being early in the experience (like I'm going to take it easy at this point)

Davis · Jan 7, 2009

originally posted by scotts90ranger:
I pulled a couple tricks on my swap, the heater box moding kinda sucked, but it didn't turn out looking too bad, I moved the O2 sensor down by the frame, which I put in the wrong spot and is like 1/16" from the frame... you learn, I'll be redoing the exhaust at some point to get rid of the 2" in favor of some 2 1/4" anyway. considering the drier vent for the air filter adapter and the small exhaust (my tail pipe fell off so there's less resistance than there could be) it pulls damn good.

Do yourself a favor and do it right the first time and go 3" on the exhaust. :icon_thumby:

dieselboy740 · Jan 7, 2009

Davis said:
Do yourself a favor and do it right the first time and go 3" on the exhaust.

yeah +1 there. :icon_welder:

Bill G · Jan 7, 2009

scotts90ranger said:
what's holding you up bill? anything I could avise in?

Most of my hold up is lack of time, the other problem is I'm lazy and don't spend the amount of time I should on it. It's getting closer though.

I'll post a picture tomorrow if I get home from work when it's still light out.

You can also attach a picture here even if it's not hosted on the net. It's down in the additional options section.

scotts90ranger · Jan 8, 2009

nifty, I'll do that once I get my puter up and running again, thought you had to be a paid member to do that here

believe me, I understand the time and energy issue, that's why it took me a month and not just my 4 day thanksgiving weekend... most of my issues were more intimidating than anything, worst part was welding the exhaust with a stick welder...

I was going 2 1/4 because I already have a tailpipe and some scraps from work, but might as well save up for a high flow cat and some type of good muffler and only do it once...

Bill G · Jan 10, 2009

Scott,
Here is a quick picture of my work so far. I'm still working on the water lines and thinking about going to steel braided lines for the water, not sure yet.

Maybe I'll get it finished by the end of the month. It doesn't need much.

scotts90ranger · Jan 11, 2009

ah, most of the things I did wouldn't apply to your engine...

are you sticking with the distributor, or go with the DIS? the conversion isn't too hard, the hardest part is getting the aluminum oil pan to fit and drilling and tapping the three holes for the crank sensor.

Bill G · Jan 11, 2009

scotts90ranger said:
ah, most of the things I did wouldn't apply to your engine...

are you sticking with the distributor, or go with the DIS? the conversion isn't too hard, the hardest part is getting the aluminum oil pan to fit and drilling and tapping the three holes for the crank sensor.

I'm using the DIS and moving the coil packs being that I'm using a flipped manifold. It's too damn hot in AZ not to have AC. The engine I have was built by DaveR. It is a dual plug motor with a added in oil drain hole, it has Weisco pistons, the Ranger Roller and the head has been ported and polished. It also has a 60mm throtle body and a worked over intake (1 of 2 by Dave). I'm going non-intercooled being that I'm keeping the boost at 7psi (for now). I'm using a modded MAF with 19lbs injectors. That about covers the basics.

scotts90ranger · Jan 12, 2009

yeah, you're putting the turbo where I mounted my coil pack, I modified one of the stock brackets they used in '89 to push it out a bit over an inch to avoid the coolant lines, still took some tweaking of them...

I really need to get a new set of plug wires, a few of mine are pretty worn... probably not helping with my miss...

if you're wondering Bill, the copper 45* fitting works fine so far in the upper radiator hose, that adapts the hose pretty good for a whole $5

I didn't mention before, but I did switch to the ranger roller cam, new lash adjusters and valve seals. on the oil pan swap I had to swap to the oil pump from my '90 engine (body was too big on the '86 pump), had to drill out the rearmost oil pan holes to 3/8" and get a couple new bolts, and fill the trough in the rear main cap with JB weld...

Bill G · Jan 12, 2009

scotts90ranger said:
if you're wondering Bill, the copper 45* fitting works fine so far in the upper radiator hose, that adapts the hose pretty good for a whole $5

I don't really follow what you mean by using a 45 in the upper hose.

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