wildbill23c
Well-Known Member
U.S. Military - Veteran
TRS Banner 2012-2015
TRS 20th Anniversary
Ham Radio Operator
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2012
- Messages
- 3,917
- Reaction score
- 577
- Points
- 113
- Location
- Southwestern Idaho
- Vehicle Year
- 1987
- Make / Model
- Ford Ranger
- Engine Type
- 2.9 V6
- Transmission
- Manual
- 2WD / 4WD
- 2WD
- Total Lift
- 0
- Total Drop
- 0
- Tire Size
- 215/70-R14
- My credo
- 19K, 19D, 92Y, 88M, 91F....OIF-III (2004-2005)
My Bronco 2 is my 2nd vehicle with a 2.8L V6. My first was an 84 Ford Ranger which I got from my grandparents my senior year of high school. I was stupid and sold it not knowing that this forum existed and would have solved my computer problems. That being said, my 84 Ford Ranger 2.8L V6 with automatic transmission pulled a 16' travel trailer all over the country for 6 years for my grandparents and it never failed them, they would walk off and leave some friends of theirs who had a 23' travel trailer and a full size dodge ram truck with a 360V8, people around here don't give the 2.8L V6 engine the credit it deserves. No its not a racing engine, no it wasn't built for speed, it was built for longevity which it will give you if you take care of it. The majority of issues I see and have seen now that I've got my bronco 2 is when you buy one from someone else you never know how it was cared for.I want to get other peoples option on weather I should stay with the 5.8 or swap out to the smaller 302 ? What do you all think?
In actuality that 302 isn't that great of a swap you don't really gain anything except an empty wallet and dismal fuel economy. However, its your vehicle, your money do what you want. I for one wouldn't waste my time on an engine swap like that. My bronco 2 gives me pretty close to 17mpg in town not sure on the highway haven't had the time to drive through a tank of fuel on the highway yet, when I do I'll post mileage numbers. My full size truck gets me around 12-13mpg in town and 22mpg on the highway so the bronco 2 does great for me since I work 4 miles from town, the weather is warming up so I wont' be driving either I'll be riding my bicycle to work here soon. You need to think about the overall cost of swapping the engines, and possible problems you will have with the replacement engine, you may be lots of money a head by fixing the little problems you have currently IMO, that's what I realize now.