Does the transmission matter with a 3.0 engine swap

bhbk0103 · Mar 23, 2017

Hello everyone - I am new to the engine swap area but I am going to give it a try (i think). I have a 2000 3.0 FF Ext cab Ranger with an automatic transmissions. The donor truck I am looking at is a 98 reg cab 3.0 with a manual transmissions. The owner of the donor truck had a jasper engine put in it and it only has 54 thousand miles on it. My question is does it matter if I the donor truck is a manual transmissions and mine is an automatic when it comes to what engine I can use in the swap?

thanks for your help.

monstermazda · Mar 23, 2017

You will be good just remove the pilot bearing

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Mac · Mar 23, 2017

Think you'll have to swap computers also.
Dave

stmitch · Mar 23, 2017

NThe short answer is "no", transmission type isn't relevant in your case.

No reason to swap computers, unless you're planning on swapping transmissions too. The most hassle-free swap here is to use only the long block from the 98 (engine block, cylinder heads) and use your 2000 stuff on it (wiring harness, manifolds, computer, and injectors if the 98 isn't flex fuel).

You can try keeping the 98 manifolds and harness if you want, but may run into small issues like EGR, etc. Just depends on the specifics of the 2 trucks as some had stuff like that while others didn't.

RonD · Mar 23, 2017

Welcome to TRS

No, the transmission it is powering doesn't matter to the engine.
You will need to remove the flywheel from the manual 3.0l and put your automatics Flexplate on in it's place
It is usually a good idea to replace the rear main seal at this time, it is a cheap part but hard to get to if it leaks

1998 3.0l may use a 3 wire Cam Sensor, 2000 a 2 wire cam sensor, so you would need to swap those, the cam synchronizer.

Flex Fuel engines had larger injectors than gas only, so you may want to swap intakes/injectors, but really up to you on that if you want to run E85 fuel in the future.

In 1999 Ford changed the valve stem size and went to longer head bolts, deeper holes in the 1999 and up blocks.
So you will want to make a note in the engine bay that it is a 1998 3.0l motor so when it needs work the right parts will be used

Changes to 3.0l over the years seen here: http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/3_0-build.shtml

monstermazda · Mar 24, 2017

You can swap the plenum keep them bigger injectors. I would want to run e85 your fuel system needs more things but bigger injectors more power.

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stmitch · Mar 24, 2017

Just to clarify a bit about injectors: If the 98 engine isn't flex fuel, then you must put your 2000 injectors into that engine. The flex fuel PCM is tuned for the fuel flow provided by the larger injectors. IF you put the 98 engine in, and it has smaller injectors than your stock PCM is expecting it will stumble and misfire, even if you're not planning on using the flex fuel capabilities.

There shouldn't be any difference in the manifolds between the 2 engines unles 1 has EGR while the other doesnt

RonD · Mar 24, 2017

You don't get more power from larger injectors, injectors are NOT the same as Jets in a carb.

The computer adjusts the amount of fuel added to the air with "fuel trim" changes, these changes are + and - numbers, 0 is the calculated amount of fuel need for the air flow, and sets the Open time for the injectors.
If O2 sensor reports Rich then computer changes to -1 fuel trim, shortens open time, if still Rich then -2 and so forth...........
If Lean then +1, +2, +3, ect............., longer Open time

Those are Short Term Fuel Trims(STFT), and it happens in milliseconds

Computer also has Long Term Fuel Trims(LTFT), these are use to compensate for changes to the engine over time, small vacuum leaks, slightly lower or higher fuel pressure, dirty injector tips, dirty MAF sensor, ect................
LTFT is an average of STFT for the most part and is stored in computers memory to offset the 0 calculation.

Because the computer does "learn" and adapt to changes bigger injectors won't help with power, computer would just "learn" to run engine in - Fuel trims, a false Rich, not opening the injectors as long because they are letting in more fuel than stock size injectors .
And running the smaller injectors from a Gas Only 3.0l with a FF computer shouldn't matter either, computer would adapt to it once engine was warmed up the first time.
But if you did want to run E85 fuel then you would be better off with the FF injectors

When you make changes to an engine and increase its air flow, i.e. super or turbo charger, then you might need larger injectors, so computer doesn't have to use +20 fuel trims and possibly set a false Lean code.
V8s or larger V6s run larger injectors because they have higher air flow

stmitch · Mar 24, 2017

The PCM sends a signal to the injectors to open for a certain amount of time. That time doesn't change significantly regardless of injector size. The injector size determines the amount of fuel that is injected in that time though. Regular fuel 3.0s had 19lb injectors. Flex fuel had 23 or 24lb. That's a 20% difference in flow which is pretty significant. I don't see our PCMs being able to "learn" and compensate for a 20% difference in flow. IF you use incorrect sized injectors, you'll be injecting more fuel or less fuel than the PCM is expecting. It's going to misfire badly as the PCM tries (and fails) to get to the proper a/f ratio. Driveability issues will occur.

We deal with 3.0 swaps like this pretty regularly, and anytime somebody uses the incorrect size injector the engine runs like crap. The bottom line seems to be that the injectors and PCM must match. Flex fuel injectors with flex fuel PCM, or non flex fuel injectors with non flex fuel PCM. I've never seen somebody successfully run an injector that is sized much differently than stock without retuning the PCM for the change. If you can find somebody that has, I'd love to read about it.

bhbk0103 · Mar 25, 2017

Thank you all so much for all the input. Heading out to get the donor now. I'll let you know how the swap goes. Might have some more questions

monstermazda · Mar 25, 2017

I like the flex fuel motors I have an 04 in my 98 feel like it's has alittle more power then the older motor.

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Does the transmission matter with a 3.0 engine swap

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