EcoBoost Swap

03 Ford Ranger Magnitude?

What I have now:
-A POS
-3.0
-Automatic
-Single Cab
-Short bed

Goals:
-EcoBoost (2.0 or 2.3)
-Manual
-IRS
-Creature comforts
-Road course/Autocross/DD

Info Gathered so far:

I have a lot of time to do research at work so here's what I've gathered so far. If anything is wrong feel free to correct me. The 2.0 and 2.3 EcoBoost share their block with the 2.3 Duratec. Knowing that (this may sound stupid roast me if you feel you need) will the motor mounts for the 2.0 be the same even though the 2.0 is normally a FWD application? Would the motor mounts be the same from the Duratec to the 2.3 EcoBoost? I also just found out the Australian Ford Falcon uses the 2.0 EcoBoost in a RWD application so I could also look at adapting those mounts to fit the Ranger. I'm leaning towards the 2.0 because Ford already has the Controls Pack out for it so the wiring will be simpler, assuming I can use the Controls Pack on a non crate motor, but I lean towards the 2.3 because it's first use is in RWD form in the Mustang which is in the U.S. (as opposed to the Falcon in Australia) and hopefully that means it'll bolt up to the Duratec mounts without importing mounts from Australia.

As far as having a manual, I read the entire project ugly horse series a couple nights ago and the NC Miata transmission bolts right up to the EcoBoost. Simple enough. The Controls Pack from Ford is only for the engine correct? So I'd need a standalone for the transmission. Again, not too terrible.

For the suspension, I need to look into it more but I know there was the B-Series/Ranger "Rolling Thunder" project with an IRS swap. The last goal ties in with this one. I'm sure people are thinking,"Da fuq? Why IRS? Solid axle strength FTW if your goal is power, bro." well that's where you'd be wrong! I'm not looking for some ridiculous HP/TQ numbers with a solid axle and 4 link for 1/4 mile runs. If that's what I wanted I'd look into a 3.5 EB, Coyote, or 302. I want to do Road Course and Autocross racing. Or have it set up to do so at least while maintaining daily drivability. It'll help with comfort too, so it's a win win to me.

Last goal is creature comforts, ahhhh creature comforts. AC, decent stereo and speakers, and power steering. Those are the only three I can think of for now but I really want/need these. I know I'll need custom brackets fabricated to make the PS work but I know a guy with a talent for fabrication so I should be ok there as well as with the motor mount issues, should they arise.

The elephant in the room is of course budget. I know this will be costly but it'll be worth it (to me at least) no doubt. Looking at the 2.0 EB, they are considerably cheaper than the 2.3. I'd assume the saturation of 2.0 liters in the market is the biggest reason, behind age of the motors. I've found several 2.0's running and functioning normally before being pulled with decently low miles (not that I'm worried after watching the torture tests on the 3.5 a few years back) for around $2500. You figure another $1500 for the controls pack, $1k for transmission with low miles, and $1500 for miscellaneous crap such as high pressure fueling to get it running. That would be the initial cost which I figure I can have put together in about 18 months. After dropping the money for the swap I'll slowly assemble the IRS and install it around 6 months later. Last but not least will be the looks. The wheels and tires, paint, fiberglass bed cover, interior, etc. By the end I'm fully prepared to have a 15+ year old Ford Ranger with over $20k invested. Why? Because it's different, I plan to keep it for a LOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time (not that the wife will let me purchase anything for another 15 years after dropping all that money), and it'll be my creation. A build with a semi-solid plan, lots of research, and one that actually came to fruition.

P.S. - Any suggestions for names for the truck? I love the F-150 Tremor and this will essentially be a baby Tremor so I figured something relating to earthquakes would be kind of cool.


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The 2010-2014 2.0l eco-boost used the Mazda L engine as the base(2015 eco-boost changed blocks)
So yes 2001 and up Ranger 2.3l Duratec(mazda L engine) motor mounts will work.
And so will a manual trans(M5OD-R1) from a 2001 and up Ranger with 2.3l Duratec.

Manual trans doesn't need computer control, but maybe I misunderstood your question.

RonD said:

The 2010-2014 2.0l eco-boost used the Mazda L engine as the base(2015 eco-boost changed blocks)
So yes 2001 and up Ranger 2.3l Duratec(mazda L engine) motor mounts will work.
And so will a manual trans(M5OD-R1) from a 2001 and up Ranger with 2.3l Duratec.

Manual trans doesn't need computer control, but maybe I misunderstood your question.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. I knew the 2015 EB changed but I wasn't sure how. I don't need a controller per-say but more something for the transmission and Controls Pack to communicate correct? Oh and since you're the only one to reply so far do you know if I can use the controls pack on a non crate motor?


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A few things.
1. This is awesome

2. The miata trans is going to put your shifter much further back (closer to the seat) than the stock location. Make sure you're ok with that as some people find that moving the shifter back quite a bit makes shifting uncomfortable and difficult. The Ranger Duratec 5 spd would keep the stock shifter location, but it's not as nice of a trans as the Miata piece. Maybe the gear ratios would be better for autocross though (less shifting)

3. The Rolling Thunder build used a Cobra IRS from an 01-04 Mustang Cobra. They're a few inches wider than stock Ranger axles, and I'm assuming you'll want some wide rubber in the back for handling purposes, so you'll probably have to modify the bedsides to make it all fit, and watch you wheel offsets. Most Cobra IRS came with 3.31 gears, which may not be enough gear to motivate the 4-banger as well as you'd hope, so be prepared to regear at some point.

4. Instead of doing all of this work to swap an engine and trans into your current truck, may I propose a potentially cheaper and easier option? Since the Ecoboost 4 cylinders are essentially just Duratec/MZR engines with direct injection, vvt, and a turbo, why not just start with a Duratec truck, and add a turbo? Surely it would be cheaper than sourcing a used Ecoboost, and then finding the Miata or Ranger trans/clutch and then buying all of the fancy electronics to control the direct injection/vvt stuff. And you don't have to deal with any of the uncertainties about mounts, power steering, wiring etc because it's already there.

SIMPLICITY--The Ranger's Duratec is lighter, since it doesn't use balance shafts. It's also less complex without direct injection, high pressure fuel systems, and vvt. It can be tuned easily with any OBDII tuner (like an SCT or Diablosport), instead of spending big bucks on a controller that can handle all of the Ecoboost's complexities. All you would have to do is fab a custom turbo header, or mount it remotely, either of those options would make it MUCH easier to keep all of your creature comforts too, vs taking your chances with the stock Ecoboost turbo location.

COST SAVINGS--A duratec/5 spd Ranger goes for $1500-$5000 around here depending on condition and mileage. If it were me, I'd sell your current truck for as much as you can, and then buy a Duratec truck to use as a starting point. A custom turbo manifold is going to cost $500-$1000, injectors will be $200-$500, and an SCT tuner is $400ish. Then you just get the turbo, intercooler, and piping of your choice. So, instead of spending $6500 to add stuff to your current truck, I'm guessing you could have the entire truck running for under $5000 if you really wanted to (Including the purchase price of the truck) and you get to skip the engine and trans swaps, and dealing with the fancy fuel systems or electronics, which would save you time, money and sweat. I'm ignoring the cost of the IRS swap and any suspension work/wheels/tires/brakes because those would happen on either truck platform you do, and they weren't included in your $6500 budget above. But if you can save $1500 by skipping the engine and trans swaps, that would buy your IRS setup, or a set of wheels and wide sticky tires.

BETTER PERFORMANCE-- The 2.0L Ecoboost in the Focus ST is rated @ 252hp at the crank. Most other versions are less. By choosing your own turbo, injectors, and controlling the amount of boost yourself, you can easily eclipse that number with a plain old turbo duratec.

5. I'm not usually into naming vehicles, but "Aftershock" might be kind of cool

I agree with stmitch, more off the shelf parts in sticking with stock(for Ranger) engine, so easier on the budget.
"Where no man has gone before" builds are neat but not easy on the wallet.

Engine Computers just need to know when the trans is in Neutral, on a manual that is when the clutch pedal is pushed down all the way, so a stock Ranger clutch pedal switch is all you would need for that interface

Subscribing. This sounds like a very interesting project.

stmitch said:

A few things.
1. This is awesome

2. The miata trans is going to put your shifter much further back (closer to the seat) than the stock location. Make sure you're ok with that as some people find that moving the shifter back quite a bit makes shifting uncomfortable and difficult. The Ranger Duratec 5 spd would keep the stock shifter location, but it's not as nice of a trans as the Miata piece. Maybe the gear ratios would be better for autocross though (less shifting)

3. The Rolling Thunder build used a Cobra IRS from an 01-04 Mustang Cobra. They're a few inches wider than stock Ranger axles, and I'm assuming you'll want some wide rubber in the back for handling purposes, so you'll probably have to modify the bedsides to make it all fit, and watch you wheel offsets. Most Cobra IRS came with 3.31 gears, which may not be enough gear to motivate the 4-banger as well as you'd hope, so be prepared to regear at some point.

4. Instead of doing all of this work to swap an engine and trans into your current truck, may I propose a potentially cheaper and easier option? Since the Ecoboost 4 cylinders are essentially just Duratec/MZR engines with direct injection, vvt, and a turbo, why not just start with a Duratec truck, and add a turbo? Surely it would be cheaper than sourcing a used Ecoboost, and then finding the Miata or Ranger trans/clutch and then buying all of the fancy electronics to control the direct injection/vvt stuff. And you don't have to deal with any of the uncertainties about mounts, power steering, wiring etc because it's already there.

SIMPLICITY--The Ranger's Duratec is lighter, since it doesn't use balance shafts. It's also less complex without direct injection, high pressure fuel systems, and vvt. It can be tuned easily with any OBDII tuner (like an SCT or Diablosport), instead of spending big bucks on a controller that can handle all of the Ecoboost's complexities. All you would have to do is fab a custom turbo header, or mount it remotely, either of those options would make it MUCH easier to keep all of your creature comforts too, vs taking your chances with the stock Ecoboost turbo location.

COST SAVINGS--A duratec/5 spd Ranger goes for $1500-$5000 around here depending on condition and mileage. If it were me, I'd sell your current truck for as much as you can, and then buy a Duratec truck to use as a starting point. A custom turbo manifold is going to cost $500-$1000, injectors will be $200-$500, and an SCT tuner is $400ish. Then you just get the turbo, intercooler, and piping of your choice. So, instead of spending $6500 to add stuff to your current truck, I'm guessing you could have the entire truck running for under $5000 if you really wanted to (Including the purchase price of the truck) and you get to skip the engine and trans swaps, and dealing with the fancy fuel systems or electronics, which would save you time, money and sweat. I'm ignoring the cost of the IRS swap and any suspension work/wheels/tires/brakes because those would happen on either truck platform you do, and they weren't included in your $6500 budget above. But if you can save $1500 by skipping the engine and trans swaps, that would buy your IRS setup, or a set of wheels and wide sticky tires.

BETTER PERFORMANCE-- The 2.0L Ecoboost in the Focus ST is rated @ 252hp at the crank. Most other versions are less. By choosing your own turbo, injectors, and controlling the amount of boost yourself, you can easily eclipse that number with a plain old turbo duratec.

5. I'm not usually into naming vehicles, but "Aftershock" might be kind of cool

Click to expand...

Thanks for the heads up on the trans moving. I hadn't thought about that. I also hadn't thought about a 5 speed having better ratios for auto cross. The only reason I'm looking at the EcoBoost over putting a turbo on the Duratec is because I don't want to do something that's been done before. I looked at the cost of the Duratec vs the EB and I've decided if I'm gonna spend money on that anyway I might as well go big. The 252 hp is good but there's also the 270 lb/ft of torque and with the controls pack from Ford it'll be up to to 360 lb/ft on 91 octane. On top of all that, the gas mileage will also be great. Oh and I like the Aftershock suggestion.


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RonD said:

I agree with stmitch, more off the shelf parts in sticking with stock(for Ranger) engine, so easier on the budget.
"Where no man has gone before" builds are neat but not easy on the wallet.

Engine Computers just need to know when the trans is in Neutral, on a manual that is when the clutch pedal is pushed down all the way, so a stock Ranger clutch pedal switch is all you would need for that interface

Click to expand...

Thanks for the clarification for the transmission electronics. I'm fully prepared to spend the money, and the wife is on board too so I'm taking the opportunity to use money and not get in trouble for it. Haha


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the only thing i am shocked about, is that this is not a routine swap for 2wd guys for the last 3-4 years....

i am not a 4cyl guy, but i do engine swaps....or rather have been swapping engines into things my entire life. and what smitch says is right on spot, though missing some movement from a packaging perspective and the direct injection capacities.

more important, costs and ease of diy potentials. i have been getting a ton of pressure for doing the bigger 6 ecoboost, and it has been a debacle from ford for those since day 1 so my interest is low. but i briefly looked into these 4cyl with fords hotrod wiring package which trades around 13-1700 and fusion engines which trade 800-1500 and i am genuinely surprised that this is not a common upgrade. of course once it starts to get popular...2.5 transmissions for rangers will go through the roof...so i have been thinking of stocking up on those. guys are using this in locost stuff.

conversely...there is one negative thing about this forum. there are not too many actual hotrod guys here or interesting trucks from the unique perpective of powertrain selection.

i say this because i am certain there are quite a few of these already prowling around, i have seen just about everything swapped into this platform. ranger guys are cheap and lowcost in general....hot rod guys can be more so....

the difference is skill levels and base desires. i am pretty sure i can do one of these for 2 grand to 2500 bux or so if i was starting with a 2.5 truck and really wanted it.

as cheap as that is....its still a 4 cylinder....

or maybe i should have said....get a 1000 dollar fusion engine and hurry the fawk up....so i can see the snags and smooth thing up for me later

I have one thing to add on a point I saw mentioned in the original post, but not addressed since.

The high pressure fuel delivery should be easy to accomplish. The ecoboost service engines come with the cam-driven high pressure fuel pump already installed. The low pressure system is a 35-55 PSI returnless system, very similar to what the Ranger already has. It's that cam-driven pump that kicks the pressure up into the 3000 PSI range, so aside from maybe a custom line to connect the Ranger system to the HP pump, it should be plug and play.

I'm being constructive here because, while I do think the whole idea is a bit ridiculous, I sooooo want to see this happen.

RioRanger505 said:

The only reason I'm looking at the EcoBoost over putting a turbo on the Duratec is because I don't want to do something that's been done before. I looked at the cost of the Duratec vs the EB and I've decided if I'm gonna spend money on that anyway I might as well go big. The 252 hp is good but there's also the 270 lb/ft of torque and with the controls pack from Ford it'll be up to to 360 lb/ft on 91 octane.

Click to expand...

Fair enough man. As long as you realize that you're choosing the more expensive and difficult path, more power to ya.

I've seen a grand total of 3 driving turbo Duratec Rangers (2 online and one in person), so it's hardly a common thing to see, but I have seen 0 Ecoboost Rangers, so I guess you've got me there. Me personally, I'd gladly sacrifice that tiny bit of exclusivity for the cheaper, easier option that gets me driving my new toy faster. I just don't want to see another stalled out high performance Ranger project. Besides, if you do it, others around here might get ideas, and then it won't be that exclusive anyway.

Either path you take will be awesome as long as it gets completed. I just want to see it happen, and live vicariously through you, because I've been wanting a turbo 4 pwered truck with IRS for awhile now. I'll make due with my low-tech 3.0 though in the mean time. Get to work!

I would personally try to go with the 2.3L. I have driven both the 2.3T and 5.0 Mustangs, back to back, both manual trans. The 2.3 felt like it had more get-up and go.

bobbywalter said:

or maybe i should have said....get a 1000 dollar fusion engine and hurry the fawk up....so i can see the snags and smooth thing up for me later

Click to expand...

Haha Thanks, I just finished my budget for the things I need just to get it running and I'm gonna start getting parts together within the next couple months. The only reason I don't get a fusion engine is because I know the ST's EB has the exhaust manifold and turbo integrated into the block as one piece and that's why they have higher power figures so the higher priced ST it is. [emoji53] [emoji107]


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adsm08 said:

I have one thing to add on a point I saw mentioned in the original post, but not addressed since.



The high pressure fuel delivery should be easy to accomplish. The ecoboost service engines come with the cam-driven high pressure fuel pump already installed. The low pressure system is a 35-55 PSI returnless system, very similar to what the Ranger already has. It's that cam-driven pump that kicks the pressure up into the 3000 PSI range, so aside from maybe a custom line to connect the Ranger system to the HP pump, it should be plug and play.



I'm being constructive here because, while I do think the whole idea is a bit ridiculous, I sooooo want to see this happen.

Click to expand...

I forgot that the high pressure is created by the cam-driven pump. This swap gets easier and easier every time I check the thread. I'm getting stoked for sure.


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