91 ranger 4x4 2.3 engine smokes.....

[2.3ranger]

Hello all just wanted to start off saying i love this site & rangers.. Im always browseing the site reading post etc etc.. I have a issue with my tired 2.3l she burns a quart of oil within 25 miles radius lol... So pretty much a smoke screen behind me. Im mechanically inclined & im in search of a new motor...

Option #1 I really want to install a newer 2.5l engine & stay with my obd1 electronics

Option #2 A newer 2.3l like 97 96

Im comepletely aware of the crank sensor issue & that you have to drill & tap into the block to use your old crank sensor. My ?? is can my old accessory brackets like a/c, alt, power steering, be swaped onto the newer 2.3l or 2.5l?

I really dont have time or money to rebuild this tired 2.3l & would love to swap it out with the newer engine option.. Thanks alot any help is would be great

[Kenneth S]

Your brackets should be able to swap over to the newer engine with no problems.

[2.3ranger]

Originally Posted by Kenneth S

Your brackets should be able to swap over to the newer engine with no problems.

i was thinkin newer years diff locations for the componets like a/c power steering... If not great.. but sounds like your not 100% sure. No body has any info on swaping a 2.5l into a obd1 harness ranger?

[Kenneth S]

They changed the intake ports, and the way the oil pump is in the engine, those are really the only things I'm not 100% sure about. The bell housing, exhaust, and motor mount bolt hole are all the same. I haven't worked with any of the newer blocks that don't have the provision for a distributor, or fuel pump, so I haven't had the chance to really compare them (they also moved the where the cam position sensor is also). In the salvage yards that are around me they very rarely have any of the newer 2.3/2.5's so I haven't been able to look at them side by side. Hopefully someone who has performed the swap will chime in, I'd like to know if there are any differences myself.

[Kenneth S]

Found this one another forum.

Question:
I have a question about these. I am using a newer 2.3 (95) in an older vehicle with a 94 harness. The 95 has 2 wires for the crank sensor and the 94 has 4 wires. The 94 sensor bolted to the block, the 95 bolts in a different location. The question being is there any fix to make the 94 sensor bolt to the 95 block? I know I can drill and tap the holes, but I didn't know if there was a wiring fix or possibly and aftermarket sensor that eliminates this problem. The 95 has a gear with a notch missing and the 94 has a ring that has 2 large slots cut out of it that passes between the sensor and disrupts the field. Any help would be appreciated. If any one knows this, you would. Thanks.

The answer:
Here's the fix for that.
It's pretty self explanitory once you get the front covers off of both engines, there are 3 holes that mount the crank sensor mount to the block on the early DIS engine, two threaded and one dowel pin, they are 6mm threads and a 6mm dowel pin, you probably won't find one though. Take a 6mm bolt with a long shank and cut it off so the shank was about the length of the dowel in the original engine and just threaded the hole and red loctite it in place.

To make your template, get a piece of thin cardboard, cut it out in a relative shape to fit in the area needed, you want to use the outer bolt holes for the cover for reference points so make it big enough to get to those. Start with the hole for the pin, cut it out in the cardboard first, then take a STRONG pin or something and stab it into the holes you want to use for reference one at a time, after you stab the hole in the cardboard cut out the excess so that the correct bolt will fit through then put it back on the engine with the bolt threaded in the hole, this will help in accuracy. Start this process with the outer most cover bolt holes, do 3 of the cover holes for good measure, you don't have to do all of them, and then do the other two holes that need to be drilled and tapped. when you get to the new engine, take a scribe or something to scratch the metal or a sharpie and mark the holes that need to be drilled and tapped, take a center punch and mark the center as close as you can, then drill a small pilot hole like 1/16" then drill the correct size hole for the 6mm tap, at least one of the holes goes all the way through to the crank case so you will want to be careful, with the front cover off you can catch all of the chips without a problem just use some loctite or thread sealant on the bolts when you put it on. That should cover that part.

You have to use the crank balancer/pulley from a '94 or earlier engine, it'll swap right over. Once you get the sensor mounted and the balancer in place check the crank sensor alignment, take the pulley off (4 bolts with 10mm heads) and rotate the engine, there are some points where you can see both vanes entering the sensor, just make sure they are close to centered, you shouldn't have to align the sensor after the swap, but it doesn't hurt to check.

[2.3ranger]

Originally Posted by Kenneth S

Found this one another forum.

Question:
I have a question about these. I am using a newer 2.3 (95) in an older vehicle with a 94 harness. The 95 has 2 wires for the crank sensor and the 94 has 4 wires. The 94 sensor bolted to the block, the 95 bolts in a different location. The question being is there any fix to make the 94 sensor bolt to the 95 block? I know I can drill and tap the holes, but I didn't know if there was a wiring fix or possibly and aftermarket sensor that eliminates this problem. The 95 has a gear with a notch missing and the 94 has a ring that has 2 large slots cut out of it that passes between the sensor and disrupts the field. Any help would be appreciated. If any one knows this, you would. Thanks.

The answer:
Here's the fix for that.
It's pretty self explanitory once you get the front covers off of both engines, there are 3 holes that mount the crank sensor mount to the block on the early DIS engine, two threaded and one dowel pin, they are 6mm threads and a 6mm dowel pin, you probably won't find one though. Take a 6mm bolt with a long shank and cut it off so the shank was about the length of the dowel in the original engine and just threaded the hole and red loctite it in place.

To make your template, get a piece of thin cardboard, cut it out in a relative shape to fit in the area needed, you want to use the outer bolt holes for the cover for reference points so make it big enough to get to those. Start with the hole for the pin, cut it out in the cardboard first, then take a STRONG pin or something and stab it into the holes you want to use for reference one at a time, after you stab the hole in the cardboard cut out the excess so that the correct bolt will fit through then put it back on the engine with the bolt threaded in the hole, this will help in accuracy. Start this process with the outer most cover bolt holes, do 3 of the cover holes for good measure, you don't have to do all of them, and then do the other two holes that need to be drilled and tapped. when you get to the new engine, take a scribe or something to scratch the metal or a sharpie and mark the holes that need to be drilled and tapped, take a center punch and mark the center as close as you can, then drill a small pilot hole like 1/16" then drill the correct size hole for the 6mm tap, at least one of the holes goes all the way through to the crank case so you will want to be careful, with the front cover off you can catch all of the chips without a problem just use some loctite or thread sealant on the bolts when you put it on. That should cover that part.

You have to use the crank balancer/pulley from a '94 or earlier engine, it'll swap right over. Once you get the sensor mounted and the balancer in place check the crank sensor alignment, take the pulley off (4 bolts with 10mm heads) and rotate the engine, there are some points where you can see both vanes entering the sensor, just make sure they are close to centered, you shouldn't have to align the sensor after the swap, but it doesn't hurt to check.

Dam ken thanks.... That helped alot... Well when i actually have both engines out and side by side i will try my best to do a write up with step by step pics... thanks alot

[scotts90ranger]

hey, I remember typing that up , at least I think it was me, I typed up something nearly identical 2-3 years ago...

I did it and it worked just fine, I have ~20k miles on my turbo engine with the DIS crank sensor and it seems to work just fine other than me using bad old crank sensors that have been overheated or oil soaked too many times (no idea how that would happen under my hood )

[Kenneth S]

Originally Posted by scotts90ranger

hey, I remember typing that up , at least I think it was me, I typed up something nearly identical 2-3 years ago...

I did it and it worked just fine, I have ~20k miles on my turbo engine with the DIS crank sensor and it seems to work just fine other than me using bad old crank sensors that have been overheated or oil soaked too many times (no idea how that would happen under my hood )

Yes it was you.
http://www.therangerstation.com/foru...osition+sensor

I add you to the credits in my Updated 2.0, 2.3, 2.5 engine family thread (the link in my signature)

[2.3ranger]

Originally Posted by scotts90ranger

hey, I remember typing that up , at least I think it was me, I typed up something nearly identical 2-3 years ago...

I did it and it worked just fine, I have ~20k miles on my turbo engine with the DIS crank sensor and it seems to work just fine other than me using bad old crank sensors that have been overheated or oil soaked too many times (no idea how that would happen under my hood )

Awesome bro... I love your truck identical to mine... So you have installed a 2.5l engine in the 2nd gen ranger? Just cant wait to get my ranger back on the road

[killj0y]

Originally Posted by scotts90ranger

hey, I remember typing that up , at least I think it was me, I typed up something nearly identical 2-3 years ago...

I did it and it worked just fine, I have ~20k miles on my turbo engine with the DIS crank sensor and it seems to work just fine other than me using bad old crank sensors that have been overheated or oil soaked too many times (no idea how that would happen under my hood )

I don't remember last month damn!

[scotts90ranger]

Originally Posted by 2.3ranger

Awesome bro... I love your truck identical to mine... So you have installed a 2.5l engine in the 2nd gen ranger? Just cant wait to get my ranger back on the road

no, turbo 2.3 out of a thunderbird, the 2.5 pistons and rods wouldn't stand the pressure without spending some $$