2.3 turbo swap. Any advice?

scotts90ranger · Jan 13, 2015

The computer doesn't care what ignition system you use (the DIS module and the TFI module do basically the same thing, with the same signal from the computer), use the stock Ranger wiring harness, keep the DIS module (but keep it grounded and put a heat sink on it...) and run just the passenger side coil pack and you're golden, you have to ground out the outside terminals of the drivers side coil connector for it to work right though but that's easy...

To put it simple, you don't have to do anything but mount the crank sensor on the turbo engine block and mount the DIS module...

My Tracker has been good to me other than the bearings in the tranny going out twice since I've had it (60k miles), it's the 16 valve version and has gotten a consistent 26mpg but has been burning a lot of oil since I've had it, cut it by 60% rebuilding the head last year but the rings are shot... ripped it apart to redo that and found the block cracked...

I might not be able to dig deep enough to find the baro sensor until this weekend, I want to get the new engine torn apart tomorrow to see what kinda parts it needs...

Turbroke · Jan 14, 2015

Thanks again, I was concerned about the difference the computer might notice between the two ignition types. I had the same problem with my tracker tranny. (5 speed) I tore it down and rebuilt it...it's been great ever since. I had the 8 valve version, and it was pretty rough on gas. It's the reason I sold it. 10-14 mpg! Maybe there was something else going on, but I cleaned out the EGR, new ignition, tune up, and it ran better but still gobbled up gas. It was a 4X4.

scotts90ranger · Jan 14, 2015

So is mine, I'd gotten up to 32mpg right after I did the head and just cruised for a whole tank of fuel at once... it's peppy for having like 98hp on a 2800lb rig

I've been running the DIS on my turbo engine for 5 years without an issue, I had a crank sensor go out at one point but that's it.

Turbroke · Jan 19, 2015

Will my stock fuel pump deliver enough gas to meet my needs? I do like to have a little fun with my vehicles, but won't be racing or trying to whittle down my quarter mile time. What I'm hoping for performance wise, is way better on ramp acceleration, passing and a hell of a lot more throttle response than stock. (The ONLY things I don't like about 4 cyl. Rangers) I do like the gas mileage though.

scotts90ranger · Jan 19, 2015

I'm running a stock replacement fuel pump, most say it isn't enough but it's feeding plenty to mine

Turbroke · Jan 23, 2015

Just finished bolting the engine and tranny up. and am wondering how important, or not getting these brackets back on is. They bolt from the side of the engine block to the bell housing and seem to have no other function other than perhaps further reinforcing the block to transmission connection and being a real pain in the but to take out and put back in. These were on the Ranger block. A TC does not have them. Any thoughts?

scotts90ranger · Jan 24, 2015

I left mine off, if they were that important I would have had issues by now

, they make those two outer bolts near impossible to get in and out if I remember right.

Turbroke · Jan 24, 2015

scotts90ranger said:
I left mine off, if they were that important I would have had issues by now , they make those two outer bolts near impossible to get in and out if I remember right.

Yes. bolt access with them was horrible, and I was very pleased with the sound they made when they hit my scrap metal pile.

I'm working on the intake & EEC today. I hit a wall on a few things so, I have a few questions: 1. Should I even bother with the knock sensor? 2. My truck does not have a MAP sensor. I bought a new 1 bar MAP sensor, (3 wires)and assume I must run a wire to the EEC where the BAP pin goes as well as the other 2 wires wherever they go. Which ones go where? I'm clueless. All I know is one is 5v, one is 12v power, and the last I assume is ground? 3. I recall you mentioning the need to heat sink the dis. How did you approach that? I was considering cutting off the hunk of aluminum it was mounted to on the Ranger intake and maybe grinding some cooling fins into it. Thanks for all of the help Scott. I'll have to look you up when I get out to Oregon this fall, to show you the truck and take you out for dinner and a few beers or something.

scotts90ranger · Jan 25, 2015

That's what I did for the DIS module, at least 1 if not 2 of those heat sinks is now gone the way of the dodo... it works fine but it is absolutely necessary to ground that plate, just run a short jumper wire from the plate to that stud on one of the bolts, works fine.

Like I said in your post in the urgent help board, add the one wire to the ECM, it's the signal wire, go HERE for a wiring diagram, it shows where the other two wires can be spliced to, there's like 4 other sensors that use them...

Also, to save you a headache since I already found this out the hard way... disconnect and cover safely the wire in pin 8 (shown HERE) if it is on your Ranger harness, it is a hot wire from the fuel pump relay, on the LA3 you're using it's in a different spot than on mine (it was unfortunately in the same place as the "octane switch" which meant I was on the premium fuel spark table all the time so I got a lot of pinging). You can use that wire to your advantage if you put that wire in pin 24 (your octane switch location) extend it and connect it to a switch in the glove box or something where it interrupts the wire, it'll run ok on premium with the switch off, and have more power with the switch on...

That'd be cool, we could meet somewhere as I think you said Klamath falls which is like 6 hours from me

, I've only seen one other turbo Ranger in person and it was kinda hacked, and the guy that owned it didn't do the work, so didn't know much about it...

scotts90ranger · Jan 25, 2015

On the knock sensor, I think I connected mine, but it doesn't really do anything since it's in a horrible location to actually sense knock...

Oh, on the DIS plate I made, ONLY USE THE STOCK 3 BOLT LOCATIONS, I just used a 1/8" aluminum plate I found in my stash, bent it in my vise and traced out an intake gasket and cut it out... I think the module on mine is mounted upside down but it's just how it worked, I mounted it up instead of down because it got in more airflow there. Just having the plate is probably enough without adding heat sinks

Turbroke · Jan 25, 2015

Thanks again Scott. I really like your heat sink. I'm a firm believer in overkill and that sucker looks like it would cool down a nuclear reactor core! LOL. I wound up hacking the original aluminum mount off the stock intake and mounting it similar to yours. Should be sufficient; plenty of mass and surface area for dissipating heat. Could you clarify how you grounded out the drivers side DIS coil pack? I gather from the picture that you snipped off the plug end, grounded the black & white wires together and just left the red wire and ground hang wild/disconnected. Is that right? Also, I am running the stock radiator and water pump mounted fan, so I shouldn't have to be concerned with running the wires for the electric TC fans; should I pull those pins? The place where I'll be living/working after August is just a little south down Redwood Hwy from Grant's Pass; closer to Salem than six hours I think. I've been wanting to see Salem. There were some affordable properties for sale out that way a couple years ago. I may re-locate permanently. It's very hard to make a living doing what I do in N.E. TN, and I'm tired of struggling. It's a really unusual economy here. There is no tourism, folks are mostly either very rich or poor, and they all have unusual spending habits. (practical & frugal)

scotts90ranger · Jan 25, 2015

You can actually see my ground for the drivers side coil pack in that picture, it's the blue butt connector above the "do" in "do not overfill" on the PS cap, and it's the black wire going to the stud on the intake manifold... spliced the two output wires (the outer ones in the connector) in one side of the butt connector, and grounded the other side.

You can leave off the wires for the electric fan, I don't know if there's anything in the Ranger harness there but if there is you might as well pull it out. I'm actually running the stock clutch fan, but with a heavy duty explorer radiator, using an explorer fan shroud that doesn't fit well so is very inefficient

, I ran a thin stock radiator for a while but with what I do I need more cooling than normal. For 4x2 street use a stock radiator is fine, upgrade if you run into cooling issues. If you do run into cooling issues, get yourself a turbocoupe lower radiator hose and use that for the lower hose, and cut the stock upper hose in half at the bend in the middle, go to a hardware store and get a copper pipe 45* elbow that fits in the part you cut in half to splice it and two new clamps and now you can use any radiator for a '91-94 Explorer or 2.9L Ranger of similar vintage, all of which are bigger than stock (some 1/4", some 1" thicker...).

I'm actually 20 minutes north of Salem now, but same difference

, it's a nice area. Over here the coast is similar to what you describe, either broke or rich to some extent, there's a little of everything in the Salem area, I try to keep a distance from Portland because they are too crazy and controlling... I haven't gone south too much, so I don't remember how far anything is down there, Grants Pass is around 4 hours I think

Turbroke · Jan 26, 2015

There is a difference between the two EGR valves. The Ranger has wires that go to it whereas the TC does not. Should I swap these? I'm guessing the LA3 does not take EGR readings, so I should just tape the connector off and forget about it. Yes? Finished re-pinning the EEC and adding the extra wires today. Glad it's done; I find that stuff nerve-racking.

scotts90ranger · Jan 26, 2015

The wires going to the Ranger EGR is just a position sensor, the LA3 doesn't look for that so don't worry about it, I've never hooked my EGR vacuum line up and have successfully broken both EGR valves I have, so I'm running a blockoff plate I made.

When I first did my swap, I "thought" I knew what wires went where, I was wrong on like 3 of them

, but it ran ok like that until I fixed it about a year later, if you go through those two diagrams I linked to a couple days ago and make sure the components go to the right places you should be ok.

Turbroke · Jan 31, 2015

I swapped the throttle bodies on the intake, and am using the one from the Ranger. There are two major differences. 1. The idle control sensor's output plug faces toward the valve cover and don't fit, so I turned it 180 degrees. Is that ok? 2. The Ranger throttle body has two vacuum lines; one goes to the charcoal canister, and the other I assume to the vac tree; whereas, the TC throttle body has no vac lines. I hooked up the charcoal vac line, and was thinking about simply plugging the other one because the TC intake has a T'd vacuum line; one to the fuel pressure regulator and the other to the vac. tree. I want to split the line from the intake, and run one side to the power brake assist and the other to the tree. I'm attaching a diagram cause this is getting confusing. lol Just double checking; is this right?

2.3 turbo swap. Any advice?

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