2.8 differences?

awful knoffel · Sep 16, 2007

Hi, Just joined although I'm really not new here, been lurking and checking out the board for quite awhile. Anyway, my question is-will a late 70's 2.8 swap in my 85 Ranger? I know the dipstick is in a different place and the cam core is smaller, but are there any other issues to deal with? Thanks everyone and keep up the good work on the boards.

BobR · Sep 16, 2007

easy swap.

all the bolt patterns line up accept keep timing cover with its water pump (these can be swapped as a set to any year) there are some more machined surfaces inside that vary a little.

Bob

awful knoffel · Sep 16, 2007

Thanks for the quick reply and the info!

awful knoffel · Sep 27, 2007

Another question-What's the best way to deal with the dipstick issue? I've got a chance to pickup an early style fresh shortblock cheap

BobR · Sep 27, 2007

use the one that came with the block and pickupe tube. thats the easiest way.

Bob

awful knoffel · Sep 28, 2007

I understand the pickup tube part but for the dipstick the ranger is a rear sump and isn't the early block dipstick hole designed for a front sump?

BobR · Sep 28, 2007

I tried to keep it brief in my previous post and bungled a little.

by keeping the pickup/pan/stick you know it will keep things right.
when I first got it (B2 with 74 block) it had a center sump that drained directly on the frame. what a mess.
and the dipstick was broken though the finger portion was still there.

I got a B2 dipstick from ford and a pan from a bone yard. wound up bending the pickup to match the pan using playdough on the pickup screen and assembling it to guage clearance and deliberately overfilling it with oil and driving off the excess. then tossing tha air filter and scratching the dipstick at that fill level and calling that the full line.

my '74 block (I dont know if its maveric mustang or capri) has a rear dipstick. it was not untill I was rebuilding my engine 2 years later that I realized the origin of my PIA. if I had known earlier I believe it would have heen much easier the easier aproach is if it works leave it.

Bob

Bill · Sep 30, 2007

These engines were used in the Capri, Capri II, Pinto and Mustang II. They weren't used in the Maveric.

Front vs rear sump is an application issue. The Pinto had a front sump. Since the Mustang II is basically the same as a Pinto, I'm assuming it had a front sump also, but I don't know for sure. The Capri and Capri II had a rear sump. I placed a 2.8 from a 1975 Pinto and put it in a 1973 Capri years ago. I used the oil pan from the original 2.6L V6 and put it on the 2.8. I think the front sump versions had a feeder tube leading to the oil sump, if I remember correctly.

I was able to move the dipstick from the front to the rear, since the 2.8 was made for both front and rear sump applications.

awful knoffel · Oct 8, 2007

Well, finally got a hold of the shortblock and the dipstick turns out to be a non issue. Like Bills post, it has two dipstick holes. All I need to do is stab it in the right hole and plug the other. My 85 Ranger will live on! Thanks again to everybody for the replies and info.

2.8 differences?

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