Engine Swap - Mustang II

TorqueWrench08 · Sep 24, 2009

I realize this is a Ranger forum, but there are so few active Mustang II forums that I figured I give it a shot here. Here the situation:

I have a 1974 Mustang II Hatchback(2+2) that originally came with a 2.4L Inline 4 CYL.I am in the process of transplanting a 2.8L 6 from a 1974 Mustang II Ghia. As far as Im aware theres very little that can be done to the Mustang II 2.8L performance wise-about all I have discovered is an Offenhauser 4 BBL Intake and a set of Hooker Headers.

Researching a little, I have found several pages online pertaining to the 2.8L, some of which vaguely state the the 2.8L from a Mustang II and the 2.8L from a Ranger/BroncoII are one in the same.Now again this is my take on these pages, but I have yet to see anything stating specifically that they are the same engine.

Can anyone here(hopefully that has performed a 2.8 from MustangII to Ranger) confirm that the two engines are the same?
I really hate to pull the engine out of the Ghia is why I ask, as I would much rather pull it from a Ranger if it would work out-nothing personal against a Ranger, just lots of sentimental value for the Ghia.
So my thoughts are if I could get my hands on a 19?? Ranger/BroncoII with a 2.8L engine, could it be pulled and dropped into my Mustang 2+2?I have heard about EFI vs. Carb causing a slight problem with computer related issues. What difficulties am I facing if I pull a 2.8 from a Ranger to put into the Mustang II?
Also, on a side note, I believe I also read that my originally 4-Speed Manual would bolt up to a 2.8 from a Ranger, but Im not 100% sure if I would like to. Could I also transplant the transmission also?(Assuming they are a 5-Speed Manual)What difficulties would I face with swapping transmissions?

Thanks for any and all help-It is GREATLY appreciated.

TW.

dangerranger83 · Sep 24, 2009

Well not sure if its a bolt in thing but the Offenhauser 4bbl is the only other fuel delivery option for those motors. IF your wanting to keep it carbed. then ignore the link. But I've does this to my 2.8 liter I just put in my Ranger and I'm not dissapointed with it.

http://therangerstation.com/tech_library/2_8_FuelInjection.html

To look my TBI swap look at my build thread, the link is in my signature. You dont have to go with the 2.9 liter fuel pumps and what not, you just have to keep the pressure at 44 psi. by putting an inline fuel pump in it.

I've read that people trying to do this say that the lower water neck points in a different direction on the Mustang II then in the Rangers. I've never seen a MustangII with a 2.8 in it, just the four bangers.

Some of the 2.8 liters were attached to 4-speeds but not many. When the 2.8 came out they were mainly put in front of the 5-speed tranny's. The bellhousing bolt patterns are different from a 2.3 liter a 2.8 liter. I had to change the the bellhousing when I dropped my 2.8 liter in to replace my 2.3. One thing to note on is that in 1985, they went with an internal slave cylinder, I found that out the hard way when I tried to put the slave cylinder on my 83 4-speed that had an external slave cylinder. But a few mods. later got it to work. Pictures of the different housing bolt patterns are also in my build thread. The tranny's that were put in the Rangers were the Toyo Koygo 4-speed 5-speed up till they put the 2.9 liters in them, then they went to a different tranny.

The years that the 2.8 liters were avalible in the Rangers werer late 83 to early 85. After that they went to the 2.9 liter, which has the same bolt patern as the 2.8 and 4.0.

I cant see Ford making a change in the bolt patterns from the Mustang II 2.8 engine and the Rangers 2.8 engine, like I said they kept that same pattern for years, and other engines.

Hope I did leave anything out, if I did sorry I'll try to answer them. I cant say for sure if it can but I would think so, there was another guy that was doing this swap but putting the MustangII engine into is Ranger.

TorqueWrench08 · Sep 24, 2009

Thanks for the quick reply.

Im not sure exactly what the Rangers 2.8 waterneck points, but on the MustangII 2.8 its towards the passengers side-pointing to the upper corner of the radiator.
A picture for reference:

More pictures are located here if interested.

The Mustang II had the option of a 4-Speed 'RAD (Borg Warner SR4)' Ild really like to get a 5-Speed manual in so Ive got that extra highway gear.Its my understanding that the bolt pattern is the same so theoretically I should be able to swap transmissions also.The questioning would come into play when it comes time to mount and where the shifter hole is located. Perhaps if someone could enlighten me as to what brand/model the 5-Speed is so maybe I can look up some numbers to compare; unless someone just wants to be kind and help out a little more.

About an hour before my OP, I emailed a company that specializes in rebuilt engines and offers both the Ranger and Mustang II 2.8L. A gentleman from their support team has since emailed me back(quick service) at first stating the only difference was the cam. However in a follow-up email he states:
"Turns out the 2.8 ranger and the mustang engine are completely different. The oil pan, and the front timing cover."

I dont think this would be a problem so long as the oil pan clears the suspension/crossmember.

So in the end I suppose Im really asking:
1.Are the mounting spots the same?
2.Would my 4-Speed bolt up to the Ranger 2.8
3.Would the 5-Speed from a Ranger bolt into the MustangII
4.What else would I need to transfer along with the engine(ie. engine wiring, computer, etc?

dangerranger83 · Sep 24, 2009

1. I dont know if the mount spots are the same until I saw them, but would say yes.

2 and 3. If the bolt patterns are the same then they will bolt up goes both ways. The only difference between a 4 and 5 speed is 1 gear. Are you wanting to keep the 4 speed or put in a 5 speed ranger tranny? I dont know if a Ranger tranny will bolt into a Mustang II. Youll have to check on that.

4. If yor using a 2.8 liter out of a ranger you ether use the computer and the factory Ranger ignition system, PITA, or do the duraspark set-up, put a motrcraft 1250 carb on it. Basiclly what the 2.8 Mustang II has in the picture is the easiest rought.

I will say that the 2.3 liter and 2.8 liter have different motor mounts. I tried to put the 2.8 liters in and had to drill holes in the crossmember to make it fit, due to my truck coming with a 2.3 from the factory. But that was a small gap that I had to jump.

As for performace for the Ranger 2.8, you can add a bigger cam, headers, Duraspark if you decide to it. There many ways to make it better. One guy on here put a 2.9 liter cam in his 2.8, had to be takin to a machine shopp for something to be ground down but other then that he said it has to run off of 100 octian fuel. You can port and polish the heads, etc....

Ae you just going for original looks or something that will bolt in? If I were you and going this far as to have to change the tranny and engine, I'd put a v-8 in it.

TorqueWrench08 · Sep 25, 2009

Ive had several people confirm that a 2.8L will drop right into place replacing the 2.4L in the Mustang II, so perhaps the 2.4 Ranger engine was different than the 2.4 from a Mustang.

Id like to throw in the Ranger 5-Speed so Ive got that extra 'highway' gear-better gas mileage.

As for a V8, 74 Mustang IIs dont have the room to fit a V8 without major modification-already looked into that. Ford changed the setup slightly for 75-78 to accommodate the 302 so I would drop into those years, just not a 74.

Thanks again for the feed-back.Maybe someone else will be kind enough to add their thoughts/experience.

kshen66 · Sep 25, 2009

you can put a mustang II water pump on your ranger 2.8 motor if you need too. If you are running a manual trans I have a real nice cam I would sell to you for $100.00 It was a custom ground cam I had made from crane cams. it cost me almost $200.00. It has very low miles on it. The motor it was in (a 77 2.8) blew up and I went to a 85 motor not knowing then the cams wont interchange. So I had to go get a cam made again for the new motor.

Engine Swap - Mustang II

Will a Ranger 2.8 Drop into My Mustang II?

Yes

No

No Idea

TorqueWrench08

New Member

dangerranger83

5.0 HO under the hood!!!

TorqueWrench08

New Member

dangerranger83

5.0 HO under the hood!!!

TorqueWrench08

New Member

kshen66

New Member

Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad

Staff online

Members online

Today's birthdays

Member & Vendor Upgrades

Latest posts

Truck of The Month

Recently Featured

Follow TRS On Instagram

Latest Album Photos

TRS Events

25th Anniversary Sponsors

Check Out The TRS Store

Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad

Amazon Deals