1989 Ranger XLT mystery motor

[cody.conner12]

Hello everybody, I'm new to these forum stuff so sorry for any troubles. I'm 16 and recently bought my first truck. A '89 ranger xlt. As most people know the engine was either a 2.9 V6 or a 2.3 I4. I've seen pictures of the 2.9 engine and it looks nothing like mine. The 2.9 top of the motor where the air intake came in, it's flat and says ' 2.9 Electronic fuel injection ' mine does not have that. The valve covers say 3.0 V6. Carfax says it's a 2.9. I'm just very curious as to what engine this really is. Pics included

 

[baddis]

3.0 vulcan v6 if you look at the emissions tag it should say the engine size on it

 

[cody.conner12]

Where can I find the emission tag?

 

[adsm08]

The emissions tag is on the middle of the core support. Problem is, after so many years they aren't always correct.

Judging by the position of the IAC in that picture I would say that is a 3.0 Vulcan.

 

[cody.conner12]

Could this truck have came with this engine? I thought the 3.0 didn't come out until 93??
The under hood of my 89 is identical to a 93. The pic attached is of a 93 model. Literally the EXACT same as my 89. How???? Although in the picture the battery and power distribution box is located on the right of the engine, they're both on the left side in my truck. And the radiator fluid box and washer fluid is on the right.

 

[baddis]

I had a 90 with a 3.0 in it

 

[1986fordranger]

that is deffinately a 3.0 V6,

the 3.0L Vulcan V6 didn't make its way into a Ranger until 1991, so either someone swaped a 3.0 into your truck, or your truck is not an actual ''1989''

here you can decode your VIN > http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/fr/full.aspx?Page=8

it will tell you what engine your truck had originally

 

[adsm08]

The 3.0 came out in 86, in the Taurus. It wasn't introduced in the Rangers until the 90s.

Anyway, if you really have an 89, then no, there is no way that engine came in the truck from the factory.

What is the 8th digit of the VIN? That will tell you what engine came in it from the factory.

 

[cody.conner12]

Well everything lines up correctly on the vin! Besides being a 3.0. Now my only question is why would someone go through the trouble of swapping a 2.9 for 3.0?

 

[adsm08]

Because the 2.9 died and they had the stuff for a 3.0.

That is the ONLY reason to do it, and it's not a good one.


The only other thing I can think of is that the body might be an 89 but the rest of the truck is newer.

 

[1986fordranger]

Well everything lines up correctly on the vin! Besides being a 3.0. Now my only question is why would someone go through the trouble of swapping a 2.9 for 3.0?

it could be that whoever owned it wanted to get rid of the ''tickety tick'' of the 2.9's, or it may have just been that they had a 3.0 on hand,

other then those reason's I can't see any other reason why imo, but a lot of people have different idea/plan's

 

[cody.conner12]

Okay. Well I greatly appreciate the responses guys!

 

[cody.conner12]

One last question... If I wanted to tell what year model the engine is, what's the easiest way to do that?

 

[koths211]

that there is indeed a Vulcan 3.0...idk why the hell its in an 89. I have an 89 with the 2.9 and I have a 99 with a 3.0 in it. maby someone swapped it in??? easy to work on tho.

 

[adsm08]

One last question... If I wanted to tell what year model the engine is, what's the easiest way to do that?

There isn't one. There are things that changed from year to year, knowing the differences can help narrow it down, but without having the original donor it's hard to figure out what year it came from.