Is this a good drivetrain donor?

[fix_or_repair_daily]

Hi, would an '86 Merkur XR4Ti be a good drivetrain donor for my 84 2wd ranger? What is the power rating on them? Also, do the have anything that is better or worse than a turobcoupe engine and trans? Is there anything in particular that would make it a bad choice? I'm not looking for a monster, but I need something a little better than my worn out carbed 2.3 and crappy c3 auto that can barely get out of its own way and only gets around 18 mpg.

Thanks in advance,
Josh

 

[mhughes165]

Hi, would an '86 Merkur XR4Ti be a good drivetrain donor for my 84 2wd ranger? What is the power rating on them? Also, do the have anything that is better or worse than a turobcoupe engine and trans? Is there anything in particular that would make it a bad choice? I'm not looking for a monster, but I need something a little better than my worn out carbed 2.3 and crappy c3 auto that can barely get out of its own way and only gets around 18 mpg.

Thanks in advance,
Josh

its a good donor, if u wanna use the trans u will have to modify the floor in the truck, becuase the shifter will sit further back, but if u can do all the work, expect a really fun truck that gets a consistent 25+mpg

 

[AllanD]

160hp 240ft/lb of torque.

It is EXACTLY the same as an '85-86 turbocoupe engine.

DO NOT use the transmission from the Merkur it is either the
same C3 as you already have OR it's a manual that is generally
regarded as a flamming piece of crap.

The Merkurs generally do not exibit the oil starvation wear on the #1 connecting rod bearing that other 2.3 engines do because the Merkur comes from the factory with a slick little right angle oil filter mount that prevents the oil filter from draining back into the oil pan when parked overnight.

AD

 

[fix_or_repair_daily]

Thanks for the info, thats just as well about the tranny because it has a cable operated clutch. I know from reading on here that the m5od is the best one to use, right? Would the tk5 hold up or is it too weak to use? I'm just trying to get my facts in order before I start pulling parts at the junk yard.
Thanks,
Josh

 

[shadetree]

The Merk has an independent rear axle. So you can't use it unless you modify your truck. Isn't worth it because it is a 7.5 same as the stock Ranger.

The trans is a T9. Although it has a bad reputation, I have never had a problem with mine. Keep your present trans unless it is an automatic, then I would change it to manual.

The Merks had two horsepower ratings. The automatics were around 140 hp because of the trans. The manuals had the higher horsepower. The difference is in the computers. shady

 

[Sevensecondsuv]

My M5OD had 248,000 miles on it before I bolted it up to my 2.3 turbo motor. Now it has another 4000 miles behind the turbo motor. Everything seems to be great so far. It still works just fine. My motor is also a lot hotter than stock due do bumped compression, a full port and polish job, header, fmic, and 3" madrel bent exhaust.

 

[shadetree]

My M5OD had 248,000 miles on it before I bolted it up to my 2.3 turbo motor. Now it has another 4000 miles behind the turbo motor. Everything seems to be great so far. It still works just fine. My motor is also a lot hotter than stock due do bumped compression, a full port and polish job, header, fmic, and 3" madrel bent exhaust.

Why would you raise compression on a turbo? Kinda asking for trouble. shady

 

[Sevensecondsuv]

Because I had just finished doing a massive port and polish job on a ranger dual plug head I was planning for something else. It raised compression from 8.0 to about 8.4-8.5. The polished combustion chambered more than made up for the extra half point.

 

[Turbo-T]

I'm running the original TK4 and stock clutch behind an '88 Tc engine and pushing 4X4. It works fine. Just don't do any dump the clutch starts. Start looking for an M50D-R1 to replace it with when it does fail.

 

[Sevensecondsuv]

2.3 turbo + M5OD + centerforce dual friction clutch

Rev it up to 3 grand and dump the clutch. Man will it smoke the tires!