Howdy, I’m a newbie starting to work on my 87 ranger 2.9.

[Dawn]

I’m also wondering about a newer engine if I can get one as it would be more gas efficient? Having the same year would be nice but I’m thinking about cooling, efficiency etc like you said.

Just picked up a Chilton and an 1987 Ford Ranger Service Specifications Manual on ebay

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Just saw the above reply. No welding needed. Cool. Loctite? No need to bother as long as torque is tight on? Will see what I can find as far as manuals. I’m just looking to bring it back to factory. I have pics of the donor ranger and the cab looks the same. The seat style is anyway which is great as I need the seat sliders. Also rusted away. I’d have to see it in person to be sure. The owner sent me just basic pics and said he’d sell it to me for 700, I could pick what I need and he’d (he runs a tow co so he has scrappers) buy it back. The motor has 150,000 and that seems like a lot so dropping it into my truck would just be asking for a major motor repair shortly down the road. And it may not be compatible anyway. So I’m looking for a rebuilt. I just got the tranny home today and it’s not as apart as I remembered. It may be salvageable. Depends on what can be found as far as rebuilt and price of getting mine back to working condition. Thanks again for your answer. I really appreciate it.

Locktite or lock nuts/washers would be a good idea. You won’t find a torque spec, I just go with as tight as I can get with a 1/2” ratchet. Or around 100 ft/lbs.

Ebay and other places often have listings for the shop manuals, but the Ford shop manuals are done by vehicle and year.

150k isn’t exactly high miles for these, it more depends on how it was cared for. When my red 92 slagged a piston at 160+k, the cylinders still looked nice and no wear ring. Not exactly sure why it decided to melt a piston, everything looked good. So had It not decided to melt, it still would have been a good motor. The motor that replaced it was also a 160+k motor. I had a Bronco II at college that had over 250k on a 2.9 and still ran great. Listening to it run and doing a simple compression test will tell you a lot about the health of the motor.

Getting it back to factory, I would still do some upgrades. If it has an automatic transmission (A4LD), I would highly recommend doing at least a shift kit if not valve body mods and a bulletproof rebuild. Personally, I like using the 4.0l radiator even in the 2.9 trucks but some argue that you don’t need that much cooling capacity. There’s a ton of other tweaks you can do too that don’t visually change it much or at all from stock but improve performance to a degree.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I’m also wondering about a newer engine if I can get one as it would be more gas efficient? Having the same year would be nice but I’m thinking about cooling, efficiency etc like you said.

The 2.9 was gone around 1990 if I remember correctly. You can use any 2.9 out of a Ranger or Bronco II, but most will be higher miles or need rebuilt at this point. The simplest swap would be a 4.0, which you can use a 90-97 Ranger or Explorer, the 2.9 transmission will bolt up and work. You would need the engine, harness and computer. You will have a lot of wiring to deal with though. Not going to get you better fuel economy, but gets you more power (4.0 is essentially a bored and stroked 2.9). The basic engine is the same 4.0 wise up until 01, but the intake and fuel system changed along with the electrical, so if you used a 98-00 4.0 you would have to get the wiring, computer and intake/fuel stuff off an older one. A 2.3l would probably get you a little better fuel economy, but you have to change engine, transmission, harness, computer and do wiring unless you can find one out of an 88 or older, then you shouldn’t really have to deal with wiring but will need everything else.

Engine and transmission mods (especially if you are rebuilding) can improve fuel economy for both the 2.9 and 4.0. How much exactly is more of an open ended question. I picked up 1-2 mpg by doing a shift kit and valve body mods to the A4LD in my red 92. There’s a real rabbit hole you can go down with this all though.

 

[gaz]

@Dawn ,

If your focus is on fuel economy, rebuilding the 60°, v6 Ford 2.9l will be your best move. This 2.9l is very inexpensive to rebuild, take care to keep it well cooled and it will serve you well.

 

[Dawn]

I’ve done some asking around, not a whole lot mind you, but there seems to be some reticence to take on such a project. unfortunately, I don’t have the knowledge to do it myself. But I’m totally willing to do this to save any headaches down the road like a timing belt or such Which I might get from a used engine. After all, I have the engine, all cleaned and the parts (I’m sure more would be needed) and there is the allure of having the original engine. I’m heading up north in a week to see the moms and when I get back, I’ll have the time to get this really underway. Thanks so much for your reply, I really appreciate it.

 

[Dawn]

The 2.9 was gone around 1990 if I remember correctly. You can use any 2.9 out of a Ranger or Bronco II, but most will be higher miles or need rebuilt at this point. The simplest swap would be a 4.0, which you can use a 90-97 Ranger or Explorer, the 2.9 transmission will bolt up and work. You would need the engine, harness and computer. You will have a lot of wiring to deal with though. Not going to get you better fuel economy, but gets you more power (4.0 is essentially a bored and stroked 2.9). The basic engine is the same 4.0 wise up until 01, but the intake and fuel system changed along with the electrical, so if you used a 98-00 4.0 you would have to get the wiring, computer and intake/fuel stuff off an older one. A 2.3l would probably get you a little better fuel economy, but you have to change engine, transmission, harness, computer and do wiring unless you can find one out of an 88 or older, then you shouldn’t really have to deal with wiring but will need everything else.

Engine and transmission mods (especially if you are rebuilding) can improve fuel economy for both the 2.9 and 4.0. How much exactly is more of an open ended question. I picked up 1-2 mpg by doing a shift kit and valve body mods to the A4LD in my red 92. There’s a real rabbit hole you can go down with this all though.

Thanks for all that info. I will keep it in the Rolodex for sure. (I think I may have just given away my age range with that reference)

 

[Dawn]

Locktite or lock nuts/washers would be a good idea. You won’t find a torque spec, I just go with as tight as I can get with a 1/2” ratchet. Or around 100 ft/lbs.

Ebay and other places often have listings for the shop manuals, but the Ford shop manuals are done by vehicle and year.

150k isn’t exactly high miles for these, it more depends on how it was cared for. When my red 92 slagged a piston at 160+k, the cylinders still looked nice and no wear ring. Not exactly sure why it decided to melt a piston, everything looked good. So had It not decided to melt, it still would have been a good motor. The motor that replaced it was also a 160+k motor. I had a Bronco II at college that had over 250k on a 2.9 and still ran great. Listening to it run and doing a simple compression test will tell you a lot about the health of the motor.

Getting it back to factory, I would still do some upgrades. If it has an automatic transmission (A4LD), I would highly recommend doing at least a shift kit if not valve body mods and a bulletproof rebuild. Personally, I like using the 4.0l radiator even in the 2.9 trucks but some argue that you don’t need that much cooling capacity. There’s a ton of other tweaks you can do too that don’t visually change it much or at all from stock but improve performance to a degree.

I think it makes sense to loctite them. And 100 ft/lbs. Got it. As always, thank you so much.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Yeah, a lot of shops are reluctant because it can get expensive and it’s time consuming. That said, these trucks really are not all that hard to work on. Most of my mechanical knowledge has come from working on them and being on here. My choptop started as a 2wd with a blown up 2.9. Previous owner, who was also a member on here (Farva aka Sherrodwannabeb2) managed to crack the head over the #1 cylinder so bad a fingernail fit in the crack, which sprayed hot oil on the hot exhaust and melted the wiring harness above it. At that point I could do brakes and oil and not a whole lot of other knowledge. I replaced the cracked head and converted it to 4x4 with the help of a couple forum members (@ZMan , CombsCustoms and another). Ended up cracking the other head, replaced that, then cracked both. There was a mystery coolant leak that was a contributing factor and I suspect an issue with the block after talking with @PetroleumJunkie412

At that point I put a junkyard 2.9 in, the truck had been wrecked into a pine tree and it pushed the bumper nearly to the front of the motor, so I knew it had run good, lol. And it did run good, but when I last re-did the suspension and went to 35” tires, the 2.9 didn’t have enough oomph, it would pull hard until 4th gear then fall flat on its face. So, a 4.0 that was in a truck we scrapped went in. I was getting pretty good at all of this at that point. Actually had to pull that motor (my screw up) and swap in a junkyard 4.0 and did it in a day, including new head and intake gaskets on the junkyard motor. If you’re willing to learn and do the work, the sky is the limit with these.

 

[Bronco ii Man]

Lil Blue Ford have to give you prop’s! Nobody learns overnight, but experience is something nobody can’t take away from you! I don’t know everything, but experience has gotten me a long way! You can do anything if you put your mind to it! I’ve learnt a lot from here and learn something new every time I’m on here!

Something I always tell myself “Don’t give up!” To many people who have done stuff to rangers and bronco 2’s not to be able to find the information you need to do any job on these vehicles! From routine maintenance to any mod’s possible! So for anyone who read’s this, ask question’s because the only dumb question is one that you didn’t ask!!!!

 

[ZMan]

Yeah, a lot of shops are reluctant because it can get expensive and it’s time consuming. That said, these trucks really are not all that hard to work on. Most of my mechanical knowledge has come from working on them and being on here. My choptop started as a 2wd with a blown up 2.9. Previous owner, who was also a member on here (Farva aka Sherrodwannabeb2) managed to crack the head over the #1 cylinder so bad a fingernail fit in the crack, which sprayed hot oil on the hot exhaust and melted the wiring harness above it. At that point I could do brakes and oil and not a whole lot of other knowledge. I replaced the cracked head and converted it to 4x4 with the help of a couple forum members (@ZMan , CombsCustoms and another). Ended up cracking the other head, replaced that, then cracked both. There was a mystery coolant leak that was a contributing factor and I suspect an issue with the block after talking with @PetroleumJunkie412

At that point I put a junkyard 2.9 in, the truck had been wrecked into a pine tree and it pushed the bumper nearly to the front of the motor, so I knew it had run good, lol. And it did run good, but when I last re-did the suspension and went to 35” tires, the 2.9 didn’t have enough oomph, it would pull hard until 4th gear then fall flat on its face. So, a 4.0 that was in a truck we scrapped went in. I was getting pretty good at all of this at that point. Actually had to pull that motor (my screw up) and swap in a junkyard 4.0 and did it in a day, including new head and intake gaskets on the junkyard motor. If you’re willing to learn and do the work, the sky is the limit with these.

If i had known then what i know now, i think i would have never sold you those heads (was it one or both? I can't remember). The truck it came off was cursed.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

If i had known then what i know now, i think i would have never sold you those heads (was it one or both? I can't remember). The truck it came off was cursed.

I got both heads and used both, lol. Hey, we live and learn. I never expected that someone would have sealed the heater box with RTV because the heater core was leaking…

If I would have known then what I do now, I wouldn’t have sold the 2.9 with World Products heads that ate a valve for cheap