Am I set up for failure?

[Holden]

I recently bought a pre pulled 4.0 out of a 2000 ranger (found a decent price for it) to replace the essentially blown 2.9 in my 89 ranger...I didn't realize how many compatibility challenges it would have although that should have been very obvious haha.

In my head it almost seems easier to snag a harness and PCM from a donor 93-97 to have a bit less of a challenge. But that would also probably mean swapping a lot of sensors... does anyone have experience with this?? What the heck should I do?

 

[SenorNoob]

In an 89? I'd try find a harness and ECU from a 90-92 Ranger or 90-94 Explorer/Navajo. Those will put the new ECU in the same place as your existing one and have the right connector to just plug into your dash harness. (Whether all the pins will be in the right place is another story. I can't confirm that.) Then I's swap sensors on the engine as needed to make everything plug in.

If you're good with wiring, there is something to be said for using a newer harness tho. My 91 harness is starting to show it's age even here in the south.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

The 2000 isnt an SOHC is it?

 

[Curious Hound]

If it were me, I would get a harness and ecu from a 2000 4.0l.

I would also make sure I had a wiring diagrams book from both trucks.

 

[Roert42]

I think rusty is right.

If it’s a sohc motor you’re going to want to use all the electrical from another sohc motor.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

The 2000 isnt an SOHC is it?

01 started the SOHC in the 4.0, so a 00 should be OHV

I’ve been told there’s differences between the 4.0s of different years but I have a 96 Explorer 4.0 running with a 91 Ranger harness and computer in my 89 Choptop. There’s a few wiring splices but not bad. I also have a 00 Ranger 4.0 in my 92 Ranger running all the original 92 stuff so…

 

[rusty ol ranger]

01 started the SOHC in the 4.0, so a 00 should be OHV

I’ve been told there’s differences between the 4.0s of different years but I have a 96 Explorer 4.0 running with a 91 Ranger harness and computer in my 89 Choptop. There’s a few wiring splices but not bad. I also have a 00 Ranger 4.0 in my 92 Ranger running all the original 92 stuff so…

My uncle had a 00 explorer with the SOHC....did they get them earlier then the ranger?

 

[Holden]

The 2000 isnt an SOHC is it?

Mine is an OHV

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

My uncle had a 00 explorer with the SOHC....did they get them earlier then the ranger?

The Explorer got both 4.0 offerings in 00 and 01, then went to the SOHC

 

[Holden]

01 started the SOHC in the 4.0, so a 00 should be OHV

I’ve been told there’s differences between the 4.0s of different years but I have a 96 Explorer 4.0 running with a 91 Ranger harness and computer in my 89 Choptop. There’s a few wiring splices but not bad. I also have a 00 Ranger 4.0 in my 92 Ranger running all the original 92 stuff so…

Glad to hear that it's possible lol, so you're running the 92 harness and sensors on the 00 engine? Did you keep the 00 intake and fuel rail/injectors? The newer fuel rail doesn't have a return line like the older ones, how did you approach that?

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Glad to hear that it's possible lol, so you're running the 92 harness and sensors on the 00 engine? Did you keep the 00 intake and fuel rail/injectors? The newer fuel rail doesn't have a return line like the older ones, how did you approach that?

I swapped the fuel rail, injectors, upper intake and whatever else I needed to do to make it match the older

 

[Holden]

I swapped the fuel rail, injectors, upper intake and whatever else I needed to do to make it match the older

Ok, that makes sense, it all bolts onto the heads ok? And after swapping sensors did you have any location issues?


Sorry for all the questions, just trying to prep it all in my head

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Ok, that makes sense, it all bolts onto the heads ok? And after swapping sensors did you have any location issues?


Sorry for all the questions, just trying to prep it all in my head

Everything bolts up. The cam sensor isn’t used in the early 4.0, so I just left that unplugged. Everything else either swaps or is the same

 

[Holden]

Everything bolts up. The cam sensor isn’t used in the early 4.0, so I just left that unplugged. Everything else either swaps or is the same

Awesome, thank you so much for that info! I feel a lot more confident in the swap now haha.

 

[SenorNoob]

BTW, I've read at least one account of using an SOHC engine with an early computer system.