'00 FF 3.0 TO '01 3.0 NON FF need Advice

[AC]

End result plan is selling both trucks (maybe make a truck bed trailer)

I have a '00 Ranger FF that got T-boned, the engine is good because me and a friend rebuilt it a few years back. I purchased a '01 Ranger NON FF with a blown engine(212,222 mi) and have both engines out now. few key differences

1. Should i Try to convert the '01 to FF?
2.Injectors. '00 were cleaned and rebuilt during engine rebuild. '01 unknown.
3. Catalytic converters 5 instead of 3 different emission standards?
4. computer?
5.fuel pump?

If i swap out the lower intake plenum I have to swap out the upper as well because the bolts that secure them together are different sizes and the coil packs are mounted in different locations. The '01 Intakes are baked in oil as it had a blown engine and was consuming 1 QT of oil every 200 miles. benefits of swapping out the lower intake plenum is that the '00 thermostat bolt was damaged during last removal. I stuck a high quality thermostat and a $10 gasket and it didn't leak. picture included.

 

[RonD]

Flex fuel 3.0l had larger injectors and different computer software.
Heads had slightly different shaped chambers but didn't seem to matter as people have swapped them both ways with 0 problems

2000 was last year of ethanol sensor(fuel sensor), and it is worth big $$ to replace, so it is worth pulling it off and see what you can get for it.

2001 and up used computer software to detect ethanol percentage, well just lean/rich, lol, which is all that is really needed
Larger injectors were needed because more ethanol is required to get good air/fuel mix, so to get good duty cycle for both gasoline and E85 a larger injector was chosen

Just install the '00 engine in the '01 body, don't change computer

Clean and use the '01 intake and fuel injectors, sell the newly rebuild FF injectors.
You could just use the FF injectors but might get Rich code because computer is not expecting/programmed for, the larger injectors

1999-2001 were same block and heads, FF were slightly were different but not a big deal, as said above

No, on changing '01 to FF unless you were keeping it, just sell it as gas only, which is what its computer is setup for

 

[AC]

what about the transmission ? are they the same ? or should i swap them to be safe? didn't think about it till i tried to sell one and looked up what vehicles it fits on to have a bigger buyers market and found this link that i seem to ride the line on both years

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/AutoTrans.shtml

I'll have to look at the stamp codes on the transmissions tomorrow as i have a pressure washer coming to spray all the years of dirt off.

 

[stmitch]

There's no difference between the transmissions for flex fuel vs regular gas. All you're really doing, is moving the 2000 short block (engine block/heads) into the 2001. Everything above the heads should be from the 01 (injectors and both intake manifolds).

 

[RonD]

The computer in the '01 runs the transmission so you need to leave that in place, also gas only.
Yes, the 4R44E was used until 2000 and the 5R44E in 2001 but they are the same transmission, just computer software was changed to add 5th gear in the 5R

3.0l Vulcan engine from 1986 to 2008 used same transmission bolt pattern so any 3.0l Vulcan could be bolted to, and work with, the '01 transmission

 

[AC]

UPDATE: I Swapped the Transmissions. (Took the engine and transmissions out at the same time because I knew the condition that my tranny was in and was going to use that before I got the time saving advice here of having to drop it in just to pull it out. At least i was able to pressure wash the tranny clean.)

For some reason the first time i mated the engine and tranny I got it the first time, went to spin the crankshaft and it was really hard. something binding and i couldn't figure out. Added and hot wired the starter. Figured if the starter cant rotate the engine something was wrong and it couldn't. IDK what i got wrong but I took it apart again. Took for ever to line up again but once i did, tighted it up and i was able to rotate the engine like normal.

 

[RonD]

Oh no..........

Have you ever done an automatic trans install before?

One expensive lesson I learned, and many others as well.

You MUST install torque converter on transmission FIRST, then you need to rotate it while pushing in on it.
You will feel the torque converter line up with the Front Pump(main pump) and slide in a bit more, KEEP ROTATING IT, it will slide in at least one more time, on some transmissions there are 3 slots/tabs to line up so it will side in 3 times total.

If you don't do this, then you will break the front pump when you tighten bolts that hold trans to engine, and crank will be hard to turn, binding.
Once pump is broken all the way then it will turn easily

Video here, same for all automatics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7klzEV0kng

Broken front pump means rebuild time, and no go if you have done this and continue installation.
Automatics run on pressure, pressure supplied by the front pump, so no pump = no go

 

[AC]

...shit. yeah once when I did the rear main seal on the '00. Still have them out of the truck. how do i check if the pump is broken? I'll separate the engine and tranny again but do i have to remove the bell housing ?

 

[RonD]

Not sure how to test if it is working or not, or if it was damaged
Failing pump is no Reverse, failed pump is no go in any gear.

Have a look here on getting bell housing off to get to the pump: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBNkCTuQ3So

About 6 minutes in

If you do pull bell housing and change pump then make sure to realign it, watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-L71-udS_g

 

[AC]

Update. well I didn't switch the Transmission pumps yet. I seperated the engine and tranny. it was hard to pull the TC,. put it back together. It's all back in the truck now I didn't install the exhaust because that will not come apart at the CAT'S and they will get in the way if i need to drop the tranny. FEW DIFFERENCE I've noticed between the sensors. not sure if they will make the engine run different. Crankshaft position sensor, one had a step in the connection and the other didn't. EGR valve pressure sensor and MAF sensor one is plastic and the other is aluminum. And last is a sensor on the intake hose, not sure what it is, on the 01 the spot for it isn't made and no wiring for it. sorry if this doesn't make any sense pretty tired right now been working and not much on the truck.

 

[AC]

Ranger gods must be looking out for this one. started the truck and drove it around, sound pretty cool at idle with just the exhaust manifolds on and nothing else. Did have a scare last night i had 10 QT'S of tranny fluid and added five last night about to wrap up for the night I took a look underneath and their is at least a 1/4 of quart of fluid leaking from what i thought was the extension housing... guess that's what happens when you try to fill it with the truck engine off, it comes out the pressure relife valve/vent tube. after it started it took another 2 1/2 quarts.

 

[AC]

Thank you to every one that helped in this processes. Have been using this truck everyday now. Its a great turn key and go truck. Its passed emissions and its registered in my name for now. I took a trip to from Phoenix,AZ TO Tucson 272 miles and no CEL. No shifting problems with the transmissions, I did change out the tranny filter which was clean along with the fuel filter which was also clean just to be sure.