1990 ranger diesel conversion

[1991fordranger1]

So I have a couple other builds one I completed the other I ended up wanting to go a different direction with and put on ice when I found this truck.

I found a 1990 Ford ranger xlt with a blown up 2.9 and a4ld trans with the Manual t case and manual locking hubs(thank goodness).

I bought it off a old farmer who was cleaning up the row of vehicles out back before selling his place. It's got a little over 200k kms on it with a brand new set of tires and a cab warmer ( also nice since I live in Canada) .

I paid 400 bucks and I think that covered the tires as they were put on last June and his wife seized it up in August last year. My wife had asked me to leave work early to watch the kids and I got on the classifieds instead of watching them found it at 3 Friday was in my yard but 2 the next day. (With the use of a sketchy trailer I borrowed that turned out to be not registers and had 2 very bad tires)

Since I had put a diesel in a 91 before I know what I'm up against and how I want to tackle it differently but I'm very excited

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

That looks in really nice rust free shape. Rare around me. Red Deer, Alberta, Canada.

 

[1991fordranger1]

This past weekend thanks to self isolation my wife couldn't make me leave so I was able to get the ranger into the garage (which made me realize how little floor space I have) and started pulling it apart.


I think I did not bad by draining all the fluids and getting the rad and oil cooler for the trans all out. I disconnected the fuel injection which still had lots of pressure to my surprise. And got it all tied up. Went under the truck and pulled the drive shafts off. By then I had enough fluids on the floor between ice that was melted out of the box and draining it I had enough for one go.

 

[1991fordranger1]

I came back out after some absorbal on the floor overnight and got rid of everything else i could under the truck.

Sawzall and them Milwaukee torch blades are a great tool. Cut the exhaust off as high as I could and then cut the cats out cleaned it up. Lifted the truck un did the motor mount from the frame. Went back up top pulled the accessories off the front of the motor so it was just motor in there. Went under and yanked the t case off and made a huge atf mess becuase it's the worst substance known to man. Anyways dropped the trans down. Sawzalled cooler lines and anything else in my way.

I had to stick the truck out the door a bit but picked the motor out by just grabbing the intake with my lifting chain . Used a ratchet strap to move it around to yank it out but it is out all in one go.

It was filthy and nasty in that engine bay. I hit it with a few goes of spray nine then power washed it hit it again and repeated about 3 times. It worked good nice clean starting point. I took that opportunity to wash all under the truck from every angle I could then used my leaf blower to get the water out but it looked really good under there the leaky garbage motor probably helped save everything under there.

I think this stuff is all fuel injection wiring I can probably go thru and pull alot of that back and snip it. I only need wiring for the oil pressure sensor and coolant that I stole out of the doors motor. I also want to try to get thr factory tach working with a hallefect sensor and 3 magnets on the crank. I should be able to set it up on my mill and index it 120° to get it accurate

 

[1991fordranger1]

That looks in really nice rust free shape. Rare around me. Red Deer, Alberta, Canada.

I got this one a half hour south of Regina. But it was a Vancouver truck till 07 and I think its ben re sprayed at some point but looks solid

 

[Bracket racer]

Wow, that truck is in awesome shape, but then again I'm in the maritimes and anything more than a week old has rust on it. Mercedes diesel? Can't wait, I love diesels. (tank mechanic in the army for 35 years)

Following along....

 

[1991fordranger1]

1984 0m617a

3.0l 5cylinder turbo diesel.

I planned the head new seals and head gasket 2 days before I roll the other truck. She is good to go it still ran after I rolled I even drove it to where I tore it back apart years ago. Hope to move quickly thru it. May get quarantined any day now with the world being as it is good to know I can stay busy and rather enjoy myself.

 

[1991fordranger1]

Did a little more prepping over the evenings here. I pulled out the old ac blower fan box at 930 last night and by 330 today I had found a non ac box at a local wrecker

Cost 20 bucks came with the fan motor. I just text fit it I am going to give it the spray nine treatment and then bolt it up.

I just need to tidy up some of the wiring and get it tucked up tide up out of the way.

The truck I pulled the box off of was a 2.3 truck and the motor really sits down low and tucked into the firewall if I can accomplish that with the Mercedes and used the factory drive shafts I will be more then happy. But I do now know where a few one piece drive shafts are if I decide to go that route.


I cleaned our the interior of the truck too I did t realize how nasty it was until I clean a bit then I realized I need to go farther alot farther lol.

Progress is progress

 

[1991fordranger1]

I think I have the wiring basically sorted out and everything kinda mapped out wiring wise.

I hope to swing the motor in there tomorrow just to see If my delusions are possible.

 

[1991fordranger1]

I got the motor slung up in there it is a bit of a puzzle to get it in the engine bay but I found if you make the engine hang steep then turn the pulleys to the drivers side let it down and twist it into shape as you go down it is fairly smooth.

It will sit where I had it in the 91 just fine but I want it to sit farther back to fit the rad into the factory place so I'm going to make my own pan. Doomsday diesel makes a pan that would make it quick and easy. I am a machinist for a living so I will make my own. But if anyone is trying ro do a om617 swap he is the best option for kits and such.

 

[1991fordranger1]

While measuring I realized I can gain much by building my own pan as the sump stops me a a certain point either way so I decided to simply modify and after three hours of cutting and fitting and tapping and around and around I went I got it fit up nice and tight. Need to tig it up still but it fits and clears the sump. And should give me 2 inches travel back which should be enough to use rad in factory location.

Going with a orb fitting for a bung since I had to cut the factory one out. It was a weird un standard metric thread so I'll make it simple on myself

 

[Bracket racer]

I had a 4cyl n/a Mercedes diesel I had to get rid of when I got posted last time. Too bad, would of been perfect for the idling/crawling I do now...dang it. Excellent build, love what you're doing. Man, that is a clean truck!

 

[1991fordranger1]

Tig it up only two pin holes. So little touch up and some paint and it will be ready to go.

I had a orb stainless fitting in my tool box so I machined a little boss for it and welded it on to make it look nice and clean and easy to replace.

I need to tap the aluminum part of the pan to 1inch where the old drain tube went tbat leaked horribly. Can then use a reducer to put a an fitting in there and keep the engine bay from getting sludgy again

 

[1991fordranger1]

Not a huge update but motor is resealed and ready to fit back in the truck. I tried to clean it up a but from all the gunk from years of storage and prior oil leaks. That sucked.

I think I'll get it mounted in the truck and then roll it out and wash it a bit more or not we will see.

I put a 316 stainless 1inch npt reducer to 1/2 npt. I plan on using an fittings or jic depends on who you're talking to. To run my turbo drain to be essentially leak free.

Cant really see it but there is a crank case vent be hind the fitting and it was a o ring and a tube before it leaked aswell so I am going to make a catch can for it and the valve cover breather. If I can I'd like to not leave oil stains all over

 

[Blmpkn]

Good progress! It'll be a sweet truck when your done. Lord knows ol Henry Ford would appreciate the Kraut motor in there lol.

As for venting the case/covers, running through a traditional "sealed" catch can before a vented breather tank should eliminate all the mist that would normally escape the filter on a "just breather" setup.

How reliable are the old merc diesels? I was looking into buying a newer c class.. until I realized the general consensus was a Mercedes was not a vehicle you wanted to own out of warrentee lol.