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2.3L ('83-'97) 2000 3.0 to 1995 2.3 Swap


n7nd0

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Good evening. I would greatly appreciate a little insight into the swap that I am planning on.

I currently have a 2000 Extended Cab 3.0L 4speed auto 2WD with a bad motor but a good body and interior. I also have a 1995 Extended Cab 2.3L 5speed manual 2wd with a good drive train but rough body and interior.
My plan is to swap the good 2.3 drivetrain into the 2000 truck. I already know that the 2.3 wont mate to the auto trans, which is fine. I understand so far that I will need to use the motor mounts, trans, wiring harness, and ECM from the 2.3.

Does anyone know of any other things that I will need for the swap that cannot be pulled from from the 1995 truck? The 2000 came with a one piece driveshaft which I would prefer to use over the two piece that is in the '95. I would like to know if this is possible or if the splines will even line up.

Thank you for any help/info you can give!
 


scotts90ranger

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Honestly a body swap would be simpler, you're changing between two different front suspensions and the engine mount brackets mount to the engine crossmember that has the suspension stuff on it so they very likely won't match up. The one piece driveshaft should fit, the M5OD and A4LD or 4R44 or whatever are the same length I believe, the one piece swap is common. The bed bolts are the same since the beds are the same other than the tail lights... I think anyway, I know some things changed around on the tail lights at some point...

Converting to manual will take swapping the brake/clutch pedal assembly between the two. The two have dashes that look the same but some wiring is different and some components are slightly different, shouldn't be too hard to interchange, someone might have the chassis wiring between the two years...
 

n7nd0

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Thanks for your reply, Scott. That’s what I was afraid of and that’s exactly why I asked the question. I’m really no body guy so I am afraid of the fenders to cab and cab to bed not lining up and it looking half assed. Is it possible to pull the fenders with the cab? And then from there, would the cab wiring on the 2000 plug right up to the harnesses on the 1995 chassis?
 

scotts90ranger

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The wiring is up to someone that has access to wiring... when I put the '90 body on a '89 chassis I literally took out the 6 body mount bolts, the two middle seat belt bolts (they have a cable between them that goes around a crossmember on a regular cab at least) and undid all the wires and moved the whole body at once, I didn't take any fenders or doors off, I was very green in the mechanicing then... I didn't use anything but manpower to do the chassis swap in a gravel driveway none the less... we had 3 guys and some railroad ties for support...
 

n7nd0

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The wiring is up to someone that has access to wiring... when I put the '90 body on a '89 chassis I literally took out the 6 body mount bolts, the two middle seat belt bolts (they have a cable between them that goes around a crossmember on a regular cab at least) and undid all the wires and moved the whole body at once, I didn't take any fenders or doors off, I was very green in the mechanicing then... I didn't use anything but manpower to do the chassis swap in a gravel driveway none the less... we had 3 guys and some railroad ties for support...
The swap is underway. I have both rangers torn apart and first thing tomorrow I’ll be dropping the 2000 cab on the 1995 frame and 2.3l.
 

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n7nd0

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So I now have the 2000 cab on the 1995 chassis with the 2.3l and M5OD.

As far as I can tell everything is wired up and I should be good to go. The last problem I am running into is the PATS (anti theft) module in the 2000 body.. I kept the PCM from the 2.3l without PATS.

My question is, if I swap steering columns or ignition cylinder/key itself, will I be bypassing the PATS system

Need help! please and thanks
 

scotts90ranger

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4WD
Total Lift
6
Tire Size
35"
I've never gotten too deep into the PATS system, but the key sensor is just a ring around the ignition switch from what I've gathered, you "might" have to get rid of some of the features of the '00 dash and speedo and use the speedo cable and cluster from the '95, or does the '95 have a cable? I don't remember, I know '97 doesn't... This is where RonD is more helpful than I am...
 

n7nd0

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I've never gotten too deep into the PATS system, but the key sensor is just a ring around the ignition switch from what I've gathered, you "might" have to get rid of some of the features of the '00 dash and speedo and use the speedo cable and cluster from the '95, or does the '95 have a cable? I don't remember, I know '97 doesn't... This is where RonD is more helpful than I am...
I am not 100% on whether the '95 uses a speedo cable or not, I have yet to pull the clusters from either.
I would really love for someone to post up some wiring diagrams for the dashes on a 2000 Automatic 3.0 and 1995 Manual 2.3!!
That would do me worlds of good. I believe PATS is my last issue.. but how to bypass, I do not know. Would appreciate if someone experienced could chime in. All I get with a key turn is a flashing "THEFT" light.

Wonder what swapping clusters would help or not.
 

n7nd0

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I swapped the whole steering column, including ignition and the cluster into the truck. Still nothing when I turn the key, before I had swapped the cluster and just had the column swapped, I still had a flashing theft light… Don’t know if that affects my situation now or not.

I’m starting to guess I have some sort of ignition issues being that when I turn my key on, there is no fuel pump running nor do I have crank.
 

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